Once upon a time,
Before the fall of man,
Lived beasts of all kind,
All across the land.
The gods had made night and day,
With darkness and light,
But they neglected to make way,
To save beasts from hunters might.
For day was but a lantern’s glow,
And night a darkened shade,
At nightfall no light would show,
Their mistake was made.
For every night when lights died,
They came out to feed,
Not one beast could ever hide,
A solution they did need.
They gathered together one day,
Beasts of all shape, and size,
Beasts that hop, and skip, and lay,
Both the young and the wise.
They sought to find a way,
To cast off night’s black,
Before seeing their last day,
As a hunter’s snack.
Then a bear said,
“I know the way,
With me you’ll be led,
To make darkness day.”
He climbed up a tree,
To cast off curtains of night,
He giggled there with glee,
Before seeing he wasn’t right.
For the tree was far too short,
And the curtain far too high,
The bear was out of sort,
The beasts all called “fie!”
Then a hawk spoke,
“I’ll do it” she cried,
Applause she awoke,
Taking to the skies.
She flew quick and strong,
With feather, and wing,
But the curtain was heavy and long,
Failure, it did sting.
The creatures all cried, forlorn,
No solution could be found,
They all began to morn,
Not one plan was sound.
Until one frail voice was heard,
Above the beasts cries,
A tiny little bird,
Began to slowly rise.
“I know the way,”
The little hummingbird said,
“I’ll make the light stay,
None of us will be dead.”
The beasts laughed in disdain
What a ridiculous thing,
The bird would try in vain,
No solution could he bring.
But the bird called his brothers,
They all flocked to him,
They flew under nights cover,
Thinking, “I will show them.”
Suddenly a beam of light,
Pierced the vast dark,
Straight through the heart of night,
The difference was stark.
More lights followed,
The sky soon ablaze,
The darkness was swallowed,
By the night’s rays.
The beasts all cheered,
For their small hero,
Hunters they no longer feared,
Safety they would know.
The holes were named stars,
The largest one the moon,
The curtain bore its scars,
Every beast would croon.
They crooned, and they sang,
Beneath the sky’s light,
Their praise forever rang,
They had taken back the night.
