The Distance of the Moon (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Italo Calvino
- First Published: 1965
- Type of Plot: Fantasy
- Time of Work: The distant past
- Setting: A spot on the ocean, near the Zinc Cliffs
- Principal Characters: Qfwfq, The Deaf One, Mrs. Vhd Vhd
- Genres: Short fiction, Fantasy
- Subjects: Memory, Traveling or travelers, Love or romance, Jealousy, envy, or resentment, Fantasy, Moon or moons, Ocean, Gravitation
- Locales: Oceans, Moon
The Story
Old Qfwfq recalls past times when he and his companions rowed out on the sea every month and climbed up to the moon. This was an enchanted time. Only for a short while, somewhere near the beginning of time as humans know it, did the moon orbit close enough to the earth for the group to climb up ladders from their rowboats and reach it.
The first half of the story tells about these moon visits in general, describing vividly the routine: The group would row the boats out to the place where the moon came closest to the earth, some would hold up ladders, and others...
[The entire page is 1422 words long]
