China (PR)

Scott No:  2113
Date of Issue:  September 15, 1987

 This stamp tells the story of Chang'e Flying to the Moon.  According to the back of the maxi-card:  "Chang E swallowed an elixir of life and flew to the lonely and cold palace on the moon.  When she turned to look back at the human world in the distance, she regretted having stolen the elixir of life and separated herself forever from her dear ones beyone the blue sea and azure sky." 

 This is a pretty tame version of the story. 

 It leaves out, for instance Chang'e's husband, Houyi.  In one telling, Chang'e and Houyi are immortals who incur the wrath of the emperor when Houyi kills nine of the emperor's ten sons in order to save the earth (you can't hardly blame Houyi, the sons were scorching the place, and the one that got away became the sun).  They don't like living among mortals, Chang'e overdoses on the immortality pill, and she floats to the moon where she is kept company by a rabbit.  

 In another version, Chang'e is banished from immortality, she meets Houyi (a mortal) and marries him after he proves his worth by getting rid of nine of the earth's ten suns (early global warming!).  Again with the elixir, again with the trip to the moon, only this time she meets a woodcutter as well as a rabbit.

 Does anyone else notice the distinct absence of the frog?

 In some versions of the story, Chang'e turns into a three-legged frog (other times a rabbit).  In other versions, the frog lives on the moon along with Chang'e. 

 The story has even worked its way--sort of--into Harry Potter.  According to the Harry Potter Wiki, there is a legend that a witch or wizard flew to the moon on a broom and brought back a bag of moon frogs to prove they'd been there.