::STORY::

Have you ever heard… that sky tells tales? Tales, which under a star sea hide great mysteries? Mysteries, which you could have never imagine?

Staring at the depth of the sky you will find a different story, a distinct message, and a matchless adventure. Stars narrate all they have seen and heard across the time. Never the less, the narcissus moon tries to placate them.

Tonight, as every night, I’m looking at the sky… the infinite sky. Its silence and eternal shining reveals thousands of tales that the moon cannot placate anymore…

You, as the majority of people, fix at the moon, but they don’t at the stars that shine surrounding it.

Our ancestors idolized it because of it majesty and beauty… they attribute it powers that only were given to gods. I, a day as today, left it apart and discovered that sea of stars that surround it, that one that could tell me tales that I could ever imagine.

To hear those anecdotes there is a secret, my secret. It is easy and simple. Just sit down, be quiet and listen. Sit down, be quiet and listen to me.

It was a majestic star, of matchless shine, a shine I will never forget, which revealed me what you are about to hear…

There is a beautiful valley called “Yutu Pampa”, surrounded with mountains and green meadows. Near of this valley there is a enchanted lake, with wonderful landscapes, full of magic, where really spectacular, fantastic beings live. Each of them contributed with the valley’s spirit, but it owed its naivety and real bright to the Sacaca or Yutu, owner of the sky, whom was owed the name of the valley, too. This splendid lake always radiated a light that danced cheerfully in its waters. This glittering was emanated from the Golden Corvine, creature that watched the movements of the lake day and night, without resting. As the Golden Corvine, dominating the earth was the majestic Choque Chinchay, who patrolled the valley with great agility protecting the defenseless creatures that lived with him. So, the eternal warden of the valley where: the Sacaca, soaring in the sky, the Golden Corvine, sheltering the lake, and the Choque Chinchay, protecting the life in his valley.

A certain day, near the enchanted lake, passed an amazingly beautiful nymph, so charming that anything else near her turned to be insignificant. When she entered this riveting valley, she felt the envy overwhelm her: every being there was amazing. That may not sound so terrible being as beautiful as she was, but she was used to be stared by everyone and to be given all the attention; and in a place where everybody were as interesting as her, or even more, that did not happen at all.

In that moment the Choque Chinchay appeared, and approached stealthily at her. She glared at him arrogant an furious, her envy growing more and more every time. This animal stood out of the others, which, seeing him pass, gave him signs of clear respect and devotion. The Choque Chinchay stopped in front of her.
“I’m Choque Chinchay, one of the three wardens of this valley” he said, staring at her eyes intensely. “My duty is to protect the creatures of this valley, and I would want to know who you are and why are you here.”
“My name is Ilentiv, a nymph” she answered. “I came from a long way apart because I was attracted by a strange light to a lake, but when I got there, it was gone in the depths of it.” she continued. “Then I walked the way to this place, which is really… beautiful, I must say.” she added.
“That light you saw was from the Golden Corvine, who, as me, is a warden of this place”, clarified the Choque Chinchay “and this place is certainly wonderful, as you can see-”
“How do you do it?” interrupted the nymph “How can everything in this place be so charming, so beautiful? What makes it so warm and gives all those creatures that mysterious bright?”
“It’s the third warden of the valley, the Sacaca”, he answered. “She is the one who gives the real life to this valley. As I told you, I protect it” he added.
All the envy that the nymph felt at that moment was redirected to that bird, called Sacaca, which was soaring through the sky, over their heads.
“That bird can’t be more special than me” though the jealous nymph without listening the Choque Chinchay, who was welcoming her.
When he finished talking, she had decided to look for the Sacaca, but she heard a voice calling her from a near tree’s branch. It was a beautiful owl, who was looking her from between the leaves and was still calling her. The nymph made her way towards the owl, who had already anticipated her intentions, as he presented.
“My name is Yachay, and I have called you to tell you, my dear lady, that my vast experience and great skill to decipher the dark thoughts, today have reached your toughened heart. I can see, deep in your eyes full of envy that you are going to see the owner of the sky, the sacred Sacaca. Well, I will not stop you, but I’m going to warn you: her friendship and pureness will knock on your gloomy heart. Given this warning, you can continue your way. Let the happiness from Yutu Pampa be with you.” he finished ceremoniously.
Ilentiv, ignoring these words, kept going. After a while, tired of looking for the sacred bird, she sat down in a rock at the edge of the lake, staring at its incredible beauty. Then she saw the mysterious light that had brought her there in the first moment. The Golden Corvine, who was radiating this light, appeared to her in the very edge of the lake.
“Oh, beautiful creature, be welcomed to this your valley, too. I hope that your intentions to Yutu Pampa will be good, as well. Let the happiness of this precinct fill your existence.”
“Could you please tell me where this so-called `great´ Sacaca is?” she replied paying no attention to the welcome. “I’m exhausted: I’ve looked for her, but I cannot find her. I’ve walked a great distance by now and my beautiful feet are really tired.”

“Because I know that a beauty as yours must be of a creature with pure feelings and with good intentions for my friend, the Sacaca, I’ll tell you how to it: look at the sky and you will find her.” answered the Golden Corvine.
Ilentiv, now knowing how to find the Sacaca, went away, without saying any kind of good bye to the kind Golden Corvine.
She went all the way looking at the sky, and found the Sacaca soaring majestically the sky.
“Lady Sacaca!” she shouted “could I have a word with you? Please?”
The great bird descended and greeted Ilentiv gently, but as always, she was indifferent to it.
“Lady Sacaca, my incredible beauty is greater than yours” she said in an arrogant way, “I reflect a goddess’ face, and I think it’s convenient that you give me your power of giving this creatures that special bright and the valley itself that warmth, so I would fly through the sky and you would rest from this extenuating work.”
“Seeing your intention of governing Yutu Pampa, I will tell you to answer this only question: what is the purpose of soaring in the firmament with your matchless beauty?” asked the Sacaca, untruthfully curious.
“As I have already told you, my beauty is worth of being admired by everyone in this valley, and that is my only reason” said defiantly Ilentiv.
“Well, I’m sorry of not being able to give you any power. Your absurd need of being adored is not enough. Attributing you government of our sky because of this insignificant reason, you will have to comply with that you are going to be my equal and my ally. You will have the power over the firmament when it is covered with stars, which will accompany you, for your beauty not to be showed alone, but with their splendorous shining. I conceal you a part of my power over this valley, not without stating that the warm bright is not a power, but a gift that is attributed by a creature’s inner beauty, not superficial or external appearance. And the blow of envy and resentment will not touch your heart anymore, making your beauty uniform: an internally and externally beautiful. But I do warn you, that flying by the sky will decrease what you appreciate the most: your beauty, if you try to show it by vanity, of course.”
“My beauty is a very high price, don’t you think so?” replied the nymph, evidentially scared by the words of the Sacaca.
“No, I do not”, answered the Sacaca. “What really matters is inner beauty: it is the one which gives the special warm that you are feeling now, it is what makes this valley so special. Would you want to have time to think about it? Well, take it” finally said the Sacaca, who was heading to the sky, cheering up whoever saw her.
“The owl was right” she though “she really touched my heart”

Far away, Ilentiv heard a melodious song that relaxed her, and feeling peace in her heart, knew that there was truth behind the words of the Sacaca, appearing again the autor of the beautiful melody. Ilentiv let her be dragged by the sing to the world of dreams, in which she saw the phoenix, who told her, singing: “Beautiful nymph, the true beauty of a creature is reflected in its outside, and more important, in its inside”. Think about the words of the noble Sacaca, leave your vanity aside, like the warden of the sky did and you will feel true happiness, sharing your beauty with all beings and giving them the warmth they need”. The nymph, waking up from her dream, looked up for the Sacaca, and accepted her offer of sharing the sky with the glittering stars, and now she, the beautiful nymph, and the Sacaca, sacred warden of the sky, fly together trough the sky, bringing warmth and bright to the valley.

That is how the nymph expressed her beauty navigating in the great sea of stars, forgetting her vanity and envy, staring at the beauty of other beings...

Did you like this tale, told by a star? In the silence of the night you can find one thousand and more tales like this one, or even better. Just remember: sit down, be quiet and listen.