The Hurt Boy and the Weaving Maiden The Hurt Boy and the Weaving Maiden The Hurt Boy was the child of poor people.
When he was twelve years old he took service with a farmer to herd his cow.
After a few days the cow had grown large and fat,
And her hair shone like yellow gold.
She must have been a cow of the gods.
One day while he had her out at a pasture in the mountains she suddenly began to speak to the Hurt Boy in a human voice as follows.
This is the seventh day.
Now the white-chaid ruler has nine daughters,
Who'll bathe this day in the sea of heaven.
The seventh daughter is beautiful and wise beyond all measure.
She spins the cloud silk for the king and queen of heaven and presides over the weaving which maidens do on earth.
It is for this reason she is called the Weaving Maiden,
And if you go and take away her clothes while she bathes you may become her husband and gain immortality.
But she is up in heaven,
Said the Hurt Boy,
And how can I get there?
I will carry you there,
Answered the yellow cow.
So the Hurt Boy climbed on the cow's back.
In a moment clouds began to stream out of her hooves and she rose into the air about his ears.
There was a whistling like the sound of the wind and they flew along as swiftly as lightning.
Suddenly the cow stopped.
Now we are here,
Said she.
Then right about him the Hurt Boy saw forests of crystal frays and trees of jade.
The grass was of jasper and the flowers of coral.
In the midst of all this splendor lay a great four-square sea covering some five hundred acres.
Its green waves rose and fell.
And fish with golden scales were swimming about in it.
In addition there were countless magic birds who winked above it and sang.
Even in the distance the Hurt Boy could see the nine maidens in the water.
They had all laid down their clothes on the shore.
Take the red clothes quickly,
Said the cow,
And hide away with them in the forest.
And though she asks you for them,
Never so sweetly.
Do not give them back to her until she has promised to become your wife.
Then the Hurt Boy hastily got down from the cow's back,
Seized the red clothes and ran away.
At the same moment the nine maidens noticed him and were much frightened.
O youth,
Whence you come?
That you dare to take our clothes,
They cried.
But the Hurt Boy did not let what they said trouble him,
But crouched down behind one of the jade-trees.
Then eight of the maidens hastily came shore and threw on their clothes.
Our seventh sister,
They said,
Whom Heaven has destined to be yours has come to you.
We will leave her alone with you.
The weaving maiden was still crouching in the water,
But the Hurt Boy stood before her and laughed.
If you will promise to be my wife,
Said he,
Then I will give you your clothes.
But this did not suit the weaving maiden.
I am a daughter of the ruler of the gods,
Said she,
And may not marry without his command.
Give back my clothes to me quickly or else my father will punish you.
Then the yellow cow said,
You have been destined for each other by fate,
And I will be glad to arrange your marriage,
And your father,
The ruler of gods,
Will make no objection.
Of that I am sure.
The weaving maiden replied,
You are an unreasoning animal.
How could you arrange our marriage?
The cow said,
Do you see that old willow tree there on the shore?
Just give it a trial and ask it.
If the willow tree speaks,
Then Heaven wishes your union.
And the weaving maiden asked the willow.
The willow replied in a human voice,
This is the seventh day the Hurt Boy is caught to the river Dood Bay.
And the weaving maiden was satisfied with the verdict.
The Hurt Boy laid down her clothes and went on ahead.
The weaving maiden threw them on and followed him.
Thus they became man and wife.
But after seven days she took leave of him.
The ruler of Heaven has ordered me to look after my weaving,
Said she.
If I delay too long I fear that he will punish me.
Yet although we have to part now,
We will meet again in spite of it.
When she had said these words,
She really went away.
The Hurt Boy ran after her.
But when he was quite near,
She took one of the long needles from her hair and drew a line with it across the sky.
And this line turned into the Silver River.
And thus they now stand separated by the river and watch for one another.
And since that time they meet once every year on the eve of the seventh day.
When that time comes,
Then all the crows in the world of men come flying and form a bridge over which the weaving maiden crosses the Silver River.
And on that day you will not see a single crow in the trees from morning to night.
And besides,
A fine rain often falls on the evening of the seventh day.
Then the woman and old grandmother say to one another those are the tears which the Hurt Boy and the weaving maiden shed at parting.
And for this reason the seventh day is a rain festival.
The west of the Silver River is the constellation of the weaving maiden consisting of three stars.
And directly in front of it are three other stars in the form of a triangle.
It is said that once the Hurt Boy was angry because the weaving maiden had not wished to cross the Silver River and had thrown his yoke at her which fell down just in front of her feet.
East of the Silver River is the Hurt Boy's constellation consisting of six stars.
To one side of it are countless little stars which form a constellation pointed at both ends and somewhat broader in the middle.
It is said that the weaving maiden in turn threw her spindle at the Hurt Boy but that she did not hit him the spindle falling down to one side of him.
The End Thank you for listening.
