The Star Painter and the Moon Maiden🔊

Once upon a time, in a small village tucked snugly between the towering mountains and the boundless sea, lived an old man named Oswald. Oswald was a quiet and simple man, known fondly throughout the village as the Star Painter, for his beautiful drawings and paintings adorned the walls of nearly every household. He possessed the ability to transform his thoughts and dreams into breathtakingly lifelike sketches.

One day, as Oswald sat under his favourite maple tree and tinkered with his charcoals and parchment, he noticed a beautiful woman draped in a shimmery silvery robe wandering about the fringe of the forest. Oswald had never seen her before. She moved with such grace and elegance that Oswald was quite taken aback. He named the mysterious woman Luna, after the moon, as she seemed to radiate an ethereal light.

Oswald didn't think much about it until he saw Luna again the next night, and the night after, always wandering along the edge of the forest under the twinkling night sky. Intrigued, Oswald decided to capture Luna's ethereal beauty in his next artwork.

He worked tirelessly through the nights, trying to capture the enchanting glow that Luna possessed. Weeks turned into months, and Oswald was finally satisfied with what he had created. The painting was nothing short of a masterpiece, perfectly depicting Luna under the stars. Word of Oswald’s painting spread quickly throughout the village.

One day as Oswald was tending to his small garden, a villager came running up to his house, huffing and puffing. He informed Oswald that Luna had been spotted near the centre of the forest. Unsure but excited, Oswald grabbed the painting and ran towards the forest.

He found Luna standing in a small clearing, the moonlight illuminating her radiance even further. From behind the bushes, Oswald admired her beauty, then slowly approached Luna and revealed the painting. Luna looked at the painting in awe, her eyes welling up with tears.

Oswald explained how he had been captivated by her elegance and beauty, and couldn't resist the urge to paint her. Upon hearing his words, Luna revealed her true identity. She was a moon maiden, entrusted with the task of watching over the village from the shadows and providing blessings in different forms.

However, Luna was cursed to rove the earth in her human form until someone could rightfully perceive and appreciate her true nature. Motivated by the love emerging within himself, Oswald had broken Luna's curse. His sincere appreciation of Luna had set her free, and she could now return to the moon.

Before taking her leave, Luna touched Oswald's forehead, and a calm washed over him. He realized he could now see in the dark. Luna had blessed Oswald with the ability to see and paint in the night, just like how he had seen and painted her. The Star Painter had received a timeless gift from the Moon Maiden.

Even after Luna's departure, Oswald continued to paint and live a lonely yet fulfilled life in the village. His enchanting paintings now carried a bit of the moon’s magic, casting a peaceful serenity over the village. Every time Oswald gazed at the night sky, he smiled, whispering a quiet thank you to his beloved Luna. His love story became a timeless tale that the villagers would pass down from one generation to the next, thus keeping the legacy of the Star Painter and the Moon Maiden alive forever.