Dum-Dum, the imp who worked as doorman closed the gate with a slam, missing just for a mite to catch and rip the glorious train of the dress of Day going out to a earned rest till next dawn.
After walking two steps away, Dum-Dum, remembered he had not locked the gate and got back, gave two whole turns to the old key, mumbling, which was not odd for him, who was always mumbling. We do not know what he mumbled, but most of us suspect he just tried to look threatening, as if he were casting a spell.
After a few moments, while Sky seemed undecided what to do, the imp wobbled toward the other gate and unlocking it opened the gap widely, letting Night introduce her first tendrils and making Sky decide to cover itself with a dense indigo colour.
The mechanical Cuckoo appeared at the door of the old clock, telling the working sprites they were on time, as it was the right thing to do.
Meanwhile, Night has covered Sky completely, and Litty, the Lit, the small fairy flew up towards the old lamps scattered around the cloak of Night lighting the lanterns called Stars.
Cuckoo opened the clock door again, and sang forlornly, as is usual of him, giving cue to the next step.
Next step?
Everybody looked up...
Where is Moon? She should have already climbed a third of the circuit, but she was nowhere to be seen!
Bossy, the Boss, foreman of sprites consulted his chart and said in surprise:
"Moon is in Crescent Gibbous, it should be plainly seen hanging of her thread!"
Everybody was fretting around, what happened? This was not natural.
Maybe, Witchy, the Witch was playing some of her tricks ruining the order and neatness of things.
Then again, she would not dare to do it. Oberon would break her wand, if she would!
What happened? Bossy tried to think coherently, then he remembered that Moon was put on Sky by Cicly, the Bike, and went to see him.
Bossy found Cicly sitting on his easy chair, eating a banana, while Moon was on her hook, ready to be cycled into Sky.
"Himmel in Hölle, Cicly!What are you doing mooning away like this! You are late, this night bats will be lost in a moonless sky, and most of the world will think Sky will fall on their heads!"
"Bats do not need Moon to fly, Bossy, and it would be a great thing if Sky falls on the head of those stubborn citizens",Cicly answered spittting banana bits with each word. This sprite never showed manners!
"But, but!", the German accent made Cicly to misunderstand Bossy.
"I told you bats are all right with their echo-guiding system". Replied Cicly between two big yawns! I told you he was very rude.
"No, no", Bossy was getting very angry, "I mean you must cycle Moon towards its place before you get us all into trouble."
"Not a chance",Cicly was adamant. "I am fed up with this bike business, I won't climb on it anymore!"
"But, but", Bossy repeated himself.
"I told you, Bossy, bats..."
"Shut up, you, you, you...", Bossy swallowed several times, waited until the purple on his face went back to normal colour, and added:
"You were created for that function, even you are called Cicly, the Bike, honoring the job. Don't you understand it?"
"I do not care, Bossy", Cicly put a bored expression on his face, "Right now I am on strike!"
"What do you want to strike to, and why?"Bossy looked confused.
"Stop being the alien, you German sprite!"Cicly sounded insultingly bored.
"Not strike as hit", he added, "strike as not working when you belong to a Union, see?"
"Union? What's a Union. You do not belong to any Union, Cicly, there are not Unions in Fairyland". Now Bossy looked as if he were talking to an Orc, confused and lost!
"I just created it", Cicly was enjoying this chat!
"Stop talking nonsense, and climb on that bike, you piece of useless rag" I am not sure Bossy was using a German insult, but it made no sense.
"Never sawn a hospital",Cicly was creating sentences without meaning that would confuse Bossy more and more.
"Darn it, Cicly, go and climb on that bike, or... or...", again Bossy was lacking words.
This was the first time a sprite disobeyed a direct order from Bossy, so he didn't know how to follow the "or" word!
"Or what!" was the logical answer of the rebel imp.
"Yes, or what!", said Bossy very much confused, thinking Cicly was helping him with the language!
"Ha, ha", laughed Cicly, "you are funny!""Now, this Moon will never go up Sky unless you accept my demands!"
"Your demands? What do you mean, demands?" The chat was not going by normal paths for Bossy.
"My demands, Bossy, «what I want!»"Cicly was enjoying this situation.
"What you want?And what, what do you want?"Bossy faltered.
"I want three things:"Cicly started showing his fingers:
1) "Find other dummy to pedal that stupid bike up into Sky!"
2) "Take me for a trip around the world, I want to see new places"
3) "Find me a job with Santa on the North Pole"
This was the first time in his zillion years of life Bossy found himself into a quagmire. He didn't know what to do.
It was then that Night came in to help him.
"Now", said Night talking slowly and batting her long eyelashes, "now, let me understand your position clearly, Cicly".
"Have you been reading some smuggled human book, lately, sqklrty?". Asked Night.
(I assume you remember that «sqklrty» means «my preferred pet» or something similar, it seems to be a very much used word when you speak somewhat condescending, or patronizing another fairy.)
Cicly face was a brilliant red colour, and he had some difficulty to speak:
"Well, errr, I, errr, yes I found some few pages flying in the Speaking Forest, and then I was talking with an old birch about the Rights of the Workers. The tree told me about some things that were not known when we inherited Galwrst, eerrr, I mean, Fairyland, but are in force now in the human world.
"Humm...",Night nodded wisely, while trying, unsuccessfully, to hide a smile behind a little star. "I thought something like that was the source of this situation".
"I will explain these things to you",Night's countenance was very serious, and grave, "so be quiet, and listen carefully because it is very important for you to understand!"
Cicly sat on the ground and looked up at Night trying to look like a very composed imp.
"As time passed in the human world", Night started, "thing were from bad to worse, and people fought one another, so some of them thought it was a good idea to get together so they could be stronger, these groups were called «Unions», and in a way they were successful."
"While this action was indispensable in the human world", Night went on, "it was absolutely unnecessary here, since we are very reasonable people, and we help each other to be happy, just the opposite as it happens in the world of humans".
"So, your strike is a nonsense here, you have nobody trying to take anything from you, nor wanting to harm you in any way"Night spoke slowly and Cicly was following each word attentively.
"About your «demands»",Night kept pressing "it is a bigger nonsense yet, if that is possible. Let's see one by one separately:"
1) "Find other dummy to pedal that stupid bike up into Sky!"
"In Galwrth there is only one goblin who can get Moon up hanging from Sky, and he must be created from the krwmton flower gathered under the Moon Stwtrs Season and mixed with strong yellow mead: That is YOU. So, there is no other «dummy to pedal that stupid bike up into the sky» but YOU!"
2) "Take me for a trip around the world, I want to see new places"
"You cannot leave Galwrth unless King Oberon, or Queen Titania authorized you «tolive»" into a human mind. You know you have not that kind of authorization so you cannot take a trip to visit the world."
3) "Find me a job with Santa on the North Pole"
"Again, you are a goblin, not an elf, so you cannot work for Santa because it goes against the rules and you know how rigid is he when we speak about rules."
"Am I clear enough, sqklrty?" Night seemed very solicitous in her question.
"Yes, ma'am", Cicly sounded subdued and submissive.
"Fine", now there was an edge of command in her voice, "then, stop all this nonsense and go to fulfill your duty accordingly!"
"Yes, ma'am", Cicly got on his feet and walked toward the bike obediently.
He was nearing the place to get on the bike when he looked at Moon, he thought she was smiling to him and winking as in connivance, but when he looked again Moon had the two eyes closed and was waiting patiently to be raised to Sky.
Cicly mounted his bike and started his trip into Sky to leave Moon at her place, everything seemed to be on the normal way again, only some scientists in the world are still trying to explain scientifically why that particular day the moon seemed to be late in starting its path through the sky.
