Silver Robes (the Chinese legend behind Ceres)
Once, there were 10 sisters from the sky.The were the Star maidens. Every night, after the sun set, they would come down to swim and bathe until the sun awoke. They each had silver robes, beautifully embroidered with pictures of the sky, each different. Whenever they bathed, they sat their robes next to the lake and swam to the middle of the lake to swim and bathe. When the sun rose, they would put on their robes and then rise into the sky once again. This went on for centuries without no one knowing.
One night, a young farmer who worked later than usual was walking home. He suddenly heard giggling behind some bushes. Silently, he pushed the bushes aside and saw maidens swimming and bathing. He wanted to be near them, but he knew they would run from him. So every night, he stayed up every night, watching them.
One night, while working, he fell asleep. His landlord as out of town, so the landlord's wife was overlooking the farmers. When she saw the farmer sleeping , she woke him up and asked if he was sleeping enough. The farmer said no. He told her everything. She knew these were the Star Maidens.
" I would love one of them to be my wife," the farmer told her.
"Find their robes, and take one. when they look for their robes, the maiden, who you took the robe from, will go after you. Without them, she can never return to the sky. lock it in a box if you wish her to stay," she instructed him.
"Thank you!" he answered.
That night, after the maidens flew down, took off their robes, and began to bathe, he took the most beautiful silver robe and went home. He locked it his cleanest box. He sat on a chair and waited.
When the maidens got dressed, the youngest couldn't find her robe, fallowed her senses to the farmer's house. She asked for her robes back. he ignored her and asked her to become his wife. She asked if they were married, would he return her robe back. once again, he ignored her and didn't say a thing. the maiden sensing that her only hope was to marry him. She said fine, i'll marry you. They were married, and she bore him many children.
But when the Star Maidens found out, they no longer returned to earth or shown again. Therefore, there was no night. So the sun shown 24/7. Crops died, water was scarce. When people found out the reason, they went and begged that the farmer would let her return to heaven to be with her sisters so they might have night once more. The farmer finally agreed.
He unlocked the box and handed her the robe. For the first time since he first talked to her, she smiled. She said good by to her sons and took her three daughters and flew up to join her star sisters.
At night, the farmer would look up at the sky and see his beloved wife and daughters, shining back and him.