Chinese Fairy Tales and Fantasies

This collection of tales opens up a magical world far from our customary haunts. Ghost stories, romances, fables, and heroic sagas: the forms are familiar, but the characters we meet surprise us at every turn. For those who know and love the tales of the Grimms and Andersen, the universal themes of fairy tale literature emerge in these classic stories, but with a sophistication that is uniquely Chinese and altogether entrancing. With black-and-white drawings throughout Part of the Pantheon Fairy Tale and Folklore Library

Moss Roberts

Acknowledgments xiii A Note on the Illustrations xiv Introduction xv   TALES OF ENCHANTMENT AND MAGIC 1 The Cricket 3 The Waiting Maid’s Parrot 9 Sea Prince 15 A Girl in Green 17 Butterfly Dreams 19 Suited to Be a Fish 20 Li Ching and the Rain God 25 Jade Leaves 30 The Wizard’s Lesson 31 The Priest of Hardwork Mountains 39 White Lotus Magic 42 The Peach Thief 45   TALES OF FOLLY AND GREED 49 The Magic Pear Tree 51 The Wine Well 53 Gold, Gold 55 Stump Watching 56 Buying Shoes 57 The Missing Axe 58 Overdoing It 59 The Horsetrader 60 The Silver Swindle 61 The Family’s Fortune 64 The Leaf 66 The Tiger Behind the Fox 67 Rich Man of Sung 68 They Flying Bull 69 Social Connections 70 A Small Favor 74 Pitted Loquats 77 Memory Trouble 78 Medical Techniques 79 The Lost Horse 82 The Deer in the Dream 83 Loss of Memory 85 The Sun 87   THE ANIMAL KINGDOM 89 A Faithful Mouse 91 The Loyal Dog 92 Black and White 94 The Dog Goes to Court 95 The Tale of the Trusty Tiger 97 The Repentant Tiger of Chaoch’eng 100 Tiger Boys 102 Human Bair 104 Educated Frogs and Martial Ants 106 The Snakeman 107 The North Country Wolf 111 Counselor to the Wolves 119 Monkey Keeper 120 Man and Beast 121 Man or Beast 122 The Fish Rejoice 125 Wagging My Tail in the Mud 126   WOMEN AND WIVES 127 Li Chi Slays the Serpent 129 The Black General 132 The Master and the Serving Maid 137 A Cure for Jealousy 140 The Fortune Teller 146 A Dead Son 149 The Golden Toothpick 150 The King’s Favorite 151 The Divided Daughter 152   GHOSTS AND SOULS 155 The Scholar’s Concubine 157 Three Former Lives 162 The Monk from Everclear 165 The Monk’s Sins 168 The Truth About Ghosts 170 Sung Ting-po Catches a Ghost 171 The Man Who Couldn’t Catch a Ghost 173 Ai Tzu and the Temple Ghost 174 Escaping Ghosts 175 Test of Conviction 176 Drinking Companions 178 The Censor and the Tiger 183 Underworld Justice 188 Sharp Sword 195 The Skull 196   JUDGES AND DIPLOMATS 197 The Sheep Butcher and His King 199 The Prime Minister’s Coachman 201 The Royal Jewel 202 Country of Thieves 206 Strategy 207 Buying Loyalty 209 The Groom’s Crimes 212 The Chain 214 Hearsay 215 Dreams 216 The Mortal Lord 218 One Word Solves a Mystery 220 A Wise Judge 222 A Clever Judge 224 A Fine Phoenix 225 Sun Tribute 226   AN UNOFFICIAL HISTORY OF THE CONFUCIAN ACADEMY 229 Nature 248 Civilization 249   A Note on the Translation and Transcription of Chinese 251 List of Sources 253 Index of Tales 257