How Moon Got Stars

Long ago, there lived a great king, who had dominion over the entire world. Except for the company of his two daughters, he lived alone and in peace, above all of his creations.
There was nothing this king liked more than to gaze down upon the earth, and marvel at the funny creatures he would make for is entertainment. His daughters made this task hard for him, because they were always feuding over which was most helpful to him. One constantly tried to outshine the other, and the result was chaotic.
It happened that one day, the king was marveling over his latest invention, the human, when his daughters got into the most horrific fight ever. They both began to scream, and shine, and blaze down upon the earth until it reached unsafe temperatures. The king could hear the creatures below beg him for help, but the heat from his daughters’ rage was so intense that it blinded him, preventing him from seeing anything.
“Be still!” he finally screamed, and sent each of his daughters to their respectful rooms. His condition was that the first to regain her composure would be allowed back at his side, but never again would the two be allowed in his presence together.
It so happened that the daughter he named, Sun, was able to recover first. When she returned to her father, many years later, he gazed down and saw the result of he and her sister's earlier rivalry. His new and most beloved creation had been flawed. Instead of the beige hue he had given to everyone, some of the people had been baked to dark shades of reds, and browns, and yellows, and blacks. Even the ones who ran and hid from the scorching heat were of a lighter pigment now, having been underground without any light.
In a fit of anger, for it was from their father that the girls inhereted their bad tempers, the king banished both daughters to their rooms indefinitely. Soon, he came to see that his beloved creations couldn’t thrive without the presence of his daughters.
Alas, he called them together, and explained his new plan, which he was sure, favored one daughter, no more than the next. He gave them each twelve hours per day, in which they had a chance to show of and exhibit their talents. The daughter, named Sun, was to always b the first let out of her room, because she had the most easy spirit, and it was during this time that the king and his creation needed the most peace to carry on their tasks.
Both agreed, in order to stay in their father’s graces, but inside, Moon was stewing with jealousy and anger. She didn’t believe her father was just at all in allowing Sun to be the first out every day, just because Sun could fain obedience and hold her tongue. When it was finally Moon’s chance to go out into the open, she refused.
“Humph!” she harked, “I play second fiddle to nobody; especially not the likes of you!” And she slammed her pitch-black door right in Sun’s face.
Tired and angered, Sun hurried the best her sore feet would allow, and recapped the events to her father. The king was at his wit’s end, and refused to give into Moon’s childish antics. Sun was asked to take Moon’s place.
“Soon, she’ll get tired and lonely”, he promised, “Moon loves attention. When she finds that no person is in the room to give her the attention she craves, she will return to my side, and you will be relieved.”
Sun agreed, hoping that her father would discover that Moon was not needed, and vanish her away forever, but soon she came to realize just how important her sister was. She was severely tired, from shining so bright all day, and tried extra hard to convince her father that Moon was not neded. Her light began to grow dimmer and dimmer, for unlike Moon, Sun always put one hundred percent into every task her father asked her to perform.
“Please, Daddy!” she finally begged, “As much as I hate to say this, You must go reason with Moon! I don’t think I can stand much longer!”
The king, threatened with losing his most loved and obedient daughter, began to curse Moon, and fling the straps from her creation against the backdrop of nothingness. To his surprise, they stuck steadfast, giving him an idea.
“Moon!” he summoned, “Come out daughter, and Gaze upon these wondrous things I’ve created just for you. Look upon them and liken them to your existence, for you are my favorite and most beloved of all. Gaze upon them and know that, just like my love for you, they are boundless and
immeasurable.”
“Boundless and immeasurable ?!” mocked Moon, “Well, I shall see!”
She went about her task of counting the new creations, which she called stars, for she couldn’t think of a better name. She had never been allowed out during the times when her father’s naming process occurred, and the responsibility of naming anything was all new to her. She was sure she could come up with a better name, but feared that if she didn’t name them, right on the spot, she would forfeit her rights to Sun, and that was unthinkable.
The task of counting stars proved harder than Moon ever imagined. They were hot, and bright, and often, she would forget just how hot and bright, and she would place a finger on one, in attempts to mark her count. The pain from the burn would make her forget what number she was on, and she would have to recover her count all over again.
Just when it seemed she was making a bit of progress, Sun would come out, smiling to herself, an announce that Moon’s twelve hours were up. Still resentful, but too tired to argue, Moon would gather her stars, to ensure that Sun never touched the one gift that was hers alone, and she would toddle off to her chambers to rest for twelve hours.

This cycle, which the king began many billions of years ago, continues as you hear this story right now. Moon still hasn’t been able to prove that her father’s love is not immeasurable, because twelve hours is never enough. The determination to do so is the only reason that she continues to cooperate with Sun.
The king is now able to look down at the earth, any time of day or night, and enjoy his creations in peace, save the occasional time when Sun and Moon accidentally cross paths. The king refers to these times as eclipses, for during this brief time, everything is dark and chaotic again. He has learnedto separate them quickly, and order is easily restored.