Many years ago, before humans had built houses, the tribe of Ben-asi lived in the caves in the far south of the world. At that time, they were led by chief Konte-asi, who was old and beginning to decline. Sadly, he had only one child, a daughter, whom he loved very much. Her mother had died in childbirth and her father, because he had loved the woman so much, refused to find another woman to carry on the asi bloodline.
Many of the tribe leaders, including her father, pressured Konta-asi to marry a man called Luse-ami, who had been all but declared to be Konte-asi’s heir.
Luse-ami was a strong warrior and adept hunter, a man of many gifts and much talent. But he saw only the power that marrying Konta-asi would give him, and Konta-asi knew this. Each day, Luse-ami asked Konta-asi to marry him, and every day she turned him down. Luse-ami gave her flowers, cooking pots and knives, new clothes, everything he could think of, but Konta-asi still refused him.
One day, Luse-ami gifted Konta-asi with a pure-blooded horse he had broken himself. Rather than accept at last, as he had expected, Konta-asi spat in his face. “I could never marry you, Luse-ami,” she told him. “You see only power in our union. I will never marry a man who seeks position over the heart.”
Luse-ami wiped away the spittle and growled in anger. “How could you ever know if a man seeks you for your heart?” he asked her. “As Konte-asi’s daughter, you are desirable to any man. You would do well to choose who can provide for you well, preserve your bloodline, and lead your tribe. I can do all of these things and more.”
“I will never marry you,” Konta-asi declared passionately before turning to leave. Before she could escape him, Luse-ami grabbed her arm and pulled. This began a monumental struggle between the pair. Finally, Konta-asi used her magic to cast them both into the sky, high into the heavens. As they ascended, Luse-ami cut into Konta-asi.
Now, whenever you look at the moon, remember that the man sitting in its curve is Luse-ami, using his sword to slowly carve away little pieces of Konta-asi, the only woman he ever desired. But every month, Konta-asi replenishes her flesh with the magic she controls. She is unable to fight back, but Luse-ami knows that his fight is fruitless. And so the moon waxes and wanes, but cannot be defeated.
