嫦娥奔月 Chang'e Flies to the MoonA long, long time ago, a terrible drought plagued the earth. Ten suns burned fiercely in the sky like smoldering volcanoes that scorched the trees and grass, cracked and parched the land and dried up the river. Many people died of hunger and thirst.The King of Heaven sent Hou Yi down to the earth to help. When Hou arrived, he took out his red bow and white arrows and shot down the nine suns, one after another. The weather immediately got cooler, heavy rains filled the rivers with fresh water, and the grass and trees turned green. Life was restored and humanity was saved.One day, a charming, young woman, Chang'e, was on her way home from a stream, holding a bamboo container. A young man approached her and asked for a drink. When Chang'e saw the red bow and white arrows around his belt, she immediately recognized him as the savior, Hou Yi. Offering him a drink, Chang'e plucked a beautiful flower and gave it to him as a token of respect. Hou, in turn, selected a beautiful silver fox fur as his gift to her. This encounter sparked their love for one another and they were soon married.A mortal's life, however, is limited, so, to enjoy a happy life with Chang'e forever, Hou decided to look for the elixir of life. Hou traveled to the Kunlun Mountains where the Western Queen Mother lived.Out of respect for his good deeds, the Western Queen Mother rewarded Hou with the elixir, a fine powder made from fruit kernels that grew on the tree of eternity. She told him that he and his wife would both enjoy eternal life only if they drank it together. If only one of them took it, he or she alone would ascend to the heaven and become immortal.Hou and his wife decided to drink the elixir together on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month when the moon was full and bright.But a wicked and merciless man named Feng Meng overheard their plan. He wished Hou an early death so that he could drink the elixir himself and become immortal. One day, when the full moon was rising, Feng killed Hou on his way home from hunting. The murderer then arrived at Hou's home demanding Chang'e to give him the elixir. Without a moment's hesitation, Chang'e picked up the elixir and drank every last drop of it.Overcome with grief, she rushed to her dead husband's side, weeping bitterly. Soon the elixir began to take effect and Chang'e felt herself being lifted towards the heaven.Chang'e decided to live on the moon because it was closest to the earth. There, she led a simple and contented life, although her heart remained in the mortal world. Chang'e never forgot her deep love for Hou and the people who had shared in their sadness and joys.It is said that Chang'e transformed herself into moonlight and descended onto the earth to offer good fortune. Thus, couples declare their mutual love under the full moon and separated lovers pray to be reunited under the full moon.嫦娥奔月:中国古代汉族神话传说故事,讲述了嫦娥被逼无奈吃下了仙药西王母赐给丈夫后羿的两粒不死之药后飞到了月宫的事情。有关嫦娥的神话传说,自东汉高诱注解《淮南子》才指出嫦娥是后羿之妻。后羿的妻子姮娥,演变为传说中的嫦娥(一作常娥)。嫦娥,中国上古时期汉族神话中的人物,上古时期三皇五帝之一帝喾(天帝帝俊)的女儿、后羿之妻,其美貌非凡。本称姮娥,因西汉时为避汉文帝刘恒的忌讳而改称嫦娥,又作常娥。又有称其姓纯狐,名嫄娥。神话中因偷食大羿自西王母处所求得的不死药而奔月成仙,居住在月宫之中。东汉之前,无任何资料显示嫦娥与羿是夫妻关系,直到高诱注解《淮南子》才指出嫦娥是后羿之妻。据说嫦娥与大羿开创了一夫一妻制的先河,后人为了纪念他们,演绎出了嫦娥飞天的故事,汉族民间多有其传说以及诗词歌赋流传。在道教中,嫦娥为月神,又称太阴星君,道教以月为阴之精,尊称为月宫黄华素曜元精圣后太阴元君,或称月宫太阴皇君孝道明王,作女神像。《吕氏春秋·勿躬》有句云“尚仪作占月”,清人毕沅作注说:“尚仪即常仪,古读'仪’为'何’,后世遂有嫦娥之鄙言。”另有观点认为:“姮娥”原先写成“恒娥”,即《山海经·大荒西经》所记“生月十有二”之常羲。