Starlight, Smilebright

Long, long ago, Before my grandma was born, Before her grandma's grandma And her grandma were born, There lived a small group Of traveling men Who wandered the land Bringing smiles to the children. Now listen up And don't twiddle your fingers, As I tell you the tale Of the lost smilebringers. The legends of past, They most clearly state, That when a star fell 'Twas not the end of its fate. It could return to the heavens, Before it should fade, Make the journey back home With a smilebringer's aid. The smilebringers looked Much like you and me With eyes big and round, Ears long and floppy. But there were two things That made them unique Red hats on their heads Large sacks at their feet. They carried these bags All across the land, From large town to small village, From deep snows to hot sands. The sun hurt their eyes So they stayed out of the light; Came to knock on our gates In the middle of the night. To call upon us While we slumbered away, They would gather the stars That had fallen astray. Whispering to them The right path to fly, So the stars could return To their homes in the sky. And the stars would jump, Through the air they'd sail, Songs of joy on their lips, Showers of light from their tails. And when back home The stars would shout out And inform their return To those all about. To welcome them back, Their friends would appear And light up the night With their joy-filled tears. Such a sight to see Was this aerial delight That we would emerge Into the dark of the night. And when we laid eyes On the red hats awaiting We would open our gates With little debating. Till morning we'd chat With the new come faces, Listening to tales Of magical places. But not just the adults Were under the spell Of the smile-bringing lads And the stories they'd tell. All the town's children Were equally caught In the joy and the laughter The smilebringers brought. But there was one thing That stopped the kids in their tracks And that was the gifts The bringers kept in their packs. Boxes with bows Filled with goodies and tarts For the children they loved With all of their hearts. And in return All the smilebringers asked Was a grin on the lips Of each boy and each lass. However, one morning The smiles went away. The bringers had gone, Where, no one could say. The adults searched long To the vast land's ends Hoping to find Those who'd become our dear friends. But after days with no luck They returned to town; The jolly smilebringers Nowhere to be found. So as days turned to weeks And weeks to long years From the minds of the adults Did the lads disappear. However in the hearts Of the good girls and boys The travelers remained As did the hope for more toys. So every night The children would stare Into the night sky At the stars that were there. And when one would fall They'd wish on the star That their beloved smilebringers Would not be too far. Soon all of the children In the small town Refused to sleep Until the bringers were found. But the bringers were gone, They'd left no traces, And soon the smiles vanished From all the kids' faces. The adults all gathered, And came up with a plan, To make a wrong right And return joy to the land. They collected the crystals From every guild there And hung them on trees That graced the town square. And when came the eve The trees sparkled bright Like the stars in the sky That light up the night. When word of this scene Reached the little one's ears They rushed to the square Their eyes filled with tears. Near the trees stood, All dressed in bright red, A jolly smilebringer, A cap on his head. And so the children rejoiced. Their friends had returned. And with them the love For which they had yearned. And so if you are blue Remember one thing: Look to the stars And the smiles they bring. 

Compiled by Fraji-Orahji(Orastery)

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The poem above was taken from an old collection of children's stories entitled "Ten Timeless Tales of Tradition" (Federation Publishing, C.E. 808). While many of the races on Vana'diel have their own rendition of the smilebringer legend, most follow closely the details presented in this Windurstian version. Because of these similarities, many historians have come to believe that there may be some truth behind the tales, and that a group of travelers known as smilebringers may actually have wandered Vana'diel at one time. However, other than oral traditions passed down through the ages, no written works on the group remain. Due to this lack of concrete evidence, many of the theories made regarding the issue are considered nothing more than speculation. While the origin of the smilebringers is lost in the mists of time, their legacy lives on in a modern-day gala known as the Starlight Celebration. From the brilliant illumination that lights up a city's streets to the red-capped samaritans delivering presents to all the good boys and girls, this present-day rendition of the smilebringers' visit is in many ways quite similar to the tales of old.

So why don't you join in on the festivities and let the smilebringers bring a little joy to your heart this holiday season?