I went out into the garden during midnight hours whilst the full moon is bathing the world with his coolness as a mother bathes her son with her love, and took my seat under the night queen nursing. Snow falling thinly in the leaves of the trees is collecting into drops and is dropping from the leaves onto the ground and I wondered why the stars should shed tear, for, in the drops collected on the grass I could behold starts though misty and blurred through the fog. Then, I do not know whether I heard or imagined that I heard – a voice as if the Night queen is whispering to me a secret. I listened attentively –
“ My friend! Are you wondering why should the stars, so full of glitter shed tears in the mid-night unseen by anyone? Well – they can’t but God has created them and the moon and the sun to give light. Yes – moon is too proud though he had no light of his own and reflects only that of the sun and so sheds not a tear. But the humble stars beholding ye men, who lock yourselves under a tiny roof in a humble room, when no light enters and engrossed too deeply in sleep and slumber, never seeing the glitter of their light nor even hearing the message that they bring you and never understanding their woe shed tears. But, we the humble trees that give away our fragrance during the nights shed tears of happiness and thankfulness that you were not awake at this hour when we give our breaths as a salutation unto our Mother. Go back unto your den you fool and molest not our hour! Come tomorrow morning and exclaim – “ How
many flowers have fallen down! How bitter the snowfall had been!!” – It ceased to talk as if mad with anger. Though it never raised its voice above a whisper, the thunder of the whisper kept ringing in my brain and heart as I fumbled my way back to my room; I don’t know whether unable to bear the wrath of the tree or the tear of the star or the fragrance of the holy hour – but feeling suffocated.
