Duan Lixin - The Cowherd and the Weaver Maid (牛郎织女)

According to legend, the Emperor of Heaven and the Queen Mother of the West had seven beautiful granddaughters. The most adorable of them all was the youngest one, the "Weaver Girl" or Zhin in Chinese. She was pretty and kindhearted. She was a very talented weaver and could weave the most colorful and gorgeous cloud patterns. Each of the different, colourful layers of cloud changed according to the seasons. The changes of the colors and patterns were the clouds that people could see from earth.

On earth, there lived a poor young cowherd called Niulang. His parents passed away when he was very young and he lived with his brother's family. His brother's wife was a stingy person and didn't want Niulang to share the family's properties. She forced Niulang to leave home and only gave him an old, sick ox.

Niulang left home and arrived at the foot of a small mountain. He decided that it was a good area that he could turn into a farmland. He built a small hut and moved in with the old ox.

From then on, the old ox became Niulang's only friend. The kindhearted Niulang collected the best green grass and fresh water to feed the ox. Under Niulang's great care, the ox grew stronger by the day.

They lived together and farmed the land. Gradually life became better.

However Niulang felt lonely all by himself in the house. He was looking up in the sky with all the sparkling little stars. He said to himself, "It would be great if there was someone who could cook for me and also talk to me."

One day, the ox suddenly spoke and said to Niulang, "Thank you for taking good care of me. Please go quickly to the lotus pond. There are many fairy maidens swimming there. Maybe you can find your wife there."

Niulang was shocked to discover that the ox could speak. He quickly went to the pond and hid behind the bushes beside the pond to await the arrival of the fairy maidens. It was a long time before all seven fairy maidens ascended to the side of the pond. They were the granddaughters of the Lady Queen Mother. The seven of them happily jumped into the water and swam.

Niulang thought about how to choose his future wife. He noticed that the fairy maidens had left behind some dresses and that one of the dresses was the most beautifully made of them all. He guessed that the owner of the dress must have had the best needlework. He quietly took the dress and went away.

After enjoying a nice swim in the pond, all the fairy maidens put on their own dresses and flew away like a group of beautiful phoenixes. There was one fairy maiden left behind and she was Zhin. She was almost in tears as she tried to find her dress.

Niulang quickly came forward with the dress and apologized to Zhin. "Miss, here is your dress." He told Zhin his unfortunate life story and asked if she could stay behind to be his companion. Zhin was moved by his sincerity and kindness. She nodded her head shyly and agreed.

It was in this way that Zhin stayed behind on earth and became Niulang's wife. He renovated his little hut nicely and, once Zhin arrived, it was filled with joy and laughter.

After they got married, Niulang worked hard in the farm and Zhin weaved beautiful cloth. She gave some of the silkworms that she brought from heaven to the villagers and taught them how to raise silkworms and reel off raw silk from cocoons. The villagers also learned how to weave and make beautiful clothes. Not long after, Niulang and Zhin had a son and a daughter. They lived a very happy life.

One year on earth is equal to only one day in heaven. It wasn't long before the Lady Queen Mother knew about Zhin and Niulang. According to the rule in heaven, it was forbidden for fairy maidens to marry people from earth. Zhin had broken the laws of heaven and the Lady Queen Mother was furious. She ordered the soldiers and generals from heaven, "Go! Arrest Zhin. She blatantly disregarded the laws. She will be judged by the heavenly court for her crime!"

Zhin was washing her clothes by the river when suddenly the clear blue sky was replaced by thick clouds and thunder. Zhin realized that something bad was about to happen.

Surely, it wasn't long before a group of soldiers from heaven descended to the earth and without a word, took Zhin to the sky. "I beg you, please let me go. I have a pair of children and I need to look after them!" Zhin begged for mercy and struggled hard. This was all in vain and she was taken to the court of heaven.

Niulang was desperate and didn't know what to do. He knew that he was from earth and was not able to fl y to rescue Zhin. At that moment, the old ox said, "I am going to die very soon. Please use my skin to make a pair of magical shoes. You can fly wearing them." The ox passed away once it had said its last word.