Fires on the mountains

It had been a splendid day. The sun had shone the entire day. A perfect summer's day, even though a little hot. Luckily, Liechtenstein had been able to convince her big brother to go for a walk early in the morning, before it got hot and before he would go to work. Yes, that was her grosser Bruder: Always working hard for everyone, even at a special day like this.

His birthday. August 1st.

Liechtenstein had tried to at least keep him from work. He had gone anyway. And although he had denied a party too, he had made some compromises. Firstly, he had accepted to come home two hours earlier than usual. Secondly, he had allowed Liechtenstein to bake a birthday cake and whip up a fantastic dinner, to which he even accepted invitations sent to Austria, Germany, Prussa, Italy and France, his neighbours. His only condition was that they wouldn't remain too long afterwards. Thankfully, the five guests didn't object and did leave an hour after the meal had ended.

Now, the two siblings were sitting on a bench in front of Switzerland's hous. Night had settled in, as clear as the day had been. On the velvety sky above them, countless stars glittered. Liechtenstein had pointed out a few constellations to her brother, something she enjoyed doing. And she even had been able to teach a couple to him that way.

Today, however, their attention was quickly captured by something else.

„Look", Switzerland said after a few minutes of comfortable silence and laid a hand on her shoulder. „Over there." He pointed.

Liechtenstein had been focused on the stars above, but she saw it immediately. She couldn't keep back an exclamation. „Oh, how beautiful!"

All around them on the mountains, even more lights had appeared. They looked like little red stars strewn across the rocks and peaks around.

„Isn't it?", her big Bruder replied in an unusually tender voice. „I guess this ist he only thing I've always like about my birthday."

Liechtenstein leaned against his shoulder. She had come to know this tradition at her brother's home. Every year on August 1st, many groups of various size hiked up the mountains to prepare bonfires, which then would be lit as soon as darkness settled in. The blonde girl had loved this tradition too, since she had seen it for the first time. To her, it was proof that there was a soft side underneath her brother's hard shell. There was, after all, something sobering about those tiny little lights appearing everywhere. It also conveyed a feeling of connectedness between all the various groups in her brother's country. The fact that four different cultures still kept together as one nation amazed her to this day. Something only her brother seemed to be capable of.

She took his hand. „It's… magical. They're stars that shine for you, grosser Bruder. This is your day."

„Yeh…"

Again they sank into harmonious silence. And Liechtenstein supposed it was probably good that they hadn't thrown a big party again this year. This way, they were able to enjoy this pleasant evening together. Most of all, this touching view.

And around them, the fires kept burning on the mountains like small fireflies.