# The Astronomer

- Source: The Crescent Moon (crescent-moon.gutenberg.org), Public domain, Rabindranath Tagore, 1913, via Project Gutenberg
- Reading level: Grades 3 and 4
- Subjects: Poems, Space
- Topics: said, catch, child, moon, baby, ever
- Length: 178 words, about 1 min
- Original: <https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/6520/pg6520-images.html>
- Page: <https://sprout.rootsofreason.org/r/crescent-moon/t-15-the-astronomer>
- Open in Sprouts: <https://sprout.rootsofreason.org/?read=crescent-moon/t-15-the-astronomer>

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I ONLY said, "When in the evening the round full moon gets entangled among the branches of that Kadam tree, couldn't somebody catch it?"

But dâdâ \[elder brother\] laughed at me and said, "Baby, you are the silliest child I have ever known. The moon is ever so far from us, how could anybody catch it?"

I said, "Dâdâ how foolish you are! When mother looks out of her window and smiles down at us playing, would you call her far away?"

Still said, "You are a stupid child! But, baby, where could you find a net big enough to catch the moon with?"

I said, "Surely you could catch it with your hands."

But dâdâ laughed and said, "You are the silliest child I have known. If it came nearer, you would see how big the moon is."

I said, "Dâdâ, what nonsense they teach at your school! When mother bends her face down to kiss us does her face look very big?"

But still dâdâ says, "You are a stupid child."

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