—¿Qué miras cada noche sentado en este banco? —preguntó algo curiosa la dama.
Él la miró sonriente, advirtiendo que no sería fácil explicarle la larga historia detrás de su curiosa costumbre. Sabía de su tenacidad y que ella no se daría por vencida hasta lograr saber toda la verdad.
—Observo a Dione —dijo simplemente.
—¿Quién es Dione? —preguntó ella sentándose a su lado y observando al cielo nocturno.
—Es una de las lunas de Saturno. Mi abuelo me contó una historia fantástica cuando era niño. Me dijo que Saturno tiene varias lunas que orbitan a su alrededor, todas ellas son hermosas, pero siempre estaban peleándose sobre cuál de ellas era la más bella. Dione, era la única que no peleaba, no le importaba la idea de superar a sus hermanas en belleza, ella sabía una gran verdad que las demás no.
—Ya me intrigaste, ¿que sabía Dione que sus hermanas no? —preguntó ella.
—Bueno, si observas desde donde estamos sentados, ¿podrías decir cual de esos puntos brillantes es Saturno?
—No realmente, no conozco nada de astronomía debo confesar.
—Pocos saben cual es Saturno. El punto es que aun sabiendo cuál es Saturno, no podrías ver desde aquí y sin ayuda a sus lunas. Si pudieras verlas, no apreciarías cual es más bella, porque todas se verían iguales: puntos brillantes en el espacio profundo.
—¿Eso lo sabía Dione?
—Naturalmente. Por esa razón no peleaba con sus hermanas.
—¿Y es por esa historia que cada noche te sientas aquí a ver las estrellas?
—Es un poco más complicado que eso. Veras, mi abuelo me contó que cierto día, un cometa pasó cerca de Saturno y conoció a las hermanas. Se enamoró de una de ellas: Helena. Este cometa le contó a Helena el secreto para poder hacer notar su belleza y ganarle a sus hermanas, solo tenia que orbitar cerca de Dione y, en ciertas épocas, podría verse su brillo desde cualquier parte del sistema solar y así los enamorados podrían saludarse.
—Parece una historia de amor y romance. Es muy bonita.
—El punto mas llamativo de la historia es que Helena en realidad es la más bella de todas las hermanas, por eso el cometa le dio el secreto, y desde entonces, me siento cada noche a esperar el momento en que el cometa y la luna Helena puedan contemplarse juntos entre tantos cuerpos celestes.
Ella miró con interés al cielo, como buscando a Saturno y sus lunas. Su rostro lucía una inocencia juvenil admirable. El la contempló con dulzura y finalmente le susurró al oído:
—Justo hoy, el cometa y la hermosa Helena, están juntos bajo el mismo manto de estrellas.
Ella se giro para mirarlo, y comprendió que la historia hablaba de sus sentimientos por ella. Se sonrojó con la idea, y juntos disfrutaron de mirar las estrellas aquella noche.
English version
-What do you look at every night sitting on this bench? -asked the lady, somewhat curiously.
He looked at her smiling, warning that it would not be easy to explain the long story behind his curious habit. He knew of her tenacity and that she would not give up until she knew the whole truth. -I'm looking at Dione," he said simply. -Who is Dione? -she asked, sitting beside him and looking up at the night sky. -He is one of the moons of Saturn. My grandfather told me a fantastic story when I was a child. He told me that Saturn has several moons orbiting around it, all of them beautiful, but they were always fighting over which one was the most beautiful. Dione, was the only one who did not fight, she did not care about the idea of surpassing her sisters in beauty, she knew a great truth that the others did not. -You intrigued me already, what did Dione know that his sisters did not? -she asked. -Well, if you look from where we are sitting, can you tell which of those bright spots is Saturn? -Not really, I don't know anything about astronomy I must confess. -Few know which Saturn is. The point is that even if you knew which one is Saturn, you couldn't see from here and without help to its moons. If you could see them, you would not appreciate which one is more beautiful, because they would all look the same: bright points in the deep space. -Did Dione know this? -Naturally. That's why he didn't fight with his sisters. -And is it because of that story that every night you sit here and look at the stars? -It's a little more complicated than that. You see, my grandfather told me that one day, a comet passed near Saturn and met the sisters. He fell in love with one of them: Helena. This comet told Helena the secret to be able to show off its beauty and win over her sisters. It only had to orbit near Dione and, at certain times, its brightness could be seen from anywhere in the solar system so that those in love could greet each other. -It seems like a story of love and romance. It is very beautiful. -The most striking point of the story is that Helena is actually the most beautiful of all the sisters, that's why the comet gave her the secret, and since then, I sit every night waiting for the moment when the comet and the moon Helena can be seen together among so many heavenly bodies. She looked at the sky with interest, as if she were looking for Saturn and its moons. Her face looked like an admirable youthful innocence. He contemplated her with sweetness and finally whispered in her ear: -Just today, the comet and the beautiful Helen are together under the same mantle of stars. She turned to look at him, and understood that the story spoke of his feelings for her. She blushed at the idea, and together they enjoyed looking at the stars that night.