To Ease the Passing of Time

"If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales." - Albert Einstein

A long time ago, in a faraway land, a boy was born into a family of wealthy merchants. Since his parents did not have a lot of time for him because they were too busy making money, the little boy was left all day with a grumpy nanny. On night, when he was eight years old, the boy, who did not have any siblings to talk to or play with, could not sleep. He felt sad and lonely. He was looking at the moon and the stars through the window of his large bedroom in his big white mansion by the sea. A star caught his attention because it seemed brighter than the others. It made him happy and he smiled. It was like that star had something to tell him. At that very moment a fairy came to his bedroom window and said, “I’ll bring you a sparkle of that star and it will stay with you forever.” The fairy flew into the night towards the star and came back with a sparkle at the tip of her magic wand. She touched the little boy’s eyes and the star was in his eyes but not everybody could see it.

In a country across the sea, far away from where the little boy was born, a girl was born in a poor family. Since she lived in a country where child labour was not regulated, at the tender age of seven, she had to weave baskets all day. Her back and fingers were sore from sitting and weaving nonstop twelve hours a day. One night, as she lay in the hay between the chicken and the donkey, she looked up to the sky and saw the same star that the boy had seen a few nights ago. She thought that that star was there for her, to tell her that her life would be better one day. She fell asleep. The same fairy saw her and touched gently her eyes with her magic wand as she was sleeping. The star was also in her eyes but she did not know.

Fifteen years later, the little boy who had become a man was on a business trip on a tall and big ship in a faraway land to buy stuff that he could sell for a profit in his country. He saw a pretty but and sad looking young lady selling baskets at the village market. Their eyes met and they saw the same star sparkling in each other’s eyes. They knew they were made for each other. When they said to the father of the young woman that they wanted to get married, he was not too happy. He had expected his daughter to marry a local man and keep weaving and selling baskets for him forever. The young merchant promised him a generous dowry. The old man was happy. He could retire, drink beer, and play cards with his buddies all day.

They had a happy life and many children together. They are now close to eighty years old. Last night as he kept looking at her, she said to him, “You’re not tired of looking at me after all those years. I’m not the young chick that I used to be.” He said, “I’m looking at the little star shining in your eyes. It's still there, I swear.” They both laughed.