Short Stories

Moon Goddess

Once there was a little girl. Her name was Elizabeth.She was found at an old lady and old man's  doorstep in the  forest. She played with all of the forest animals and became a beautiful young girl. Every night she would stare at the moon and just watch it until she became sleepy.

One day her grandmother, for that is what she called the old lady, asked her to go pick some berries. Elizabeth put on her cloak and went out into the forest. She asked some of her animal friends where some berries were and they brought her to a blackberry grove. She tried a berry, they were so sweet and juicy. She ate some berries as she picked them. By the time she had filled her basket, the sun was setting.

Not wanting to stay out in the woods at night, Elizabeth tried to find her way home. She got lost in the forest so she climbed a tree and fell asleep there. In the morning she found herself on the doorstep of the cottage. She brought in the berries an told her grandmother what had happened.

Her grandmother was puzzled, was there something magical in the forest? She didn't know but she sent Elizabeth out to get some stranger ties this time. Again she was led by her animal friends to a strawberry patch this time. She began picking berries and filled her basket. She started out early to find her way home, but got lost again and slept in a tree. The next morning she found herself back on the cottage doorstep.

The grandmother had no idea what was happening! She decided to follow Elizabeth, this time to a blueberry patch. Elizabeth once again filled her basket and began to try to find her way home. The sun set and she went to sleep in a tree. The grandmother waited just out of sight, trying to see how Elizabeth got home.

When the moon was at its peak a ray of the light fell to the ground, becoming a woman.
"Oh Elizabeth, you should stop getting lost in the forest! I'll bring you home. I'll always protect you, even though you may never see me, I'll be there to help you." The woman said as she used magic to bring Elizabeth out of the tree and to the cottage. The grandmother saw this happening and followed the woman home.

When Elizabeth was safely on the cottage doorstep, the grandmother came out from behind the tree going to ask the woman who she was.

The woman turned around to see her. She didn't seem surprised just somewhat sad.
"I'm sure you want to know who Elizabeth is and who I am also. I'll tell you. When you found Elizabeth at your doorstep with nothing but her name, I had left her there. I am her mother. She is the next moon goddess. Our family is brought up human and in her 16th birthday she will come back to the moon to become the next goddess until she too steps down for her daughter. Thank you for taking care of her." The woman said.

With that being said the woman disappeared back up into the moon.

The grandmother made a wish that day, she wished that she and her husband would live forever, and also that they would be able to take care of the children of the moon goddess. The moon goddess heard her and granted her wish.

Every 20 years after the current moon goddess went to the moon, they would find a child on their doorstep. Always a girl and always with a name. They never saw the children again once they turned 16. The last one they saw was Elizabeth's mother and that was over 200 years ago. To this day they still live on. Bringing up each generation of moon goddesses.

The End