It was Sol’s job to take care of their beautiful garden everyday. People said he was blesses, for without him the flowers never seemed to bloom. So her would got out each morning as the sun came up, and tend to the garden until the sun went down.



Sol’s companion, Luna, however, had not been blessed with a gift for gardening. She had been a drifter, and Sol had been kind enough to take her in. So it was her job to go out every night and watch the garden while Sol slept. She only saw Sol twice a day: once when he first came out every morning, and once when she took his place to watch the garden at night. Luna looked forward to seeing Sol every evening, for he always had exciting things to tell her about what happened in the garden that day.


When the sun was finally setting, it was time for Luna to take Sol’s place in the garden. She found him sitting in the grass and joined him to watch the sunset together.


“How was the garden today?” she asked.


“It was wonderful.” He answered. “The tulips are just starting to bloom in the most brilliant colors. And the roses are beautiful; the deepest scarlet I’ve ever seen. I’m most pleased with the lilies, as well; lilies have always been my favorite.”


“What else happened?” she asked.


“Well…” he thought about it. “I saw some monarch butterflies today. And hummingbirds, too. Our garden is quite popular now.”


She had never seen a butterfly before. “Do you think…” she hesitated, “do you think that I might see a butterfly tonight?”


“I’m afraid not, Luna. Butterflies only fly during the day.” She tried to hide her disappointment.


Once the sun had set and Sol had retired for the evening, Luna took a walk around the garden. Everything was in contrast to the bustling activity Sol experienced during the day. The morning glories were close up, shutting her out. The leaves crunched below her, the wind rustled the flowers with every step she took, as if the garden was bothered by her presence. She gazed out at the flowers, remembering all of the vibrant colors Sol had described. She longed to see those colors, but all she saw were dull shades of blue and grey.


Luna stepped out towards the flowers. When she stopped at the roses, she closed her eyes and try to picture them in different shades of red. She found the biggest rose on the bush and pulled on its long stem, which felt cold and dead against her fingers. But just as she was about to bring the petals to her nose, one of the stem’s sharp thorns pricked her finger. She let go of the stem and watched it quickly return to its place on the branch. It brushed against the other leaves, making a loud scratching noise against the stillness of the night. Almost as if hearing this disturbance, the wind picked up and blew violently throughout the garden and made all the leaves rustle in a vicious roar the seemed to be telling Luna to go away.


Finally, feeling unwanted, Luna let the garden and made her way out to the grass. She couldn’t help but feel jealous of Sol. How was it fair that Sol gets to witness the beauty of life in the garden, from the velvety new buds to the breathtaking blooms, while Luna was stuck with the cold, silent lonliness of the world at night? She looked up at the moon empathetically, finally realizing how it must feel.