The Vain Girl with a Jar

"I must have that light" the young girl cried, "I must have it now!" So, she captured the light of the Moon that dances on the edge of the waves and put it into a glass jar. She held it up high to let the beams guide her home. On a shelf it sat, illuminating her small boring dwelling place and it would not let her sleep, in her little hard bed, because it sang the whole night long,
"Peace is a sea...whose waves....will carry us far." So, she shoved another pillow over her head to shut out the voice. It did not work and the young girl was awake the whole night through, listening to Moon Lights song of Peace. Daytime came and the shimmer faded, all the voices were silenced except for the one inside the little girls head, scolding her for taking something that did not belong to her. That night, the higher the Moon rose, the brighter the jar became and the young girl was awe struck with it's beauty.
"Make me like you" said the girl, "I will have your beauty" she demanded.
"You must bring me back" said the light "and I will grant whatever you seek." So, excitedly she carried the jar right up to the oceans edge and poured out the shimmering light, anticipating the magic of the sea. She stood very still waiting for her beautiful transformation. Closing her eyes, she held out her hands to accept the gift. After awhile, she opened one eye...then two eyes and her dress had turned to gold and her hair was soft as golden spun silk.
"I'm beautiful, beautiful, no one is more beautiful than I."
Then the melodic voice began to sing,
"Peace is a sea...whose waves....will carry us far"
"Peace!" the young girl screamed, "Nothing is greater than Beauty!" she yelled back.
Tired, the girl spun to leave, kicking the sand all the way back to the road that led to her house. She flopped down on her bed and lay her weary golden head upon her pillow and she smiled, as the distant sound of exploding bombs lulled her to sleep.

The song sung by the waves is a poem written by Barbara Goldberg, "Peace"