Read time - 6 minutes
The Keeper of the Night Sky
Ceritasakti.com - Every ancient village has a favorite bedtime story. However, long before books existed, the people living in the deep Silver Valley told the legend of Oakhart.
Oakhart was not a human. He was a massive, gentle giant formed from ancient gray stone and thick green mountain moss. While the village farmers worked under the hot sun, Oakhart rested quietly inside the deepest cave of the highest mountain peak. He only emerged when the sun finally disappeared behind the horizon.
Oakhart had one very important job. He was the guardian of the night sky.
When the world turned dark, the giant stepped out of his cave. He carefully reached his massive hands into the sky and grabbed the dusty lunar sphere. Using a soft cloud, he polished the dusty surface until it became a brilliant, glowing full moon.
He positioned the moon perfectly above the valley so the night travelers could find their way home safely. Once the sky glowed brightly, Oakhart leaned his massive back against the mountain peak. He hummed a deep, rumbling lullaby that sounded like the gentle ocean waves. The magical sound made the tiny stars twinkle in the dark, signaling everyone in the valley to close their eyes and sleep.
The Autumn Harvest Problem
For hundreds of years, Oakhart guarded the night perfectly. But one year, a severe problem occurred in the Silver Valley.
The winter cold arrived much earlier than usual. The village farmers panicked. They needed to harvest their massive fields of golden wheat, but the days grew too short. The sun vanished too quickly, and the darkness prevented them from finishing their crucial work. If they did not harvest the wheat in time, the entire village would freeze and starve during the long winter.
The village elder climbed halfway up the mountain and shouted a desperate prayer to the sky.
Oakhart listened to the tiny voice of the elder. The gentle giant felt terrible for the hardworking farmers. He knew he had to break the ancient rules of the sky to help them.
Shifting the Time
That evening, as the sun began to set, Oakhart did not immediately bring the moon out. Instead, he planted his massive stone feet firmly on the mountaintop. He raised his giant hands and physically held the glowing moon behind the mountain, hiding it from the world.
By holding the moon back, he gave the sun extra time to shine. The farmers suddenly noticed the daylight lingering longer than usual. They cheered loudly and rushed back into the fields, harvesting the last of their golden wheat just before the cold night finally arrived.
Oakhart shifted the schedule of the sky by a single hour. He sacrificed his own resting schedule to give humanity the extra light they desperately needed.
Today, modern people no longer remember the gentle giant made of stone and moss. Modern scientists and politicians claim they invented the system of shifting the clocks back and forth. But the old folks in the Silver Valley know the real truth. Every time humanity adjusts the clocks for daylight saving time, it is simply a reminder of the giant who once held back the moon to save the world.
