2023學年完整公開課版Legends of Midautumn Festival

LegendsofMid-autumnFestival

AlmosteverytraditionalChinesefestivalhasaconnectionwithlegends.

Themostwell-knownstoriesoftheMid-AutumnFestivalisChang'eflyingtothemoon,JadeRabbitmakingheavenlymedicine,andWuGangchoppingthecherrybay.Thosestorieshavebeenpasseddownfromgenerationstogenerationsalongsidethesofthefestivalitself.Todayforyoungchildren,listeningtothestoriesisstillanimportantpartoftheirwayto

theMoonFestival.

I.Chang'eFlyingtotheMoon

Itissaidthatlongagothereusedtobe10sunsinthesky.Eachday,oneofthesunswouldtravelaroundtheskyonacarriagedrivenbyXihe,themotherofthesuns.Oneday,unexpectedly,all10sunssimultaneouslyappearedinthesky,whichinstantlydriedthecropsandcauseddisastertothepeopleonearth.

HouYi,alocalarcher,hadgreatsympathyforpeople'ssufferingsfromtheblisteringweatheranddecidedtohelpthemout.HouyiclimbeduptothesummitofKunlunMountainsandshotdownthesunsleavingonlyonetobenefitpeople.Afterheshotdownthesun,HouYibecameaherowhowasreveredbylocalpeople.

Later,HouYimarriedabeautifulgirl—Chang'e.Theyoungcouplelivedahappyandsweetlife.

HouYiwassofamousforhisperfectarcheryskillsthathehadalotofapprentices,includingtheunrighteousPengMeng.OnedaywhenHouYiwasonthewaytovisithisfriend,theQueenMotheroftheWestgavehimanelixirofimmortalityasarewardforhisheroicundertaking.Meanwhile,hewarnedHouYi"Donotswallowthispillbeforepreparingyourselfwithprayerandfastingforayear".

HouYigavetheelixirtoChang'eforsafekeepingandshetookitasa

andhiditinherjewelrybox.Unfortunately,PengMengfoundthissecretandmadeaplantostealit.Severaldayslater,whenHouYiandotherapprenticeswentoutforhunting,Pengpretendedtofallillandstayedathome.Aftertheyleft,PengforcedChang'etogivehimtheelixir.Chang'e,knowingthatshecouldnotdefeatPeng,swallowedtheelixirherself,andmmediatelyshefeltherselffloatingupandfliedtothesky.Withdeeplovetoherhusband,Chang'echosetobeanimmortalonthemoon,closesttotheearth;thenshecouldseeherhusbandeveryday.

Inlateafternoon,HouYicamebackandwastoldwhathadhappened.Heart-stricken,HouYiwenttothebackgardenandcalledhiswife'snameceaselessly.Surprisingly,hefoundthatthemoonwasextremelycleanandbrightthatnight;andthattherewasamovingfigurelikeChang'einthemoon.HouYidesperatelytriedtocatchupwiththemoon,buthecouldnotdoit.HouYithenaskedservantstosetatableinhisbackgardenandwithhiswife'sfavoritesnacksandfruitsonit.Inashorttime,moreandmorepeopleheardaboutthenewsthatChang'ehadbecomeanimmortal,andtheyalsoputtablesunderthemoontopraytoChang'eforgoodfortuneandsafety.Fromthenon,thecustomofworshippingthemoonontheMid-AutumnFestivalbegantospreadinChina.

II.JadeRabbitMakingHeavenlyMedicine

ThislegendisconsideredtobeanextensionofChang'eFlyingtotheMoon.Ittellsaboutthreesageswhotransformedthemselvesintopitifuloldmen.Onedaytheymetafox,amonkeyandarabbit,andtheybeggedforfood.Thefoxandthemonkeyshared

theirfoodwiththeoldmen;buttherabbit,withnothingtoshare,jumpedintoablazingfiretoofferhisownfleshinstead.Thesagesweresotouchedbytherabbit'skindnessthattheysentittoliveintheMoonPalace,whereitbecametheJadeRabbit.Chang'e,wholivedaloneafterarrivinginthemoon,likedtheJadeRabbitatthefirstsight,andthereforekeptitcompany.Asthetimewentby,Chang'eandJadeRabbitbecameinseparablefriends.HearingaboutthestoryofChang'eandHouYi,theJadeRabbitfeltsympathetictothemanddecidedtomakeaspecialheavenlymedicine,whichcouldhelpChang'ereturntoEarth.Unfortunately,theJadeRabbithasstillnotbeenabletomakeiteventhoughhehasworkedhardforthousandsofyears.ObservingthemoonontheMid-AutumnDaycarefully,wecanstillseetheJadeRabbitmakinghisheavenlymedicine.

III.WuGangChoppingtheCherryBay

ThereisalsoanotherstoryabouttheMid-AutumnFestival.Manyyearsago,WuGang,animmortalinHeaven,waspunishedtochopdownthecherrybayinthemoonforhisseriousmistakes.Thecherrybayinthemoonwasextremelyluxuriantandsturdywithaheightof5167meters.Itwouldalsohealupas