Anne and the Starlets

Stars, those tiny pieces of light which forever holds mans fascination. Even after millions of years of star gazing we are yet to getover their beauty or even to comprehend their magnitude in scientific terms.

I remember going for a trek couple of years ago to a beautiful hill nearby. We camped near the summit that night and that was the night etched in my memory as I saw the sky lit up by stars a sight a city bred like me had never ever seen before. Even today I can recall the splendid sight and the star studded night is the most reassuring thought I have.. millions and millions of pieces of light watching over us earth beings...

This is a story of stars watching over a small girl Anne and helping her out.. Read on..

Whoopsville a small hamlet fringing the big woods in YoYo state was a beautiful place. There were few settlers in the hamlet, simple folks who made their living out of the woods. There were the Tyer family who are woodsmiths, the Quakers who run sell bread and cereals, Spencers, the local grocers and Dr. Brooks. The kind doctor also took lessons for the children in the hamlet. 



Anne was the only child of the Tyer family was a bright and smart fourth grader. She was a good student and also helped out  her parents with errands and collecting firewood, berries and fruits from the forest. She has her own pink bike fitted with a colorful basket and a nice multitone ringing bell.

But what she missed the most is other  young kids like her to play around. However she found a way out of her loneliness. She had starlets and starlets for friends. The stars loved to watch the Whoopsville hamlet and especially loved Anne. Every night Anne spoke to her starlet friends. She would draw imaginary squares, and circles in the air and the starlets would arrange themselves closer to form her drawing. Through clusters of stars she drew various pictures like crowns, spoons, hunter etc. She sang poems, read her lessons out to the stars. The starlets loved to play along silently with little Anne.

One day, a new family moved to Whoopsville, the Parkers. Parkers had a young daughter Nina. Anne was happy to finally have a friend. Anne and Nina became the best of friends. In time she forgot about the starlets. The starlets were unhappy and kept gazing down at Anne.

Many months passed and one day Anne was out in the woods collecting berries in her pretty little basket. She was busy picking blueberries and forgot that it was getting late. Once her basket was full she decided to return back, but by then she had gone deep into the woods and the place was unfamiliar for her. There was no trail and she was completely lost.

Anne was scared and started crying out. She was alone and frightened. But Anne was not alone, the starlets were looking out for her from the skies above. They heard her cry and was wondering how to help her. Then they came up with an idea, all the starlets formed a big cluster and shone brightly. 

Anne gazed at the bright light that shone in between the dark canopy of the woods and walked in the direction of the light. Anne soon discovered the trail back to her home. She started singing happily to the stars..

“ Starlight, Starbright, Starlets my first friends,

You led me out of the woods,

And kept a watch over me,

I’m glad and happy as can be

To have such great and dear friends ”

Anne reached home safely. Her parents were happy to see her back safe. Anne had dinner,said her prayers and went to bed, happy thinking of her many friends up above the sky silently gazing at her and keeping a watch over.