Once upon a time in a land far, far away there lived a beautiful girl, but up she dwelt high up in the night sky. Her hair was the color of midnight, and her eyes were flaming stars. Brilliant blue gems shone out of her pearly white face, and like the birds in the sky; she had the loveliest voice you will ever hear. Like the gems at the watery depths of the ocean, this maiden of midnight was called, Pearl.


Pearl was the princess of the sky, the daughter of gods and the goddess of the starry sky. Pearl’s mother was Venus, and her father, the Sun. As the daughter of gods, Pearl got everything she wanted, except for a mortal soul. As a descendent of the sky, Pearl was immortal. Pearl was a star, and her fire would never die. When Pearl was to reach her two hundredth birthday, she would become a shooting star, and then be placed in the heavens forever, immortal. Pearl longed for a mortal soul, to breathe the same air as man, and to lie in the same ground as man.


Pearl knew that her only chance of becoming mortal was to visit the clever and tricky, Man in the Moon. So when Pearl turned seventeen, she decided to cross the Milky Way and visit the Man in the Moon.

The Man in the Moon was a rather balding man, with pockmarks covering his face. He had a large belly, and shriveling feet. After hearing Pearl’s petition for a mortal soul, he agreed to help, a thing the Man in the Moon rarely does. The Man in the Moon agreed to send Pearl to Earth as a human girl, but she must fall in love with her true love and marry him within a week for the spell to last. However being the sly Man in the Moon that he was, there was a catch to the spell that was unknown to Pearl. If Pearl married her one true love, then the following morning of their wedding night, Pearl’s groom would die. So the innocent Pearl agreed to the plan, not knowing that at the moment of her morality her one true love would die as a sacrifice.

At the very moment that the lovely Pearl stood before the shriveled Man in the Moon ready to be sent down to Earth, the Man in the Moon threw another wrench in the plan. As a payment for his services, the Man in the Moon required that Pearl give him her lovely voice. Although Pearl was very grieved to hear the Man in the Moon’s required payment, she agreed. With the quick slice of a silver blade, Pearl’s tongue and lovely voice was gone.

Finally after all was paid and done for, the man in the Moon bade Pearl to close her eyes, and think of Earth and a mortal soul. When she opened them again, she found herself on a wooden drawbridge over a murky moat. At the sound of thundering hooves, Pearl turned to see a large company of knights on horseback coming right at her. Covering her beautiful head in her hands, Pearl felt strong arms circle her waist and wrench her out of harms way. Reveling her face, Pearl found herself looking up into a handsome princes face, a dazzling smile, quick eyes, and a flop of brown hair. It was love at first sight, she realized, Pearl felt as if she had known him forever just by looking into his eyes. As for the Prince, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, and when he looked into her eyes he knew she must soon be his wife.

Pearl soon longed for her beautiful voice, and when asked her name all she could do was smile and shake her head. Apparently though, her smile was enough for the prince, because he was soon leading her into the castle courtyards and introducing himself. This handsome prince was named Christopher, and he soon realized that Pearl could not speak.

Chris then led Pearl up to his parents, the King and Queen’s, chamber to introduce this lovely maiden. The King and Queen became quickly enamored by Pearl, and thought she the only girl in the entire kingdom fit for their son. This quick comradeship between the royal family and Pearl soon became the norm.

Pearl spent the first three days by the Prince’s side, and no one could separate them. They walked the countryside outside of the castle together, with the Prince telling her all he knew, and Pearl patiently listening.

On the fourth day, Chris asked for Pearl’s hand in marriage, as he could not be ever separated from her. Not knowing that she was dooming the Prince’s life by accepting, Pearl agreed to become Prince Chris’s wife.

On the fifth day, Pearl was measured for her wedding gown, and invitations were sent to the entire kingdom.

On the sixth day, Pearl was fitted with her wedding gown, and the preparations for the ceremony and feast were finished.

On the seventh and final day, Pearl looked like a princess from heaven, as she glided down the isle, the women wept at her beauty. Joining hands with the Prince, they said their “I Do’s”, and became man and wife. The never-ending rings on the newlywed’s fingers had become bands of death, as long as Pearl wore hers the Prince would die.

The wedding feast was stupendous, as was they’re wedding night, and Pearl never knew that she would soon become a widow. At the approach of dawn, Pearl looked over at the fast asleep Prince, and noticed his breath was shallow and his skin clammy. Looking up into the fast, fading night sky, Pearl could see the Man in the Moon laughing at her and cracking his fingers. That was when Pearl realized the catch, and the doom that was soon approaching her beloved Prince. Chris was dying, and his death would come quick.

Pearl knew that the only way to save Chris was to take off her wedding band, and surrender to being a star in the sky forever, to have an immortal soul. However, Pearl’s love for the Prince was greater than her longing to be mortal. With a great shudder, Pearl wrenched the silver band from her finger, and gave up her soul to being an immortal star.

A breeze was blowing and Pearl could no longer see her Prince, she was surrounded by a white, searing light, so this must be what it is like to be placed as a star in the heavens, thought Pearl. But instead of being a solitary constellation in the sky, Pearl found herself looking into the faces of Venus and the Sun, her mother and father. They told her that because of her unselfishness, and her sacrifice to save the Prince’s life, Pearl would not be a star. Pearl would become a swan, with a mortal soul, and when she died she would be reborn as a mortal child. Pearl would be able to fly across the Earth, and sing her song, although she would lose the Prince, she would later become a mortal girl.

Pearl was relieved to hear that she would not become a star, and more so that the Prince would live, but sad to know that she would never be able to live out her life with her one true love.

Pearl then accepted her fate, and took off across the skies, to make her life as a swan. With her pearly feathers, and heavenly song, Pearl would often look down on the Prince, as he married another, had children, and grew old. Pearl was happy. She was mortal; when she died she would be given another chance at life.

Pearl did indeed live happily ever after.