Kalaratri and the Friendly Night

It was bedtime, and Maya could not sleep. Outside the window, the night was very dark. "Hajurama," she whispered to her grandmother, "I don't like the dark. It feels so big."

Her grandmother smiled and pulled the quilt up to Maya's chin. "Shall I tell you a secret about the night?" she asked. "The night has a friend. Her name is Kalaratri."

"Kalaratri is the goddess of the night," said grandmother. "Her skin is dark like the evening sky, and her hair flows like the wind. In her hand she carries a little lamp that never goes out."

"Every evening, Kalaratri spreads the night over the world like a soft blanket. Under it, the birds sleep in their nests. The cows rest in the shed. The tired flowers close their petals. The whole world gets to rest."

"And if a bad dream comes near," grandmother whispered, "Kalaratri just blows on it, whoosh, and away it floats like dandelion fluff. That's why people call her Shubhankari, the one who brings good."

Maya looked at the dark window again. Now it felt soft, like a blanket. "Goodnight, Kalaratri," she whispered, and closed her eyes. On the seventh day of Navaratri, we remember Kalaratri, the friend who watches over the night.