"How Can Something Seem so Plausible at the Time and so Idiotic in Retrospect?"

~Calvin&Hobbes

Once upon a time, long long ago, in a place far far away, when the universe itself was yet young...

The stars came out to dance.

Now when I say "the stars came out" the natural question to ask is "came out of what? out of where?" After all, we're speaking of times before humans and the earth and suchlike, so I must not mean that phrase in the usual way. It's a very good question to ask, actually, well done!

Back in the days when the universe was young & the stars still hadn't memorized their parts in the Great Dance they all lived in a smallish hut on a slightly larger (but still smallish) rock that merely floated through space. The stars were actually very much smaller then, and they shrank down even more when they weren't dancing. Of course, in the times I speak of they were very small indeed--they didn't even know they could dance yet!

One day as the stars were all huddled in their smallish hut on the slightly larger rock they began to argue. This occurrence in itself is not all that noteworthy, they argued all the time. The noteworthy thing about this argument was who started the argument. The stars were divided into several different sizes & ages--much like they are now actually. There were the much bigger older stars, the much smaller older stars, the much bigger younger stars, and the much smaller younger stars. Of course, it would be unfair to try generalizing the stars into categories like "the bigger stars are the most irritable", or "the younger stars are always so sullen". After all, you get those stars in every crowd, no matter the size or age.

Yet it cannot help but be noticed that there were certain stars among the younger & bigger category that seemed unable to restrain their bragging of how far they had explored & how much they had seen. It also must be noticed that this irritated certain of the older stars to no end, and it was usually the smaller ones that responded in a particularly cutting & maddening fashion. Then the younger & bigger stars would puff themselves up & respond in kind, the bigger & older stars would leap to the defense of the smaller & older stars, the smaller & younger stars would leap in last after throwing in a few choice comments that stirred up the situation, and general havoc would ensue.

There were a few stars that almost never joined in the fights that took place in the smallish hut. At the first scent of trouble they would flee the rock & go out exploring, just to get away. Among these was a smaller & younger star named Asta, and this star was usually the first to leave, and the last to speak about anything.

This particular day in question the fighting had subsided a while ago, the participants were licking their wounds and laughing with each other again, and the ones who fled had all come back. Asta was among the last to return, and seemed particularly preoccupied with something, but wouldn't tell what it was. This aroused the curiosity of all the other stars, so the younger ones commenced with interrogating.

"Did you find a new asteroid belt?"
"No, no asteroids."
"A new gas formation, maybe. Have you found a new color?"
"No."
"Did you find the edge of space?! It must have been the edge, we should go jump off it & see where we end up--"
"It wasn't the edge of space!"
"What did you find then?"

Asta was silent far a bit as the other stars waited in silence.

"It was something I heard. I think I heard... Music."

This caused a general outbreak among the rest of the stars. Some of the bigger & younger ones laughed at Asta's tentative assertion, which caused some of the smaller & older ones to scold them, which led to a few of the smaller & younger ones to... well, you get the idea.

Sometime during the fighting Asta slipped away. One of the older & smaller stars saw the escape & decided--on a whim--to follow & see where this little star would go. But Asta was unusually talented at slipping away from the other stars, and so was very aware that someone was following. This time instead of giving the slip, however, Asta stopped and waited for Ora (this was the older & smaller star's name). Having realized that Asta knew of Ora's pursuit, the older star decided the wiser course of action was not to hide, but come forward honestly.

No words were exchanged, instead Asta simply gave a nod to Ora and continued to the last place the music had been heard. This may have surprised Ora, or perhaps not. The star was suddenly far too busy trying to keep up with the youngster to notice.

They continued like this for what seemed to be a long time. It was difficult to gauge the passage of time in those days, as I'm sure you would have realized had you simply thought about how we measure time nowadays & what was different then. There is the possibility that stars have different methods of accomplishing this, but if they do they haven't told anyone yet--that I know of.

But as I was saying, they continued to travel toward the Music for a long time. When they finally reached their destination Ora gasped in astonishment and Asta smiled in delight. There had been many myths of Music among the stars, but none had ever found it before--or, if they had, they'd never shared this wondrous treasure with the rest of the stars.

Ora & Asta were very content to just sit and listen to this beautiful sound, but it began to fade away far too soon. Still they remained, straining their ears for just a wisp of sound, but in vain. Thoughtfully, the two stars made their way back to the smallish hut on the slightly larger rock.

When they arrived the chaos had again subsided. This time it was Ora who marched decisively to the middle of the group and said in a voice loud enough to be heard by every star in the hut and on the rock:

"Asta has found the Music. I think we should all go and listen to this amazing discovery!"

Silence fell on the rock. It was one thing to laugh at a younger & smaller star, but Ora was older--smaller yes, but this only made a star that much more fierce if they were old enough to know how to use it. And none doubted that Ora knew how to use this lack of size in an advantageous fashion. Still, Music had only existed in the realm of myth and legend. This proposition was rather ludicrous, but no one really wanted to say this. Quite the fix the stars found themselves in!

One of the older & bigger stars soon thought of a way to save face, however. Alva stepped forward and said, in a big laughing voice, "I see no reason not too, my exploration for the Edge can always wait a little longer. Let us see little Asta's Music!" The rest of the stars, recognizing a way to save face and still be able to ridicule if the occasion arose, cheered and rose above the rock. As one they waited for Asta and Ora to lead the way to this mysterious Music.

And so they led. The stars thought of it as a happy party on the go, they almost never traveled together in groups this huge! Yet both Asta and Ora were silent--they were both far to anxious to hear the Music again.

At last the huge mass of stars reached the place. As one they gasped like Ora had, and this time it was both Ora and Asta that smiled. The stars all stopped in their path and listened.

Then a younger star leaped into the space the Music seemed to be coming from. The star twirled and leapt and tumbled, and in a strange fashion the other stars seemed to see the Music in the actions of the star. As the star danced, the Music did something that it hadn't done before--it seemed to speed up and swell, growing faster and louder and more joyous. The stars were too full of feeling to do anything for a time, then another jumped into the space and joined the first in its dance. That second star jumping in seemed like a signal to the rest of them, and soon every star was laughing and jumping into the dance.

Before they realized what had happened, they were no longer the only ones dancing. Every rock they had ever seen in their explorations seemed intent on joining in, and the stars welcomed them with laughter. The stars themselves no longer seemed the same either, they grew brighter, bigger, and more beautiful.

As the stars laughed and grew, the Music laughed and grew with them. And so they danced forever after.