The Christmas star

The Christmas star of Durro

In the picturesque village of Durro, in Alta Ribagorça, the main square filled with life and happiness every Christmas. The neighbours decorated it with lights, garlands and a large tree in the centre. But that year, something very special was about to happen.

Maria, a curious, dreamy girl, lived in a little stone house with a slate roof, just like many homes in Durro. She always looked forward to seeing the star placed at the top of the Christmas tree. Legend said that the star, visible from the Romanesque bell tower, granted a wish to anyone who gazed at it with a hopeful heart.

One winter evening, as snowflakes gently covered the cobbled streets, the neighbours gathered to put up the star. But when they opened its box, they discovered it was broken. Everyone was disappointed, especially the children who had been waiting to see it shine above Durro.

Seeing the sad faces of her friends and neighbours, Maria decided they could not lose the magic of their Christmas star. She hurried home through the snowy lanes and searched for materials to make a new one. She looked in the kitchen, the pantry and even her grandfather’s old workshop, but could find nothing to replace it.

At last, she sat beside the window, watching the snow. Then she had an idea. She opened her sketchbook and drew a unique star. Carefully, she cut it from gold paper found in her grandfather’s workshop and added little pieces of mirror to catch the light and make it sparkle.

With her star finished and her heart full of hope, Maria ran back to the square. The neighbours watched with surprise and curiosity. Determined, she climbed a ladder and, her hands trembling a little with cold and nerves, placed her paper star at the top of the tree.

For a few moments the square fell silent. Could this little paper star light up Durro’s night as the old one had? Just then, a gentle breeze blew down from the mountains. The pieces of mirror began reflecting the Christmas lights hanging between the stone houses. The new star shone with a warm, magical glow that filled everyone’s heart with happiness and hope.

The children clapped. The neighbours smiled, their eyes bright with emotion. Magic filled Durro’s square, and everyone understood that the true Christmas star was also the light each person carried in their heart.

That Christmas, Maria learned that when things do not go as expected, love and creativity can help us make something even more special. Her paper star became a new Christmas symbol for Durro, reminding the villagers of what they could create with imagination and hope.

And that is the end of our story.