Many Moons

Copyright 1943

Winner of the 1944 Caldecott Medal

By James Thurber

Illustrated by Louis Slobodkin

“Once upon a time, in a kingdom by the sea, there lived a little Princess named Lenore.”  

One day, little Lenore ate too many raspberry tarts and fell ill.  Her doting father, willing to do anything to make the Princess well, told her he would get her whatever her heart desired.  When Lenore said she wanted the moon, the King turned to his many knowledgeable advisors for help.  Each of them attempted to convince the King that the feat is impossible.  

When the Court Jester entered the room, the King expressed his extreme sorrow.  How could he get the Princess what she desires so that she will feel better? The Jester had an idea.  Find out how big the Princess Lenore thinks the moon is, and how far away.  When the child gazed up at the moon and said that it is a little smaller than her thumbnail and not quite as far away as the tree outside her window, and is of course made of gold, the King’s problem was solved.  The Royal Goldsmith crafted a tiny round golden moon to put on a chain for the Princess to wear around her neck.  

 

It just goes to show us that wisdom does not always come with knowledge.  It took the uneducated Court Jester to solve the King’s pressing problem.  He alone had the wisdom to look at the challenge from a different perspective.  He also had the wisdom to realize that sometimes we make more of a problem than we need to.   Take the time to find out what really needs to be done – the solution may be simpler than we think.