It tells the Japanese legend that a long time ago lived a beautiful girl named Orihime, (princess weaver) daughter of King Tentei (Heavenly King).

Orihime enjoyed weaving splendid fabrics on the banks of the Milky Way (Amanogawa). Her father loved her fabrics and she worked hard, day after day, to have them ready. However, the girl was distressed because because of her work she could not even think of finding someone to fall in love with.

But by chance, one day Orihime met an ox-eared herder named Hikoboshi, who lived on the other side of Amanogawa and who also devoted himself entirely to his work. As soon as they saw each other, they instantly fell in love and soon married. The two young men were so in love with each other that, after getting married and starting to live together, both neglected their respective jobs. Orihime stopped weaving for Tentei and the sky gods who were left without clothes. In turn Hikoboshi neglected his flock. This infuriated Tentei and, as punishment, the king of heaven decided to separate the two lovers, one on each side of the Amanogawa, turning them into stars and forbidding them from seeing each other again.

Orihime begged her father through tears to forgive him and allow them to meet again. Tentei, moved, promised that he would allow them to meet once a year, the seventh day of the seventh month, as long as she worked with dedication and had her work ready by then.

However, the first time they tried to see each other, Orihime and Hikoboshi realized that they could not cross the Amanogawa, since there was no bridge. Orihime cried so much that a flock of magpies came to her aid and promised to make a bridge with her wings so she could cross the celestial river. That was the only chance each year the two lovers can see each other and it depends on the weather conditions. If the night is clear, so will the path that will unite them.

But if it rains that night, the flood of the Celestial River will prevent the magpies from forming the bridge and the lovers will have to wait until the following year to reunite.