The Arrogant Sun

It was almost evening. The sun was about to set, and the moon had become visible in the sky.

- Vandana Gupta

The moon asked the sun, "Hello, Sun! How are you? I'm pleased to meet you.

We get to meet for such a short time. It's only after you set that I rise. And then, you rise again only after I set."

The sun just made a face and did not respond. "What's wrong? You seem upset.

Why aren't you talking to me?" asked the moon.

"I only talk to those equal to me. It's beneath me to talk to lesser beings like you," said the sun, haughtily.

"But everyone likes to meet me. In the past 60 years, numerous astronauts have sat in spaceships to come and meet me. In fact, they are scared to meet you because you spew fire."

"That's why I'm asking you not to talk to me. You might just burn!" said the sun, arrogantly.

"Please, don't say that, Sun! I believe in peace. Looking at me calms people. On earth, all the children refer to me lovingly.  Mothers sing lullabies and tell stories about me to put their kids to sleep. And the kids do sleep calmly."

"Please stop talking! You don't even have your own light! You just reflect the light that I emit! I provide solar energy, and the entire planet revolves around me. You're just a tiny satellite revolving around the earth," the sun said.