Star Children

       ‘Grandpa, what happens to falling stars? Have you ever seen one down on earth?’
       ‘Yes, little one, I have.’
       ‘What do they look like?’
       ‘Like you and me.’
       ‘You mean, they look like ordinary people?’
       ‘They are people. Every time a star falls down on earth, a baby is born. Listen, I’ll tell you a story:
       ‘Once upon a time there were no people on the earth. There were no houses, no cities, no fields, no roads. There were just seas, lakes, rivers, forests and deserts. The sun was shining during the day, the stars were shining at night, but no one was looking at them. For nobody was there to look.
       ‘Then one day a little star said:
       ‘"I’m so tired of this darkness. It’s also rather cold and lonely here. I can see that nice blue and white planet. Maybe I’ll like it there better."
       ‘And so it fell down to earth.
       ‘But stars can’t live on earth, so it had to turn into something else. And it turned into a little child, just like you.
       ‘"Oh, it’s so pretty here!’ the Star Child said. ‘Look at all the flowers! And what’s this? Oh, it’s strawberries! They are so sweet!"
       ‘When other stars saw it, some of them decided to go down to earth, too. Soon there were many people living on earth. They built houses and roads, they cut down forests to make room for fields and cities. They made ships and cars and many other things. But they have forgotten that they are Star Children. They think that the Earth is their real home and it seems awfully small. They are afraid that it’s too small for so many people. So they started fighting with each other and killing each other. They waged terrible wars and many, many people died. Do you know what happens when people die?’
       ‘They go to heaven, don’t they?’
       ‘Sort of. They turn back into the stars.’
       ‘Just like they used to be?’
       ‘Not quite. A star is made of light and this light keeps burning in the person. But every bad word, and every bad deed, and even a bad thought, they all dim this light a little. When a bad person dies, the star does return to the sky, but it looks much smaller. It may even burn out and disappear. There will be nothing left of it.’
       ‘And what about good words and good deeds? Do they make the star brighter?’
       ‘Yes, they do. You can always see how bright a person’s star is by looking into the eyes of that person. Some people shine like stars even while they are still on earth.’
       ‘What about me? Is my star shining brightly?’
       ‘Your star is still rather small, little one. It will grow as you grow. And it’s up to you whether it will be bright or dull. If you are brave and kind, if you work hard and help other people, then your star may grow very, very bright. Like that one, look! That’s Sirius.’
       ‘Oh, that one must be the brightest star in the sky! And there are so many of them... Grandpa, do you think Grandma is up there, too? Has she turned back into a star?’
       ‘Yes, little one, I’m sure she’s up there somewhere. She must be looking at us now and smiling.’
       ‘So, one day I will be up there, too? And I’ll see Grandma again?’
       ‘Yes, one day we all return to the skies for that is where we have come from. We are all Star Children and we must always remember that.’


перевод на русский здесь http://www.proza.ru/2010/12/10/253