The Moon

         While ambling through the forest one day, a silver wolf came upon a meadow. The grass was dark, but there were millions of small, twinkling white flowers sprinkled all over. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever saw, and she stopped and stood and gazed in awe. On the other side of the meadow, soon, a black wolf came upon the same meadow, and he found himself doing the same. Their eyes met, and it was love at first sight.
         Both wolves were extraordinarily shy, and though both knew that they were meant for each other, neither could gather up the courage to approach the other. But, every day, they both came back to the same meadow. The silver wolf stood one fourth of the way into the clearing on one side, and the black wolf stood one fourth of the way into the other. They both left when the sun left them and the sky became dark and empty. They simply watched each other, both too timid to make the first move.
         After many days of this, the black wolf became bold and took a step into the clearing. Startled by this abrupt move, the silver wolf took a step back. And that is where they stood for the rest of the day.
         The next day, the black wolf took two steps into the clearing. Being shy as she was, the silver wolf took two steps backwards, for she simply didn’t know what to do. This pattern continued for many weeks until the black wolf was entirely on the other side of the meadow and the silver wolf had backed up into the forest. After that, the black wolf returned to his original spot in the meadow, as did the silver wolf.
         After a while, the silver wolf realized how silly she had been, and she, too, gathered the courage to take a step forward. The black wolf, silently in despair at the thought that she didn’t love him, took a step back in confusion. With the days that passed, every step taken forward by the silver wolf was taken backwards by the black wolf, until the black wolf was many steps back into the forest and the silver wolf was on the opposite side of the meadow. Feeling dejected and despondent, the silver wolf went back to her own spot on the other side. The black wolf returned, still confused.
         The day after, the black wolf came to stand in his normal spot, but he found that the silver wolf wasn’t there. He waited patiently for her all day, but when the sun started its decline, he became worried. He decided to stay in the meadow all night, waiting for his true love to appear. He howled miserably, hoping that the silver wolf would hear his cries and come back to him.
         The sun soon left, leaving him in blackness. He knew that it was hopeless, but he continued to howl. All of a sudden, bright light washed over him. He looked up to the sky, and watched as a silver sun rose from the east as the yellow sun fell to its sleep at the west. He stared in wonder, for nothing like this had ever happened.
         A beautiful human in flowing robes slowly descended from this silver sun. The black wolf became frightened and prepared himself to run, but something about this human soothed him. He eyed the human warily as she lightly touched the ground.
         "I am the Goddess of the Sky," she said in the voice of an angel. "The silver wolf has come to live with me, for she couldn’t live life on Earth without you, her one true love. I have turned her into Earth’s moon. She has heard your cries, and realizing her mistake, and she has asked me to allow you to come to the sky with her."
         The black wolf was stunned. He looked up at the glowing orb, this moon that was also his love. It was so beautiful, bathing light all over the land in a time of darkness. He turned back to the Goddess.
         "Come here, and I will take you," she smiled.
         Not being the least bit shy this time, he bounded up to the Goddess and leaped into her arms. She held him tightly rose into the sky, where he was turned into a shadow.
         Every time the shadow on the moon moves forward, the moon shrinks back, as if in shyness. This goes on until the moon is completely hiding. Then, the moon becomes bold and moves forward, and the shadow draws back. The shadow is eventually hidden as the moon has made its way across. And every time the moon is full, wolves all over the land are howling, for it is a time of sadness and loneliness. But, at night, it is known that the black wolf and the silver wolf are together finally, surrounded by twinkling stars.