英语绘本 ▏每日一读之《七夕节的故事 The Story Of The Qixi Festival》
According to legend, there is a Vega and a Cowherd in the sky, and they are in love. However, the heavenly law stipulates that men and women cannot love each other secretly.
Zhinv is the youngest daughter of the Queen Mother, so the Queen Mother banished Qianniu to the mortal world and ordered her to weave brocade as punishment.
Since Qianniu was banished, Zhinv often shed tears and missed Qianniu with a sad brow. She sat by the loom and kept weaving beautiful brocade, hoping to win the Queen Mother's mercy and let Qianniu return to heaven as soon as possible.
One day, several fairies begged the Queen Mother to go to the Bilian Pond on earth, and the Queen Mother was in a good mood, so she agreed to them.
Seeing that Zhinv was depressed all day long, they asked the Queen Mother to let Zhinv go with them. The Queen Mother also felt sorry for her daughter who was punished, so she agreed to their request and ordered them to go and come back quickly.
After Qianniu was banished, he was born in a farmer's family and was named Niulang. Later, the Niulang's parents died, and the Niulang and the old cow depended on each other for survival.
One day, the old cow suddenly spoke, and said to the Niulang: "Go to the Bilian Pond today, there are several fairies bathing there, you hide the red dress, the fairy wearing red clothes will become your wife."
The Niulang was surprised and happy to see the old cow speak. So the Niulang listened to the old cow's words, came to the Bilian Pond and quietly hid in the reeds beside it.
After a while, several fairies really flew from the sky. When they all entered the river to play, the Niulang ran out of the reeds and took the red dress.
When the fairies saw someone coming, they hurriedly put on their clothes and flew away like birds. Only the fairy who had no clothes and could not fly away was left, she was the Zhinv.
At this time, the Niulang walked up and told her what the old cow had said to him. The Zhinv looked closely and realized that the Niulang was the Qianniu she had been thinking about day and night, so she agreed to be his wife.
Soon, they got married. After getting married, the man farmed and the woman wove, and they lived a happy life. Not long after, they gave birth to a son and a daughter.
However, the matter was eventually known to the Queen Mother, who was very angry. She sent heavenly soldiers and generals to capture Zhinv and bring her back to heaven to be punished.
On this day, the old ox suddenly died. Before he died, he said to the Niulang : "After I die, you must peel off my skin and keep it. When you need it in the future, you can put my skin on your body and fly to the sky."
As soon as the voice fell, a sudden strong wind blew, and the heavenly soldiers and generals descended from the sky, carrying the Zhinv and flying to the sky.
At this time, the Niulang carried his son and daughter in two baskets, and chased after them with the skin of the ox on his body.
眼看着牛郎就要追上织女了，就在这时王母娘娘来了，她拔下自己头上的金钗，在空中轻轻一划，瞬间一条波涛滚滚的天河横在了织女和牛郎的中间，无法跨越。
Seeing that Niulang was about to catch up with Zhinv, the Queen Mother came at this time. She pulled out the golden hairpin on her head and gently drew it in the air. In an instant, a rolling Milky Way was between zhinv and niulang, and they could not cross it.
Zhinv looked at the children and her beloved across the river, and instantly burst into tears. Niulang and the children also cried. The fairies beside them also shed tears.
Seeing this scene, the Queen Mother was also moved by the love between niulang and zhinv, so she agreed to let the niulang and the children stay in the sky, and agreed that they could meet on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month every year.
Moved by their loyal love, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month every year, countless magpies would come to build a bridge for them. Niulang and zhinv reunited on the magpie bridge.
Since then, the seventh day of the seventh lunar month every year is the Chinese Valentine's Day.
It is said that on the night of the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, if people listen quietly under the grape trellis, they can hear the affectionate conversation between niulang and zhinv.