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The Astronomer

I only said, "When in the evening the round full moon gets
entangled among the branches of that Kadam tree, couldn't
somebody catch it?"

But dâdâ [elder brother] laughed at me and said, "Baby,
you are the silliest child I have ever known. The moon is ever
so far from us, how could anybody catch it?"

I said, "Dâdâ how foolish you are! When mother looks out of her
window and smiles down at us playing, would you call her far
away?"

Still said, "You are a stupid child! But, baby, where could you
find a net big enough to catch the moon with?"

I said, "Surely you could catch it with your hands."

But dâdâ laughed and said, "You are the silliest child I have
known. If it came nearer, you would see how big the moon is."

I said, "Dâdâ, what nonsense they teach at your school! When
mother bends her face down to kiss us does her face look very
big?"

But still dâdâ says, "You are a stupid child."

Literature Network » Rabindranath Tagore » The Crescent Moon » The Astronomer