English Original
In a land of perpetual night, where no moon or stars shone, three young travelers ventured forth. They discovered another kingdom where, each evening, a shining globe called the Moon was hung on an oak tree, illuminating the land. Learning it was bought and maintained by the mayor, they decided to steal it for their own dark homeland.
They successfully took the Moon, hung it on a tall oak at home, and brought light and joy to their people. The four men maintained it and collected a weekly fee. As each grew old and died, he willed a quarter of the Moon to be buried with him. Piece by piece, the Moon was cut and buried until darkness returned completely.
In the underworld, the buried pieces reunited. The revived dead, whose eyes could only bear the Moon's gentle light, resumed their lively—and often rowdy—former lives. The ensuing uproar reached heaven.
Saint Peter, mistaking the noise for a revolt, rode down to the underworld. He subdued the dead, ordered them back to their graves, reclaimed the Moon, and hung it permanently in the sky.
中文翻译
从前有一个地方，夜晚永远漆黑，没有月亮，也没有星星。三个年轻的旅行者从这里出发，来到了另一个王国。那里，每当太阳落山，一个被称为“月亮”的光球就会被挂在一棵橡树上，照亮大地。得知月亮是市长买来并维护的之后，他们决定把它偷走，带回自己黑暗的故乡。
他们成功偷走了月亮，把它挂在家乡的一棵高橡树上，给人们带来了光明和欢乐。这四个人负责维护月亮，并每周收取费用。随着他们一个个年老去世，每个人都立下遗嘱，要求将四分之一个月亮作为自己的财产陪葬。月亮被一块块切下埋葬，直到黑暗完全重现。
在黑暗笼罩的冥界，被埋葬的月亮碎片重新合为一体。复活的死者，他们的眼睛只能承受月亮柔和的光，于是恢复了生前热闹——且常常喧闹——的生活方式。由此产生的喧嚣甚至传到了天堂。
守护天堂之门的圣彼得误以为下界发生了叛乱，便骑马下到冥界。他制服了死者，命令他们回到坟墓，收回了月亮，并把它永远地挂在了天上。