Chang’e flying to the moon

In China, there are a lot of folk tales, but one of the most famous stories is Chang’e flying to the moon. There are many versions of this story, but I remember another version that my grandma told to me.

In ancient time, Chang’e is a very beautiful, royal person. She liked to help poor people. Everyone liked her. In that country, the king who was named Hou Yi was brave and good at shooting, but the character of him was cruel, the implementation of tyranny in the country, so that the people complained.

One day, there ten suns suddenly appeared in the sky, and the temperature became very high. There was no food and water in the world, the crops were dead. The sky was so smoky that the people could no longer live.

Hou Yi saw his country was about to die, so he had to take out his bow and arrow, climb to the top of KunLun, full of strength, and pull the bow, “whoosh ~” he shot down nine suns in one breath. The temperature has become normal. People are back to their original lives. Because Hou Yi saved many people’s lives, the Western Queen Mother on KunLun Mountain gave Hou Yi a pill of fairy medicine. It is said that one who takes this medicine can live forever and also ascend to Heaven. But if Hou Yi is immortal, the people will always bear the brutal rule of Hou Yi. Everyone was in a panic. The days of the common people were not as good as the days before. Chang’e had no patience to see people’s lives getting worse and worse, so she had an idea. One day, on night, she sneaked into the palace, and stole the panacea collected by Hou Yi. When she got the fairy medicine, she hesitated, because if she ate the fairy medicine, she would be immortal and ascend to heaven. She couldn’t see her friends or her family any more. She would no longer be a mortal and could no longer enjoy the happiness of the world. But she remembered the people, so she ate the fairy medicine and flew in the sky . Chang’e missed the world and the people, so she flew to the nearest moon. Then became a fairy on the moon. But she saved the whole country.

This is another version that my grandma told to me; I think it is very interesting.

                                     April 29, 2020

                                         Libby