Carbonin is a small town located at the top of Val di Landro, halfway between Cortina and Dobbiaco, at the foot of the Monte Cristallo and the Croda Rossa, and in proximity to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo and Lago di Misurina. The name of the town derives from Prince Carbonin, son of the sovereign who reigned throughout the Dolomites many, many years ago. In those times, the colour of the Dolomites rocks was black, black, black... like carbon. For this reason, the King's name was indeed "King Carbon". Prince Carbonin was a beautiful young man who was sensitive and poetic, a lover of the moonlight, the beauty of sunrise and sunset. Yet he resented the black colour of the rocks, which rendered the environment sad and mournful. On the nights of a full moon, in complete solitude, he would climb up a really high peak, from where he could admire a stupendous sight that filled him with joy. At the base of the peak, a thousand metres below, a crystal lake reflected the silvery image of the moon. Carbonin looked ecstatically upon it almost until dawn, when the candour of the moon gradually faded away. Only then, reluctantly and with great sadness, would he return to the Valley so black, black, black... just like carbon.

One must know that in those days, a pretty young maiden lived on the moon, Misurina, the daughter of the king of the moon. Having the eagle-eyed vision that inhabitants of the Moon have, the girl had long ago noticed Carbonin's ascents during the nights of the full moon. Understanding completely the sentiments that invigorated him, she yearned to see and speak with him. It was thus that one summer night when the moon was full and the sky especially clear, Misurina ceased procrastinating and let herself slide down the moonbeams to land on the shore of the lake at the foot of the peak where Carbonin sat. The young man, fascinated by the glow emanating from her, rapidly climbed down along the slope until he found himself alongside Misurina. The two youths stood staring at each other for a long time in complete silence, feeling a great love uniting them... and decided to marry and live together forever.

The wedding took place three months later. During the celebrations, which lasted six months, all the people of the Dolomites took part, being that they so loved their prince for his gentle heart and great generosity: even the shepherds, who lived on the pastures that lay either up on the highest plains or down in the deepest of valleys, left their huts with their entire family to reach the Val di Ladro, the Carbonin plain and woods, then up and up until Cimabanche. There was continuous dancing and singing to the rhythm of the traditional yodelling. Exceptionally, these festivities were also attended by a representative of the gnomes: fantastic beings that live in caves in the depths of the coniferous forests (full of pines, firs, larches). Misurina, moved by those joyous displays of affection, was happy and content.

Months went by... and as time passed, the young bride began to feel oppressed by those rocks that were so black, black, black... like carbon.

A great nostalgia for the splendour of her moon grew inside her. She started to lose her appetite and the will and joy to live, becoming weak and pale, passing much time in bed. Carbonin, the king of carbon and all the councillors were very mournful and concerned. The most famous doctors of the realm were called upon but none knew how to prescribe a healing cure.

All the animals that lived in the woods and on the mountains also heard this bad news. So it was that thousands of fawns, roe deer, chamois, squirrels, marmots, foxes, hares, weasels... and all the birds, eagles, hawks, wood grouse, owls, partridges, woodpeckers... hurried to seek the help of Lavaredo, king of the gnomes.

Without hesitation, Lavaredo and his two sons gave orders to set out in utter silence to reach in the dead of night the tops of the summits, the peaks and the mountainsides.

And on the clearest of summer nights when the moon was full, whilst the men were completely unaware as they slept in their homes, this immense army started out on its great endeavour.

Using their beaks, the birds separated the moonbeams from each other, forming them into the longest strands of silver. The other animals and the gnomes then rolled these strands up into enormous bundles.

When this task was complete, from the top of all the peaks, they began to unravel them, letting the silver threads fall down and cover the rocks. In carrying out this dangerous task, many animals and many gnomes scratched themselves, causing the rays to take on various colours, from pale pink, to orange, to bright red.

At the break of dawn, their work was completely finished.

When Misurina woke that morning and her ladies in waiting opened the windows of her room, it was with great amazement that they saw the mountains, no-longer black but resplendent in indescribably beautiful shades.

The princess was ecstatic to see the glimmering that darted from one rock face to the next, and which ran down the sides in scintillating rivulets.

She saw thus the Dolomites as we see them today; not lifeless rocks but alive, changing colour with the varying light of day and the seasons; a marvellous chromatic symphony that commences in the morning when the first sunlight brushes the peaks while the Valley is still in shade, and continues until the evening, when the last afterglow of sunset inflames the peaks above the already-obscured valleys.

It is precisely around sunrise and sunset that the spell manifests itself in the most extraordinary manner; a palette of colours that transform in just a few minutes, impossible to describe and which the Ladin people refer to as "enrosadira".

Needless to say, Misurina recovered immediately. Rising out of bed, she began to eat voraciously. She then started to dance, to sing. In a loud voice, she called out for her beloved Carbonin and, together, they thanked God for this great gift.

They went on to have many children... and lived happily ever after for very many years to come.

The villagers were also extremely happy, as were the mountaineers and the shepherds who, so as not to forget this marvel, changed the name of the king of carbon to the king of crystal, gave the name Misurina to the Lake in which the moon was reflected, called the peak on which the prince once sat Cristallino, and baptised the Tre Cime di Lavaredo.

Nowadays, those who have the good fortune to travel the few kilometres that connect Lake Landro to that of Misurina can see the sparkle of the crystal glaciers, the sanguine peaks of the Croda Rossa and the magnificence of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo.