The Firebender and The Water Maid (Zutara)

The Firebender and The Water Maid

A long time ago, there lived a young firebender. His mother had died and his father was cruel to him. One day his father and sister drove him out of their home. A farmer took pity on him and offered him a meal a day and a bed of straw to sleep on. The only thing he was required to do was care for the farmer's only livestock, an aged Ox. From then on, the boy spent his days with the animal as his only companion. Despite his old age, the Ox was quite handsome with a golden coat. The boy suspected something heavenly about his friend.

One day when the pair was out on the hills, the Ox turned to the boy and, to his surprise, said, "Zuko, you are my friend and have looked after me diligently. Now, I am old and soon I will pass away. My time on the earth is done. I will return to my place in the heavens where I am the alpha star of the constellation of the ox. Before I go, I wish to see you married."

Zuko did not know how to respond. He knew not a single girl, much less one willing to marry him. The Ox noted his confusion and said, "Listen carefully to me, for this is what you must do. Today is the seventh day of the month. This night the seven weaving maids of the skies will float down to bathe in the river. You will see their clothes on the bank. The seventh daughter wears robes of blue. Sneak down quietly and steal her clothes. In this way you will meet her, for she will call out and demand the return of her robes."

Zuko sighed, for the river was far away on the other side of the mountain, and he would never reach the river by nightfall. The celestial Ox saw, once again, Zuko was at a loss -but he had a solution to this dilemma as well. He told the firebender to climb onto his back. Then the pair flew through the skies to the banks of the river.

When they arrived, Zuko stepped down from his friend's back and swiftly hid behind a jade tree. Towards midnight, he heard splashing and giggling. He looked around the tree and saw the maidens swimming and playing in the water. He crawled stealthily forward and stole the blue robes of the seventh daughter of the skies.

When the maidens had finished washing and frolicking, they came out onto the bank. But where were the blue robes of the seventh daughter? They knew right away someone has stolen them. The girl without clothes hid behind a bush to cover her modesty. Her sisters called out, "Reveal yourself, whoever you are. It is not wise to play pranks on immortals. Our father is the King of Heaven. He knows how to punish naughty human folk."

Zuko saw the funny side of the situation and felt brave. He stepped forward holding up the blue robes. He called, "Beautiful maiden, seventh daughter of the skies, agree to marry me, and I will return your clothes to you."

It was such a cheeky proposal the other maidens laughed. The seventh daughter, behind the bush, was furious -but in a way she was impressed by the brazen boy. She had to admit he was good looking for a human, and there was something about him.

Her eldest sister said, "Katara, listen to the lad. You cannot leave without your clothes. If you do not accept we must leave you here."

"Throw me my clothes and I'll think about it." Katara said from behind the bush. Zuko threw her the clothes. "Now will you marry me?" He demanded. "I'll let you know." She replied. Her sisters gasped and giggled. "Don't miss your chance," said the eldest, "I bet a good looking lad like his has many proposals. It's not every day an maiden of the skies gets an offer. Think about it. How many men want to marry a cloud?" So Katara, now fully clothed in blue, stepped out from behind the bush. She held out her hand, and Zuko kissed it. She agreed to be his wife. Her sisters flew away to the skies where they continued as usual to flit across the heavens in the form of fluffy clouds. By contrast, Katara lived on earth with her firebender. She took the shape of a most beautiful woman. From that day on, Zuko's fortunes prospered. The farmer adopted him as his son and gave him a wedding gift of land and livestock. His mean father and sister could only look on enviously at his prosperity. The firebender lived happily with his heavenly wife, and three years later they had twins - a beautiful boy and girl. The only sadness in their lives was that the dear old Ox had passed away. They had a comfort in that they could look up at the sky and see him twinkling in the sky at night.

Up in the heavens, the passing of three years is like three days to the gods. The Queen of the Heavens began to notice that the dawn and the evening clouds had lost their indigo tint. She realised that the seventh weaving maiden, she of the blue robes, has gone missing. She scanned the earth with her all-seeing eye, and spotted the happy couple living in a humble home.

"That is not fit for a divine maiden!" She shouted. The whole sky was then filled with a terrible thunder storm. Mad with fury, she sent her heavenly solders to the farmhouse. They delivered the queens's message to her daughter. She must return to the skies, or face the destruction of her family and children. With great sadness, she had no choice. She had to go back to heaven. The soldiers escorted her, leaving her wailing children and husband behind.

For the first time since the night at the river, the firebender was in despair and did not know what to do. He looked up into the heavens and saw the twinkling star of his friend the ox. Then he remembered that when the mortal form of the ox had died, he had kept his hide. He took the ox skin down from the wall, and spread it out on the floor like a carpet. When he sat down on it, the hide began to fly, and it lifted him up to the heavens and swept him away to the palace of the Jade Emperor who rules all heaven and earth. There he found himself in front of the throne of the heavenly mother.

The firebender fell down on his knees and prayed, "Oh, Queen of heaven, I have come to reclaim my wife. I married her lawfully and she must live with me as long as she loves me as I love her."

But the queen flew into a fury. "How dare you, a mere mortal, marry my daughter through trickery, and then follow us up to heaven and make your insolent demand!"

Zuko trembled, thinking that his last moment had come. The queen reached up to her headdress, and pulled out a silver hairpin. She cast it across the heavens. It scattered silver across the skies, spreading stardust in its wake.

In the West we know the result as the milky way. In China they call it the Silver River. Now Zuko and Katara stand on either side of the river and gaze all year long at each other. But on their anniversary, years later, even the hard heart of the queen of heaven relented and the firebender and his weaving maid were reunited once more.

The End