High up in the sky, where the air is cool and the stars are bright, there is a silver palace. If you look very closely at the moon on a clear night, you won’t see a “man in the moon.” Instead, you might see the long ears and busy paws of the Moon Rabbit.
But how did a little rabbit get all the way up to the moon?
A long, long time ago, in a forest near the mountains of Japan, lived three friends: a Fox, a Monkey, and a Rabbit. They were very different, but they played together every day under the cherry blossom trees.
One evening, an old man came walking down the mountain path. He looked very tired. His clothes were dusty, and he leaned heavily on a wooden cane. He sat down near the three friends and sighed. “Oh dear,” he whispered. “I have walked a very long way, and I am so hungry. Could you help a poor traveler find something to eat?”
The three friends wanted to be kind.
The Monkey was very quick. He scrambled up a tall cedar tree. Swish, swish, swish! He came down with a handful of sweet, ripe persimmons. “Here, old man,” Monkey said, bowing low. “These are the sweetest fruits in the forest.”
The Fox was very clever. He ran down to the sparkling stream. Splash! With one quick move, he caught a silver fish in his mouth. He brought it back and laid it at the man’s feet. “Here, old man,” Fox said. “This fish will give you strength for your journey.”
But the poor Rabbit was worried. He didn’t have long fingers to climb trees like Monkey. He wasn’t a fast hunter like Fox. He only knew how to nibble on grass and clover. He looked and looked, but all he could find were some dry twigs and a few blades of green grass.
“I am so sorry,” Rabbit whispered, his nose twitching sadly. “I don’t have anything delicious to give you.”
The old man smiled kindly, but Rabbit felt he had to do more. He saw a small campfire nearby. He thought, “If I cannot find food, I will give my heart and my hard work.” Rabbit began to gather extra wood for the fire to keep the old man warm through the cold night. He worked until his little paws were tired, piling up the sticks so the flames stayed bright and golden.
Suddenly, the old man stood up straight. He wasn’t leaning on his cane anymore! He began to grow taller and glow with a soft, white light. He wasn’t a tired traveler at all—he was the Spirit of the Moon!
The Spirit looked at the three friends. “You have all been very kind,” he said. “Monkey, your fruit was sweet. Fox, your fish was fresh. But Rabbit, you worked the hardest to make sure I was warm and safe, even when you thought you had nothing to give.”
The Spirit reached down and gently scooped up the little Rabbit. “To remember your kindness forever, I will take you to live with me in my Silver Palace. When people look up at the night sky, they will see you and remember that a kind heart is the greatest gift of all.”
And that is why, to this very day, the Rabbit lives on the moon. Some people say he is busy making “Mochi” (sweet rice cakes) to share with all the stars.
Review The Magic Passport Story 3: The Moon Rabbit’s Gift (A Story from Japan).