Chinese Fairy Tales and Fantasies [Paperback]

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 LibraryAcknowledgments 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
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