"The Night of Peace" is a Chinese folktale.

Long ago, the Jade Emperor of the Heavens called upon one of his beloved gods, Hou Yi, to help him in a terrible task. But Hou Yi failed, and so the emperor banished both Hou Yi and his wife, Chang E, from heaven. As punishment, he sent them to Earth.

Hou Yi did not mind life on Earth and traveled everywhere and taught with wisdom. But Chang E, who had always been a beauty, soon became bored. As she grew older, she began to notice that her eyes no longer sparkled, her hair did not shine as it had, her skin was growing wrinkled, her body felt tired, and soon she blamed her husband for her misery. She loved him still, but she no longer sang to him or kissed him or spoke to him sweetly. Instead, she wept and complained.

Hou Yi longed to find a way to take his wife back to heaven, and one day one of his students heard of his quest.

Now this young man, Han Cho, envied his teacher and wished Hou Yi dead, for then people might think Han Cho was the wisest man.

And so, pretending concern, Han Cho told Hou Yi of the royal woman who lived atop Kunlun Mountain. "She has the elixir of immortality," said Han Cho. "If you climb to the top of the mountain, you can get the elixir, and you and your wife will again become immortal and happy."

Han Cho did not tell his teacher that many people had died in their efforts to climb that mountain. And the next day, Hou Yi set out for the mountain.

Raging storms attacked poor Hou Yi as he climbed, but he withstood them and the exhaustion and pain. After many days, he reached the peak.

Impressed by Hou Yi's courage and strength, the royal woman gave him the immortality elixir.

"The elixir will work only on the 15th night of the eighth lunar month under a bright, fat, full moon," she warned Hou Yi.

Hou Yi was overjoyed. Clutching the bottle, he set out for home, moving as quickly as he could, for this was the eighth night of the eighth lunar month. He had no time to lose.

Hou Yi reached home on the 12th night. He embraced his wife. "My love," he whispered, "I have brought the elixir of immortality. In three nights we will drink this, and together we shall return to heaven."

Chang E at once began to prepare for the night.

Now Han Cho had to do something to stop his teacher from being even more important. That evening he greeted his teacher with false warmth.

"Hou Yi, oh great teacher," he exclaimed slyly, "it is good you have the elixir of immortality. It is only too bad you do not have the elixir that would restore your wife's youth. Alas, it is at the top of the Tienshan Mountains, but you must take the elixir of immortality in just three days."

"I can make it there and back in time," Hou Yi said. He would surprise Chang E on the 15th night.

"Do not tell her where I've gone," he said to Han Cho, and with these words he set off.

On the morning of the 15th night of the eighth lunar month, Chang E called to her husband. "Are you ready for our journey tonight?"

When he did not respond, she searched for him. As she passed through the courtyard, she came upon Han Cho. "Have you seen my husband?" she asked.

The young man bowed. "I have, but I must not tell you where he has gone."

Chang E was furious. "You must," she commanded.

Han Cho looked down, pretending that his master had done something shameful. "He has gone to the Tienshan Mountains," the student said.

"And why has he gone there?" asked Chang E.

"I cannot tell you," he said.

Mortified, Chang E imagined her husband had abandoned her. When he had not returned by sunset, she looked up and her heart swelled with longing, remembering the life she had lived in heaven. So she drank every last drop of the elixir.

Chang E began to feel light, and the softest breeze lifted her and carried her high. Just as she had risen out of reach, Hou Yi returned from his journey.

He raced into the courtyard, and on the ground he saw the empty bottle. He looked up and saw his wife, drifting away.

"Chang E, how could you betray me this way?" he cried, and he reached for his bow and arrow, but he could not shoot. He tossed the bow and arrow away and sank to his knees to weep.

Chang E saw her husband below. Realizing they could no longer be together, she called out to him. As she looked she saw a terrible thing. Han Cho held the bow and arrow in his hand, aiming at Hou Yi.

"Stop! No!" she cried, but the arrow flew from the bow and hit its mark, instantly killing Hou Yi.

Chang E could not bear the thought of living in heaven without her love, and so she went to the moon. There she hid behind a tree and wept, and when the gods saw what had happened to this once-loving couple, they took pity on them.

And so, each year on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, on those nights when the moon is bright and fat and full, the gods permit Chang E and Hou Yi to reunite for just that night.

That is the night, people say, that all humankind is united in love, and we are all one, and at peace.