HSK 6 · Story · 590 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/legend-of-chang-e-mid-autumn-festival-story

嫦娥奔月

The legend of Chang’e

Name: ________________ Date: ________

中秋节zhōngqiūjié的de晚上wǎnshang，如果rúguǒ你nǐ问wèn一个yígè中国zhōngguó朋友péngyǒu，月亮yuèliang上shàng有yǒu什么shénme，他tā可能kěnéng会huì告诉gàosù你nǐ：有yǒu一yí个gè仙女xiānnǚ，还有háiyǒu一yì只zhī兔子tùzi。

仙女xiānnǚ叫jiào嫦娥cháng’é，兔子tùzi叫jiào玉兔yùtù。可是kěshì，嫦娥cháng’é为什么wèishénme会huì住zhù到dào月亮yuèliang上去shàngqu？这zhè要yào从cóng十shí个gè太阳tàiyáng说起shuōqǐ。

很hěn久jiǔ很hěn久jiǔ以前yǐqián，天上tiānshàng有yǒu十shí个gè太阳tàiyáng。它们tāmen每天měitiān一起yìqǐ出来chūlái，河水héshuǐ晒干shàigān了le，庄稼zhuāngjia晒shài死sǐ了le，人们rénmen热rè得de没法méifǎ活下去huóxiàqù。

有yǒu一个yígè叫jiào后羿hòuyì的de英雄yīngxióng，力气lìqi很hěn大dà，射箭shèjiàn特别tèbié准zhǔn。他tā拉开lākāi弓gōng，一口气yìkǒuqì射shè下xià了le九jiǔ个gè太阳tàiyáng，只zhǐ给gěi天上tiānshàng留liú了le一个yígè。

王母娘娘wángmǔ-niángniang听说tīngshuō以后yǐhòu，送给sònggěi后羿hòuyì一yì包bāo仙药xiānyào。吃chī了le它tā，就jiù能néng飞fēi到dào天上tiānshàng，长生不老chángshēng-bùlǎo。可是kěshì后羿hòuyì和hé嫦娥cháng’é是shì一对恩爱ēn’ài的de夫妻fūqī，他tā舍不得shěbude离开líkāi她tā，不想bùxiǎng一yí个gè人rén去qù天上tiānshàng，就jiù把bǎ仙药xiānyào交给jiāogěi她tā，让ràng她tā好好háohǎo藏cáng起来qǐlai。

没想到méixiǎngdào，这zhè件jiàn事shì被bèi后羿hòuyì的de一个yígè徒弟túdi知道zhīdào了le。一天yìtiān，趁chèn后羿hòuyì出去chūqù打猎dǎliè，这个zhège徒弟túdi拿ná着zhe剑jiàn闯进chuǎngjìn屋wū里，逼bī嫦娥cháng’é交出jiāochū仙药xiānyào。

嫦娥cháng’é知道zhīdào自己zìjǐ不是búshì他tā的de对手duìshǒu，可是kěshì仙药xiānyào绝不juébù能néng让ràng坏人huàirén拿到nádào。她tā拿出náchū仙药xiānyào，一口yìkǒu吞tūn进jìn了le肚子dùzi里。

她tā的de身体shēntǐ一下子yíxiàzi变biàn轻qīng了le，飘piāo出chū窗外chuāngwài，飞fēi向xiàng天空tiānkōng。她tā舍不得shěbude丈夫zhàngfu，飞fēi到dào离lí人间rénjiān最近zuìjìn的de月亮yuèliang上shàng，就jiù停住tíngzhù了le。月亮yuèliang上shàng又yòu冷lěng又yòu安静ānjìng，陪péi着zhe她tā的de，只有zhíyǒu一yì只zhī玉兔yùtù。

后羿hòuyì回到huídào家jiā，发现fāxiàn嫦娥cháng’é不见bújiàn了le，急忙jímáng跑pǎo到dào院子yuànzi里，对duì着zhe天空tiānkōng大喊dàhǎn她tā的de名字míngzi。那nà天tiān的de月亮yuèliang特别tèbié圆yuán，特别tèbié亮liàng，上面shàngmiàn好像hǎoxiàng有yǒu个gè人影rényǐng，很hěn像xiàng嫦娥cháng’é。他tā马上mǎshàng摆bǎi上shàng桌子zhuōzi，放fàng上shàng嫦娥cháng’é最zuì喜欢xǐhuān吃chī的de水果shuíguǒ和hé点心diǎnxin，望wàng着zhe月亮yuèliang想念xiǎngniàn她tā。

人们rénmen知道zhīdào以后yǐhòu，也yě在zài月亮yuèliang下面xiàmiàn摆bǎi上shàng水果shuíguǒ和hé点心diǎnxin，向xiàng善良shànliáng的de嫦娥cháng’é求qiú平安píng’ān。有yǒu一种yìzhǒng说法shuōfǎ是shì，中秋节zhōngqiūjié赏月shǎngyuè的de习惯xíguàn，是shì从cóng那nà时候shíhou开始kāishǐ的de。

不过búguò，这zhè个gè故事gùshi不止bùzhǐ一yí个gè版本bánběn。在zài两千多liǎngqiānduō年nián前qián的de一yì本běn古书gǔshū里，仙药xiānyào是shì嫦娥cháng’é自己zìjǐ偷吃tōuchī的de。还有háiyǒu一yì本běn古书gǔshū说shuō，她tā到dào了le月亮yuèliang上shàng，变成biànchéng了le一yì只zhī蟾蜍chánchú。

所以suóyǐ，下次xiàcì有人yǒurén问wèn你nǐ月亮yuèliang上shàng有yǒu什么shénme，你nǐ可以kéyǐ告诉gàosù他tā：有yǒu一yí个gè仙女xiānnǚ，还有háiyǒu一yì只zhī兔子tùzi。当然dāngrán，也yě可能kěnéng只有zhíyǒu一yì只zhī蟾蜍chánchú。

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
兔子tùzirabbit; hare
天上tiānshàngin the sky; in heaven
晒shàito dry in the sun; to bask
没法méifǎunable to; no way to; can't
藏cángto hide; to conceal
对手duìshǒuopponent; rival
天空tiānkōngsky
急忙jímánghastily; in a hurry
圆yuánround; circular; circle
点心diǎnxinsnack; light refreshments; pastry
想念xiǎngniànto miss; to long for
善良shànliángkind-hearted; good

English (for the teacher)

On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, if you ask a Chinese friend what’s on the moon, they may well tell you: a fairy, and a rabbit.

The fairy is called Chang’e, and the rabbit is the Jade Rabbit. But how did Chang’e end up living on the moon? For that, we have to start with ten suns.

Long, long ago, there were ten suns in the sky. They came out together every day, until the rivers dried up, the crops withered and people were too hot to go on living.

There was a hero called Hou Yi, who was very strong and a remarkably good shot with a bow. He drew his bow and shot down nine of the suns in one go, leaving the sky just one.

When the Queen Mother of the West heard about it, she gave Hou Yi a packet of elixir. Whoever ate it could fly up to the heavens and never grow old. But Hou Yi and Chang’e were a devoted couple: he couldn’t bear to leave her and didn’t want to go to the heavens alone, so he gave the elixir to her and asked her to hide it well.

Little did they know, one of Hou Yi’s apprentices had found out. One day, while Hou Yi was out hunting, the apprentice burst into the house with a sword and forced Chang’e to hand over the elixir.

Chang’e knew she was no match for him, but the elixir must never fall into a villain’s hands. She took out the elixir and swallowed it in one gulp.

All at once her body grew light; she floated out of the window and flew up into the sky. She couldn’t bear to leave her husband, so when she reached the moon, the closest place to the human world, she stopped. The moon was cold and quiet, and her only company was the Jade Rabbit.

When Hou Yi came home and found Chang’e gone, he rushed into the courtyard and shouted her name at the sky. That night the moon was especially round and bright, and on it there seemed to be a figure that looked just like Chang’e. At once he set out a table, laid it with the fruit and cakes Chang’e loved best, and gazed at the moon, missing her.

When people heard, they too set out fruit and cakes under the moon and asked the kind-hearted Chang’e to keep them safe. One story goes that this is how the custom of admiring the moon at Mid-Autumn began.

But this story comes in more than one version. In a book from more than two thousand years ago, Chang’e steals the elixir and eats it herself. Another old book says that when she reached the moon, she turned into a toad.

So next time someone asks you what’s on the moon, you can tell them: a fairy, and a rabbit. Then again, there might only be a toad.