Hamzah's First Day |
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Contents |
Why the Sun and the Moon
Live in
the Sky
"Alright, Hamzi," she sighed. "Get your brothers and sisters together and we will go." Hamzah ran to the back of the cave where his siblings were sleeping. He woke them up as patiently as possible despite his excitement. This would be his first time to go outside of the cave where he had been born just three weeks ago. Hamzah's mother decided it would be best to get a feeding in before they set out. "Come on, Hamzi, you have to eat a little before we can go." Hamzah quickly guzzled a bit of milk and then headed for the cave opening. Hamzah's father, awakened by the commotion, was already lying on a rock just outside. Hamzah went out to greet him. "Hi, Daduh," Hamzah said. "Good morning, Hamzi," replied the leader of the pride. Hamzah sat down next to his father and glanced into the sky. He saw the Sun rising in the East and the Moon hovering in the West. "Dad?" he asked. "What are those two things in the sky?" "Well, that bright yellow one is the Sun, and the white one over there is the Moon." "Why are they so high up there?"  "They
haven't always been up there. In ancient times the Sun and
the
Moon walked the Earth together as husband and wife.""Like you and Mommy?" "Yes, just like your mother and me. The Sun and the Moon often enjoyed visiting their best friend, the Water, in his home but the Water would never return the favor. The Sun asked the Water why he never came to visit. The Water explained that the Sun's house was too small to fit him and his people. The Sun vowed to build a house large enough to accommodate the Water and his family. After the weeks of construction were complete, the Sun invited the Water to visit. The Water obliged and started to pour in." "After a few minutes the water came up the the Sun's knees. The Water asked if he should keep coming in. The Sun insisted that it was alright and in poured more water. The fish and sea creatures, of course, all came in with him. After just a few more minutes, the Sun and the Moon had to stand on the table. The Water again hesitated and asked if he should continue." "Determined to host his good friend, the Sun assured the water that there was enough space. As more and more water filled their home, the Sun and the Moon climbed onto the roof and eventually resorted to hanging high in the sky to make room for their friend. They have lived there ever since." |
Coverpage Introduction Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky Why the Worms Live Beneath the Ground Why the Fish Lives in the Water Why the Bat Flies at Night |
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| Video: Hamzah waking up his
brother. Video Source: Sara Barber Image: Hamzah with his father. Image Source: Daily Mail |
Author's Note: My goal
for this retelling was to stay very true to the original story. I did,
however, alter it a bit from its original style. Originally there is no
frametale at all. The story starts immediately with describing the
history of the Sun and the Moon. There are no extra plot points to be
gained from reading the original. I kept most of the details intact.
The Sun and the Moon were still husband and wife in the original. The
Sun built a house for the water in the original. However, in the
original there was one extra step. Although I kept the plot pretty
much the same, I did change the tone a bit. For my story I changed it
so it would make sense to a small child. The original didn't really
have the feeling that the audience was meant to be a child. I kept the
title of my retelling the same as the original story as well. The
biggest difference between my retelling and the original is the
frametale. Bibliography: "Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky" by Elphinstone Dayrell, from Folk Stories from Southern Nigeria (1910). Web Source: Sacred Texts Archive |