The tale explaining why the Moon has spots is a Lithuanian sakmė, a type of fantastical folk tale used to explain the origins of natural phenomena. According to the story, the spots on the Moon represent a girl carrying water. Once an orphan, she was mistreated by her stepmother, a witch, who sent her on endless tasks, including fetching water.

In a fit of rage, the stepmother cursed the girl and sent her to the Moon, where she was forced to carry a yoke and buckets. This image of the girl enduring endless labor is said to be the cause of the dark spots visible on the Moon's surface today.

This sakmė is part of Lithuanian etiology, a genre of folk tale that explains the origins of the world and natural phenomena. It is rewritten and translated based on How the Earth Came to Be: Lithuanian Etiological Legends (Kaip atsirado žemė: lietuvių etiologinės sakmės), compiled and edited by Norbertas Vėlius. The image accompanying this narrative was captured by Aušra Jasiukeviciūtė.

This tale, like many in Lithuanian folklore, uses celestial phenomena to convey moral lessons, integrating the mystical with the natural world. The Moon, often a source of mystery, in this case, represents the punishment and endurance of a girl wronged by her stepmother, creating a vivid explanation for the lunar spots seen across cultures. Similar themes of transformation and punishment are common in both Lithuanian and broader Baltic mythologies, where the celestial realm is often used to narrate tales of justice and morality.

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