Return to Main PageChih-nii and the Cowhearder
Chih-nii was the divine daughter of the August Personage of Jade, and for him she always spun seamless robes of brocade and clouds. As a reward, her father married her to the Heavenly Cowherd whom she came to love so dearly that she neglected her spinning. Her father became so angry that he separated them by casting one to the right of the Heavenly River (Milky Way) and one to the left. Chih-nii and the Cowherd were allowed to see each other only once a year.
Another version of this story adds many colorful details. It is a popular legend in China and the source of frequent poetic allusions:
The Cowherd, a simple-minded mortal, was advised by his ox (a genius in disguise) that he could secure a beautiful wife cheaply by hiding the clothes of a girl bathing in the river on a certain day. He followed the ox's directions and hid a maiden's clothes in the well. The maiden happened to be the Heavenly Spinster, who had ventured to earth with friends for a little fun, but could not return to heaven without her clothes. The Cowherd then took the opportunity to marry her. After the couple had been married several years and had born a son and daughter, the Heavenly Spinster again sought her clothes. When the Cowherd revealed the hiding place, to his surprise his wife put on her clothes and immediately returned to heaven. The Cowherd and his children, stricken with grief, consulted the ox which then bore them to heaven. In heaven the cowherd told his tale to the August Personage of Jade. When the August Personage of Jade verified the story with the Heavenly Spinster, he made the Cowherd immortal and lord over a star to the west of the River (Milky Way). The Spinster ruled over a star to the East and the two had permission to meet once every seven days. It was because of a miscommunication that they thought they could meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh month. That is what they have always done, and on that day all magpies fly to heaven with a twig to form a bridge so that the Spinster and Cowherd can cross the river.
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Last Updated: January 6, 2003