THE MAN WHO TOOK THE NIGHT

A certain man was relentlessly pursued by misfortunes and calamities. But the trouble was that he brought them upon others as well. It would happen that he would leave his house on a clear, sunny day, and a downpour would immediately begin. Or, even worse, an unexpected hurricane would break out or an earthquake would strike. For this, everyone scolded and cursed him.

And when one fine day he left the city, it was plunged into darkness. But the exile did not learn of this, for he left under the cover of a night that turned out to be the longest in history. Over time, the townspeople ceased to distinguish between day and night, for there was no longer any difference between them, although the clocks still measured the precise time.

He, however, reached a foreign land where his curse lost its power, and he lived there for many years.

One day, while strolling through the city, he saw an old newspaper on the ground. He had never read newspapers before, but a screaming headline caught his attention: "The City of Eternal Night." After reading the article, he noticed the publication date—it was the very same day he had left his homeland.

A feeling of nostalgia, which had never before troubled him, awoke within him. But it was a mixed feeling, with an aftertaste of bitterness and sorrow. He remembered how his fellow citizens had treated him, how they had laughed at him, scolded him, and hated him.

Nevertheless, he decided to return. And as soon as he approached the gates of his hometown, the eternal night gave way to day. The sun came out, and it became warm and cozy.

The astonished residents came out into the streets and saw their former countryman. For the first time, they were glad to see him. They decided to check whether the long-awaited day would be eternal, like the recent night, or if everything would return to normal.

To their surprise, evening came, then night, and after that—morning. A few days later, the townspeople gathered at the house of the man who had brought back the sunlight.

They came to thank him and to ask him never to leave his hometown again. And he agreed.

From that day on, he no longer brought misfortunes and cataclysms upon the townspeople. He himself was amazed by this. Trying to find an explanation for what had happened, he came to the conclusion that this had been his mission. And it was completed as soon as he returned home.