Chapter 2: The Celestial Robe

Thousands of years ago, when the continents were still filled with spiritual power, gods and humans lived in the same realm. They were only separated by the sky – gods lived in heavens while humans lived on the ground. They rarely ever saw each other since they had very little to do with each other’s affairs.

One day, a farmer named Wang Sheng was ploughing his field with his favourite buffalo, Niu-Niu. While the buffalo was walking around, the till it was carrying scraped against something in the soil.

The object felt soft to the touch but was very durable. Wang Sheng pulled it out in surprise.

“Why, it looks like a robe!” he said to the buffalo, who looked just as astonished as his owner. “Someone must have thrown it away. It’s dirty, but I don’t think it’s in terrible shape. I say, Niu-Niu, let’s try washing it and see if it’s good enough to make something from or sell. I’ll buy you a lovely new bell as well as some of your favourite sprouts to eat.”

Niu-Niu the buffalo nodded in agreement and obediently tilled the rest of the soil while Wang Sheng ran off to wash the robe. How it gleamed when he was done! He hung it out on a line to dry and gazed at it with admiration.

“How beautiful it looks,” he remarked, smiling. “It’s got a hole here and there – but never mind, I’ll mend it. Niu-Niu, let’s finish up and have lunch together!”

Wang Sheng rushed back to the farm to finish his work. Later that evening, he brought the robe indoors to mend it.

The young man was good with his hands. The needle flew in and out neatly – in a thrice the garment was mended and the seams could hardly be seen. Wang Sheng lifted the robe and looked at his handiwork proudly.

“I suppose it wouldn’t matter if I tried it on for a little bit,” he told himself shyly. “No one will know! I’ll sell it at the market tomorrow morning.”

Wang Sheng tried on the robe and it draped around his shoulders beautifully. How exquisite he looked! He was a good-looking fellow – ruddy and tanned a lovely golden in the sun – and the shining robe suited him. Wang Sheng gazed at the copper mirror happily.

“I’ve never had such beautiful clothes before,” he sighed, hugging the robe to his chest. “I do wonder if it’d be alright for me to sleep in it tonight! Just this once!”

Unable to help himself, Wang Sheng took the robe with him to his bedroom. As the night was quite warm, he opened the window by his bed. Then he climbed on and pulled the robe over himself.

“I do feel grand,” said Wang Sheng, smiling happily. Looking outside the window, he called out to his buffalo, who was lying down in a nearby stable. “Goodnight, Niu-Niu!”

“Moo,” said Niu-Niu, nodding. Wang Sheng blew out the candle and shut his eyes.

But oh, oh! What was happening? When the moon rose up, so did Wang Sheng!

Taken aback, Wang Sheng tried to hold on to his bedroom window, but alas, the robe pulled hard. Up he went, floating into the sky. Niu-Niu could hardly believe his eyes when he saw his master fly by!

The robe seemed to have a life of its own. It floated along with Wang Sheng through the clouds and past the shining moon. Presently, it came to a bridge dotted with stars and magpies.

“Is that the famous Bridge of Magpies?” Wang Sheng ventured to ask, but the robe made no reply. It simply continued floating in a brisk pace with Wang Sheng, across the bridge and into a gorgeous palace. There, it landed on the courtyard softly.

“I don’t quite think we should be trespassing, you naughty robe,” chided Wang Sheng. He tried to walk out of the garden, but to his surprise, the robe pulled him back and dragged him under a pavilion.

Despite feeling anxious, Wang Sheng decided to sit down and enjoy the view for a while. The moon shone brightly in the sky and large, silver carps swam lazily in the pond as the little bells hanging on the tree branches tinkled. It was a beautiful courtyard and Wang Sheng was mesmerized by it.

Suddenly, a dry twig snapped behind him. Alarmed, Wang Sheng jumped up and began to run out of the courtyard in top speed. The robe tried to tug him back.

“Don’t you dare bring us back there, you bad robe!” warned Wang Sheng. “We’ve been bad enough, sitting in someone’s garden without invitation. Fly us back home right now or I’ll spank you with my comb!”

As if sighing, the robe appeared to give in and, wrapping itself more securely around the young man, it obediently flew them down the clouds and back to the little farm. Wang Sheng took off the robe and glared at it sternly.

Oddly enough, right after the robe was removed from his body, it returned to being an ordinary robe! It lay still, and after a while of staring, Wang Sheng decided to simply fold it up and keep it on the table instead of wearing it.

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When morning came, Wang Sheng went out of the house to Niu-Niu’s little stable. The buffalo gazed back at him with its sensible, kind eyes.

“Niu-Niu, do you think I ought to bring this robe to the market?” asked Wang Sheng. “I know it can fetch a lot of money, but it does feel a little wrong to simply sell it like that.”

“Moo,” replied Niu-Niu, shaking his large head.

“You’re right,” sighed Wang Sheng. “I’ll bring it to our village centre. Perhaps the shaman can tell us more about the robe.”

Wrapping it in a bundle, Wang Sheng brought the robe to the shaman’s house. When he pulled out the robe and showed it to the old man, the shaman stroked his white beard thoughtfully.

“Wang Sheng, this is a celestial robe,” said the shaman. “Where did you find it?”

“I found it while tilling the soil, sir,” replied Wang Sheng truthfully. “I thought someone had thrown it away, so I decided to mend it. What should I do with it?”

“Well, celestial robes are a little special,” smiled the old man kindly. “They have a mind of their own and are often household pets of the gods themselves. We have very little to do with gods as humans, but I do believe it’d be a nice gesture to return the robe to its owner. It might have wandered off on its own by riding on the body of a passing bird and somehow gotten lost. You see, celestial robes can’t move on their own unless they’re wrapped around the body of a living creature. I suppose this robe has been rather naughty.”

“It has,” grinned Wang Sheng, shaking his head. “Hi, robe, do you hear that? You’ve been punished enough after running away and falling into the mud. I’ll take you home tonight after I finish working and sending Niu-Niu to his stable.”

The robe seemed to tremble excitedly in the bundle and Wang Sheng patted it with a laugh. After dinner, he put on his nicest hairpin and donned the robe.

How the robe rejoiced! It floated around the room twice, making Wang Sheng dance with it, and then right out of the window and into the starry sky. Niu-Niu mooed farewell.

“I’ll be back soon!” Wang Sheng called to his favourite buffalo. Off he floated, past the clouds, across the moon and over the shining bridge. Once again the robe brought him to the courtyard of the beautiful palace.

“I suppose I’ll just take you off and leave you here,” said Wang Sheng, folding the robe and putting it on the little table under the pavilion. “Don’t run off again on your own, you silly robe. Farewell!”

And so, skipping out of the palace, Wang Sheng asked for directions back to the human world. A large crane who happened to be passing by offered him a ride home, and soon the young man found himself back in his little farm again. Thanking the bird by giving it a rice cake, Wang Sheng climbed into bed and fell asleep.

About a week later, Wang Sheng woke up one moonlit night to a rattling at his doorway. When he went to answer the door, he was surprised to see a handsome young man wearing the robe he had returned.

“I’m Tse Ming, the heavenly General Tse’s younger brother,” said the young man. “I’ve come here to thank you for returning my robe. I’m sorry it took me so long to drop by – my brother’s kept me busy this past week, you see.”

Wang Sheng nodded. General Tse was a famous heavenly general who sometimes visited the mortal world when he was running errands there. He visited the underworld often too, so many people in all three realms knew who he was.

“Don’t mention it,” Wang Sheng waved a hand kindly. “Hi, robe! It’s good to see you again!”

“It’s glad to see you too,” laughed Tse Ming, as the robe attempted to caper about. “Say, why don’t you visit my home tonight? I’ve received some cakes from my brother-in-law and have no one to eat them with. They’re from the underworld, you know – very unique in flavour.”

“Ooh! I’d love to, if you don’t mind!” Wang Sheng accepted the invitation happily. The robe was overjoyed.

“It’s settled then!” said Tse Ming, grinning. “And here, you can put on the robe. I’ve got another one with me. It’d be great if you could visit every week too, since the old robe here likes you very much. It’s been pestering me all week to come and see you – and I’m glad I did!”

And so the two flew off to the heavens to have tea together. Now Wang Sheng visits at least once a week after work – how the villagers stare when they see the pair float by their rooftops!

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