The Pale Mountains - Italian

Once, there was a princess named Ladina who lived on the big, bright moon. Her home was all silvery and shiny, and she loved to dance in the soft, white light. A handsome prince from Earth visited her, and she came to live with him in his kingdom of tall, beautiful mountains. But the mountains were dark and rocky, not bright like her moon. They made her feel so sad and lonely. The kind prince promised he would find a way to make her happy in her new home. This is the story of The Pale Mountains.

Seeing the princess's tears made the prince very sad, too. He walked deep into the forest, wondering how he could bring the light of the moon down to Earth. There, he met a group of tiny, kind people called the Salvani. They were magical dwarves who were friends of the forest. The prince told them about his sad moon princess. The Salvani smiled big smiles and said they had an idea. They knew how to spin moonbeams into soft, glittery thread. All through the night, they worked together, weaving a giant, sparkling blanket made of pure moonlight.

The next morning, the prince led the princess outside. She gasped a happy gasp. The dark, rocky mountains were gone. In their place stood shining, pale peaks that glowed with a soft, gentle light, just like her moon. The dwarves had covered the mountains in their woven moonlight. Her heart filled with joy, and she knew she could be happy on Earth forever. To this day, the mountains are called the Dolomites, or the Pale Mountains, because of this magical gift. When people see them glow, they remember to create beautiful things and help the ones they love.