七夕， 牛郎织女的故事

七夕是华人的情人节，落在七月初七。刚好明天是七月初七的日记。大家有没有听过七夕的故事？ 这个故事也是叫做牛郎织女的故事，是个蛮感动的故事。故事是这样的：

从前有个牛郎，他很穷又很孤单，什么都没有，只有一只牛当他的好朋友。有一天，他在湖边看到了七个仙女在洗澡。他的牛顽皮地叫牛郎去偷她们七个仙女的衣服。牛郎听了它的话，去偷她们的衣服。当那些七个仙女冲完后，发现她们的衣服被人偷掉了，就不能从湖里出来。她们叫她们的最小的妹妹，织女，去找她们的衣服。织女就从湖走出来去找她们的衣服，碰到牛郎。牛郎还回她们的衣服给织女，但是因为牛郎已经看到了织女没穿衣服的身体，所以没办法就要跟他结婚。织女的六个姐姐得了她们的衣服过后就回上天了，剩下织女和牛郎在一起。

织女和牛郎一起生活了几年，都过得很幸福，在一起很开心，相亲相爱。 他们还有两个孩子，一个男，一个女。他们在人世间已经过了几年，但是在上天才过了几天而已。有一天，玉皇帝发现了织女一个仙女在人世间跟牛郎生活在一起，就很生气地带织女回去上天。牛郎和他的两个孩子都很伤心，很要去见织女。当这个时候，牛郎的牛就跟牛郎说如果牛郎杀死了它，然后穿着它的牛皮，他就可以上天去找织女。牛郎就很伤心地刹了他的牛，然后穿上它的牛皮，把他的孩子放在桶里面，一个在左边，一个在右边，就一起上天空去找织女。

当牛郎和他的孩子要跟织女在一起的时候，玉皇帝也发现了这个事情，就拉了一条河来把他们分开。那条河就是我们的银河系。织女跟牛郎就这样地永远分开了。但是因为他们的爱很深，他们就一直在那条河的旁边看着对方。看了他们的爱这么深，玉皇帝也感动了。他就让他们每一年，在七月初七见面。每一年七月初七的时候，全世界的雀鸟都会一起飞，做了一个鹊桥让牛郎和织女过河相见。当天如果下雨就是因为他们见面了很伤心地哭。

牛郎织女的故事就是这样的。这个故事有很多变异，可是全部都差不多一样的。有些是说是织女的妈妈把他们分开的。有些是说他们本来就会永远地这样子分开，可是全世界的雀鸟都很可怜他们，所以就每一年七月初七会飞上天空做个鹊桥给他们见面。我也不知道哪一个是比较准的故事，可是七夕的故事就是从这里来的。

* 牛郎和织女也是星星的名。他们都是很亮的星星。牛郎星是在银河系的西边，织女星是在银河系的东边。这个故事就是从晚上这些星星的部位来的。
** 织女的名是应为她的工是把天上的云编织出来的。

如果有什么错误，请不要介意。

English:
Qi Xi is also known as Chinese's Valentine's Day, falls on the 7th day of the 7th Lunar Calendar month. Coincidentally, tomorrow happens to be the 7ths day of the 7th month in the Lunar Calendar. Have you all heard of the story behind this day? This story is also known as 'NiuLang ZhiNu', literally meaning 'The Cow Sheppard and the Weaver Girl', which i think is quite a touching story. The story is as follows:

Once upon a time there was this cow sheppard named NiuLang. He's very poor and also very lonely. He doesn't have anything, he only have his cow as his good friend. One day, he saw 7 angels bathing in a lake. His cow cheekily asked him to steal their clothes. NiuLang listened to his cow and proceed to steal their clothes. Once the angles had finished their bath, they realised that their clothes are missing and therefore could not get out from the lake. They asked their youngest sister, ZhiNu, to go out and find their clothes. ZhiNu went out of the lake to find their clothes and met NiuLang. NiuLang returned their clothes to ZhiNu, however, because NiuLang has seen ZhiNu's naked body, she has no choice but to marry him. After receiving their clothes back, ZhiNu's 6 sisters flew back to the heavens, leaving ZhiNu to be together with NiuLang.

They lived together for a few years. They lived a blissful life, happily together, and loved each other very much. They even had two children, a boy and a girl. Although they have lived together for a few years, but in the realm of the heavens, it has only been a few days. One day, the Jade Emperor realised that ZhiNu as a angel is in the realm of man, living together with NiuLang and thus the Jade Emperor angrily brought ZhiNu back into the heavens. NiuLang and his two children are very sad and wanted to go and meet ZhiNu very much. At this point, NiuLang's cow told him that if NiuLang killed him, and then wear his cow hide, he will be able to go to the heavens and meet ZhiNu. NiuLang sadly killed the cow and then wear on the cow hide. He placed his children into two buckets, one on the left and the other on the right, and then brought them together to the heavens to find ZhiNu.

Just when NiuLang was about to be together with ZhiNu, the Jade Emperor realised this incident, and he summoned a river across them to separate them. This river is our Milky Way. NiuLang and ZhiNu is thus separated this way forever. However, their love for each other is so deep, and they continue to stay by the river side and gazed at each other. Seeing that their love for each other is so deep, the Jade Emperor felt touched. Therefore he decided to let them meet each other once a year, on the 7th day of the 7th month. Every year on the 7th day of the 7th month, all the magpies in the world will fly together and form a magpie bridge across the river for them to meet. It is said that if it rained on this particular day, it is the tears of NiuLang and ZhiNu as they cry over their misery.

This is the story of NiuLang and ZhiNu, 'The Cow Sheppard and the Weaver Girl'. There are many variations to this story, however they are all similar. Some version said that it was ZhiNu's mother who separated them. Another said that they were originally separated forever in this manner, however all the magpies in the world felt pity for them and decided to form a magpie bridge on the 7th day of the 7th month for them to meet. I do not know which version is the more accurate version, however this is the story behind Qi Xi, or Chinese's Valentine's Day.

* NiuLang is also known as the Altair star whereas ZhiNu is also known as the Vega star. They are both very bright stars that are located on the west and east of the Milky Way respectively. This story is based on the stars position at night.
** ZhiNu, weaver girl, is thus named because her job was to weave the clouds in the sky.

If there has been any mistakes, please dont bear it in mind.