The journey of the sun and the moon

“O Sun,” said he, “stop one moment, do not depart without first answering a few questions.”

“Be quick then and speak, for I have to go all round the world to-day.”

“Pray tell me why you do not warm or light the earth by night as well as day?”

“For this simple reason, that if I did, the world and everything upon it would be very soon burnt up.”

Jean then put his questions concerning the pear-tree and the well. But the Sun replied that his sister, the Moon, would be able to answer him on those points.

Hardly had the Sun finished speaking before he was obliged to hurry off, and Jean travelled far and fast to meet the Moon. On coming up to her he said, “Would you kindly stop one moment? there are a few questions I should like to ask you.”

“Very well, be quick, for the earth is waiting for me,” answered she, and stood still at once.

“Tell me, dear Moon, why you do not light the world by day as well as by night? And why you never warm it?”

“Because if I lit up the world by day as well as by night the plants would produce neither fruit nor flower. And though I do not warm the earth, I supply it with dew, which makes it fertile and fruitful.”

She was then about to continue her course, but Jean, begging her to stop one moment longer, questioned her about the pear-tree which had ceased to bear fruit.

And she answered him thus: “While the king’s eldest daughter remained unmarried the tree bore fruit every year. After her wedding she had a little child who died and was buried under this tree. Since then there has been neither fruit nor flower on its branches: if the child be given Christian burial the tree will produce blossom and fruit as in the past.”

The Moon was just moving off when Jean begged her to stop and answer one more question, which was, why the inhabitants of a certain land were unable to obtain from their well the clear and wholesome water it had formerly poured forth.

She replied: “Under the mouth of the well, just where the water should flow, lies an enormous toad which poisons it continually: the brim of the well must be broken and the toad killed, then the water will be as pure and wholesome as formerly.