Once there was a very small star called Pip, who lived at the bottom of a very big hill.
From the top of the hill, people said, you could see the sea. Pip had never seen the sea.
So one evening, Pip set off. An old owl was sitting on the gatepost.
“Where are you going, little star?”
“To the top of the hill.”
The owl looked up, and up, and up. “That’s very far,” said the owl, “for someone so small.”
Pip looked up too. It was very far.
“Then I won’t go to the top,” said Pip. “Not tonight. I’ll only go as far as the gate.”
And Pip did. It was twelve small steps. At the gate, Pip curled up in the soft grass, and glowed a little, and went to sleep.
And that was enough for today.
The next evening, Pip set off again. A sleepy fox was lying under the old oak tree.
“Where are you going, little star?”
“To the top of the hill.”
The fox yawned a long, slow yawn. “That’s very far,” said the fox.
“Then I’ll only go as far as your tree,” said Pip.
And Pip did. At the tree, Pip curled up between two warm roots, and glowed a little, and went to sleep.
And that was enough for today.
The next evening, Pip walked as far as the stream. A small green frog was sitting on a stone, and the water went by very quietly.
“That’s very far,” said the frog.
“I’ll only go as far as your stone,” said Pip.
And that was enough for today.
The next evening, Pip walked as far as the sheep. They were lying all together in the dark, like clouds that had come down for a rest. Nobody said anything at all, because they were asleep.
So Pip lay down next to them, where the wool was warm.
And that was enough for today.
The evenings went by, one and then another. As far as the wall. As far as the stile. As far as the three thin trees. Each time, Pip’s small steps left small bright marks on the path behind.
And then, one quiet evening, Pip took twelve more small steps, and there was no more hill.
There was only the sky, all around, and a smiling moon. And far away and very wide was something dark and silver that moved slowly, and went shhh.
Pip looked at it for a long time.
Then Pip looked back. There, all the way down the hill, was a long line of small bright marks. It went past the three thin trees, and the wall, and the sheep. It went past the stream and the old oak. And right at the very bottom, tiny and far away, was the gate.
“Oh,” said Pip. “It wasn’t so far.”
And Pip curled up at the top of the very big hill, and glowed a little.
The sea went shhh, and shhh, and shhh.
And that was enough for today.