很久以前，大羿到山中狩猎的时候，在一棵月桂树下遇到嫦娥， 二人便以月桂树为媒，结为夫妻。
嫦娥墓到了帝尧的时代，天上出现了十个太阳，烧焦了庄稼，烤死 了草木，人民没有了食物。同时猰貐[yà yǔ]、凿齿、九婴、大风、封豖[chù]希、 修蛇等妖魔鬼怪也开始危害百姓。 于是帝尧命令大羿将凿齿处死在畴[chóu] 华之野，将九婴诛杀于凶水之上，将大风战败于青邱之泽，射掉天上 多余的太阳，杀死猰貐，将修蛇斩于洞庭，在桑林逮住封豖希。万民 欢喜，拥戴尧为天子。
后来，大羿从西王母那里得到了不死药，交给嫦娥保管。逢蒙听说 后前去偷窃，偷窃不成就要加害嫦娥。情急之下，嫦娥吞下不死药飞 到了天上。由于不忍心离开大羿，嫦娥滞留在月亮广寒宫。广寒宫里 寂寥难耐， 于是就催促吴刚砍伐桂树， 让玉兔捣药， 想配成飞升之药，好早日回到人间与大羿团聚。
大羿听说娥奔月之后，痛不欲生。月母为二人的真诚所感动，于是 允许嫦娥每年在月圆之日下界与大羿在月桂树下相会。 据说民间有好 多人都曾经听到大羿与嫦娥在月桂树下窃窃私语呢。
嫦娥原来是一个美丽善良的村姑，她勤劳朴实活泼可爱，尤其有着一颗金子般闪亮的心，她总是千方百计地为百姓做好事。嫦娥有个恋人叫后羿，是个神箭手，也是个好后生。
有一天，嫦娥与几个要好的女伴在村边小河旁洗衣。不料，无所事事、心术不正的河神河伯正闲逛到此。他见到嫦娥的沉鱼落雁之容，顿时惊为天人，便一抹脸变成一个英俊的小伙子，觍[tiǎn]着脸走过去跟嫦娥搭话。嫦娥见他不怀好意便急忙躲开，可是河伯露出了狰狞的真面目，要强抢嫦娥入水。正在这危急关头，后羿来到了，他一看，顿时气得剑眉倒竖，怒发冲冠。他拈弓搭箭，“嗖”地一声，射瞎了河伯的一只眼睛。河伯疼痛难忍，大叫一声，便跳下河去。
经过这件事，嫦娥和后羿恐怕夜长梦多，便提早成婚。婚后，二人过得非常幸福。当然，他们并没完全沉浸在小家庭的美满快乐之中，两颗善良的心总想为乡亲们我做些好事。
有一年，天空出现了十个太阳，大地都快要着火了。人们无法耕种，无法生活，处于被灭绝的灾难之中。后羿便决心要射掉那多余的九个太阳，拯救百姓于火海之中。他天天挥汗如雨，苦苦练习射术。可是，河伯对他恨之入骨，不断地前来骚扰，他发誓要报一箭之仇，更要抢到他一直贪恋着的美女嫦娥。为此，后羿十分烦躁分心。
有一天，一位大仙给了后羿一丸仙药，好心告诉他，河伯报仇心切，他将要面临一场大祸，如若吃了这丸药，便可摆脱人间的一切磨难和烦恼，升入月宫中;可是，首先得能耐住孤独寂寞的煎熬。后羿听后，心绪不宁地回到家中，将仙的话如实地告知了嫦娥，便疲倦地睡着了。
说者无心，听者有意。嫦娥坐立不安了，她在房中走来走去，看着一天比一天消瘦的丈夫，她心里非常痛苦。她深爱着后羿，绝不愿他遭受任何磨难的折磨，可是，她又想到丈夫身上还肩负着射掉九个太阳的重任，正受着烧烤之灾的乡亲们需要他去拯救。嫦娥心中十分明白，河伯对于丈夫的威胁，都源于自己。河伯对她仍没有死心，为了得到她，什么坏事都做得出来，怎么办呢？嫦娥想着，想着，突然，她心中闪过一个念头：为了让河伯对她死了心，为了让丈夫排除一切杂念和干扰，全心全意地去射掉九个太阳为民服务，她决心牺牲自己。主意打定，她就急忙找出仙药，吞了下去。
过了一会儿，后羿醒了，他发现嫦娥心神不定，脸上泛着神奇的红光，很是诧异，又觉不祥。嫦娥深情地望着丈夫，她知道与丈夫在一起的时间不多了，便眼含泪水嘱咐丈夫要好好珍重自己，请求丈夫原谅她不能再尽到做妻子的义务了。话犹未尽，嫦娥只觉得心中恍惚，身子突然变轻了，接着，双脚离地竟飞了起来，她边往天上飞边回头高声叫着：“后羿，我的好夫君，永别了！要珍重！”
嫦娥冉冉上升，飞进了月亮中那寂寞、冷清的广寒宫，做了月中仙女。然而，这里没有亲人，没有欢笑，只有一只惹人怜爱的玉兔相偎依，只有那总在砍着桂树却总也砍不倒的吴刚相陪伴。
自从嫦娥牺牲自己，飞上月宫后，后羿把痛苦、惆怅化作了力量。后羿明白妻子的作为是替自己和百姓着想的缘故，他深深地被感动和激励着，日夜苦练着射箭的本领，终于战胜了河伯的挑战，射掉了九个危害生灵的太阳，拯救了人类。人间有了欢乐，乡亲们过上安宁祥和的日子。
天帝也被嫦娥和后羿这种为了乡亲们的幸福而牺牲自己的精神感动了，后来，便封后羿为天将，于中秋佳节日使二人重逢团圆。从此，嫦娥和后羿在天上过上了幸福美满的生活。同时，天帝还规定月亮每月十五一圆，以祝愿花好月圆夜，天下有情人成眷属。
Chang'e Flies to the Moon
A long, long time ago, a terrible drought plagued the earth. Ten suns burned fiercely in the sky like smoldering volcanoes that scorched the trees and grass, cracked and parched the land and dried up the river. Many people died of hunger and thirst.
The King of Heaven sent Hou Yi down to the earth to help. When Hou arrived, he took out his red bow and white arrows and shot down the nine suns, one after another. The weather immediately got cooler, heavy rains filled the rivers with fresh water, and the grass and trees turned green. Life was restored and humanity was saved.
One day, a charming, young woman, Chang'e, was on her way home from a stream, holding a bamboo container. A young man approached her and asked for a drink. When Chang'e saw the red bow and white arrows around his belt, she immediately recognized him as the savior, Hou Yi. Offering him a drink, Chang'e plucked a beautiful flower and gave it to him as a token of respect. Hou, in turn, selected a beautiful silver fox fur as his gift to her. This encounter sparked their love for one another and they were soon married.
A mortal's life, however, is limited, so, to enjoy a happy life with Chang'e forever, Hou decided to look for the elixir of life. Hou traveled to the Kunlun Mountains where the Western Queen Mother lived.
Out of respect for his good deeds, the Western Queen Mother rewarded Hou with the elixir, a fine powder made from fruit kernels that grew on the tree of eternity. She told him that he and his wife would both enjoy eternal life only if they drank it together. If only one of them took it, he or she alone would ascend to the heaven and become immortal.
Hou and his wife decided to drink the elixir together on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month when the moon was full and bright.
But a wicked and merciless man named Feng Meng overheard their plan. He wished Hou an early death so that he could drink the elixir himself and become immortal. One day, when the full moon was rising, Feng killed Hou on his way home from hunting. The murderer then arrived at Hou's home demanding Chang'e to give him the elixir. Without a moment's hesitation, Chang'e picked up the elixir and drank every last drop of it.
Overcome with grief, she rushed to her dead husband's side, weeping bitterly. Soon the elixir began to take effect and Chang'e felt herself being lifted towards the heaven.
Chang'e decided to live on the moon because it was closest to the earth. There, she led a simple and contented life, although her heart remained in the mortal world. Chang'e never forgot her deep love for Hou and the people who had shared in their sadness and joys.
It is said that Chang'e transformed herself into moonlight and descended onto the earth to offer good fortune. Thus, couples declare their mutual love under the full moon and separated lovers pray to be reunited under the full moon.
嫦娥和后裔都是心怀天下的人，可是命运就是爱开玩笑，给了他们如此多的磨难。不过幸运的是他们这种为了乡亲们的幸福而牺牲自我的精神感动了上天，终于二人重逢，从此过上幸福美满的生活。这个故事告诉我们，做人一定要心地善良，要善于站在他人的角度上思考问题，好人终究会有好报的。
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