as told to Langston…

Long long ago in the moment between the void and the earth’s formation, a battle brewed among the stars. Every star wanted to be ‘the‘ star. It was whispered among the stars, that to be ‘the’ star meant power. Power to warm planets. Power to give life. Power to grow living things. Power to heal hurt things. Every star wanted a chance to be ‘the‘ star. And so they fought among themselves for the right to shine brighter and bigger and better than any other.

God busy with creating the universe and all that it would hold, could not be bothered with the stars’ war. So they fought destroying much of what was created even before life began in the galaxies they fought to be in charge of. God grew weary of the stars’ battles. He scolded them and threatened to turn them all into moons. The moons hearing this grew excited believing they would get a chance finally to show what they were made of, perhaps one of them could become ‘the‘ star.

The moons not nearly as greedy as the stars joined forces. They believed that if they united one of them would be picked. They agreed that no matter which one was picked they would share the power among themselves. United the moons attacked the stars. The stars were so busy fighting each other they were taken completely off guard by the moons attacking them. They pulled and pushed one another to get out of the way of the moons’ attacks. The universe once so ordered and calm became a scene of chaos and disorder. God was not pleased.

The stars’ war turned into a war between the moons and stars. This war threatened the very universe God had set about creating! God thought to tear it all down and start again with new stars and new moons! Then God had an idea. Into His workshop He went. He stayed there for a long long long time. The stars worried God had grown weary of the battles. The moons talked among themselves and cried that God would never pick ‘the‘ star and the universe would continue with ordinary stars and ordinary moons.

But even through their worries and crying, the moons and stars continued to fight with one another. In the midst of one of the greatest battles of the war between the moons and the stars, into the battle God sent champions – the Sky Giants. The Sky Giants were larger than any moon and shined brighter than the brightest star. The Sky Giants were many and they were mighty. The Sky Giants commanded the moons and stars to end their war. The Sky Giants told the moons and stars that they were destroying the universe. The Sky Giants told the moons and stars that if they kept fighting no star or moon would ever be ‘the‘ star.

The moons complained that they wanted their chance to shine. The stars cried out that God had to pick one of them to be ‘the‘ star, no moon could ever be a star after all, they told the Sky Giants. The Sky Giants explained that they each had their parts to play in the worlds God was building. The Sky Giants told the moons and stars that even though a few of them would shine brighter they were all important in God’s universe.

Each moon was assigned to a planet. Some moons had grown close in the battles and did not want to be separated so the Sky Giants let them stay together. Each star was given its place as well. Some who committed to keep the peace were allowed to shine brighter but the Sky Giants warned them that if they ever used their powers to hurt they would be put in their place. The brighter stars were renamed suns.

Order came to the universe and God breathed life into it while the Sky Giants kept the peace among the stars and moons. However, the smaller stars listened to the Sky Giant warning and even though they knew it would get them in trouble, every now and then they would start a fight with a sun in order to take its place. But whenever they start a fight, the Sky Giants kick them out of the sky. This is why some stars fall after all.

Even today, the Sky Giants patrol the skies to keep the order and make sure the universe is safe. But each night in the pause before dawn while they rest you can still see the moons and stars trying to get the battle brewing again. If you watch the sky closely enough you can see a Sky Giant’s footprint as they rise among the clouds to go about the business of keeping the peace.

…and that is how I get Langston in the car each morning for school (he’s looking for Sky Giants).