The moon was shining bright over her dark hair. She panted heavily as she tried to climb the high mountain. The wind was blowing straight in her face and the snow was slowing her down, but the more she climbed, the happier she was. From time to time, she raised her eyes, so that she could see up ahead, to see how much closer she was to her goal. But there was nothing but snow lighted by the moon.
Then , out of nowhere, a grave voice demanded: “Ahoy, stranger! What brings you to this unfriendly land?”
She quickly raised her head and she was more than surprised to see in front of her a small, bearded old man with a red face and cunning eyes.
“I want to get to the Sun!” she almost screamed with dignity and pride.
The man looked at her a bit puzzled and then broke in a heartily laughter. “Well, then you’re going the wrong way, there’s nothing but darkness up ahead.”
The girl’s fierce eyes widened in fear. “You lie! The darkness is all that I left behind.”
“You really think that?” he asked innocently. “You truly believe that all life is darkness?”
She didn’t answer, she didn’t like to think about that. Instead she said “We abandon ourselves to petty pleasures until we die…Or maybe it’s all in my head.”
“And you don’t enjoy petty pleasures? What do you ask of the Sun?”
She was not so sure of herself now, her heart was beating with fear and a sense of loneliness took over her mind. Life is ridiculous and mundane, she thought. And people do nothing but hurt themselves.
“I believe it is all in your head. But, you know, you can never run away from your head.”
The girl sighed looking down, but when she raised her eyes again , the man was nowhere to be seen.
