Isaac Pasternack
Ms. Wilson Scott
The Starman

       Before Bobby McGee went to bed he would try to count all the starts in the sky. Bobby was seven years old. He would count for what seemed like an eternity, and then he would go to sleep.
       Bobby had dreamt his whole life of being able to count all the stars in the sky, but he always had trouble counting them all. There seemed to be an uncountable number of stars in the sky. Bobby would give up when he realized that there was no way he could count all the stars.
       Almost every night Bobby’s mom would tell him a story about the Starman. Bobby’s mom told him that the Starman was the king of all the stars. He watched over them and kept them safe. Bobby’s mom said if he kept counting then maybe the Starman would visit him and help him count all the stars in the sky. Bobby didn’t believe her, he didn’t believe in the Starman.
       Then one night as Bobby was counting the stars something strange happened. He had counted his thirtieth star and was just about to go to sleep when there was a flash of light. When the light was gone the Starman was standing in his room! Bobby knew immediately that it was indeed the Starman.
       “Bobby,” said the Starman. “You must not give on counting the stars. You must count them all, or as many you possibly can.”
       “But its really hard Mr. Starman,” Bobby said. “There are so many stars in the sky.”
       “I know Bobby but I have to tell you something about all those stars. The stars twinkle because of little boys and girls like you who count the stars before they go to sleep. When you count the stars, the remaining uncounted stars will twinkle a little bit less for every child who does not count them,” the Starman told Bobby.
       “So what I should do Mr. Starman sir?” Bobby asked.
       “You must not give up Bobby, you must count all the stars in the sky that you can see,” the Starman told Bobby.
       “But counting stars is hard Mr. Starman sir. I don’t know if I could count that many, there’s an awful lot of them,” Bobby said.
       “I know Bobby but they are counting on you and all the other little children in the world to make them twinkle. When stars go uncounted they lose their twinkle, and eventually they disappear altogether,” The Starman told Bobby.
       “I want the stars to stay in the sky to twinkle forever. I don’t ever want them to disappear Mr. Starman,” Bobby said.
       “I know Bobby. You have to work hard then to count as many as you can. It’s hard for stars in the sky you see. They need the help of little boys like you if they are going to keep their twinkle alive. I have been watching over the stars for almost a million years and I have met many boys like you Bobby. The best advice I can give you is this: Do not give up. Even though you don’t think so your help is needed and greatly appreciated,” The Starman told Bobby.
       “Ok Mr. Starman Sir. I will count as many stars as I can, I will keep the stars twinkling. Thanks for your advice and all your help,” Bobby told him.
       “Anytime. If you ever need my help again all you have to do is point to the stars and concentrate on their twinkling as hard as you can. If you do that I will come and give you new advice and offer more help,” and with that the Starman vanished with a poof of smoke.
       Just then Bobby’s mom came into his bedroom to tuck him in. He was sitting by the windowsill counting like he always did.
       “Come on Bobby, it’s time for bed,” his mom said.
       “Ok mommy, just give me a little more time to finish counting the stars ok? I want them to keep twinkling,” he told her.
       “Ok, you can count for ten more minutes but then I want you to go to bed ok?” his mom said.
       “Ok mommy, goodnight,” Bobby said as she left his room.
       From then on Bobby stayed up counting as long as he could. He never called the Starman though. Bobby didn’t need the Starman’s help, he could count all on his own.

The End.