Kepler: The Man Who Chased Twinkles🔊

In the quaint town of Everlight nestled in a scenic valley, surrounded by vast mountains and forests as old as time, lived a humble man named Kepler. He was known in the town for his unusual job - he was a Stargazer, a role considered obsolete in an age where technology had begun to outshine the magic of natural phenomena.

Kepler, unlike his fellow townsmen, was not involved in commonplace jobs. He did not farm or trade, instead, he used his telescope every night to explore the deep cosmic oceans conveniently from his small cabin's rooftop. He was known for his extraordinary ability to predict accurate weather and natural calamities. Most fascinatingly, Kepler spent his day jotting down the positions and patterns of stars, their aura, and transformations. For him, every twinkle had a tale to tell.

Meanwhile, Everlight was throbbing with excitement for its annual Harvest Festival. The Harvest Festival was the pride of Everlight, a beautiful blend of tradition and joy, a grand carnival where games were played, songs were sung, and stories were told. But the requirement of blue skies on those days was a crucial factor upon which its success rested; and two days before the festival, dark clouds seemed to cover the sky ominously.

The Mayor of the town, a portly, good-natured man named Mr. Goffman, immediately sent for Kepler in the midst of growing worry among the townsfolk. Upon examining the night sky, Kepler saw a menacing cluster of black clouds moving toward the town, as evident from the disturbed, pulsating twinkles of the stars hidden behind them. He confirmed the town's worst fear: the festival may have to be held under the grey, tearier skies.

True to Kepler's prediction, it began raining torrents the next day, dampening every hope for the festival. Despite this, the townsfolk didn't lose heart; they decided to go with indoor arrangements. The townsfolk knew how to keep the spirit of the festival alive.

The next day, as the festival commenced indoors, the clouds didn't seem to clear at all. Kepler, the silent spectator and the announcer of the sorrowful news, stood beside the window of the town hall, gazing at the teardrops of the sky cascading down the hearty town. However, due to his relentless stargazing habit, Kepler noticed a few stars that shimmered peculiarly. His heart thumped with a wild thought.

With a hurried step and an excited heart, Kepler rushed outside, ignoring the disdainful rain, and set his telescope. Beyond the monstrous grey clouds far in the distance, he saw a star cluster glowing with different colors. It was the Ethereal Lights, a rare cosmic phenomenon that occurred once in a few decades, when a few distant stars aligned and diffused various color wavelengths on earth. The timing seemed perfect, yet unbelievable.

Kepler rushed to the Mayor, awed by his discovery. Initially skeptical, when the Mayor saw the Ethereal Lights himself, he shouted the announcement and invited everyone to witness the spectacle.

The townsfolk stepped outside, covering themselves under roofs, and saw a hint of colors appearing far off behind the clouds. Slowly, as the rain stopped teasingly, Everlight was bathed under the ethereal hues of pinks, blues, and violets. Screams of delights exploded into the night as the rain-soaked town basked in a glow the residents of Everlight had never seen before. The Harvest Festival, although not celebrated in its traditional demeanor, became the most memorable one in Everlight’s history.

Since then, Everlight echoed with tales of the Stargazer who saw beyond the immediate clouds, the man who could pass eternity while indulging in the dance of stars. Stars, which had been a mere canvas of celestial bodies till then, became the tell-tale of fortune in Everlight courtesy of Kepler: the man who chased twinkles.