Cowherd and Weaver

China has rich oral literature containing numerous legends, among which, Cowherd and Weaver, Fairy Descending to Human World, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, and Madame White Snake are the top four most-told love stories. These beautiful stories have been repeatedly told, generation by generation, in families regardless rich or poor, educated or illiterate, traditional or modern. Some of the stories began to be documented in books some 1600 years ago. Later on they appeared on stage. In the past century, they have been adapted into movies and TV shows. A folksong based on the legend Fairy Descending to Human World has become one of the most popular songs in China, and a violin concerto based on the legend Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai has become the representative masterpiece of Chinese music.

The legends are popular not only in China, but also in Asian countries. All lovers in the legends ended up in a tragedy. In "Cowherd and Weaver", the lovers were separated by the Milky Way; in "Fairy Descending to Human World", the wife was forced to stay in Heaven while the husband lived on Earth; in "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai", the lovers were not allowed to marry alive but they were buried in the same tomb; and in "Madame White Snake", the wife was restrained under a seven-story stone tower. These stories usually bring the readers to tears. However, they were so beautiful that one would find it hard to stop reading.

As China goes global, Chinese culture begins to be loved by people in Western countries. However, it is still difficult to find English versions of these stories. Therefore, I publish this book, where the four stories are formatted into poetic form, so that they would be more interesting.

This book is not a translation. Some creative ideas have been contributed to this book. Readers who have loved Chinese culture can compare this book with other versions.