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The Kite That Went to the Moon

"The Kite That Went to the Moon" is a children's tale by Evelyn Sharp. It was published in 1900 in a collection of short stories called The Other Side of the Sun.

Plot Summary

A young boy named Jerry made the largest kite in the town with his own hands. His friend Chubby painted the moon and stars on the kite. Jerry attempts to fly the kite in the day with all the other boys and girls watching, but the kite fails to fly. Jerry and Chubby then proceed to go on a quest to find someone who knows why Jerry's kite won't fly, bringing the kite with them. Along the way to discover why Jerry's kite won't fly, both him and Chubby meet a mystical man with a sack containing everything in the world. Chubby is hungry so Jerry asks the man for something for Chubby to eat. The mystical man gives Jerry a cake that tastes of whatever the eater likes best, and replenishes itself whenever the eater takes a bite.

When Jerry returns to Chubby after finding food for her, the two children realize the kite is gone. At this time it is dark out and night has begun. It is also at this time that Jerry and Chubby meet another mystical creature called a wymp. The wymp appears out of nowhere and explains to the children that the kite failed to fly to the moon earlier because it was daytime and there was no moon at that time. Jerry asks the wymp if he can take them to the moon to see his Kite and the wymp obliges.

The two children and the wymp ride a comet up to the moon, where they find Jerry's kite and meet the Lady of the Moon. It is at this point that the wymp disappears. The Lady of the Moon is not happy the children have entered her country. She tells them to leave her country. The children ride the kite back home, showing all the other children in the village that the kite really could fly. The kite however, returns to the sky and remains a comet for the rest of time.

Characters

There are 4 main characters in The Kite that went to the Moon, Jerry, Chubby, the wymp, and the Lady of the Moon. Jerry is the young boy who made the biggest kite in the village. Chubby is the woodcutter’s daughter, and a friend of Jerry’s. It was she who painted the moon and stars on Jerry’s kite. The wymp is a mythical creature who Jerry and Chubby meet along their journey. It is the one who tells Jerry why his kite initially failed to fly to the moon, and it takes Jerry and Chubby to the moon. The Lady of the Moon is the last character that Jerry and Chubby meet along their journey. She is a stern but fair character who is mad at Jerry and Chubby for entering her country.

Publication

"The Kite That Went to the moon" was written in 1899 and first published by John Lane at The Bodley Head in London and New York in 1900 in the book of fairy tales, The Other Side of the Sun by Evelyn Sharp (1869-1955).

References

1. The Other Side of the Sun

The Kite That Went to the Moon