luna: a moon dog’s tale

luna was a very special dog. she was born on the moon, where her parents were part of a team of astronauts who were exploring the lunar surface_

luna loved the moon, because it was her home, she enjoyed bouncing around in the low gravity, digging holes in the dust, and chasing the moon rocks that rolled down the craters_

luna was curious about everything, and she always wanted to learn new things, she liked to listen to the stories that her parents and the other astronauts told her about earth, the blue planet that shone brightly in the sky_

she wondered what it was like to see the sun, the stars, the clouds, and the oceans, she wondered what it was like to smell the flowers, to feel the wind, and to hear the birds, she wondered what it was like to meet other dogs, and to play with them_

one day, luna decided that she wanted to go to earth_she asked her parents if they could take her with them on their next mission, but they said no_

they said that earth was too dangerous for a moon dog, and that she would not be happy there_

they said that she belonged on the moon, where she was safe and loved_luna was sad, but she did not give up_

she thought that maybe she could sneak into the rocket when no one was looking, and hide until they reached earth, she waited for the right moment, and then she ran towards the rocket, but before she could get inside, she was stopped by a friendly voice_

‘hey, where are you going, little one?’ the voice said_

luna looked up and saw a robot, it was a rover, a machine that explored the moon and collected data, it had wheels, a camera, a solar panel, and an antenna_

it was one of luna’s friends, and she often played with it_

‘i’m going to earth,’ luna said, ‘i want to see what it’s like_’

the rover shook its head, ‘that’s not a good idea, luna, earth is not for you, you wouldn’t like it there_’

‘why not?’ luna asked_

‘because earth is very different from the moon,’ the rover said_

‘it has a lot of things that you are not used to, it has a lot of noise, a lot of people, a lot of pollution, it has a lot of dangers, like cars, animals, diseases and natural disasters, it has a lot of rules, like laws, customs, and manners_

you would have to wear a special suit, and a special collar, and a special leash, you would have to stay indoors most of the time and follow orders from strangers, you would have to give up your freedom, your fun, and your friends_’

luna frowned, ‘but earth also has a lot of good things, right? it has a lot of beauty, a lot of diversity, a lot of wonder_it has a lot of things that I want to see, and smell, and hear, and touch_’

‘it has a lot of things that I want to learn, and experience, and enjoy, it has a lot of things that I want to love_’

the rover nodded, ‘that’s true, luna, earth also has a lot of good things, but you can’t have them all, you have to choose, you have to decide what is more important to you, you have to decide where you belong_’

luna thought for a moment, she looked at the rocket, and then she looked at the moon, she looked at the earth, and then she looked at the rover, she realized that the rover was right, she had to choose, and she knew what she wanted_

she smiled and said ‘i belong here, i belong on the moon, this is my home, this is where i’m happy_’

the rover smiled back and said, ‘i’m glad you feel that way, luna, you are a very special dog,you are a moon dog and I’m proud to be your friend_’

luna wagged her tail and said, ‘thank you, rover, you are a very special robot,you are a moon rover and I’m happy to be your friend too_’

they hugged each other, and then they went to play, they bounced around in the low gravity, dug holes in the dust and chased the moon rocks that rolled down the craters_

they had fun, and they learned new things, they enjoyed the moon and they loved each other_

and they lived happily ever after_

the end_

image: tim via pixabay