The Buried Moon
by Unknown · from Tales of Wonder Every Child Should Know
Adapted Version
Carland was a big, wet place. Dark creatures lived there. They came out when Moon was gone.
The Carland was a tricky marsh. It had dark creatures. They liked the dark. They came out at night. Moon did not like this.
Moon saw the dark creatures. She felt very sad. She wanted to help them. Moon went to the marsh. She wanted to see.
Moon wore a black cloak. She walked in the marsh. Her foot slipped. A big, dark branch held her. She could not move.
A Man was lost. He was very scared. He walked near Moon. He did not see her. He walked to a deep hole.
Moon pulled hard. Her black hood fell off. Her bright light shone out. The dark creatures ran away fast. The Man saw the light. He was safe now. Moon saved him.
The Man ran away. He was very happy. Moon was very tired. Her hood fell back on. The wet place became dark again.
The dark creatures came back. They were very mean to Moon. They pushed her down into the water. They put a big stone on her. They hid her deep in the water. Little Lights watched her.
Days went by. Moon did not come back. The people were sad and worried. The wet place was very dark. It was not safe.
The Villagers went to Wise Woman. She looked in her pot. She looked in her book. She could not find Moon. "Tell me what you know," she said.
A Man sat in the inn. He remembered the light. It saved him from dark. "It was Moon!" he said. He knew where she was.
Villagers told Wise Woman. She looked in her book again. She told them what to do. "Go find Moon," she said. She gave them help.
Villagers put stones in mouths. They held hazel twigs. They did not speak. They walked into the marsh. They were very scared. They looked for Moon.
They saw a big stone. It was in the water. A dark branch stood up. It looked like a cross. A little flickering light was there. This was Moon's place.
Villagers moved the big stone. Moon jumped out fast. She went up to the sky. She was so bright. She shone for all.
Moon shone very bright. The dark creatures ran away. They hid in the shadows. The Carland was safe again. Moon shone brightly every night. She kept everyone safe and happy.
Good light always wins. People help each other. Good things happen!
Original Story
The Buried Moon
ong ago in my grandmother's time, the Carland was all in bogs, great pools of black water, and creeping trickles of green water, and squishy mools which squirted when you stepped on them.
Well, granny used to say how long before her time the Moon herself was once dead and buried in the marshes, and as she used to tell me, I'll tell you all about it.
The Moon up yonder shone and shone just as she does now, and when she shone she lighted up the bogpools, so that one could walk about almost as safe as in the day.
But when she didn't shine, out came the Things that dwelt in the darkness and went about seeking to do evil and harm; Bogles and Crawling Horrors, all came out when the Moon didn't shine.
Well, the Moon heard of this, and being kind and good—as she surely is, shining for us in the night instead of taking her natural rest—she was main troubled. "I'll see for myself, I will," said she, "maybe it's not so bad as folks make out."
Sure enough, at the month's end down she stepped, wrapped up in a black cloak, and a black hood over her yellow shining hair. Straight she went to the bog edge and looked about her. Water here and water there; waving tussocks and trembling mools, and great black snags all twisted and bent. Before her all was dark—dark but for the glimmer of the stars in the pools, and the light that came from her own white feet, stealing out of her black cloak.
The Moon drew her cloak faster about her and trembled, but she wouldn't go back without seeing all there was to be seen; so on she went, stepping as light as the wind in summer from tuft to tuft between the muddy, gurgling water holes. Just as she came near a big black pool her foot slipped and she was nigh tumbling in. She grabbed with both hands at a snag near by, to steady herself with, but as she touched it, it twined itself round her wrists, like a pair of handcuffs, and gripped her so that she couldn't move. She pulled and twisted and fought, but it was no good. She was fast, and must stay fast.
Presently as she stood trembling in the dark, wondering if help would come, she heard something calling in the distance, calling, calling, and then dying away with a sob, till the marshes were full of this pitiful crying sound; then she heard steps floundering along, squishing in the mud and slipping on the tufts, and through the darkness she saw a white face with great feared eyes.
'T was a man strayed in the bogs. Mazed with fear he struggled on toward the flickering light that looked like help and safety. And when the poor Moon saw that he was coming nigher and nigher to the deep hole, farther and farther from the path, she was so mad and so sorry that she struggled and fought and pulled harder than ever. And though she couldn't get loose she twisted and turned, till her black hood fell back off her shining yellow hair, and the beautiful light that came from it drove away the darkness.
Oh, but the man cried with joy to see the light again. And at once all evil things fled back into the dark corners, for they cannot abide the light. So he could see where he was, and where the path was, and how he could get out of the marsh. And he was in such haste to get away from the Quicks, and Bogles, and Things that dwelt there, that he scarce looked at the brave light that came from the beautiful shining yellow hair, streaming out over the black cloak and falling to the water at his feet. And the Moon herself was so taken up with saving him, and with rejoicing that he was back on the right path, that she clean forgot that she needed help herself, and that she was held fast by the Black Snag.
So off he went, spent and gasping, and stumbling and sobbing with joy, flying for his life out of the terrible bogs. Then it came over the Moon, she would main like to go with him. So she pulled and fought as if she were mad, till she fell on her knees, spent with tugging, at the foot of the snag. And as she lay there, gasping for breath, the black hood fell forward over her head. So out went the blessed light and back came the darkness, with all its Evil Things, with a screech and a howl. They came crowding round her, mocking and snatching and beating; shrieking with rage and spite, and swearing and snarling, for they knew her for their old enemy, that drove them back into the corners, and kept them from working their wicked wills.
"Drat thee!" yelled the witch-bodies, "thou 'st spoiled our spells this year agone!"
"And us thou sent'st to brood in the corners!" howled the Bogles.
And all the Things joined in with a great "Ho, ho!" till the very tussocks shook and the water gurgled. And they began again.
"We'll poison her—poison her!" shrieked the witches.
And "Ho, ho!" howled the Things again.
"We'll smother her—smother her!" whispered the Crawling Horrors, and twined themselves round her knees.
And "Ho, ho!" mocked the rest of them.
And again they all shouted with spite and ill-will. And the poor Moon crouched down, and wished she was dead and done with.
And they fought and squabbled what they should do with her, till a pale gray light began to come in the sky; and it drew nigh the dawning. And when they saw that, they were feared lest they shouldn't have time to work their will; and they caught hold of her, with horrid bony fingers, and laid her deep in the water at the foot of the snag. And the Bogles fetched a strange big stone and rolled it on top of her, to keep her from rising. And they told two of the Will-o-the-wykes to take turns in watching on the black snag, to see that she lay safe and still, and couldn't get out to spoil their sport.
And there lay the poor Moon, dead and buried in the bog; till some one would set her loose; and who'd know where to look for her?
Well, the days passed, and 't was the time for the new moon's coming, and the folk put pennies in their pockets and straws in their caps so as to be ready for her, and looked about, for the Moon was a good friend to the marsh folk, and they were main glad when the dark time was gone, and the paths were safe again, and the Evil Things were driven back by the blessed Light into the darkness and the waterholes.
But days and days passed, and the new Moon never came, and the nights were aye dark, and the Evil Things were worse than ever. And still the days went on, and the new Moon never came. Naturally the poor folk were strangely feared and mazed, and a lot of them went to the Wise Woman who dwelt in the old mill, and asked if so be she could find out where the Moon was gone.
"Well," said she, after looking in the brewpot, and in the mirror, and in the Book, "it be main queer, but I can't rightly tell ye what's happened to her. If ye hear aught, come and tell me."
So they went their ways; and as days went by, and never a Moon came, naturally they talked—my word! I reckon they did talk! their tongues wagged at home, and at the inn, and in the garth. But so came one day, as they sat on the great settle in the Inn, a man from the far end of the bog lands was smoking and listening, when all at once he sat up and slapped his knee. "My faicks!" said he, "I'd clean forgot, but I reckon I kens where the Moon be!" and he told them of how he was lost in the bogs, and how, when he was nigh dead with fright, the light shone out, and he found the path and got home safe.
So off they all went to the Wise Woman, and told her about it, and she looked long in the pot and the Book again, and then she nodded her head.
"It's dark still, childer, dark!" says she, "and I can't rightly see, but do as I tell ye, and ye'll find out for yourselves. Go, all of ye, just afore the night gathers, put a stone in your mouth, and take a hazel-twig in your hands, and say never a word till you're safe home again. Then walk on and fear not, far into the midst of the marsh, till ye find a coffin, a candle, and a cross. Then ye'll not be far from your Moon; look, and m'appen ye'll find her."
So come the next night in the darklings, out they went all together, every man with a stone in his mouth, and a hazel-twig in his hand, and feeling, thou may'st reckon, main feared and creepy. And they stumbled and stottered along the paths into the midst of the bogs; they saw naught, though they heard sighings and flutterings in their ears, and felt cold wet fingers touching them; but all together, looking around for the coffin, the candle, and the cross, while they came nigh to the pool beside the great snag, where the Moon lay buried. And all at once they stopped, quaking and mazed and skeery, for there was the great stone, half in, half out of the water, for all the world like a strange big coffin; and at the head was the black snag, stretching out its two arms in a dark gruesome cross, and on it a tiddy light flickered, like a dying candle. And they all knelt down in the mud, and said, "Our Lord," first forward, because of the cross, and then backward, to keep off the Bogles; but without speaking out, for they knew that the Evil Things would catch them, if they didn't do as the Wise Woman told them.
Then they went nigher, and took hold of the big stone, and shoved it up, and afterward they said that for one tiddy minute they saw a strange and beautiful face looking up at them glad-like out of the black water; but the Light came so quick and so white and shining, that they stepped back mazed with it, and the very next minute, when they could see again, there was the full Moon in the sky, bright and beautiful and kind as ever, shining and smiling down at them, and making the bogs and the paths as clear as day, and stealing into the very corners, as though she'd have driven the darkness and the Bogles clean away if she could.
Story DNA
Moral
Goodness and light will eventually triumph over evil and darkness, often with the help of a united community.
Plot Summary
The benevolent Moon descends to a dangerous bog to investigate the evil creatures that plague it in darkness. She becomes trapped by a black snag but her light inadvertently saves a lost man. Enraged, the evil creatures overpower her, bury her under a stone, and plunge the world into perpetual night. The fearful villagers seek help from a Wise Woman, who, after hearing a man's tale of being saved by a mysterious light, provides cryptic instructions. Following these, the villagers locate the buried Moon and release her, restoring light, safety, and driving the evil back into the shadows.
Themes
Emotional Arc
fear to relief
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
Reflects a pre-industrial rural society where natural phenomena were often personified and attributed with moral qualities, and where bogs were genuinely dangerous places.
Plot Beats (15)
- The Carland is a dangerous bog, home to evil 'Things' that emerge when the Moon doesn't shine.
- The Moon, concerned by the evil, decides to descend to the bog to see for herself.
- Disguised in a black cloak, the Moon slips and is trapped by a black snag, unable to move.
- A lost man, terrified and wandering, approaches the dangerous bog hole where the Moon is trapped.
- The Moon struggles, her hood falls back, and her light drives away the darkness and the evil creatures, saving the man.
- The man escapes, and the Moon, exhausted, lets her hood fall forward, plunging the bog back into darkness.
- The Evil Things return, mock and beat the Moon, then bury her deep in the water under a heavy stone, guarded by Will-o-the-wykes.
- Days pass without the Moon's return, causing fear and making the bog even more dangerous.
- The villagers consult the Wise Woman, who initially cannot find the Moon but asks for any information.
- A man at the inn recalls being saved by a mysterious light in the bog and realizes it was the Moon.
- The villagers return to the Wise Woman with this information, and she gives them specific instructions to find the Moon.
- Following the Wise Woman's instructions (stone in mouth, hazel twig, silence), the villagers venture into the bog.
- They find the 'coffin, candle, and cross' — the stone, the snag, and a flickering Will-o-the-wyke.
- The villagers roll away the stone, and the Moon bursts forth, returning to the sky in full glory.
- The Moon shines brightly, dispelling the darkness and driving the evil creatures back, restoring safety to the Carland.
Characters
The Moon
Radiant and ethereal, she appears as a woman of pure light, though she can cloak herself in darkness. Her presence is inherently luminous, capable of dispelling shadows.
Attire: When she descends to the bog, she is wrapped in a 'black cloak' and wears a 'black hood' to conceal her light. Underneath, her 'white feet' glow faintly.
Wants: To understand and alleviate the suffering caused by the 'Things that dwelt in the darkness' in the bogs, and to provide light and safety for the marsh folk.
Flaw: Her compassion and self-forgetfulness, which lead her to prioritize others' safety over her own, making her vulnerable to capture. Also, her physical form can be bound and her light suppressed.
She descends to investigate evil, is captured and buried, but is eventually freed by the marsh folk, returning to her celestial role with renewed appreciation from humanity.
Kind, good, troubled by evil, brave, determined, self-sacrificing, compassionate, forgetful of her own needs.
The Lost Man
His face is described as 'white with great feared eyes,' indicating extreme terror and pallor from being lost and in danger. He is likely of a lean build from his ordeal.
Attire: Not explicitly described, but implied to be common clothing suitable for traveling or working in a boggy region, likely mud-stained and torn from his ordeal.
Wants: To escape the bogs and the 'Evil Things' and find safety.
Flaw: Overwhelming fear, which makes him 'mazed' and prone to losing his way.
He is rescued from certain doom by the Moon's light, allowing him to find his way home safely. He later remembers the event, providing the crucial clue for the marsh folk to find the Moon.
Fearful, desperate, relieved, grateful (though briefly forgetful in his haste).
The Wise Woman
An elderly woman, likely with the weathered features of someone who lives close to nature and practices ancient wisdom. Her appearance suggests a connection to the mystical.
Attire: Simple, practical clothing suitable for an elderly woman living in an old mill, perhaps a dark wool dress or skirt with an apron, and a shawl. Her attire would suggest a life of humble wisdom, not ostentation.
Wants: To help the marsh folk solve the mystery of the missing Moon and restore balance to their world.
Flaw: Her sight into the future is not always perfectly clear, especially when great darkness obscures it.
She initially cannot see the Moon's fate but, with new information, provides the crucial instructions that lead to the Moon's rescue.
Wise, perceptive (though initially unable to see the Moon's fate clearly), guiding, calm, authoritative.
Bogles
Creatures of darkness, implied to be shadowy and monstrous. They have a physical presence, capable of 'howling' and 'snatching and beating.' They are part of the 'Evil Things' that flee from light.
Attire: None, as they are monstrous creatures.
Wants: To cause harm and evil, to keep the world in darkness, and to torment their enemy, the Moon.
Flaw: Light, which drives them back into dark corners and waterholes.
They capture and bury the Moon, reveling in her absence, but are ultimately driven back by her return.
Malicious, spiteful, vengeful, cruel, cowardly (flee from light), aggressive.
Crawling Horrors
Implied to be serpentine or worm-like, as they 'twined themselves round her knees' and 'whispered' about smothering. They are part of the 'Evil Things' that flee from light.
Attire: None, as they are monstrous creatures.
Wants: To cause harm and evil, to keep the world in darkness, and to torment their enemy, the Moon.
Flaw: Light, which drives them back into dark corners and waterholes.
They participate in the capture and burial of the Moon, but are ultimately driven back by her return.
Insidious, cruel, smothering, spiteful.
Witch-bodies
Implied to be hag-like or monstrous, with 'horrid bony fingers.' They are part of the 'Evil Things' that flee from light.
Attire: None, as they are monstrous creatures, though they are referred to as 'witch-bodies' suggesting a humanoid, albeit corrupted, form.
Wants: To cause harm and evil, to keep the world in darkness, and to torment their enemy, the Moon, for spoiling their spells.
Flaw: Light, which drives them back into dark corners and waterholes.
They participate in the capture and burial of the Moon, but are ultimately driven back by her return.
Malicious, spiteful, vengeful, cruel, aggressive, prone to yelling.
Will-o-the-wykes
Described as 'tiddy light[s] flickered,' suggesting small, ethereal, flickering lights, possibly with a faint, indistinct form.
Attire: Not applicable.
Wants: To guard the buried Moon and prevent her escape, serving the will of the other Evil Things.
Flaw: Implied to be susceptible to the Moon's light, though they are used to guard her.
They are assigned to guard the buried Moon, but fail when the marsh folk arrive to free her.
Obedient (to the Evil Things), watchful, malevolent (as they serve the antagonists).
The Marsh Folk
A group of common folk living in the bog lands. Their appearance would be typical of rural villagers, perhaps with weathered faces from outdoor life.
Attire: Simple, practical peasant clothing typical of a rural, possibly northern European, setting: linen shirts, wool tunics, sturdy trousers for men; long linen dresses, aprons, and shawls for women. Earth tones would be common.
Wants: To understand why the Moon has vanished, to restore light and safety to their homes, and to drive back the 'Evil Things'.
Flaw: Their fear of the dark and the 'Evil Things' makes them hesitant and mazed without guidance.
They transition from fearful confusion to determined action, ultimately becoming the saviors of the Moon and restoring light to their world.
Fearful, mazed, talkative, concerned, hopeful, obedient, brave (when following instructions), reverent.
Locations
The Carland Bogs
A vast, treacherous marshland characterized by great pools of black water, creeping trickles of green water, and squishy mools that squirt when stepped on. It is a desolate and dangerous place, especially in darkness, filled with waving tussocks, trembling mools, and great black snags, all twisted and bent.
Mood: Eerie, desolate, dangerous, oppressive, fearful, especially when the Moon is absent.
The Moon's initial descent into the bogs, her capture by a black snag, and her eventual burial by the Evil Things. Later, the villagers' quest to find and free her.
The Black Snag's Pool (Moon's Burial Site)
A specific, large black pool within the bogs, at the foot of a prominent, gnarled black snag. This snag has two arm-like branches. After the Moon's capture, a strange, large stone is rolled on top of her, resembling a coffin, with the snag acting as a gruesome cross, and a flickering Will-o'-the-wisp like a dying candle.
Mood: Grim, terrifying, sacred, the focal point of the bogs' malevolence and the Moon's suffering.
The Moon's capture and burial by the Evil Things, and the villagers' discovery of her burial site, leading to her release.
The Old Mill (Wise Woman's Dwelling)
An old, rustic mill, likely a watermill, serving as the dwelling and consultation place for the Wise Woman. It contains her tools for divination: a brewpot, a mirror, and a large book.
Mood: Mysterious, wise, comforting, a place of last resort for the fearful villagers seeking guidance.
The villagers consult the Wise Woman for help in finding the lost Moon, and she provides the crucial instructions for her rescue.