Tower and Town, December 2015

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How The Sun Was Made

Hundreds of years ago, when the world had just been created, there were as few as one hundred humans living on the earth. There was a moon but no sun so the world was plunged into darkness and was forever cold and miserable. This was how it stayed until an imprisoned firebird changed it all.

One quiet day as Zeus was watching the depressed humans wander around on earth he had a sudden idea.

“Hermes!” he shouted,

“Go to the Firebird’s prison and tell her I want a sun for my precious world.”

“Of course,” Hermes replied

“I will leave immediately.”As Hermes flew into the heart of the forbidden forest, the Firebird’s bewitching glow fell upon him.

“Firebird,” shouted the spellbound Hermes

“Zeus demands you to create a sun.”

“Why should I?” replied the angered Firebird,

“Because of Zeus I’m in this tiny cage with no one near for miles.”

“That is your entire fault because you tried to overthrow him by bewitching humans with your beauty.”

“Is it really my fault that anyone who looks upon me follows my every command?” the Firebird answered with tears in her eyes.

“I’ll make a pact with you then: if you make the sun, the gods will release you from your prison.” Hermes said regretfully. Quick as a flash the Firebird agreed. She asked Hermes to fetch a twig then she took one of her feathers and set it alight. The fire danced on the wood and it was so beautiful Hermes could have watched it forever. The Firebird told Hermes to take the flaming twig and fly with it to the top of Mount Olympus at exactly midnight. The time came and the flaming twig had been placed on the highest point in Greece. Suddenly, the twig grew and grew until it was a massive ball of fire and, then slowly, it started to rise and kept rising until one o’clock in the afternoon when the cold night began to creep back and the world was once again dark.

However it is said that if you are lucky enough, and careful enough you can see the Firebird dancing while she relights that little twig from the forest, day after day to give the World its light.

Paige