So, everyone knows about Chang’e living on the moon, but she’s not alone. If you look really closely at the shadows on the moon, some people say you can see the shape of a rabbit, just hanging out up there. This is the Jade Rabbit, and here’s how he got there.
This story starts way before Chang’e, when the Jade Emperor, who is like the king of the gods, was still hanging out on Earth. He liked to disguise himself as an old, poor beggar to see how kind people really were.
One day, he was super tired and hungry, so he went to the forest to find some food. He saw three friends: a monkey, a fox, and a rabbit. He begged them, “Please, I’m so hungry. Can you spare any food for an old man?”
The monkey immediately scrambled up a tree and gathered a bunch of juicy fruit for him. The fox ran to the river, caught a big fish, and brought it back. But the rabbit? The rabbit was tiny and weak. He tried to gather grass, but the old man couldn’t eat that. He tried to find berries, but there were none.
The rabbit felt terrible. He wanted to help just as much as his friends, but he had nothing to give.
So, he made a huge decision.
He built a small fire and turned to the old beggar. He said, “I am just a rabbit, and I have nothing to give you. But please, you can eat me.” And with that, the rabbit bravely jumped right into the flames to offer his own body as food.
But the Jade Emperor was so moved and shocked by this incredible act of kindness. This little rabbit was willing to give up everything. With a wave of his hand, the Emperor put out the fire, saving the rabbit.
He said, “Your kindness is greater than any fruit or fish. Such a pure heart should not be forgotten.” To honor the rabbit, the Jade Emperor scooped him up and carried him to the palace in the heavens. Then, he decided the rabbit needed an important job. He placed him on the moon, right next to Chang’e’s palace, to be her companion.
Now, the Jade Rabbit isn’t just sitting around. His job is to use his little pestle and mortar to grind up the herbs for the Elixir of Immortality. So, while Chang’e is the lady in the moon, the rabbit is her hard-working little pharmacist, forever remembered for his amazing, selfless heart.