A long time ago in ancient China, there lived a kind and wise ruler named Empress Lin. She had become the leader after her brother, the emperor, passed away. Empress Lin was tall and strong and loved by the people because she always tried to protect them.
But there was trouble in the land. A powerful and angry man named Bo wanted to take over the kingdom. Bo had strange powers and could control water and storms. When he didn’t get his way, he caused a giant flood that covered the villages and farms. People had to climb onto roofs and trees just to stay safe.
Empress Lin knew she had to stop Bo and save her people. She sent her bravest general, Kai, to fight Bo. Kai was strong and fast, and he led the army to Bo’s castle. When Bo saw them coming, he used his powers to create another flood. The soldiers were swept away, and it looked like all hope was lost.
Just when things seemed the worst, a bright light appeared in the sky. It was the Fire Spirit, a giant from the far South who could control heat and flames. He came to help Empress Lin because he had seen how hard she worked to care for her people.
The Fire Spirit told the soldiers to gather a special kind of plant. They burned the plants into ashes and tossed them into the rising flood. The ashes turned the water into thick mud, which stopped the flood from spreading.
Bo was angry. He charged into battle, but the Fire Spirit was too strong. After a long fight, Bo ran away. He was so upset that he slammed into a mountain. The crash was so loud it shook the earth. A giant crack formed in the sky, and one of the tall pillars that held up the heavens broke. Fire poured out of the mountain. Crops burned, and the sky stayed dark, even during the day.
Empress Lin knew she had to fix what had been broken. She told her people to find stones in five colors—red, blue, yellow, white, and black. When they brought them to her, she ground the stones into powder and mixed them with a special paste.
Then she climbed a tall mountain and called to the clouds. The clouds came down and lifted her into the sky. She flew to the broken corner of the heavens and gently patched the sky with the colorful paste. Then she flew to the broken pillar and fixed it with the leg of a giant turtle, which was strong and steady.
When she came back down to earth, the sky was still dark. The sun and moon had not returned. People worried that they would live in darkness forever.
Empress Lin sent her fastest messengers to find the Sun and the Moon and tell them the roads in the sky were safe again. The messengers traveled far, high above the clouds. At last, they reached the palace of the Sun and the Moon.
“We are afraid to return,” said the Moon. “We heard the sky roads were broken.”
“The roads are fixed,” the messengers said. “The Empress repaired them with stones of five colors, and the sky is safe again.”
The Sun and the Moon looked at each other. Then they smiled. “We will go back and shine once more.”
When they returned, the world lit up again. The people cheered, and Empress Lin smiled with relief. Thanks to her wisdom and hard work, the kingdom was safe and bright again.
And from that day on, everyone remembered how Empress Lin saved the sky with five magical colors—and how one ruler’s kindness brought light back to the world.
“The Happy Hunter and the Skillful Fisher” by Bright Bunny Books © 2025. Retelling of “THE HAPPY HUNTER AND THE SKILLFUL FISHER” from Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki originally published in 1908.
“The Wise Empress” is best suited for elementary students in grades 3–5, with its blend of myth-inspired adventure, clear moral themes, and accessible language that supports imagination and understanding.
Bright Bunny Books 