Long ago, beside the river of the sky, there lived a beautiful maiden named Orihime.
Every day Orihime wove beautiful cloth.
Across the river was a young man named Hikoboshi, who tended the cows.
The two were married and became very happy.
But they were having such fun that Orihime stopped weaving and Hikoboshi stopped tending his cows.
The god of the sky grew angry and parted them, east and west of the river.
Orihime wept day after day.
"If you work faithfully," said the god, "you may meet once a year."
From then on the two worked with all their hearts.
And on the night of the seventh of July, birds called magpies build a bridge across the river of the sky.
The two cross that bridge and meet, just once each year.
But when it rains, the river rises and the bridge cannot be crossed.
So on Tanabata night everyone wishes for clear skies.
Even today, on Tanabata people write their wishes on slips of paper and hang them on bamboo.
Your wish, too, will surely reach the sky.
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