The legend of The Moon and The Sun Gods

Hou I visit the moon

The Moon God Story

Chang O did not live alone for very long. She soon caught cold and began to cough. One day, she coughed up the “Pill of every lasting life”, Which changed into a white rabbit. She was very pleased that the rabbit came to live with her because she did not feel so lonely. Later on, Chang O and the rabbit were joined by an old man as well. The old man had been  sent to the moon by a fairy for doing something wrong. He had been ordered by the fairy to cut down all the trees on the moon. This was more difficult that it sounds. As soon as he cut down one tree, another grew in its place.

Chang O still thought of her husband every day. But there seemed to be no way for her to see him again.

One day, Hou I was carried off in a storm to the palace of the Queen Mother of the west. The Queen Mother’s husband gave him a cake and a magic ring.

The Sun God Story

“Eat this cake,” he said. “You will able to live on the sun without feeling the heat.”

Hou I did so. He flew straight up to the sun. The Queen Mother’s husband appeared again. “You are now King of the Sun,” he told him. “Is there anything you want?”

“I want to see my wife,” Hou I said. “You can rub the ring I give you if you want to see your wife,” said the queen mother’s husband.

Hou I rubbed the ring and flew straight to the moon. He soon found his wife. The Queen Mother’s husband came to see him once more.

“Don’t forget you are King of the Sun,” he said “You cannot leave the sun too often. You can only visit your wife on the fifteenth night of every month.”

Hou I was very happy to hear this. From that time on, he came to see his wife once a month. That is why the moon is always very large and bright on that night.