Yuanxiao Festival Story
元宵节的故事(上)
This story explains the legend behind the Lantern Festival (元宵節) — why people light lanterns, and why the sweet rice dumplings called “yuanxiao” share their name with the festival itself.
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Story
漢武帝的時候,有個年輕可愛的宮女名叫元宵。汉武帝的时候,有个年轻可爱的宫女名叫元宵。
她很會做湯圓,也很愛做湯圓。她很会做汤圆,也很爱做汤圆。
宮裡還有一個名叫東方朔的人,他很聰明,也很善良,而且對人很好。宫里还有一个名叫东方朔的人,他很聪明,也很善良,而且对人很好。
這天,東方朔正在看書,元宵送來一碗湯圓說:「休息一下吧。」这天,东方朔正在看书,元宵送来一碗汤圆说:“休息一下吧。”
「哇!太好了,我最喜歡吃你做的湯圓了。」“哇!太好了,我最喜欢吃你做的汤圆了。”
東方朔放下書,很高興的吃了一大口。东方朔放下书,很高兴的吃了一大口。
「怎麼了?」東方朔發現到元宵好像不高興,所以問她。“怎么了?”东方朔发现到元宵好像不高兴,所以问她。
「沒有什麼,只是有點想家,可是我再也看不他們了……。」元宵哭著說。“没有什么,只是有点想家,可是我再也看不他们了……。”元宵哭着说。
「不要難過,我一定會想個辦法讓你跟家人見面。」東方朔說。“不要难过,我一定会想个办法让你跟家人见面。”东方朔说。
可是要怎麼辦呢?東方朔想了很久終於想到了。可是要怎么办呢?东方朔想了很久终于想到了。
他請元宵的妹妹假扮火神的使者,自己再回到長安大街上賣起卦來。他请元宵的妹妹假扮火神的使者,自己再回到长安大街上卖起卦来。
但是來求卦的人,不管問什麼,得到的答案都是一樣的:「正月十六火焚身!」但是来求卦的人,不管问什么,得到的答案都是一样的:“正月十六火焚身!”
「先生,怎麼會這樣?」“先生,怎么会这样?”
大家都非常害怕。大家都非常害怕。
還有人說:「如果大家都是『正月十六火焚身』,那是不是正月十六那一天長安城會有大火呢?」还有人说:“如果大家都是‘正月十六火焚身’,那是不是正月十六那一天长安城会有大火呢?”
大家聽了,都害怕得不得了!大家听了,都害怕得不得了!
東方朔大聲說:「讓我來算算看,看能不能有解決的方法?」东方朔大声说:“让我来算算看,看能不能有解决的方法?”
然後他嘆了口氣說:「我只能算出正月十三,那天傍晚火神的使者會騎著灰驢從長安西北方過來,我們必須問火神的使者該怎麼辦。」然后他叹了口气说:“我只能算出正月十三,那天傍晚火神的使者会骑着灰驴从长安西北方过来,我们必须问火神的使者该怎么办。”
English Translation
During the time of Emperor Wu of Han, there was a young and lovely palace maid named Yuanxiao. She was very skilled at making sweet rice dumplings (tangyuan) and loved making them. There was also a man in the palace named Dongfang Shuo, who was very clever, kind, and treated people well.
One day, Dongfang Shuo was reading a book when Yuanxiao brought him a bowl of tangyuan and said, “Take a break for a bit.”
“Wow! Great, I love eating the tangyuan you make the most.” Dongfang Shuo put down his book and happily took a big bite.
“What’s wrong?” Dongfang Shuo noticed that Yuanxiao seemed unhappy, so he asked her.
“It’s nothing, I just miss home a little. But I’ll never get to see them again……” Yuanxiao said, crying.
“Don’t be sad, I will definitely find a way for you to meet your family again,” said Dongfang Shuo.
But what could he do? Dongfang Shuo thought for a long time and finally figured it out. He asked Yuanxiao’s younger sister to disguise herself as a messenger of the Fire God, while he himself went back to the streets of Chang’an to tell fortunes. But no matter what the people who came for fortune-telling asked, they all got the same answer: “On the 16th day of the first month, fire will consume your body!”
“Sir, how could this be?” Everyone was terrified. Someone also said, “If everyone gets the fortune ‘fire will consume your body on the 16th,’ does that mean there will be a great fire in Chang’an on that day?” Hearing this, everyone was extremely frightened!
Dongfang Shuo said loudly, “Let me calculate and see if there’s a solution.”
Then he sighed and said, “I can only calculate that on the 13th day of the first month, at dusk, the Fire God’s messenger will ride a grey donkey from the northwest of Chang’an. We must ask the Fire God’s messenger what to do.”

