![Cowherd and Weaver Girl looking at each other from across the Milky Way]
Once upon a time, there was a hard - working and kind - hearted Cowherd. His parents died early, so he had to live with his older brother and sister - in - law. They treated him very badly. They often made him do a lot of heavy work and gave him very little food. One day, his brother and sister - in - law proposed to split the family. They only gave the Cowherd an old ox and drove him out of the house.
The Cowherd didn't complain. He built a simple home on a wasteland with the old ox and tilled the land diligently every day. The old ox seemed to be very understanding. It always accompanied the Cowherd silently and helped him with some farm work.
![Cowherd working in the fields with the old ox by his side]
One day, the old ox suddenly began to speak. It told the Cowherd that if he went to the lake, he would meet the fairies who had come down to earth to take a bath. As long as he hid the clothes of one of the fairies, that fairy would become his wife. Although the Cowherd was very surprised that the old ox could speak, he still did as the old ox said.
The Cowherd came to the lake and indeed saw a group of beautiful fairies playing in the lake. He quietly hid the clothes of one of the fairies. When the fairies came ashore to get dressed after taking a bath, the fairy who had lost her clothes couldn't find it and had to stay by the lake. This fairy was Weaver Girl. She was the granddaughter of the Queen Mother of the West in heaven and was good at weaving. She could weave colorful clouds.
![Weaver Girl looking for her clothes by the lake]
The Cowherd came out, returned the clothes to Weaver Girl, and expressed his love to her. Weaver Girl was touched by the Cowherd's sincerity and kindness, so she stayed on earth and married the Cowherd. They lived a happy life. The man tilled the land and the woman weaved, and they also had a son and a daughter.
![The Cowherd and Weaver Girl's family was very happy]
However, the good times didn't last long. The Queen Mother of the West discovered that Weaver Girl had come down to earth to marry the Cowherd and was furious. She sent heavenly soldiers and generals down to earth to forcibly take Weaver Girl back to heaven. When the Cowherd found that Weaver Girl had been taken away, he was very sad. At this time, the old ox spoke again. It told the Cowherd that after it died, the Cowherd could put on its hide and then he could fly up to heaven to chase Weaver Girl. After saying that, the old ox fell down and died. The Cowherd did as the old ox said. He put on the ox - hide, carried his son and daughter on a pole and chased after heaven.
![The Cowherd, wearing the ox - hide and carrying his children, chased towards heaven]
Just as the Cowherd was about to catch up with Weaver Girl, the Queen Mother of the West took out the golden hairpin on her head and drew a surging Milky Way in the sky, separating the Cowherd and Weaver Girl on both sides of the Milky Way so that they could not meet each other. The Cowherd and Weaver Girl could only look at each other across the Milky Way, sad and tearful. Their faithful love moved the magpies. Countless magpies flew over and used their bodies to build a magpie bridge, allowing the Cowherd and Weaver Girl to meet on the bridge.
![The Cowherd and Weaver Girl meet on the magpie bridge]
The Queen Mother of the West saw this scene and was also touched by their love. Finally, she allowed the Cowherd and Weaver Girl to meet once a year on the magpie bridge on July 7th. Since then, July 7th has become the Qixi Festival every year. People say that on this day, they can hear the Cowherd and Weaver Girl whispering under the grapevine.
