THE MAGICAL MOON CIRCUS
Chapter 1: Welcome to the Luminous Nights
Welcome to the Luminous Nights. Tonight, I will tell you another fabulous story from the rich history of Castle De Haar. An enchanting adventure under the soft glow of... the moon... The power of the moon is, by the way, an age-old mystery. In the silence of the night, she whispers her secrets to the stars. And when they combine their powers, they immerse the world in a game full of magic and wonder...
Chapter 2: The Astronomer's Discovery
During one of their distant travels, the baron and baroness of Castle De Haar had met the famous astronomer, Mr. Astrello. Besides being an astronomer, Mr. Astrello was once also the director of an ordinary circus, until one day he discovered that his artists seemed to possess magical powers during very specific nights, when the moon and stars were perfectly aligned. He traveled the world in search of unique places where the wonder could occur and where he could enchant the audience with a supernatural circus spectacle.
After three long nights of measuring, calculating, and figuring, he came to the conclusion that once every hundred years, during the enchanting Christmas period, the moon and stars are perfectly aligned with the cross pond of Castle De Haar. In that year, the precisely calculated year of 1924, the baron and baroness invited Mr. Astrello to entertain their distinguished guests.
It was on a winter evening, exactly one hundred years ago today... In the middle of the night, everyone in the park suddenly awoke to the sound of... a small airplane. Hundreds of flyers fluttered down like snowflakes. Under the nearly perfect starry sky, the park prepared itself for the arrival of the Magical Moon Circus.
Chapter 3: Zita the Attic Mouse
Zita the Attic Mouse... Until recently, only the birds in the park knew of her existence. She had seen how colorful posters brightened up the brownish-green forest, announcing the Magical Moon Circus.
From the tiny attic window high up in the tower, she excitedly and curiously awaited the arrival of the mysterious circus.Her patience was rewarded, and how! Under the silver glow of the moon, she saw the colorful circus procession descend from the starry sky into the park. She couldn't believe her eyes. Such wonderful splendor she had never seen before. It exceeded all her expectations. The graceful caravans and enchanted animals each found their place in the forest. Breathlessly, she watched as the preparations began. Zita the Attic Mouse couldn't contain her curiosity. Hoping to catch a glimpse of the rehearsal, she slipped into the park.
Chapter 4: The Circus Caravan Poems
MONSIEUR BONHOMME, neither straight nor bent, but rather round and small,Wants to be the first living cannonball to orbit Earth, that's all.But at his first attempt, the cannon went too strong,He lost all his clothes, which was rather wrong.
ALFREDO INFERNO, master of fire and flame,You surely don't know what became.Ready to breathe fire with torch in hand,He didn't realize that caravans could also brand.
NORA NORTHERN LIGHTS graceful and lean, Star of the trapeze, as could be seen.She hesitated once and failed at this.She'd flown through air since times of old,But when it really doesn't work... down you fold.
CASTOR AND POLLUX, strong and bold,Tough polar bears who like it cold.They make you laugh, roar, howl and weep,But all fails when too many ice creams they keep.ORION the elephant, everyone's friend.Grey and lazy, fills his trunk with water to no end.The audience waits impatiently for him to drink once more,But when the tap keeps running, even an elephant can flood the floor.
THE MOONLIGHT COMBO wants to shine as the purest circus band.The conductor keeps the beat, the musicians take their stand.Sometimes they play a tango and occasionally a waltz,But suddenly they lose their key and play terribly false.
ROSALIA NOCTURNA loves the night so dear.Her cards and crystal ball predict more than you might hear.But when real magic takes over, all the tricks cease to be...And of her clairvoyance, almost nothing's left to see.
WILHELM WILDCAT sells his skin at quite a price.His roaring wild tigers jump through rings of fire so nice.But oh dear, oh dear, come see what's at hand!It looks more like a barbecue... the tigers are quite tanned.
REGINALD REFLUX swallows swords, sometimes even ten.Such a brave sword swallower you might never see again.It seems a bit strange, perhaps he likes their taste,But one wrong swallow and through his stomach they'd make haste.
THE MANGO MATES joke and jest, you can hardly catch your breath.Those monkeys with their curly tails make everyone feel blessed.But when danger ever threatens, as has now been shown,Our brave companions return to monkey business of their own.
Chapter 5: The Crisis of Marco Mysterio
One evening, little Zita the Attic Mouse made her way to the circus director's caravan. There she found Mr. Astrello, the famous astronomer-turned-circus-director, in a state of complete despair. The situation was dire - the circus that had traveled so far to perform at this perfect moment, when the stars and moon were perfectly aligned over Castle De Haar, was falling apart. None of the artists could perform their acts properly.
While comforting the distressed director, Zita shared something strange she had noticed: a mysterious green mist that seemed to follow the artists around, draining their energy and abilities. This revelation sparked recognition in Mr. Astrello's eyes. He explained that the source of this supernatural problem might be their own magician, Marco Mysterio. During a previous performance under a supermoon, something had gone terribly wrong - Marco's assistant had actually vanished during a trick, and since then, an eerie green glow had surrounded the magician. His powers seemed to have turned against him, or perhaps, as Mr. Astrello feared, he was deliberately sabotaging the circus's magic.
Determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, Zita volunteered to investigate. After all, they only had one chance - this magical night that occurred once every hundred years - to make the show a success. When they found Marco Mysterio, however, they discovered not a saboteur, but a deeply lonely soul. His sorrowful song revealed the truth: he was trapped in his isolation, surrounded by a green light that kept everyone at bay, desperately wishing to return to his former glory but feeling completely alone and misunderstood.
Chapter 6: The Power of Friendship
"Ladies and gentlemen, honored audience, dear guests, big and small...Under the firmament that sparkles and shines,Don't tell anyone (shhhhh), keep the moon circus secret divine,Connected again thanks to a brave mouse with a heart so pureOur talents shine again... when we're all united for sure.Mists and comets,stars and planets,Ladies, gentlemen... welcome for a laugh and a tear,In the magical circus of the moon..."
Chapter 7: The Tree's Farewell
Oh, there you are again... All that stardust made me doze off for a moment. I am Lindert, the oldest tree in the park. For centuries, I have followed the ups and downs of the castle and its inhabitants. An old tree collects many stories... Mr. Astrello departed with his moon circus to the next enchanting place under the ideal stars, around the wide world.
But Mr. Astrello's Moon Circus taught us an important lesson: grief and pain are heavy burdens to bear alone, but when we support each other and share our concerns, we can overcome even the greatest obstacles.
That's it for tonight. Next year, I personally invite you again for a new story, on an undoubtedly equally wonderful and luminous night.
