Hou Yi Shoots Down the Suns
"Hou Yi Shoots the Suns" is an ancient Chinese myth, recorded in old books like the Huainanzi and the Classic of Mountains and Seas. Legend says there were once ten suns in the sky, scorching the earth dry — and Hou Yi shot down nine of them in one go, leaving one for the world. Hou Yi's wife was Chang'e, whose own story "Chang'e Flies to the Moon" came later.
Long, long ago, there were ten suns in the sky. They were ten brothers, and they all loved to shine.
But ten suns together made the world too hot. The rivers dried up, and the crops wilted under the burning sun.
A great archer named Hou Yi heard their cries. His bow was strong, and his heart was kind.
Hou Yi climbed the tallest mountain and looked up at the ten suns. He placed one arrow on his bow.
Twang! The arrow flew up to the sky, and the first sun went out and fell softly from the sky.
Hou Yi shot arrow after arrow. One by one, the suns went out and slipped from the sky.
Nine suns had gone. One kind sun stayed in the sky, smiling down with gentle light.
The people danced and cheered around Hou Yi. From that day on, they called him a hero.
