This Story begins as all, in essence, must: with another Story.
When Maker had finished creating the People, the Creatures, the Land, and the Sea, Maker created the Story. Maker immediately saw that the Story was the most important of all the created things, because it contained them all within it.
So, Maker decided that all the People and the Creatures must see the Story for themselves, so they could fully understand Creation. Maker, however, was busy.
Maker called Cat to come and see the marvellous Story. Cat yawned and asked why it was more important than his nap. Maker told Cat that everyone must see the Story and assigned him with the task.
Cat, however, decided that his nap was more important after all and, moreover, that the Story made an excellent surface to nap upon.
At the end of the day, Maker returned and found Cat sleeping on the Story. Maker laughed and chastised Cat, but knew that it was only due to Cat’s nature, according to the way Maker had created him.
So, the next day, Maker called Dog to see the Story.
“Oh boy,” Dog said. “That is a very shiny and beautiful thing. Would you please throw it so I can bring it back to you?”
“No,” Maker said. “I have an important task for you. Everyone in the world must see the Story, but I am busy. Take the Story and show it to every Person and Creature in the world.”
Dog agreed that this was a very important task, so she took the Story and set off on her journey.
First, she met Scarecrow. “That is a very fine object you have with you,” Scarecrow said.
“Yes it is, yes it is!” Dog exclaimed. “This is the Story, which Maker told me to show to everyone in the world.”
And Scarecrow agreed that the Story was in fact a very fine Story. “After you have showed me the Story, what comes next?” he asked.
“I do not know,” Dog replied sadly. “Maker did not tell me.”
“Perhaps,” Scarecrow suggested, “I should throw it for you to bring back to me.”
Dog liked this suggestion very much, and so Scarecrow threw the Story. It flew through the air, magnificent and shimmering in the Sun, who paused in her journey to admire it. Then it struck the Land beneath and shattered into a thousand pieces.
Dog was dismayed. “Maker’s Story broke!” she cried. “I do not think that Maker wanted it to break.”
Scarecrow had another idea. “Perhaps,” he said, “you should take these pieces and give one to every Person and Creature. Then you will accomplish your task.”
So Dog took the thousand pieces and gave one to every Person and Creature, from Raccoon to the Man with Warts. Each agreed that it was a very fine Story, but also felt something important to be missing. Dog did not tell them that they only saw a part of the Story, because she was embarrassed.
When Maker returned that night, Dog was wagging her tail, but there was no Story in sight.
“Did you show my Story to every Person and Creature?” Maker asked.
“Oh yes,” Dog panted. “Yes, I did. Every one.”
“Where is the Story now?”
And so Dog admitted to what she had done. Maker was very angry. “Bad Dog,” Maker said. “You have broken my Story, the reflection of Creation. Now no one can see the complete picture of what I have done.”
Dog was very sad at this.
“Stay,” Maker said. “I need to go and repair the mess you have made.”
Maker went to reclaim the pieces of the Story, beginning by visiting the People. Maker was astonished to find that each Person no longer had a piece of Story, but a complete one.
“Man with Warts,” Maker said, “why do you have a complete Story? I thought that Dog had broken it.”
“The Story that Dog gave me seemed to be missing something,” the Man replied. “So I completed it as I saw fit.”
Maker asked each of the People the same question, and each time received the same reply. Now instead of a single Story, there were five hundred different Stories, and each reflected Creation in its own way. But with the Creatures were only the five hundred pieces they had been given—each had acted only according to its nature and left their piece incomplete.
At this, Maker was very pleased with the People. Maker took all of the incomplete pieces from the Creatures and formed them into a single object, placing it in the sky.
“Listen, People,” Maker said to them all. “This thing I have made in the sky is the Moon. Look at it. Gaze upon it. It is not the complete Story, only half. But each day in the month, the Sun will shine on it and reveal a different half of the story than the day before. Each day, take the half you see and complete it. Thus will there be many Stories, never ending until the end of Time herself.”
And Maker returned to the forlorn Dog. “Dog,” Maker said. “Look at the sky.”
Dog looked and saw the Moon. “What is it, Maker?” she asked.
“It is the broken pieces of the Story, which now serve to inspire the People to look at Creation in their own way. It is a very good thing.”
Dog agreed that the Moon was indeed a very good thing, and she began to howl her approval at it.
“Good Dog,” Maker said. “Good Dog.”
And all was well.
The Story I tell next is but one of the endless Stories that have been told since Dog broke the first true Story and will be told until Time partakes of the cup of her sister, Death. It is no more true than the others; it merely provides another glimpse through which you can see the truth of Creation, if you try.