Why did Ganesha Punish Moon?

Pastimes of Ganesh Chaturthi no. 3

It is on Ganesha Chaturthi. Ganesha was riding on his little rat and a snake suddenly crossed his path. The rat was terrified and fled in fear because of what Ganesha fell into a thorn bush.

Moon was looking to this from the sky. Moon laughed at the funny sight of Ganesha falling down, it annoyed Ganesha so he decided to punish the Moon. In anger, he broke one of his tusks and threw it to the Moon.

As he hit the Moon, the Moon lost brightness. Then the moon went off. The world went black. People were afraid and they cried and cried. All the gods in heaven were concerned about the confusion. They prayed to Ganesha, "Please return the moon his brightness" Moon also repented.

Moon fell at the feet of Ganesha and begged to be forgiveness. Ganesha relented, but he wanted to teach a lesson Moon. So he said: "the first fifteen nights of each month, you will get bigger and then the next fifteen nights, you will become more smaller. At the end of the month you will look like my tusk. The day of Ganesh Chaturthi the viewer of Moon will face an allegation of theft on him.