🐾 The Children’s Corner at Chesterton Radio - Kitty Guards the Moon

A Kitty of the White Blaze Story

From time to time, here at Chesterton Radio, we leave the mysteries and midnight broadcasts aside for something quieter.

These are stories about Kitty — a large black dog with a white blaze on his nose — who does not know very much about theology, but knows quite a lot about love.

Tonight’s story begins outdoors.

Because Kitty has discovered something astonishing.

The moon appears to belong to him.

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Kitty Guards the Moon

The moon followed Kitty home.
Which proved, to Kitty’s satisfaction, that it must belong to him.

The discovery happened by accident.

Kitty had gone outside after supper to perform several important duties.

First, he inspected the yard.

Then he inspected the fence.

Then he inspected the fence again, in case the fence had changed.

When these matters were settled, Kitty lifted his head and noticed something extraordinary.

The moon was above the house.

It was round.

It was bright.

And it was following him.

Kitty walked to the other side of the yard.

The moon came too.

Kitty walked behind the shed.

The moon came there as well.

This confirmed Kitty’s suspicion.

The moon clearly belonged to him.

Kitty sat down proudly and kept watch.

Inside the house, Clara noticed him through the window.

“Why is Kitty staring at the sky?” she asked.

Anne leaned over the table to look.

“Oh,” she said. “He’s discovered the moon.”

Outside, Kitty gave a thoughtful bark.

The moon remained where it was.

Kitty barked again.

The moon continued to glow calmly, as if it had no objections.

Mr. Harwood stepped onto the porch.

“What seems to be the matter?” he asked.

Clara pointed.

“Kitty thinks the moon is his.”

Mr. Harwood considered this.

“Well,” he said, “many people have believed stranger things.”

Kitty paced along the fence.

The moon followed.

He ran to the other side of the yard.

The moon came with him.

This was becoming serious.

If the moon belonged to Kitty, then Kitty had responsibilities.

Important responsibilities.

The moon must be protected.

Kitty sat directly beneath it and kept watch.

The girls sat on the porch steps beside him.

“Kitty,” Anne explained gently, “the moon belongs to everyone.”

Kitty tilted his head.

This did not seem correct.

The moon was directly above his house.

And it had followed him across the yard.

That was very clear evidence.

Clara tried again.

“The moon shines for everyone,” she said.

Kitty looked at the moon.

The moon shone.

It shone on the roof.

It shone on the trees.

It shone on the street beyond the fence.

It even shone on Mr. Hollis’s grumpy mailbox.

This complicated the matter slightly.

Kitty remained vigilant.

The moon might belong to everyone.

But it was currently above his yard.

Therefore it required supervision.

Hours passed.

The moon climbed higher.

Kitty did not move.

Eventually Mrs. Harwood opened the door.

“Kitty,” she called gently. “It’s time to come inside.”

Kitty looked at the moon.

The moon looked exactly the same.

It did not seem worried.

Kitty hesitated.

Clara knelt beside him.

“The moon will still be there tomorrow,” she promised.

Kitty blinked.

This seemed unlikely.

But Clara was usually reliable.

So Kitty came inside.

The next evening, Kitty went outside again.

The moon appeared again.

This was extremely good news.

Kitty had feared it might have been lost.

Instead, it was right where it belonged.

Following him.

He inspected it carefully.

The moon followed him across the yard.

It followed him to the gate.

It followed him to the porch.

This confirmed Kitty’s earlier conclusion.

The moon was not lost.

It was simply traveling.

With him.

Anne laughed.

“Kitty thinks he’s guarding it.”

Mr. Harwood sat on the steps.

“Perhaps he is,” he said.

Clara looked puzzled.

“But the moon doesn’t need guarding.”

“No,” Mr. Harwood said.

“But sometimes it helps to guard something beautiful.”

Kitty watched the sky.

The moon shone steadily.

It did not ask for protection.

It did not bark.

It did not run away.

It simply shone.

Kitty slowly lay down on the grass beneath it.

The moon climbed higher.

The yard grew quiet.

The girls leaned against the porch railing.

“Does the moon belong to anyone?” Anne asked.

Mr. Harwood shook his head.

“No,” he said. “It’s a gift.”

Clara thought about this.

“A gift for everyone?”

“Yes.”

Kitty did not understand gifts that belonged to everyone.

Most gifts belonged to one person.

Usually him.

But the moon seemed different.

It did not stay in one place.

It did not belong to one yard.

It traveled across the whole sky.

Yet it shone on Kitty just the same.

Kitty sighed happily.

If the moon was a gift for everyone, that meant something important.

It meant Kitty did not need to own it.

He only needed to sit beneath it.

And enjoy it.

So Kitty stopped guarding the moon.

Instead, he kept it company.

Later that night, Clara asked her father a question.

“Why do people want to own beautiful things?” she asked.

Mr. Harwood thought for a moment.

“Because beauty makes us happy,” he said.

“And we’re afraid happiness might leave.”

Anne looked up at the sky.

“But the moon always comes back.”

“Yes,” Mr. Harwood said.

“Some gifts are like that.”

Down in the yard, Kitty lay peacefully on the grass.

The moon shone above him.

It did not belong to Kitty.

But it shone on him anyway.

And Kitty, who did not know very much about the sky, had discovered something wonderful.

Some beautiful things do not need to be owned.

They only need to be enjoyed.

The yard grew quiet.

The house grew still.

And Kitty rested beneath the light.

Kitty did not understand the words.
But he understood the quiet.

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🐾 The Children’s Corner

This has been another story from Kitty of the White Blaze — about a dog who tries very hard to love well.

From time to time, more Kitty stories will appear here, whenever the house grows quiet enough to hear them.

Until then,

May there be a little moonlight in your yard tonight.

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