Did you know, there used to be only one season? This season was dull and boring. The great, old, deep Sea grew bored of having every day be the same. To solve this he decided to have a son, which he named Summer.

Summer’s favorite weather was hot and sunny, so he made almost every day hot and sunny. Summer had three daughters April, May, and June. Eventually, Sea found this uncomfortable and dull. Sea decided to have another son, who he named Spring.

Spring didn’t like it so hot; he liked it a little cooler than Summer. Spring also liked rain. Spring had three children, one daughter, July, and two sons, August and September. Sea still found this monotonous and decided to have a third son whom he named Autumn (though his brothers sometimes called him Fall).

Autumn (Fall) liked to watch leaves change colors and fall. Autumn liked it colder than Spring and Summer. Autumn, as well, had three children, all boys, named September, October, and December. Sea thought that he should also have a really cold season, thus Winter was born.

Winter didn’t like hot temperatures. He preferred the Cold and made most days freezing and snowy. Winter had three children just like his brothers. He had January and February, the boys, and March, the girl.

Sea’s sons fought over which of Sea’s sons’ seasons was the best. They said things such as “hot is for losers,” or “cold is terrible,” but always “my season should be lasting the longest.” Sea realized he’d have to fix this. He gave each son an equal part of the year, and each grandson a month of the year.

One day February had lost one of his days. He searched everywhere for it. Eventually July found it. February told her to give it back, and she replied, “No.” July fought back demanding, “If I can’t have it, no one can!” as she tore the day into four pieces. She threw one piece into a fire, then the next, and then the third. Before she threw the last one in, February snatched it back. Now February had to wait four years for it to be a complete day.

It goes without saying that February wanted revenge. February stole July’s 31st day and hid it so July couldn’t get it back. July got so mad that the moon became so scared that it went and hid behind earth where it wouldn’t be seen. The first lunar eclipse had occurred, and thereafter, the sun would occasionally hide behind the moon and a solar eclipse would happen. Now every once in a while a lunar eclipse or a solar eclipse might happen because the moon or sun is scared July will get mad again. Because of that stolen day, July was left with only 30 days.

One year Winter wanted an extra six weeks, so he stole them. Then Spring got mad and shook the world so it went forward an hour. Later Fall moved the world back an hour, but every year Spring would make it wrong again because after doing it once she thought it was better that way. The next year Winter and Spring went to a hedgehog and asked it, which was better, Spring or Winter. The hedgehog didn’t understand what they were asking, but it saw its shadow and got scared so it went down into its hole. They both understood that if it went back into hibernation there would be six more weeks of Winter. Every year they would go back and ask again. Some years the hedgehog wouldn’t see its shadow so it would stay out. They understood that if there is no more hibernation then there is no more Winter.

Although the season still fought, (a lot) Sea was still happy with how the world was now. It wasn’t always too hot or cold. It wasn’t always rainy or snowy. Most important of all, it was never dull.