Once there was an archer named Hou Yi. He married Chang E. He shot down the 9 suns in the sky, and now there is only one left. When the sun’s father heard about this, he got very angry, so he banished Hou Yi and Chang E from the heavens, forever. Hou Yi didn’t care. But, Chang E, she loved the heavens. She was now human, and would grow old, and then die. The more she thought of it, the more she cried. She cried everyday.
One day she heard an old couple discussing about the pills that would make you live forever. Chang E quickly went home to tell her husband. So he went, past the Mountain of Fire, past many dangerous waters, and finally, to KunLun Mountain. When he got on top of the mountain, he saw that there was wheatgrass everywhere. Bigger than trees ! He went past many wheatgrasses and finally, saw a house. Inside the house was the goddess that had the medicine! He went inside, and saw a creature with nine heads that growled at him, guarding the door. He finally saw the goddess, and asked her for the pills. She called to a bird with 3 legs, and there it was, clinging to the medicine. The goddess generously gave it to him, and he went back home. Chang E was delighted.
” See, there’s enough for both of us. We’ll be immortal together.” Hou Yi said.
” What happens if you eat all of it?” Chang E asked.
” Oh, then you will fly to the sky.” Hou Yi responded.
When Chang E heard this, she waited until he left the house, and ate all the pills! She flew out the window, up and up, until she finally reached the heaven gate.
“But wait,” she thought. ” They’ll blame me because I took all of the immortality pills and left Hou Yi alone by himself.I can’t go in there.”
So she turned, and headed for the moon.
When she got to the moon, only a big tree and a rabbit making medicine was there.
She sighed, and looked down at Earth. She saw all the people who were walking, farming, and the happy couples. Not until then did she regret it all. But it was too late. So she leaned on the tree, closed her eyes, and listened to the rabbit making medicine for the rest of her life.
