The Story of the Sunrise (and other related myths)

Why is the sky blue?

 The sky was a brilliant constellation of stars and planets, a clear window into a beautiful universe. Every night when the sun rose, it joined a tapestry of beauty, the star against a background of lights. Humans were left to look up at the sky and consider the vastness of their own universe.

Among the humans walked a Goddess. The universe had been her creation, many years ago, and earth was her favorite place to watch the planets spin. She would speak to the humans in town and tell them all about her creation. They admired her like the goddess she was, building her statues and bringing her great wealth. These pleased her, but by far her favorite treat remained to be walking under the stars she had created.

One such walk brought her upon a family with a child in distress. The boy sat alone in his tears as his family looked on. The goddess, a good and gentle woman, thought it only fitting to aid the family. She asked what was causing the boy distress. With the power to create the universe, she would have no problems fixing the issues of a small boy.

The boy's mother gestured to the sky. She spoke of the vast emptiness beyond the sun and the distance of the stars. She spoke of the loneliness of the void and fear it could strike in young boys. She spoke of a fear of heights that left her son in tears with every outing into the world.

The goddess looked to the sky. For the first time since she had created the beauty of the universe, she wondered at the harm it could cause. She thought perhaps the boy only needed an explanation for the vastness and he would understand it.

The goddess knelt next to the crying boy and she told him of Pegasus, the horse who had taken his place in the stars. She pointed out the constellations that made up his image, but this only brought the boy to further tears. The goddess pulled away, for she did not know what would bring the boy solace. Never before had one expressed such distress over the universe above them.

She could not help the boy, but she would not give up on him. She thought of him often, and visited when she could. She brought him stories of the stars and names of the planets, but still it was the void in between that caused him such pain. As he grew older, he spoke his mind more clearly. He told her of the daily reminder that he was alone and the constant image of their insignificance was too much for him to bear.

When he was a young man, it all become too much.

He broke down in town, much as he had as a child. He wept for the loneliness of his world and its constant reminder. The goddess found herself at his side, watching a helpless man lament his place in all she had created.

She knew now what she must do.

For a being with her power, it was as simple as a wave of the hand. The universe above them disappeared, tucked behind a blinding blanket of blue. She set a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. When he looked up at the sky, a thousand worlds and the space between them were gone. Now there was nothing but a blue sheet, the familiar roof to a pillow fort or a comfortable blanket pulled over the head. The boy looked up at the sky and he smiled.

The goddess knew this was how things must stay. For in all the splendor she had created, she had surpassed the human imagination. To protect them, she must guard her creation from its own majesty.