Once upon a time, a long time ago ..... On a
warm spring day, in Xia times, some children went out in the
fields to play.
Alarmed at what they saw in the fields, the
children ran up the hill to Loawnu's house. In those days, if you had a
problem you went to see the local wise woman. In this village, the wise
woman's name was Loawnu.
"Loawnu," they shouted. "The
sky is falling!"
Loawnu smiled at the children. "Don't be
worried. Find all the pieces of sky that have fallen, and bring them to
me. I'll sew them together again in time for the festival."
The spring festival was nearing. This was a
time when the young people gathered from many villages to meet one
another and to find husbands and wives. The children's village had been
honored this year as the meeting village. It would be a horrible time
for the sky to fall down. The village would be disgraced!
Off the children ran to pick up the pieces. But
some were missing! "Loawnu!" cried the children, as they tore
up the hill, to tell her about it. Loawnu only smiled.
The next day, the children ran outside and looked
up. The sky looked as it always looked on a warm spring day, clean and
fresh and blue. They were so happy.
That night, they were amazed! The sky had always
been dark at night. That night, it was filled with light! Loawnu had
patched the missing pieces of sky with bright twinkling light! How
beautiful! How clever! We shall have the happiest spring festival in all
the land! How lucky we are to know Loawnu!
All the village agreed.
Xia
Dynasty
Stories
about Ancient China