The Lantern of Berton🔊

In a small town named Berton, nestled amidst the mountains and valleys, lived a humble blacksmith named Tom. Tom was known for his skill and honesty. He crafted tools, trinkets, and weapons but nothing brought him more joy than crafting ornate lanterns, which illuminated the dreary night skies of the sleepy town.

One day, a mysterious stranger arrived, dressed in a hooded cloak, his face obscured. He entered Tom's workshop and with a voice as cold as winter wind, he ordered a lantern. However, this lantern wasn’t of the ordinary kind. It was to be large enough to hold the moon and as radiant as the sun. The stranger insisted that the lantern be ready within seven days and vanished as promptly as he appeared.

Tom was puzzled. He wondered if it was possible to craft such an enormous lantern. Nevertheless, his reputation was at stake, so he decided to accept the challenge. For the next seven days and nights, Tom toiled away, his once vibrant eyes now heavy with fatigue. He hammered and molded, shaped and shined until he had crafted a lantern that was indeed as large as the moon and as radiant as the sun.

On the eighth day, the stranger returned. He looked at the lantern in awe, removing his hood to reveal piercing blue eyes, the color of the deep unpolluted skies. 'Your reputation precedes you, Tom of Berton,' he said. ‘I am Lucian, the guardian of the night.’

The stranger, Lucian, had been tasked with returning light to a town cursed to live in eternal darkness after they disrespected the moon goddess. The lantern would serve as a temporary moon until the goddess forgave them. The stranger rewarded Tom with a pouch of gold coins and with the lantern, he disappeared into the night.

The story of the blacksmith and the enigmatic guardian of the night spread through neighboring towns and villages. People started to visit Berton, to see the craftsman who could create a lantern as radiant as the sun and as large as the moon. The blacksmith's business flourished more than ever.

Tom was happy; he had maintained his reputation, his town was booming with visitors, and his humble satisfaction was restoring a poetic balance in another corner of the world. But what made him happiest was being able to share his extraordinary lanterns with a larger audience. Every single lantern became a symbol of hope, guiding travelers, while adding a pinch of magic and color to the starlit skies of the quaint town of Berton.