Title: Why Is The Sky Blue?
Series: The Elf Children
Author: Mayetra
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: All things Tolkien belong to his estate; I only borrow them on
occasion and always return them in good working order. I write fan fiction
solely for my own enjoyment and do not claim any copyright or ownership of
his works nor do I have intent to make financial gain. All original
concepts and characters are from my own twisted plot bunnies and remain my
property.
Timeline: Early Third Age - AU - After The Haunted Talan
Summary: Orophin asks the question that every parent dreads.
*~* 54 Quellë 169 T.A. - Caras Galadon, Lórien
Orophin lay stretched out on his back on the balcony of his talan, looking up at the sky between the swaying branches of the mellryn. Hwest*, his faithful companion, lay by his side. A thought entered his young mind and he pondered it for a moment.
"Hwest, why do you think the sky is blue?"
His companion continued to lie still, making no movements, but in Orophin's imagination, he simply shrugged.
"You do not know either."
Orophin continued to consider the possibilities and, finally, decided to ask the one person who always had an answer. He stood and carefully picked up his stuffed cat. He entered the front door of his talan and crossed to where his mother was fletching arrows.
"Mama."
"Hmmm?" His mother finished binding the arrow she was working on before turning her attention to him. "What is it, Orophin?"
"Mama, why is the sky blue?"
"Well. ahhh. you see." she paused, not know what to say. Then she answered in the time-honored tradition of all parents. "Go ask your father."
"Ok." Orophin turned and scampered from the talan.
He found his father in the gardens, weeding.
"Orophin, what brings you here? Is Haldir troubling you again?" His father smiled at him.
"No. Papa, why is the sky blue? I asked Mama and she told me to ask you."
"Well.ahhh, you see." He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and saw Glorfindel strolling through the manicured path. "Go ask Lord Glorfindel. He is a great Lord who has returned from the Blessed Realm and surely would know the answer to your question."
"Ok," Orophin replied.
Glorfindel sighed as he strolled past the flowerbeds of Loríen's best garden. Winter held no sway here so the flowers were always in bloom. It was the reason he had volunteered to bring Master Elrond's missive.
"My Lord."
A small voice interrupted his musings. He looked down to see a very young Elfling running along side him, struggling to keep up with his long strides. He stopped and stooped to face the boy.
"Well, hello there. What is your name?"
"Orophin."
"And who is this?" Glorfindel pointed at Hwest who was in his customary position - clutched to Orophin's chest.
"Hwest."
"What can I do for you, Little One?" Glorfindel smiled at him.
"Why is the sky blue? I asked my Mama and she told me to ask my Papa. I asked my Papa and he told me to ask you, since you were a great Elf-lord who has returned from the Blessed Realm." Orophin said all this in a rush.
Glorfindel was stumped. He had no idea why the sky was blue. He thought quickly. "Galadriel is greater than I, put your question to her. She will know the answer."
"Ok," Orophin said, with less enthusiasm then before.
He found Galadriel crossing over a bridge that spanned a small creek, which ran through the city.
"My Lady," he called as he ran to catch up with her.
Galadriel stopped and smiled as he reached her.
"Hello, Orophin. What can I do for you?" she asked him in her gentle tone.
"My Lady, why is the sky blue? I asked my Mama and she told me to ask my Papa. I asked my Papa and he told me to ask Lord Glorfindel. I asked Lord Glorfindel, and he said that you were greater than he and I should ask you." Orophin was fairly out of breath by time he finished his dissertation.
Galadriel tried to remember what she had told Celebrían when she had asked the same question. Then she remembered. "Go ask Lord Celeborn, Little One. He is known as Celeborn the Wise and his wisdom surely outshines my own."
"Ok," Orophin sighed in a disgruntled tone. He was beginning to think that no one knew the answer.
He found Lord Celeborn leaving the archery range.
"My Lord," he called halfheartedly, sure that he would be sent in search of another to answer his query.
Celeborn smiled at the sight of Orophin. "What is the matter, Orophin? Is Hwest not well?" He knew that the little one was convinced his stuffed cat was alive.
"No, Hwest is well."
"Well then, why do you sound so dejected?" Celeborn settled himself on a nearby bench and motioned for Orophin to join him.
As soon as Orophin was settled comfortable on Celeborn's lap, he put forth his question. "My Lord, why is the sky blue? I asked Mama and she said ask Papa. I asked Papa and he said ask Lord Glorfindel." Orophin paused for a split second to suck in a lungful of air. "I asked Lord Glorfindel and he said ask Lady Galadriel. I asked Lady Galadriel and she said that your wisdom outshone hers and I should ask you."
Celeborn blinked. Then he remembered what he had told Celebrían. "Well you see, Orophin. Light is made up of electromagnetic waves. The tops of these waves are called crests. The distances between two crests are called a wavelength. Now light is made up of the colors of a rainbow. Each individual color has its own wavelength. The amount of light scattered for any given color depends on the wavelength of that color. Now the sky is made up of oxygen and nitrogen, among other things. When blue light waves try to go straight through the oxygen and nitrogen molecules, its light is scattered in all directions because of this collision. This scattered blue light is what makes the sky blue."
Celeborn smiled down at Orophin.
Orophin simply looked at him with a blank expression.
Celeborn realized that Orophin did not understand a word he had just said. Then he remembered that Celebrían had given him a similar expression. He tried again. "The sky is blue because Ilúvatar thought blue was the prettiest color in the rainbow."
Orophin smiled. "That is what I thought the answer was. Thank you, My Lord. Will we be having pumpkin pie later?"
Celeborn chuckled. "Yes. Meet me by the base of my talan in an hour."
Orophin climbed down from his lap and scampered away.
Celeborn made a mental note not to try and explain the scientific reason behind the sky's color, should he be asked by another young Elf. He stood and made his way to his talan to freshen up for his pie date with Orophin.
The End
54 Quellë - Elvish date for November 20th Hwest - Sindarin word meaning Puff Yes, sibs, Celeborn's explanation in a nutshell is why the sky is blue.
*~* 54 Quellë 169 T.A. - Caras Galadon, Lórien
Orophin lay stretched out on his back on the balcony of his talan, looking up at the sky between the swaying branches of the mellryn. Hwest*, his faithful companion, lay by his side. A thought entered his young mind and he pondered it for a moment.
"Hwest, why do you think the sky is blue?"
His companion continued to lie still, making no movements, but in Orophin's imagination, he simply shrugged.
"You do not know either."
Orophin continued to consider the possibilities and, finally, decided to ask the one person who always had an answer. He stood and carefully picked up his stuffed cat. He entered the front door of his talan and crossed to where his mother was fletching arrows.
"Mama."
"Hmmm?" His mother finished binding the arrow she was working on before turning her attention to him. "What is it, Orophin?"
"Mama, why is the sky blue?"
"Well. ahhh. you see." she paused, not know what to say. Then she answered in the time-honored tradition of all parents. "Go ask your father."
"Ok." Orophin turned and scampered from the talan.
He found his father in the gardens, weeding.
"Orophin, what brings you here? Is Haldir troubling you again?" His father smiled at him.
"No. Papa, why is the sky blue? I asked Mama and she told me to ask you."
"Well.ahhh, you see." He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and saw Glorfindel strolling through the manicured path. "Go ask Lord Glorfindel. He is a great Lord who has returned from the Blessed Realm and surely would know the answer to your question."
"Ok," Orophin replied.
Glorfindel sighed as he strolled past the flowerbeds of Loríen's best garden. Winter held no sway here so the flowers were always in bloom. It was the reason he had volunteered to bring Master Elrond's missive.
"My Lord."
A small voice interrupted his musings. He looked down to see a very young Elfling running along side him, struggling to keep up with his long strides. He stopped and stooped to face the boy.
"Well, hello there. What is your name?"
"Orophin."
"And who is this?" Glorfindel pointed at Hwest who was in his customary position - clutched to Orophin's chest.
"Hwest."
"What can I do for you, Little One?" Glorfindel smiled at him.
"Why is the sky blue? I asked my Mama and she told me to ask my Papa. I asked my Papa and he told me to ask you, since you were a great Elf-lord who has returned from the Blessed Realm." Orophin said all this in a rush.
Glorfindel was stumped. He had no idea why the sky was blue. He thought quickly. "Galadriel is greater than I, put your question to her. She will know the answer."
"Ok," Orophin said, with less enthusiasm then before.
He found Galadriel crossing over a bridge that spanned a small creek, which ran through the city.
"My Lady," he called as he ran to catch up with her.
Galadriel stopped and smiled as he reached her.
"Hello, Orophin. What can I do for you?" she asked him in her gentle tone.
"My Lady, why is the sky blue? I asked my Mama and she told me to ask my Papa. I asked my Papa and he told me to ask Lord Glorfindel. I asked Lord Glorfindel, and he said that you were greater than he and I should ask you." Orophin was fairly out of breath by time he finished his dissertation.
Galadriel tried to remember what she had told Celebrían when she had asked the same question. Then she remembered. "Go ask Lord Celeborn, Little One. He is known as Celeborn the Wise and his wisdom surely outshines my own."
"Ok," Orophin sighed in a disgruntled tone. He was beginning to think that no one knew the answer.
He found Lord Celeborn leaving the archery range.
"My Lord," he called halfheartedly, sure that he would be sent in search of another to answer his query.
Celeborn smiled at the sight of Orophin. "What is the matter, Orophin? Is Hwest not well?" He knew that the little one was convinced his stuffed cat was alive.
"No, Hwest is well."
"Well then, why do you sound so dejected?" Celeborn settled himself on a nearby bench and motioned for Orophin to join him.
As soon as Orophin was settled comfortable on Celeborn's lap, he put forth his question. "My Lord, why is the sky blue? I asked Mama and she said ask Papa. I asked Papa and he said ask Lord Glorfindel." Orophin paused for a split second to suck in a lungful of air. "I asked Lord Glorfindel and he said ask Lady Galadriel. I asked Lady Galadriel and she said that your wisdom outshone hers and I should ask you."
Celeborn blinked. Then he remembered what he had told Celebrían. "Well you see, Orophin. Light is made up of electromagnetic waves. The tops of these waves are called crests. The distances between two crests are called a wavelength. Now light is made up of the colors of a rainbow. Each individual color has its own wavelength. The amount of light scattered for any given color depends on the wavelength of that color. Now the sky is made up of oxygen and nitrogen, among other things. When blue light waves try to go straight through the oxygen and nitrogen molecules, its light is scattered in all directions because of this collision. This scattered blue light is what makes the sky blue."
Celeborn smiled down at Orophin.
Orophin simply looked at him with a blank expression.
Celeborn realized that Orophin did not understand a word he had just said. Then he remembered that Celebrían had given him a similar expression. He tried again. "The sky is blue because Ilúvatar thought blue was the prettiest color in the rainbow."
Orophin smiled. "That is what I thought the answer was. Thank you, My Lord. Will we be having pumpkin pie later?"
Celeborn chuckled. "Yes. Meet me by the base of my talan in an hour."
Orophin climbed down from his lap and scampered away.
Celeborn made a mental note not to try and explain the scientific reason behind the sky's color, should he be asked by another young Elf. He stood and made his way to his talan to freshen up for his pie date with Orophin.
The End
54 Quellë - Elvish date for November 20th Hwest - Sindarin word meaning Puff Yes, sibs, Celeborn's explanation in a nutshell is why the sky is blue.