Chinese

A Mid-Autumn Festival story for children. A long, long time ago, so long that the stars hadn’t yet learned to twinkle, the sky had ten suns. Yes, ten! Each sun was a bright golden child of the Sky Emperor. They took turns crossing the heavens, one each day, lighting the world, warming the earth, and letting people plant their crops. For many centuries, everything was peaceful. When one sun finished his journey, he would dive behind the mountains and the next would rise. The people sang songs of gratitude, and the earth bloomed. ...

If you look up at the night sky on a clear evening, you might see a group of seven bright stars shaped like a big spoon. That’s called the Big Dipper. In Chinese, it’s known as Bei Dou (北斗, the Northern Dipper). In Chinese stories, the Big Dipper isn’t just a group of stars. It’s believed to be a group of heavenly beings — seven shining stars who help the Jade Emperor, the great ruler of the heavens, keep balance in the world. ...

A long, long time ago, in ancient China, there lived a mighty emperor. His palace was grand, filled with marble floors, tall red pillars, and golden dragons carved into the doors. People from every corner of the land brought him treasures — silk as soft as clouds, jade that shone like the moon, and jewels that sparkled brighter than the stars. But none of these made the emperor’s heart truly happy. ...