The child sat and shivered, crying in the dark, afraid of
things she could hear but not see.
Her father came and asked, "Why do you cry so child?"
The child answered, "I am afraid of the dark, father, and
that which hides in it."
Her father said, "Fear not child, I will light a lantern for you
and dispel the darkness."
And taking a large lantern he hung it in the window of his
palace and the darkness was indeed dispersed.
For a long time the lantern lit up the child's playground
banishing the darkness and the child was not afraid.
And she played and skipped and was joyful, playing in
the light.
But then the lantern went out and the child was afraid
anew.
So again the child huddled and shivered, crying in the
darkness.
Her uncles found her and asked her, "Why do you cry
so child?"
"I am afraid of the dark, uncles." she replied, "And that
which hides in it, unseen."
Her uncles said, "Fear not child we will light lanterns and
dispel the darkness.
Saying so they took lanterns and hung them in the windows
of their high fortresses.
But their fortresses were so remote that the lanterns in
their windows looked so tiny that they made the sky look
beautiful, but they did not dispel the darkness.
The child played timidly, flinching and shying at every
noise and every shadow.
Her mother came then and said, "Why are you fearful,
child?"
"I am afraid of the dark, mother." she replied, "And that
which hides in it."
Her mother said, "There is that which is to be feared hiding
in the darkness, my child. But I shall light a lantern by which
the darkness will be illuminated."
Saying this the child's mother took her red lantern and hung it in
her window.
The red lantern did not disperse the darkness but it did light
up the shadows.
The child was still fearful of the dark, but her fear was now
tempered by understanding.
And she knew that she would see true by her mother's light.
This story was inspired by a children's book "Are you afraid of the dark, baby bear?" by Martin Wadell. (The illustrator's name escapes me.)
Oliver D. Bernuetz
www.geocities.com/timessquare/realm/5545
bernuetz.oliver_at_cbsc.ic.gc.ca
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