Why the Sun and Moon Live in the Sky

Retold by Navin

A long, long time ago, the sun, moon, and water were good friends who lived together on the earth. They met often and enjoyed each other’s company. The sun and moon paid regular visits to the home of water and its family.

Years passed and they became the best of buddies. The sun and moon continued their visits to water. Suddenly one day, it occurred to the sun that water had never once tried to visit them. The sun wondered why, and the sun and moon decided to ask water during their next visit.

The next time they visited water, they asked why water never returned the visits.  The water replied, “Your house isn’t big enough for me and all my family to visit you. If all of us came down to your house, we probably would drive you out of your home. But if you do want us to visit you, you will need a very large house and I do warn you that my people are numerous and take up a lot of room.”

The sun vowed to build a very large house along with the moon so they could have all of water and its family visit them. The sun and moon began building a large house to entertain water and its numerous familial relations.

It took a few months, and the sun thought it was ready. Happily, the sun and moon extended an invitation to water, who gladly agreed to visit them.

The chosen day arrived, and water arrived with its people. One of the relatives of water asked sun if it was safe for water to enter. The sun answered, “Yes, tell my friend to come in.”  The water began to flow in, followed by the fish, snails, starfish, crabs, and all the other water animals.  Very soon, the water was knee-deep in the house, so it called out to the sun, “Dear friend, do you think it is still safe for us to come in? Can I ask more of my people to enter?” “Yes, my dear friend,” said the sun, and both the sun and moon went up the stairs to the top floor.

So more of water and its people came in. The water was at the level of a man’s head. Water checked in again and not knowing any better, the sun and moon both said, “Yes.” More of the water’s people came in, until the sun and moon had to sit on top of the roof.The water once again asked the sun if it was still okay to keep coming in. The sun and moon, not wanting to be unhospitable, answered yes, so more and more and more of the water’s people came in.

Soon, the water overflowed the top of the roof, and the sun and the moon were to keep going up. They kept going up as the water kept coming in. This forced the sun and the moon to go up into the sky….and they have been there ever since.