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One day a long time ago, at the end of the day, when it came time for night, the sun did not set. It went down in the west, but when it came to the edge of the ocean it only wandered along the water, to the north, and to the south, and to the north again. And it did not set.

Katharine went to the top of a hill by the ocean to ask the sun why it did not set. But when she came to the top of the hill and called to the sun, the sun was too far away to hear. So Katharine called to the wind, and the wind came right away, and she said to the wind, “Wind, ask the sun why it does not set.”

And the wind blew to the sun, and said, “Sun, Katharine wants to know why you do not set.”

And the sun said to the wind, “Tell Katharine I cannot set because I have lost my key in the ocean. It fell out of my pocket about noon, and I saw it fall, and fall, and fall. And it went into the ocean.”

So the wind blew back to Katharine and told her what the sun had said. And Katharine said to the wind, “Let us go out upon the water and help the sun look for its key.”

And they got into their little boat, where Katharine hoisted the sail, and the wind blew the boat out to sea.

When Katharine and the wind were out to sea, they looked down into the water to look for the sun’s key, but nowhere did they see it. They looked and looked for a long time, but they could not find it.

So Katharine asked the wind what he would think if she turned into a fish, to go swimming about the sea until she found the sun’s key. And the wind said he thought that would be very good.

So Katharine called to herself, “Turn into a fish,” and she turned into a fish, and flipped and flopped in her boat until the wind blew her over the side into the water, where she slipped down between two waves and was gone in an instant. She was swimming along the bottom of the ocean.

For an hour or more Kathaarine swam along the bottom of the ocean, looking for the sun’s key, but she did not find it. And when she swam to the top of the water again she saw that the sun had still not set, but only wandered back and forth along the western edge of the world.

Then Katharine asked the wind what he would think if she turned into a bird, and went flying high over the waves, looking down into the sea until she should find the sun’s key. And the wind thought that would be very good, too.

So Katharine called to herself, “Turn into a bird.” And she turned into a bird, and the wind blew her high up into the sky. In no time she was as high up as a mountain, and she could see the whole bottom of the ocean all at one time. But still she did not find the sun’s key. And the sun could not set. So she flew back down to the sea, and perched on the mast of her boat, beside the wind.

Then Katharine asked the wind what he would think if she turned into a giant so tall that even if her feet were on the ocean floor her head would be out of the water, and with legs so long that she could go seven leagues with one step. And the wind thought that would be very fine indeed.

So Katharine called to herself, “Turn into a giant.” And she turned into a giant and walked all over the ocean floor, bending her head and peering down into the water with everly step she took, to look for the sun’s key. She walked to China and back,, and then to the north pole and the south pole, looking for the sun’s key. But still she did not find it. And the sun could not set.

Now all the while Katharine was looking for the sun’s key and the sun could not set, the night was waiting in the east at the edge of the ocean. For the night could not climb up into the sky, or down to the earth, until the sun would set.

So the night called to the sun, and called, “Sun, why do you not set?” But the sun was too far away to hear. So the night asked the wind, Wmd. Why does the sun not set? For I can climb neither up to the sky or down to the earth before te sun sets.

And the wind answered the night, “Because it has dropped its key in the ocean. And Katharine has looked for the key, but she has been unable to find it. She has turned into a fish, and a bird, and a giant, but in none of these forms did she find the sun’s key.”

And the night said to the wind, “Let Katharine change into a star, then, ready to shine when I come. From the top of heaven she will be able to see th e sun’s key on the ocean floor.

The wind blew back to the boat and told Katharine what the night had said. And Katharine thought it would be a very good thing to turn into a star. So the wind blew Katharine to the top of heaven, where she called to herself, “Turn into a star,” and she turned into a star, ready to shine when night should come. From the top of the sky she could see the ocean floor so clearly that she could count the plants that grew there and the fins of the fishes that swam there.

Katharine called to the wind, and the wind was glad, and called to the fishes, and they were glad, and a fish fetched the sun’s key from the ocean floor and carried it up to the boat, and the wind blew the boat to the sun. And the sun was very, very glad, and set.

Then the night rose, and climbed up to the sky, and down to the earth, and to the sea. And she was so glad th at she asked Katharine to stay a star all night, and all night the night held Katharine in her arms, and all night Katharine shone on the earth and on the sea. And Katharine was gladdest of all.

When it was time for morning to come, the night went away and the sun rose in the east. And Katharine stopped shining, for she had turned herself out. Then she came down to the earth and walked home. And Katharine, and the wind, and the sun lived happily ever after.

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Paul Edmund Norman's Monthly Online Literary Magazine ~ July 2005 Issue No. 81
WHY THE SUN COULD NOT SET by Robert Barr ---------------------------------------------------------------- One day a long time ago, at the end of the day, when it came time for night, the sun did not set. It went down in the west, but when it came to the edge of the ocean it only wandered along the water, to the north, and to the south, and to the north again. And it did not set. Katharine went to the top of a hill by the ocean to ask the sun why it did not set. But when she came to the top of the hill and called to the sun, the sun was too far away to hear. So Katharine called to the wind, and the wind came right away, and she said to the wind, “Wind, ask the sun why it does not set.” And the wind blew to the sun, and said, “Sun, Katharine wants to know why you do not set.” And the sun said to the wind, “Tell Katharine I cannot set because I have lost my key in the ocean. It fell out of my pocket about noon, and I saw it fall, and fall, and fall. And it went into the ocean.” So the wind blew back to Katharine and told her what the sun had said. And Katharine said to the wind, “Let us go out upon the water and help the sun look for its key.” And they got into their little boat, where Katharine hoisted the sail, and the wind blew the boat out to sea. When Katharine and the wind were out to sea, they looked down into the water to look for the sun’s key, but nowhere did they see it. They looked and looked for a long time, but they could not find it. So Katharine asked the wind what he would think if she turned into a fish, to go swimming about the sea until she found the sun’s key. And the wind said he thought that would be very good. So Katharine called to herself, “Turn into a fish,” and she turned into a fish, and flipped and flopped in her boat until the wind blew her over the side into the water, where she slipped down between two waves and was gone in an instant. She was swimming along the bottom of the ocean. For an hour or more Kathaarine swam along the bottom of the ocean, looking for the sun’s key, but she did not find it. And when she swam to the top of the water again she saw that the sun had still not set, but only wandered back and forth along the western edge of the world. Then Katharine asked the wind what he would think if she turned into a bird, and went flying high over the waves, looking down into the sea until she should find the sun’s key. And the wind thought that would be very good, too. So Katharine called to herself, “Turn into a bird.” And she turned into a bird, and the wind blew her high up into the sky. In no time she was as high up as a mountain, and she could see the whole bottom of the ocean all at one time. But still she did not find the sun’s key. And the sun could not set. So she flew back down to the sea, and perched on the mast of her boat, beside the wind. Then Katharine asked the wind what he would think if she turned into a giant so tall that even if her feet were on the ocean floor her head would be out of the water, and with legs so long that she could go seven leagues with one step. And the wind thought that would be very fine indeed. So Katharine called to herself, “Turn into a giant.” And she turned into a giant and walked all over the ocean floor, bending her head and peering down into the water with everly step she took, to look for the sun’s key. She walked to China and back,, and then to the north pole and the south pole, looking for the sun’s key. But still she did not find it. And the sun could not set. Now all the while Katharine was looking for the sun’s key and the sun could not set, the night was waiting in the east at the edge of the ocean. For the night could not climb up into the sky, or down to the earth, until the sun would set. So the night called to the sun, and called, “Sun, why do you not set?” But the sun was too far away to hear. So the night asked the wind, Wmd. Why does the sun not set? For I can climb neither up to the sky or down to the earth before te sun sets. And the wind answered the night, “Because it has dropped its key in the ocean. And Katharine has looked for the key, but she has been unable to find it. She has turned into a fish, and a bird, and a giant, but in none of these forms did she find the sun’s key.” And the night said to the wind, “Let Katharine change into a star, then, ready to shine when I come. From the top of heaven she will be able to see th e sun’s key on the ocean floor. The wind blew back to the boat and told Katharine what the night had said. And Katharine thought it would be a very good thing to turn into a star. So the wind blew Katharine to the top of heaven, where she called to herself, “Turn into a star,” and she turned into a star, ready to shine when night should come. From the top of the sky she could see the ocean floor so clearly that she could count the plants that grew there and the fins of the fishes that swam there. And she found the sun’s key. It was lying under an oyster. Katharine called to the wind, and the wind was glad, and called to the fishes, and they were glad, and a fish fetched the sun’s key from the ocean floor and carried it up to the boat, and the wind blew the boat to the sun. And the sun was very, very glad, and set. Then the night rose, and climbed up to the sky, and down to the earth, and to the sea. And she was so glad th at she asked Katharine to stay a star all night, and all night the night held Katharine in her arms, and all night Katharine shone on the earth and on the sea. And Katharine was gladdest of all. When it was time for morning to come, the night went away and the sun rose in the east. And Katharine stopped shining, for she had turned herself out. Then she came down to the earth and walked home. And Katharine, and the wind, and the sun lived happily ever after. Home ::: Contents ::: Features ::: Reviews ::: Galleries ::: Archive ::: E-Mail Web hosting and domain names from Vision Internet	::: Actions Open Story Archive Open Features Archive Open Reviews Archive Open Galleries Archive This month's special link