In a time long ago, in the land of Greece, there lived a handsome and beloved shepherd named Endymion. He was known not just for his good looks, but also for his kind heart and love for the peaceful countryside.
Each night, as Endymion lay sleeping under the starry sky, his face bathed in moonlight, the Moon Goddess, Selene, would watch over him. Selene, struck by his beauty and gentleness, fell deeply in love with him.
One night, as Selene whispered to the stars about her love, she decided to visit Endymion. Descending gracefully from the heavens, she approached him. “Oh, Endymion, if only you could be mine forever,” she sighed, knowing that as a mortal, his fate was to grow old.
Selene’s heart ached with the thought of losing Endymion to time. She pleaded with Zeus, the king of the gods, to grant Endymion eternal youth and sleep. “Let him sleep forever, unaging, under the night sky,” she requested.
Zeus, moved by Selene’s love, granted her wish. Endymion fell into a deep, eternal slumber, forever young and handsome.
Each night, Selene would visit the sleeping Endymion, watching over his dreams, her light caressing his face. “In dreams, we can be together always,” Selene whispered lovingly.
Endymion slept peacefully, his face a symbol of eternal youth and beauty, and Selene’s love for him never waned. The countryside where he slept became a place of wonder, where people would come to see the sleeping shepherd loved by the Moon Goddess.
The story of Endymion’s Sleep reminds us of the power of love and the beauty of eternal devotion. Selene’s love for Endymion was so strong, that it transcended time, keeping him forever in a dream under the watchful eye of his beloved moon.
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Follow up Questions
- Why do you think the Moon Goddess Selene loved Endymion so much, and how did she show her love?
- If you were given a choice like Endymion, would you choose to sleep forever to stay young, and why?
- What do you think the story of Endymion’s Sleep teaches us about love and devotion?