Liaozhaizhiyi

 (Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio)

 byPuSongling (1640-1715)

  

 translationsfrom H.A. Giles

  

  

 The Magnanimous Girl

  

 At Chin-ling there lived a young man named Ku, who had considerable ability but was very poor; and having an old mother, he was veryloth to leave home. So he employed himself in writing or painting for people, and gave his mother the proceeds, going on thus till hews twenty-five years of age without taking a wife.

Opposite to their house was another building, which had long been untenanted; and one day an old woman and a young girl came to occupy it, but there being no gentleman with them young Ku did not make any inquiries as to who they were or whence they hailed. Shortly afterwards it chanced that just as Ku was entering the house he observed a young lady come out of his mother's door. She was about eighteen or nineteen, very clever and refined-looking, and altogether such a girl as one rarely seteyes on; and when she noticed Mr. Ku, she did not run away, but seemed quite self-possessed.

"It was the young lady over the way; she came to borrow my scissors and measure," said his mother, "and she told me that there was only her mother and herself. They don't seem to belong to the lower classes. I asked her why she didn't get married, to which she replied that her mother was old. I must go and call on her to-morrow, and find out how the land lies. If she doesn't expect too much, you could take care of her mother for her." So next day Ku's mother went, and found that the girl's mother was deaf, and that they were evidently poor, apparently not having a day's food in the house. Ku's mother asked what their employment was, and the old lady said they trusted for food to her daughter's ten fingers. She then threw out some hints about uniting the two families, to which the old lady seemed to agree; but, on consultation with her daughter, the latter would not consent.

 Mrs. Ku returned home and told her son, saying, "Perhaps she thinks we are too poor. She doesn't speak or laugh, is very nice-looking, and as pure as snow; truly no ordinary girl." There ended that; until one day, as Ku was sitting in his study, up came a very agreeable young fellow, who said he was a neighbouringvilage , and engaged Ku to draw a picture for him. The two youths soon struck up a firm friendship and met constantly, when it happened that the stranger chanced to see the young lady of over the way. "Who is that?" said he, following her with his eyes. Ku told him, and then he said, "She is certainly pretty, but rather stern in her appearance."

By-and-by Ku wentin, and his mother told him the girl had come to beg a little rice, as they had had nothing to eat all day. "She's a good daughter," said his mother, "and I'm very sorry for her. We must try and help them a little." Ku thereupon shouldered a peck of rice, and knocking at their door, presented it with his mother's compliments. The young lady received the rice but said nothing; and then she got into the habit of coming over and helping Ku's mother with her work and household affairs, almost as if she had been her daughter-in-law, for which Ku was very grateful to her, and whenever he had anything nice he always sent some of it in to her mother, though the young lady herself never once took the trouble to thank him.

So things went on until Ku's mother got an abscess on her leg, and lay writhing in agony day and night. Then the young lady devoted herself to the invalid, waiting on her and giving her medicine with such care and attention that at last the sick woman cried out, "Oh, that I could secure such a daughter-in-law as you, to see this old body into its grave!" The young ladysoother her, and replied, "Your son is a hundred times more filial than I, a poor widow's only daughter." "But even a filial son makes a bad nurse," answered the patient; "besides I am now drawing towards the evening of my life, when my body will be exposed to the mists and the dews, and I am vexed in spirit about our ancestral worship and the continuance of our line." As she was speaking Ku walked in; and his mother, weeping, said, "I am deeply indebted to this young lady; do not forget to repay her goodness." Ku made a low bow, but the young lady said, "Sir, when you were kind to my mother, I did not thank you; why, then, thank me?" Ku thereupon became more than ever attached to her; but could never get her to depart in the slightest degree from her cold demeanour towardshimself .

One day, however, he managed to squeeze her hand, upon whichshe told him never to do so again; and then for some time he neither saw nor heard anything of her. She had conceived a violent dislike to the young stranger above-mentioned; and one evening when he was sitting talking with Ku, the young lady reappeared. After a while she got angry at something he said, and drew from her robe a glittering knife about a foot long. The young man, seeing her do this, ran out in a fright and she after him, only to find that he had vanished. She then threw her dagger up into the air, and whish!a streak of light like a rainbow, and something came tumbling down with a flop. Ku got a light, and ran to see what it was; and lo!there lay a white fox, head in one place and body in another.

"There is your friend" cried the girl, "I knew he would cause me to destroy him sooner or later." Ku dragged it into the house, and said, "Let us wait till to-morrow to talk it over; we shall then be more calm." Next day the young lady arrived, and Ku inquired about her knowledge of the black art; but she told Ku not to trouble himself about such affairs, and to keep it secret or it might be prejudicial to his happiness. Ku then entreated her to consent to their union, to which sherepied that she had already been as it were a daughter-in-law to his mother, and there was no nee to push the thing further. "Is it because I am poor?" asked Ku. "Well, I am not rich," answeredshe , "but the fact is I had rather not." She then took her leave, and the next evening when Ku went across to their house to try once more to persuade her, the young lady had disappeared, and was never seen again.

  

  

 The Painted Skin

  

 AtT'ai-yuan there lived a man named Wang. One morning he was out walking when he met a young lady carrying a bundle and hurrying along by herself. As she moved along with some difficulty, Wang quickened his pace and caught her up, and found she was a pretty girl of about sixteen.

Much smitten, he inquired whither she was going so early, and no one with her. "A traveller like you," replied the girl, "cannot alleviate mydistress ; why trouble yourself to ask?" "What distress is it?" said Wang; "I'm sure I'll do anything I can for you." "My parents," answered she, "loved money, and they sold me as concubine into a rich family, where the wife was very jealous, and beat and abused me morning and night. It was more than I could stand, so I have run away." Wang asked her where she was going; to which she replied that a runaway had no fixed place of abode. "My house," said Wang, "is at no great distance; what do you say tocoming there?" She joyfully acquiesced; and Wang, taking up her bundle, led the way to his house. Finding no one there, she asked Wang where his family were; to which he replied that that was only the library. "And a very nice place, too," said she; "but if you are kindenought to wish to save my life, you mustn't let it be known that I am here." Wang promised that he would not divulge her secret, and so she remained there for some days without anyone knowing about it. He then told his wife, and she, fearing the girl might belong to some influential family, advised him to send her away. This, however, he would not consent to do.

One day, going into the town, Wang met a Taoist priest, who looked at him in astonishment, and asked him what he had met. "I have met nothing," replied Wang. "Why," said the priest, "you are bewitched; what do you mean by not having met anything?" But Wang insisted that it was so, and the priest walked away, saying, "The fool! Some people don't seem to know when death is at hand." This startled Wang, who at first thought of the girl; but then he reflected that a pretty young thing as she wascouldnt ' well be a witch, and began to suspect that the priest merely wanted to do a stroke of business.

When he returned, the library door was shut, and he couldn't get in, which made him suspect that something was wrong; and so he climbed over the wall, where he found the door of the inner room shut too. Softly creeping up, he looked through the window and saw a hideous devil, with a green face and jagged teeth like a saw, spreading a human skin upon the bed and painting it witha paint brush. The devil then threw aside the brush, and giving the skin a shake out, just as you would a coat, threw it over its shoulders, when lo!it was the girl.

Terrified at this, Wang hurried away with his head down in search of the priest, who had gone he knew not whither; subsequently finding him in the fields, where he threw himself on his knees and begged the priest to save him. "As to driving her away," said the priest, "the creature must be in great distress to be seeking a substitute forherself ; besides, I could hardly endure to injure a living thing." However, he gave Wang a fly-brush, and bade him hand it at the door of the bedroom, agreeing to meet again at theCh'ing-ti temple. Wang went home, but did not dare enter the library; so he hung up the brush at the bedroom door, and before long heard a sound of footsteps outside. Not daring to move, he made his wife peep out; and she saw the girl standing looking at the brush, afraid to pass it. She then ground her teeth and went away; but in a little while came back, and began cursing, saying "You priest, you won't frighten me. Do you think I am going to give up what is already in my grasp?" Thereupon she tore the brush to pieces, and bursting open the door, walked straight up to the bed, where she ripped open Wang and tore his heart out, with which she went away. Wang's wife screamed out, and the servant came in with a light; but Wang was already dead and presented a most miserable spectacle.

His wife, who was in an agony of fright, hardly dared cry for fear of making a noise; and next day she sent Wang's brother to see the priest. The latter got into a great rage, and cried out, "Was it for this that I had compassion on you, devil that you are?" proceeding at once with Wang's brother to the house, from which the girl had disappeared without anyone knowing whither she had gone. But the priest, raising his head, looked all around, and said, "Luckily she's not far off." He then asked who lived in the apartments on the south side, to which Wang's brother replied that he did; whereupon the priest declared that there she would be found. Wang's brother was horribly frightened and said he did not think so; and then the priest asked him if any stranger had been to the house. To this he answered that he had been out to theCh'ing-ti temple and couldn't possibly say: but he went off to inquire, and in a little while came back and reported that an old woman had sought service with them as a maid-of-all-work, and had been engaged by his wife. "That is she," said the priest, as Wang's brother added she was still there; and they all set out to go to the house together.

Then the priest took his wooden sword, and standing in the middle of the courtyard, shouted out, "Base-born fiend, give me back my fly-brush!" Meanwhile, the new maid-of-all-work was in a great state of alarm, and tried to get away by the door; but the priest struck her and down she fell flat, the human skin dropping off, and she became a hideous devil. There she lay grunting like a pig, until the priest grasped his wooden sword and stuck off her head. She then became a dense column of smoke curling up from the ground, when the priest took an uncorked gourd and threw it right into the midst of the smoke. A sucking noise was heard, and the whole column was drawn into the gourd; after which the priest corked it up closely and put it in his pouch. The skin, too, which was complete even to the eye-brows, eyes, hands, and feet, he also rolled up as if it had been a scroll, and was on the point of leaving with it, when Wang's wife stopped him, and with tears entreated him to bring her husband to life.

The priest said he was unable to do that; but Wang's wife flung herself at his feet, and with loud lamentations implored his assistance. For some time he remained immersed in thought, and then replied, "My power is not equal to what you ask. I myself cannot raise the dead; but I will direct you to some one who can, and if you apply to him properly you will succeed." Wang's wife then asked the priest who it was; to which he replied, "thereis a maniac in the town who passes his time grovelling in the dirt. Go prostrate yourself before him, and beg him to help you. If he insults you, show no sign of anger." Wang's brother knew the man to whom he alluded, and accordingly bade thepreist adieu, and proceeded thither with his sister-in-law.


 They found the destitute creature raving away by the roadside, so filthy that it was all they could do to go near him. Wang's wife approached him on her knees; at which the maniac leered at her, and cried out, "Do you love me, my beauty?" Wang's wife told him what she had come for, but he only laughed and said, "You can get plenty of other husbands. Why raise the dead one to life?" But Wang's wife entreated him to help her whereupon he observed, "It's very strange: people apply to me to raise their dead as if I was king of the infernal regions." He then gave Wang's wife a thrashing with his staff, which she bore without a murmur, and before a gradually increasing crowd of spectators. After this he produced a loathsome pill which he told her she must swallow, but here she broke down and was quite unable to do so. However she did manage it at last, and then the maniac, crying out, "How you do love me!" got up and went away without taking any more notice of her. They followed him into a temple with loud supplications, but he had disappeared, and every effort to find him was unsuccessful. Overcome with rage and shame, Wang's wife went home, where she mourned bitterly over her dead husband, grievously repenting the steps she had taken, and wishing only to die. She then bethought herself of preparing the corpse, near which none of the servants would venture, and set to work to close up the frightful wound of which he died.

While thus employed, interrupted from time to time by her sobs, she felt a rising lump in her throat, which by-and-by came out with a pop and fell straight into the dead man's wound. Looking closely at it, she saw it was a human heart; and then it began as it were to throb, emitting a warm vapour like smoke. Much excited, she at once closed the flesh over it, and held the sides of the wound together with all her might. Very soon, however, she got tired, and finding thevapor escaping from the crevices, she tore up a piece of silk and bound it round, at the same time bringing back circulation by rubbing the body and covering it up with clothes. In the night she removed the coverings, and found that breath was coming from the nose; and by nextmoring herhustband was alive again, though disturbed in mind as if awaking from a dream, and feeling a pain in his heart. Where he had been wounded there was a cicatrix about as big asa cash , which soon after disappeared.

  

  

  

 The Magic Sword

  

 NingTs'ai-Ch'enwas aChekiangman, and a good-natured, honourable fellow, fond of telling people that he had only loved once. Happening to go toChinhua , he took shelter in a temple to the north of the city; very nice as far as ornamentation went, but overgrown with grass taller than a man's head, and evidently not much frequented. On either side were the priests' apartments, the doors of which were ajar, with the exception of a small room on the south side, where the lock had a new appearance. In the east corner he espied a group of bamboos, growing over a large pool of water-lilies in flower; and, being much pleased the quiet of the place, determined to remain; more especially as, the Grand Examiner being in the town, all the lodgings had gone up in price. So he roamed about waiting till the priests should return; and in the evening a gentleman came and opened the door on the south side.Ning quickly made up to him, and with a bow informed him of his design.

"There is no one here whose permission you need ask," replied the stranger; "I am only lodging here, and if you don't object to the loneliness, I shall be very pleased to have the benefit of your society."

Ning was delighted, and made himself a straw bed, and put up a board for a table, as if he intended to remain some time; and that night, by the beams of the clear bright moon, they sat together in theverandah and talked. The stranger's name was YenCh'ih-hsia , andNing thought he was a student up for theprovinical examination, only his dialect was not that of aChekiangman. On being asked, he said he came fromShensi; and there was an air of straight forwardness about all his remarks.

By-and-by, when their conversation was exhausted, they bade each other good night and went to bed; butNing , being in a strange place, was quite unable to sleep; and soon he heard sounds of voices from the room on the north side. Getting up, he peeped through a window, and saw, in a small courtyard the other side of a low wall, a woman of about forty with an old maid-servant in a long faded gown, humped-backed and feeble-looking. They were chatting by the light of the moon, and the mistress said, "Why doesn't Hsiao-ch'iencome?"

"She ought to be here by now," replied the other. "She isn't offended with you, is she?" asked the lady. "Not that I know of," answered the old servant; "but she seems to want to give trouble." "Such people don't deserve to be treated well," said the other; and she had hardly uttered these words when up came a young girl of seventeen or eighteen, and very nice looking. The old servant laughed, and said, "Don't talk of people behind their backs. We were just mentioning you as you came without our hearing you; but fortunately we were saying nothing bad about you. And, as far as that goes," added she, "if I were a young fellow, why, I should certainly fall in love with you." "If you don't praise me," replied the girl, "I'm sure I don't know who will;" and then the lady and the girl said something together, and Mr.Ning , thinking they were the family next door, turned round to sleep without paying further attention to them.

In a little while no sound was to be heard; but, as he was dropping off to sleep, he perceived that somebody was in the room. Jumping up in great haste, he found it was the young lady he had just seen; ad detecting at once that she was going to attempt to bewitch him, sternly bade herbegone . She then produced a lump of gold which he threw away, and told her to go after it or he would call his friend. So she had no alternative but to go, muttering something about his heart being like stone or iron.

Next day, a young candidate for the examination came and lodged in the east room with his servant. He, however, was killed that very night, and his servant the night after; the corpses of both showing a small hole in the sole of the foot as if bored by an awl, and from which a little blood came. No one knew who had committed these murders, and when Mr. Yen came home,Ning asked him what he thought about it. Yen replied that it was the work of devils, butNing was a brave fellow, and that didn'tfrighted him much. In the middle of the night Hsiao-ch'ienappeared to him again, and said, "I have seen many men, but none with a steel-cold heart like yours. You are an upright man, and I will not attempt to deceive you. I, Hsiao-ch'ien, whose family name isNieh , died when only eighteen, and was buried alongside of this temple. A devil then took possession of me, and employed me to bewitch people by my beauty, contrary to my inclination. There is now nothing left in this temple to slay, and I fear that imps will be employed to kill you."

Ning was very frightened at this, and asked her what he should do. "Sleep in the same room as Mr. Yen," replied she. "What!" asked he, "cannot the spirits trouble Yen?" "He is a strange man," she answered, "and they don't like going near him."Ning then inquired how the spirits worked. "I bewitch people," said Hsiao-ch'ien, "and then they bore a hole in the foot which renders the victim senseless, and proceed to draw off the blood, which the devils drink. Another method is to tempt people by false gold, the bones of some horrid demon; and if they receive it, their hearts and livers will be torn out. Either method is used according to circumstances."Ning thanked her, and asked when he ought to be prepared; to which she replied, "To-morrow night."

At parting she wept, and said, "I am about to sink into the great sea, with no friendly shore at hand. But your sense of duty is boundless, and you can save me. If you will collect my bones and bury them in some quiet spot, I shall not again be subject to these misfortunes."Ning said he would do so, and asked where she lay buried. "At the foot of the aspen-tree on which there is a bird's nest," replied she; and passing out of the door, disappeared.

The next dayNing was afraid that Yen might be going away somewhere, and went over early to invite him across. Wine and food were produced towardsnoon; andNing , who took care not to lose sight of Yen, then asked him to remain there for the night. Yen declined, on the ground that he liked being by himself; butNing wouldn't hear any excuses, and carried all of Yen's things to his own room, so that he had no alternative but to consent. However, he warnedNing , saying, "I know you are a gentleman and a man of honour. If you see anything you don't understand, I pray you not be too inquisitive; don't pry into my boxes, or it may be the worse for both of us."Ning promised to attend to what hesaid, and by-and-by they both lay down to sleep; and Yen, having placed his boxes on the window sill, was soon snoring loudly.Ning himself could not sleep; and after some time he saw a figure moving stealthily outside, at length approaching the window to peep through.

 It'seyes flashed like lightning, andNing in a terrible fright was just upon the point of calling Yen, when something flew out of one of the boxes like a strip of white silk, and dashing against the window-sill returned at once to the box, disappearing very much like lightning. Yen heard the noise and got up,Ning all the time pretending to be asleep in order to watch what happened. The former then opened the box, and took out something which he smelt and examined by the light of the moon. It was dazzlingly white like crystal, and about two inches in length by the width of an onion leaf in breadth. He then wrapped it up carefully and put it back in the broken box, saying, "A bold-faced devil that, to dare thus to break my box;" upon which he went back to bed; butNing , who was lost in astonishment, arose and asked him what it all meant, telling at the same time what he himself had seen.

"As you and I are goodgriends ," replied Yen, "I won't make any secret of it. The fact is I am a Taoist priest. But for the window-sill the devil would have been killed; as it is, he is badly wounded."Ning asked him what it was he had there wrapped up, and he told him it was his sword, on which he had smelt the presence of the devil. AtNing's request he produced the weapon, a bright little miniature of a sword; and from that timeNing held his friend in higher esteem than ever.

Next day he found traces of blood outside the window which lead round to the north of the temple; and there among a number of graves he discovered the aspen tree with the bird's nest at its summit. He then fulfilled his promise and prepared to go home, Yen giving him a farewell banquet, and presenting him with an old leather case which he said contained a sword, and would keep at a distance from him all devils and bogies.Ning then wished to learn a little of Yen's art; but the latter replied that although he might accomplish this easily enough, being as he was an upright man, yet he was well off in life, and not in a condition where it would be of any advantage to him.Ning then pretending that he had a younger sister buried here, dug up Hsiao-ch'ien'sbones, and, having wrapped them up in grave-clothes, hired a boat, and set off on his way home.

On his arrival, as his library looked towards the open country, he made a grave hard by and buried the bones there, sacrificing, and invoking Hsiao-ch'ienas follows:--"In pity for your lonely ghost, I have placed your remains near my humble cottage, where we shall be near each other, and no devil dare annoy you. I pray you reject not my sacrifice, poor though itbe ."

After this, he was proceeding home when he suddenly heard himself addressed from behind, the voice asking him not to hurry; and turning round he beheld Hsiao-ch'ien, who thanked him, saying, "Were I to die ten times for you I could not discharge my debt. Let me go home with you and wait upon your father and mother; you will not repent it." Looking closely at her, he observed that she had a beautiful complexion, and feet as small as bamboo shoots, being altogether much prettier now that he came to see her by daylight. So they went together to his home, and bidding her wait awhile,Ning ran in to tell his mother, to the very great surprise of the old lady. NowNing's wife had been ill for a long time, and his mother advised him not to say a word about it to her for fear of frightening her; in the middle of which in rushed Hsiao-ch'ien, and threwherself on the ground before them.

"This is the young lady," saidNing ; whereupon his mother in some alarm turned her attention to Hsiao-ch'ien, who cried out, "A lonely orphan, without brother or sister, the object of your son's kindness and compassion, begs to be allowed to giver her poor services as some return for favours shown."Ning's mother, seeing that she was a nice, pleasant-looking girl, began to lose fear of her, and replied, "Madam, the preference you show for my son is highly pleasing to an old body like myself; but this is the only hope of our family, and I hardly dare agree to his taking a devil-wife." "I have but one motive in what I ask,"answered Hsiaoch'ien , "and if you have no faith in disembodied people then let me regard him as my brother, and live under your protection, serving you like a daughter."Ning's mother could not resist her straightforward manner, and Hsiao-ch'ienasked to be allowed to seeNing's wife, but this was denied on the plea that the lady was ill. Hsiao-ch'ienthen went into the kitchen and got ready the dinner, running about the place as if she had lived there all her life.Ning's mother was, however, much afraid of her, and would not let her sleep in the house; so Hsiao-ch'ienwent to the library, and was just entering when suddenly she fell back a few steps, and began walking hurriedly backwards and forwards in front of the door.

Ning seeingthis, called out and asked her what it meant; to which she replied, "The presence of that sword frightens me, and that is why I could not accompany you on your way home."Ning at once understood her, and hung up the sword-case in another place; whereupon she entered, lighted a candle, and sat down. For sometime she did not speak: at length askingNing if he studied at night or not -- "For," said she, "when I was little I used to repeat theLengyen sutra; but now I have forgotten more than half, and, therefore, I should like to borrow a copy, and when you are at leisure in the evening you might hear me."Ning said he would, and they sat silently there for some time, after which Hsiao-ch'ienwent away and took up her quarters elsewhere. Morning and night she waited onNing's mother, bringing water for her to wash in, occupying herself with household matters, and endeavouring to please her in every way. In the evening before she went to bed, she would always go in and repeat a little of the sutra, and leave as soon as she thoughtNing was getting sleepy.

Now the illness ofNing's wife had given his mother a great deal ofetra trouble -- more, in fact, than she was equal to; but ever since Hsiao-ch'ien'sarrival all this was changed, andNing's mother felt kindly disposed to the girl in consequence, gradually growing to regard her almost as her own child, and forgetting quite that she was a spirit. Accordingly, she didn't make her leave the house at night; and Hsiao-ch'ien, who being a devil had not tasted meat or drink since her arrival, now began at the end of six months to take a little thin gruel. Mother and son alike became very fond of her, and henceforth never mentioned what she really was; neither were strangers able to detect the fact.

By-and-by,Ning's wife died, and his mother secretly wished him to espouse Hsiao-ch'ien, though she rather dreaded any unfortunate consequences that might arise. This Hsiao-ch'ienperceived, and seizing an opportunity said toNing's mother, "I have been with you now more than a year, and you ought to know something of my disposition. Because I was unwilling to injure travellers I followed your son hither. There was no other motive; and, as your son has shown himself one of the best of men, I would now remain with him for three years in order that he may obtain for me some mark of Imperial approbation which will do mehonor in the realms below."Ning's mother knew that she meant no evil, but hesitated to put the family hopes ofa posterity into jeopardy. Hsiao-ch'ien, however, reassured her by saying thatNing would have three sons, and that the line would not be interrupted by his marrying her. On the strength of this the marriage was arranged, to the great joy ofNing , a feast prepared, and friends and relatives invited; and when in response to a call the bride herself came forth in her gay wedding-dress, the beholders took her rather for a fairy than a devil.

After this, numbers of congratulatory presents were given by the various female members of the family, who vied with one another in making heracquaintence ; andthese Hsiao-ch'ienreturned by gifts of paintings of flowers, done by herself, in which she was veryskillful , the receivers beingextrememly proud of such marks of her friendship.

One day, she was leaning at the window in a despondent mood, when suddenly she asked where the sword-case was. "Oh," repliedNing , "as you seemed afraid of it, I moved it elsewhere." "I have now been so long under the influence of surrounding life," said Hsiao-ch'ien, "that Isha'n't be afraid of it anymore. Let us hang it on the bed." "Why so?" askedNing . "For the last three days," explained she, "I have been much agitated in my mind; and I fear that the devil at the temple, angry at my escape, may come suddenly and carry me off." SoNing brought the sword-case, and Hsiao-ch'ien, after examining it closely, remarked, "This is where the magician puts people. I wonder how many were slain before it got old and worn out as it is now. Even now when I look at it my flesh creeps." The case was ten hung up, and next day removed to over the door. At night they say up and watched, Hsiao-ch'ienwarningNing not to go to sleep; and suddenly something fell down flop like a bird.

Hsiao-ch'ienin a fright got behind the curtain; butNing looked at the thing, and found it was an imp of darkness, with glaring eyes and a bloody mouth, coming straight to the door. Stealthily creeping up, it made a grab at the sword-case, and seemed about to tear it in pieces, whenbang ! --the sword-case became as big as a wardrobe, and from it a devil protruded part of his body and dragged the imp in. Nothing more washeard, and the sword-case resumed its original size.Ning was greatly alarmed, but Hsiao-ch'iencame out rejoicing, and said "There's an end of my troubles." In the sword-case they found only a few quarts of clear water; nothing else.

After these eventsNing took his doctor's degree and Hsiao-ch'ienbore him a son. He then took a concubine, and had one more son by each, all of whom became in time distinguished men.

  

  

  

 Miss Lien-Hsiang

  

 There was a young man named SangTsu-ming , a native of I-chou, who had been left an orphan when quite young. He lived near the Saffron market, and kept himself very much to himself, only going out twice a day for his meals to a neighbour's close by, and sitting quietly at home all the rest of his time. One day the said neighbour called, and asked him in joke if he wasn't afraid of devil-foxes, so much alone as he was. "Oh," replied Sang, laughing, "what has the superior man to fear from devil-foxes? If they come as men, I have here a sharp sword for them; and if as women, why, I shall open the door and ask them to walk in." The neighbour went away, and having arranged with a friend of his, they got a young lady of their acquaintance to climb overSang's wall with the help of a ladder, and knock at the door.

Sang peeped through, and called out, "Who's there?" to which the girl answered, "A devil!" and frightened Sang so dreadfully that his teeth chattered in his head. The girl then ran away, and next morning when his neighbour came to see him, Sang told him what had happened, and said he meant to go back to his native place. The neighbour then clapped his hands, and said to Sang, "Why didn't you ask her in?"Whereupon Sang perceived that he had been tricked, and went on quietly again as before.

Some six months afterwards, a young lady knocked at his door; and Sang, thinking his friends were at their old tricks, opened it at once, and asked her to walk in. She did so; and he beheld to his astonishment a perfect Helen for beauty. Asking her whence she came, she replied that her name was Lien-hsiang, and that she lived not very far off, adding that she had long been anxious to make his acquaintance. After that she used to drop in every now and again for a chat; but one evening when Sang was sitting alone expecting her, another young lady suddenly walked in. Thinking it was Lien-hsiang, Sang got up to meet her, but found that the newcomer was somebody else. She was about fifteen or sixteen years of age, wore very full sleeves, and dressed her hair after the fashion of unmarried girls, being otherwise very stylish-looking and refined, and apparently hesitating whether to go on or go back. Sang, in a great state of alarm, took her for a fox; but the young lady said, "My name is Li, and I am of a respectable family. Hearing of your virtue and talent, I hope to be accorded the honour of your acquaintance."

Sang laughed, and took her by the hand, which he found was as cold as ice; and when he asked the reason, she told him that she had always been delicate, and that it was very chilly outside. She then remarked that she intended to visit him pretty frequently, and hoped it would not inconvenience him; so he explained that no one came to see him except another younglady, and that not very often. "When she comes, I'll go," replied the young lady, "and only drop in when she's not here." She then gave him an embroidered slipper, saying that she had worn it, and that whenever he shook it she would know that he wanted to see her, cautioning him at the same time never to shake it before strangers. Taking it in his hand he beheld a very tiny little shoe almost as fine-pointed as an awl, with which he was much pleased; and next evening, when nobody was present, he produced the shoe and shook it, whereupon the young lady immediately walked in. Henceforth, whenever he brought it out, the young lady responded to his wishes and appeared before him. This seemed so strange that at last he asked her to give him some explanation; but she only laughed, and said it was merecoincedence .

 One evening after this Lien-hsiangcame, and said in alarm to Sang, "Whatever has made you look so melancholy?" Sang replied that he did not know, and by-and-by she took her leave, saying they would not meet again for some ten days. During this period Miss Li visited Sang every day, and on one occasion asked him where his other friend was. Sang told her; and then she laughed and said "What is your opinion of me as compared with Lien-hsiang?" "You are both of you perfection," replied he, "but you are a little colder of the two." Miss Li didn't much like this, and cried out, "Both of us to perfectionis what you say to me. Then she must be a downright Cynthia, and I am no match for her." Somewhat out of temper, she reckoned that Lien-hsiang'sten days had expired, and said she would have a peep at her, making Sang promise to keep it all secret. The next evening Lien-hsiangcame, and while they were talking she suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, dear!how much worse you seem to have become in the last ten days. You must have encountered something bad." Sang asked her why so; to which she answered, "First of all your appearance; and then your pulse is verythready . You've got the devil-disease."

The following evening when Miss Li came, Sang asked her what she thought of Lien-hsiang. "Oh," said she, "there's no question about her beauty; but she's a fox. When she went away I followed her to her hole on the hill-side." Sang, however, attributed this remark to jealousy, and took no notice of it; but the next evening when Lien-hsiangcame, he observed, "I don't believe it myself,by someone has told me you are a fox." Lien-hsiangasked him who had said so, to which Sang replied that he was only joking; and then she begged him to explain what difference there was between a fox and an ordinary person. "Well," answered Sang, "foxes frighten people to death, and, therefore, they are very much dreaded." "Don't you believe that!" cried Lien-hsiang; "and now tell me who has been saying this of me." Sang declared at first that it was only a joke of his, but by-and-by yielded to her instances, and let out the whole story. "Of course I saw how changed you were," said Lien-hsiang, "she is surely not a human being to be able to cause such a rapid alteration in you. Say nothing; to-morrow I'll watch her as she watched me."

The following evening Miss Li came in; and they had hardly interchanged half a dozen sentences when a cough was heard outside the window, and Miss Li ran away. Lien-hsiangthen entered and said to Sang, "You are lost! She is a devil, and if you do not at once forbid her coming here, you will soon be on the road to the other world." "All jealousy," thought Sang, saying nothing, as Lien-hsiangcontinued, "I know that you don't like to be rude to her; but I, for my part, cannot see you sacrificed, and to-morrow I will bring you some medicine to expel the poison from your system. Happily, the disease has not yet taken firm hold of you, and in ten days you will be well again."

The next evening she produced a knife and chopped up some medicine for Sang, which made him feel much better; but, although he was very grateful to her, he still persisted in disbelieving that he had the devil-disease. After some days he recovered and Lien-hsiangleft him, warning him to have no more to do with Miss Li. Sang pretended that he would follow her advice, and closed the door and trimmed his lamp. He then took out the slipper, and on shaking it Miss Li appeared, somewhat cross at having been kept away for several days. "She merely attended on me these few nights while I was ill," said Sang, "don't be angry." At this Miss Li brightened up a little; but by-and-by Sang told her that people said she was a devil. "It's that nasty fox," cried Miss Li, after a pause, "putting these things in your head. If you don't break with her, I won't come here again." She then began to sob and cry, and Sang had some trouble in pacifying her. Next evening Lien-hsiangcame and found out that Miss Li had been there again; whereupon she was very angry with Sang, and told him he would certainly die. "Why need you be so jealous?" said Sang, laughing; at which she only got more enraged, and replied, "When you were nearly dying the other day and I saved you, if I had not been jealous, where would you have been now?" Sang pretended he was only joking, and said that Miss Li had told him his recent illness was entirely owing to the machinations of a fox; to which she replied, "It's true enough what you say; only you don't see whose machinations. However, if anything happens to you, I should never clear myself even had I a hundred mouths; we will, therefore, part. A hundred days hence I shall see you on your bed." Sang could not persuade her to stay, and away she went; and from that time Miss Li became a regular visitor.

 Two months passed away, and Sang began to experience a feeling of great lassitude, which he tried at first to shake off, but by-and-by he became very thin, and could only take thick gruel. He then thought about going back to his native place; however, he could not bear to leave Miss Li, and in a few more days he was so weak that he was unable to get up. His friend next door, seeing how ill he was, daily sent his boy with food and drink; and now Sang for the first time began to suspect Miss Li. So he said to her, "I am sorry I didn't listen to Lien-hsiangbefore I got as bad as this." He then closed his eyes and kept them shut for a long time; and when he opened them again Miss Li had disappeared. Their acquaintanceship was thus at an end, and Sang lay all emaciated as he was upon his bed in his solitary room longing for the return of Lien-hsiang. One day, while he was still thinking about her, some one drew aside the screen and walked it.

It was Lien-hsiang; and approaching the bed she said with a smile, "Was I then talking such nonsense?" Sang struggled a long time to speak; and at length, confessing that he had been wrong, implored her to save him. "When the disease has reached such a pitch as this," replied Lien-hsiang, "there is very little to be done. I merely came to bid you farewell, and to clear up your doubts about my jealousy." In great tribulation, Sang asked her to take something she would find under his pillow and destroy it; and she accordingly drew forth the slipper, which she proceeded to examine by the light of the lamp, turning it over and over. All at once Miss Li walked in, but when she saw Lien-hsiangshe turned back as though she would run away, which Lien-hsianginstantly prevented by placing herself in the doorway. Sang then began to reproach her, and Miss Li could make no reply; whereupon Lien-hsiangsaid, "At last we meet. Formerly you attributed this gentleman's illness to me; what have you to say now?" Miss Li bent her head in acknowledgment of her guilt, and Lien-hsiangcontinued, "How is it that a nice girl likeyourself can thus turn love into hate?" Here Miss Li threw herself on the ground in a flood of tears and begged for mercy; and Lien-hsiang, raising her up, inquired of her as to her past life.

"I am a daughter of a petty official named Li, and I died young, like the silkworm that perishes in the spring. To be the partner of this gentleman was my ardent wish; but I had never any intention of causing his death." "I have heard," remarked Lien-hsiang, "that the advantage devils obtain by killing people is that their victims are ever with them after their death. Is this so?" "It is not," replied Miss Li; "the companionship of two devils give no pleasure to either. Were it otherwise, I should not have wanted for friends in the realms below. But tell me, howdo foxes manage not to kill people." "You allude to such foxes as suck the breath out of people?" replied Lien-hsiang; "I am not of that class. Some foxes are harmless; no devils are, because of the dominance of the yin in their compositions."

Sang now knew that these two girls were really a fox and a devil; however, from being long accustomed to their society, he was not in the least alarmed. His breathing had dwindled to a mere thread, and at length he uttered a cry of pain. Lien-hsianglooked round and said, "How shall we cure him?" upon which Miss Li blushed deeply and drew back; and the Lien-hsiangadded, "If he does get well, I'm afraid you will be dreadfully jealous." Miss Li drew herself up and replied, "Could a physician be found to wipe away the wrong I have done to this gentleman, I would bury my head in the ground. How should I look the world in the face?" Lien-hsianghere opened a bag and drew forth some drugs, saying, "I have been looking forward to this day. When I left this gentleman I proceeded to gather my simples, as it would take three months for the medicine to be got ready; but then, should the poison have brought anyone even to death's door, this medicine is able to call him back. The only condition is that it be administered by the very hand which wrought the ill." Miss Li did as she was told, and put the pills Lien-hsianghave her one after another intoSang's mouth. They burnt inside him like fire; but soon vitality began to return, and Lien-hsiangcried out, "He is cured!" Just at this moment Miss Li heard the cock crow and vanished, Lien-hsiangremaining behind in attendance on the invalid, who was unable to feed himself. She bolted the outside door and pretended that Sang had returned to his native place, so as to prevent visitors from calling. Day and night she took care of him, and every evening Miss Li came in to render assistance, regarding Lien-hsiangas an elder sister, and being treated by her with great consideration and kindness.

Three months afterwards Sang was strong and well as ever he had been, and then for several evenings Miss Li ceased to visit them, only staying a few moments when she did come, and seeming very uneasy in her mind. One evening Sang ran after her and carried her back in his arms, finding her no heavier than so much straw; and then, being obliged to stay, she curled herself up andlayed down, to all appearances in a state of unconsciousness, and by-and-by she was gone. For many days they heard nothing of her, and Sang was so anxious that she should come back that he often took out her slipper and shook it. "I don't wonder at your missing her," said Lien-hsiang, "I do myself very much indeed." "Formerly," observed Sang, "whenI shook the slipper she invariably came. I thought it was very strange, but I never suspected her of being a devil. And now, alas!all I can do is to sit and think about her with this slipper in my hand." He then burst into a flood of tears.

 Now a young lady named Yen-erh, belonging to the wealthy Chang family, and about fifteen years of age, had died suddenly, without any apparent cause, and had come to life again in the night, when she got up and wished to go out. They barred the door and would not hear of her doing so, upon which she said, "I am the spirit daughter of a petty magistrate. A Mr. Sang has been very kind to me, and I have left my slipper at his house. I am really a spirit; what is the use of keeping me in? There being some reason for what she said, they asked her why she had come there; but she only looked up and down without being able to give any explanation. Some one hereobserved, that Mr. Sang had already gone home, but the young lady utterly refused to believe them.

The family was much disturbed at all this; and whenSang'sneighbor heard the story, he jumped over the wall, and peeping through beheld Sang sitting there chatting with a pretty-looking girl. As he went in, there was some commotion, during whichSang's visitor had disappeared, and when his neighbour asked the meaning of it all, Sang replied laughing, "Why, I told you if any ladies came I should ask them in." His friend then repeated what Miss Yen-erhhad said; and Sang, unbolting his door, was about to go and have a peep at her, but unfortunately had no means of so doing. Meanwhile Mrs. Chang, hearing that he had not gone away, was more lost in astonishment than ever, and sent an old woman-servant to get back the slipper. Sang immediately gave it to her, and Miss Yen-erhwas delighted to recover it, though when she tried it on it was too small for her by a good inch.

In considerable alarm, she seized a mirror to look at herself; and suddenly became aware that she had come to life again in some one else's body. She therefore told all to her mother, and finally succeeded in convincing her, crying all the time because she was so changed for the worse as regarded personal appearance from what she had been before. And whenever she happened to see Lien-hsiang, she was very much disconcerted, declaring that she had been much better off as a devil than now as a human being. She would sit and weep over the slipper, no one being able to comfort her; and finally, covering herself up with bed-clothes, she lay all stark and stiff, positively refusing to take any nourishment. Her body swelled up, and for seven days she refused all food, but did not die; and then the swelling began to subside, and an intense hunger to come upon her which made her once more think about eating. Then she was troubled with a severe irritation, and her skin peeled entirely away; and when she got up in the morning, she found that her shoes had fallen off. On trying to put them on again, she discovered that they did not fit her any longer; and then she went back to her former pair, whichwere now exactly the right shape and size. In an ecstasy of joy, she grasped her mirror, and saw that her features had also changed back to what they had formerly been; so she washed and dressed herself and went in to visit her mother.

Every one who met her was much astonished; and when Lien-hsiangheard the strange story, she tried to persuade Mr. Sang to make her an offer of marriage. But the young lady was rich and Sang was poor, and he did not see his way clearly. However, on Mrs. Chang's birthday, when she completed her cycle, Sang went along with the others to wish her many happy returns of the day; and when the old lady knew who was coming, she bade Yen-erhtake a peep at him from behind the curtain. Sang arrived last of all; and immediately out rushed Yen-erhand seized his sleeve, and said she would go back with him. Her mother scolded her well for this, and she ran in abashed; but Sang, who had looked at her closely, began to weep, and threw herself at the feet of Mrs. Chang, who raised him up without saying anything unkind. Sang then took his leave, and got his uncle to act as medium between them; the result being that an auspicious day was fixed upon for the wedding.

At the appointed time Sang proceeded to the house to fetch her; and when he returned he found that, instead of his former poor-looking furniture, beautiful carpets were laid down from the very door, and thousands of coloured lanterns were hung about in elegant designs. Lien-hsiangassisted the bride to enter, and took off her veil, finding her the same bright girl as ever. She also joined them while drinking the wedding cup, and inquired of her friend as to her recent transmigration; and Yen-erhrelated as follows:

  

 "Overwhelmed with grief, I began to shrink from myself as some unclean thing; and after separating from you that day, I would not return any more to my grave. So I wandered about at random, and whenever I saw a living being, I envied its happy state. By day I remained among the trees and shrubs, but at night I used to roam about anywhere. And once I came to the house of the Chang family, where, seeing a young girl lying upon the bed, I took possession of her mortal coil, unknowing that she would be restored to life again." When Lien-hsiangheard this she was for some time lost in thought; and a month or two afterwards became very ill. She refused all medical aid and gradually got worse and worse, to the great grief of Mr. Sang and his wife, who stood weeping at her bedside. Suddenly she opened her eyes and said, "You wish to live; I am willing to die. If fate ordains it, we shall meet again ten years hence." As she uttered these words, her spirit passed away, and all that remained was the dead body of a fox. Sang, however, insisted on burying it with all the proper ceremonies.

Now his wife had no children; but one day a servant came in and said, "There is an old woman outside who has got a little girl for sale."Sang's wife gave orders that she should be shown in; and no sooner had she set eyes on the girl than she cried out, "Why she's the image of Lien-hsiang!" Sang then looked at her, and found to his astonishment that she was really very like his old friend. The old woman said she was fourteen years old; and when asked what her price was, declared that her only wish was to get the girl comfortably settled and enough to keep herself alive, and ensure not being thrown out into the kennel at death. So Sang gave a good price for her; and his wife, taking the girl's hand, led her into a room by themselves. Then chucking her under the chin, she asked her, smiling, "Do you know me?" The girl said she did not; after which she told Mrs. Sang that her name wasWei , and that her father, who had been a pickle-merchant at Hsu-ch'eng, had died three years before.

Mrs. Sang then calculated that Lien-hsianghad been dead just fourteen years; and, looking at the girl, who resembled her so exactly in every trait, at length patted her on the head, saying, "Ah, my sister, you have promised to visit us again in ten years, and you have not played us false." The girl seemed to wake up as if from a dream, and, uttering an exclamation of surprise, fixed a steady gaze uponSang's wife. Sanghimself laughed, and said, "Just like the return of an old familiar swallow."

 "Now I understand," cried the girl, in tears; "I recollect my mother saying that when I was born I was able to speak; and that, thinking it an inauspicious manifestation, they gave me dog's blood to drink, so that I should forget all about my previous state of existence. Is it all a dream, or are you not the Miss Li who was so ashamed of being a devil?" Thus they chatted of their existence in a former life, with alternate tears and smiles; but when it came time to the day for worshipping at the tombs, Yen-erhexplained that she and her husband were in the habit of annually visiting and mourning over her grave. The girl replied that she would accompany them; and when they got there they found the whole place in disorder, and the coffin wood all warped.

"Lien-hsiangandI, said Yen-erhto her husband, "have been attached to each other in two states of existence. Let us not be separated, but bury my bones here with hers." Sangconsented, and opening Miss Li's tomb took out the bones and buried them with those of Lien-hsiang, while friends and relatives, who had heard the strange story, gathered round the grave in gala dress to the number of many hundreds.

I learnt the above when travelling through I-chou, where I was detained at an inn by rain, and read a biography of Mr. Sang written by a comrade of his named Wang Tzu-chang. It was lent to me by a Mr. Liu Tzu-chang, a relative ofSang's , and was quite a long account.Thisismerely anoutline ofit .

  

  

  

 ThePaintedWall

  

 A Kiang-sigentleman, namedMeng Lung-t'an, was lodging at the capital with a Mr.Chu , M.A., when one day chance led them to a certain monastery, within which they found no spacious halls or meditation chambers, but only anod priest indeshabille . On observing the visitors, he arranged his dress and went forward to meet them, leading them round and showing whatever there was to be seen.

In the chapel they saw an image ofChih Kung, and the walls on either side were beautifully painted with life-like representations of men and animals. On the east side were pictured a number of fairies, among whom was a young girl whose maiden tresses were not yet confined by the matron's knot. She was picking flowers and gently smiling, while her cherry lips seemed about to move, and the moisture of her eyes to overflow. Mr.Chu gazed at her for a long time without taking his eyes off, until at last he became unconscious of anything but the thoughts that were engrossing him.

Then, suddenly he felt himself floating in the air, as if riding on a cloud, and foundhimself passing through the wall, where halls and pavilions stretched away one after another, unlike the abodes of mortals. Here an old priest was preaching the Law of Buddha, surrounded by a large crowd of listeners. Mr.Chu mingled with the throng, and after a few moments perceived a gentle tug at his sleeve. Turning round, he saw the young girl above-mentioned, who walked laughing away.

Mr.Chu at once followed her, and passing a winding balustrade arrived at a small apartment beyond which he dared not venture further. But the young lady, looking back, waved the flowers she had in her hand as thoughbekoning him to come on. He accordingly entered and found nobody else within. Then they fell to their knees and worshipped heaven and earth together, and rose up as man and wife, after which the bride went away, bidding Mr.Chu keep quiet until she came back. This went on for a couple of days, when the young lady's companions began to smell a rat and discovered Mr.Chu's hiding-place. Thereupon they all laughed and said, "My dear, you are now a married woman, and should leave off that maidenlycoiffure ." So they gave her the proper hair-pins and head ornaments, and bade her go bind her hair, at which she blushed very much but said nothing. Then one of them cried out, "my sisters, let us be off. Two'scompany,more's none." At this they all giggled and went away.

 Mr.Chu found his wife very much improved by the alteration in the style of her hair. The high top-knot and the coronet of pendants were very becoming to her. But suddenly they heard a sound like the tramping of heavy-soled boots, accompanied by the clanking of chains and the noise of angry discussion. The bride jumped up in a fright, and she and Mr.Chu peeped out. They saw a man clad in golden armour, with a face as black as jet, carrying in his hands chains and whips, and surrounded by all the girls.

He asked, "Are you all here?" "All," they replied. "If," said he, "any mortal is here concealed amongst you, denounce him at once, and lay not up sorrow for yourselves." Here they all answered as before that there was no one. The man then made a movement as if he would search the place, upon which the bride was dreadfully alarmed, and her face turned the colour of ashes. In her terror she said to Mr.Chu , "Hideyourself under the bed" and opening a small lattice in the wall, disappeared herself. Mr.Chu in his concealment hardly dared to draw his breath; and in a little while he heard the boots tramp into the room and out again, the sound of the voices getting gradually fainter and fainter in the distance. This reassured him, but he still heard the voices of people going backwards and forwards outside; and having been a long time in a cramped position, his ears began to sing as if there was a locust in them, and his eyes to burn like fire. It was almost unbearable; however, he remained quietly awaiting the return of the young lady without giving a thought to the why and wherefore of his present position.

Meanwhile,Meng Lung-t'anhad noticed the sudden disappearance of his friend, and thinking something was wrong, asked the priest where he was. "He has gone to hear the preaching of the Law," replied the priest. "Where?" said Mr.Meng . "Oh, not very far," was the answer. Then with his finger the old priest tapped the wall and called out, "FriendChu !what makes you stay away so long?" At this, the likeness of Mr.Chu was figured upon the wall, with his ear inclined in the attitude of one listening. The priest added, "Your friend here has been waiting for you some time;" and immediately Mr.Chu descended from the wall, standing transfixed like a block of wood, with starting eye-balls and trembling legs. Mr.Meng was much terrified, and asked him quietly whatwas the matter . Now the matter was that while concealed under the bed he had heard a noise resembling thunder and had rushed out to see what it was.

Here they all noticed that the young lady on the wall with the maiden's tresses had changed the style of hercoiffure to that of a married woman. Mr.Chu was greatly astonished at this and asked the old priest the reason.

He replied, "Visions have their origin in those who see them: what explanation can I give?" This answer was very unsatisfactory to Mr.Chu ; neither did his friend, who was rather frightened, know what to make of it all; so they descended the temple steps and went away.

  

  

 TheResuscitatedCorpse

  

 A certain old man lived atTs'ai-tien , in the Yang-hsindistrict. The village was some miles from the district city, and he and his son kept a roadside inn where travellers could pass the night. One day, as it was getting dark, four strangers presented themselves and asked for a night's lodging; to which the landlord replied that every bed was already occupied. The four men declared it was impossible for them to go back, and urged him to take them in somehow; and at length the landlord said he could give them a place to sleep in if they were not too particular,--which the strangers immediately assured him they were not. The fact was that the old man's daughter-in-law had just died, and that her body was lying in the women's quarters, waiting for the coffin, which his son had gone away to buy. So the landlord led them round thither, and walking in, placed a lamp on the table. At the further end of the room lay the corpse, decked out with paper robes, &c., in the usual way; and in the foremost section were sleeping couches for four people.

The travellers were tired, and throwing themselves on the beds, were soon snoring loudly, with the exception of one of them, who was not quite off when suddenly he heard a creaking of the trestles on which the dead body was laid out, and opening his eyes, he saw by the light of the lamp in front of the corpse that the girl was raising the coverings from her and preparing to get down. In another moment she was on the floor and advancing towards the sleepers. Her face was of a light yellow hue, and she had a silk kerchief round her head; and when she reached the beds, she blew on the other three travellers, whereupon the fourth, in great fright, stealthily drew up the bed-clothes over his face, and held his breath to listen.

He heard her breath on him as she had done on the others, and then heard her go back again and get under the paper robes, which rustled distinctly as she did so. He now put out his head to take a peep, and saw that she was lying down as before; whereupon, not daring to make any noise, he stretched forth his foot and kicked his companions, who, however, showed no signs of moving. He now determined to put on his clothes and make a bolt for it; but he had hardly begun to do so before he heard the creaking sound again, which sent him back under the bed-clothes as fast as he could go.

Again the girl came to him, and, breathing several times on him, went away to lie down as before, as he could tell by the noise of the trestles. He then put his hand very gently out of bed, and, seizing his trousers, got quickly into them, jumped up with a bound, and rushed out of the place as fast as his legs would carry him. The corpse, too, jumped up; but by this time, the traveller had already drawn the bolt, and was outside the door, running along and shrieking at the top of his voice, with the corpse following close behind.

 No one seemed to hear him, and he was afraid to knock at the door of the inn for fear they should not let him inin time; so he made for the highway to the city, and after awhile he saw a monastery by the roadside, and hearing the "wooden fish," he ran up and thumped with all his might at the gate. The priest, however, did not know what to make of it, and would not open to him; and as the corpse was only a few yards off, he could do nothing but run behind a tree which stood close by, and there shelter himself, dodging to the right as the corpse dodged to the left, and so on. This infuriated the dead girl to madness; and at length, as tired and panting they stood watching each other on opposite sides of the tree, the corpse made a rush forward with one arm on each side in the hope of thus grabbing its victim. The traveller, however, escaped, while the corpse remained rigidly embracing the tree.

By-and-by the priest, who had been listening from the inside, hearing no sounds for some time, came out and found the traveller lying senseless on the ground; whereupon he had him carried into the monastery, and by morning they had got him round again. After giving him a little broth to drink, he related the whole story; and then in the early dawn they went out to examine the tree, to which they found the girl tightly fixed. The news being sent to the magistrate, that functionary attended at once in person, and gave orders to remove the body; but this they were at first unable to do, the girl's fingernails having penetrated into the bark so far that her nails were not to be seen. At length they got her away, and then a messenger was dispatched to the inn, already in a state of great commotion over the three travellers, who had been found dead in their beds. The old man accordingly sent to fetch his daughter-in-law; and the surviving traveller petitioned the magistrate saying, "Four of us left home, but only one of us will go back. Give me something that I may show to my fellow-townsmen." So the magistrate gave him a certificate and sent him home again.

  

  

  

  

 MissQuartaHu

  

 Mr.Shang was a native ofT'ai-shan , and lived quietly with his books alone. One autumn night when theSilverRiverwas unusually distinct and the moon shining brightly in the sky, he was walking up and down under the shade, with his thoughts wandering somewhat at random, when lo!a young girl leaped over the wall, and, smiling, asked him, "What are you thinking about, Sir, all so deeply?"Shang looked at her, and seeing that she had a pretty face, asked her to walk in. She then told him her name wasHu, and that she was calledTertia ; but when he wanted to know where she lived, she laughed and would not say. So he did not inquire any further; and by degrees they struck up a friendship, and MissTertia used to come and chat with him every evening. He was so smitten that he could hardly take his eyes off her, and at last she said to him, "What are you looking at?" "At you," cried he, "my lovely rose,my beautiful peach. I could gaze at you all night long." "If you think so much of poor me," answered she, "I don't know where your wits would be if you saw my sisterQuarta ."

Mr.Shang said he was sorry he didn't know her, and begged that he might be introduced; so next night MissTertia brought her sister, who turned out to be a young damsel of about fifteen, with a face delicately powdered and resembling the lily, or like an apricot-flower seen through the mist; and altogether as pretty a girl as he had ever seen. Mr.Shang was charmed with her, and inviting them in, began to laugh and talk with the elder, while MissQuarta sat playing with her girdle, and keeping her eyes on the ground. By-and-by MissTertia got up and said she was going, whereupon her sister rose to take leave also; but Mr.Shang asked her not to be in a hurry, and requested that elder to assist in persuading her. "You needn't hurry," said she to MissQuarta ; and accordingly the latter remained chatting with Mr.Shang without reserve, and finally told him that she was a fox. However, Mr.Shang was so occupied with her beauty that he didn't pay any heed to that; but she added, "And my sister is very dangerous; she has already killed three people. Anyone bewitched by her has no chance of escape. Happily, you have bestowed your affections on me, and I shall not allow you to be destroyed. You must break off your acquaintance with her at once."

Mr.Shang was very frightened, and implored her to help him; towhich she replied, "Although a fox, I am skilled in the arts of the Immortals; I will write out a charm for you which you must paste on the door, and thus you will keep her away." So she wrote down the charm, and in the morning when her sister came and saw it, she fell back, crying out, "Ungrateful minx!you've thrown me up for him, have you? You two being destined for each other, what have I done that you should treat me thus?" She then went away; and a few days afterwards MissQuarta said she too would have to be absent for a day, soShang went out for a walk by himself, and suddenly beheld a very nice-looking young lady emerge from the shade of an old oak that was growing on the hillside. "Why so dreadfully pensive?" said she to him; "thoseHu girls can never bring you a single cent." She then presentedShang with some money, and bade him go on ahead and buy some good wine, adding, "I'll bring something to eat with me, and we'll have a jolly time of it."Shang took the money and went home, doing as the young lady had told him; and by-and-by in she herself came, and threw on the table a roast chicken and a shoulder of salt pork, which she at once proceeded to cut up. They now set to work to enjoy themselves, and had hardly finished when they heard someone coming in, and the next minute in walked MissTertia and her sister. The strange young lady didn't know where to hide, and managed to lose her shoes; but the other two began to revile her, saying, "Out upon you, base fox; what are you doing here?" They then chased her away after some trouble, andShang began to excuse himself to them, until at last they all became friends again as before.

 One day, however, aShensiman arrived, riding on a donkey, and coming to the door said, "I have long been in search of these evil spirits; now I have them."Shang's father thought the man's remark rather strange, and asked him whence he had come. "Across much land and sea," replied he; "for eight or nine months out of every year I am absent from my native place. These devils killed my brother with their poison, alas!alas !and I have sworn to exterminate them; but I have travelled many miles without being able to find them. They are now in your house, and if you do not cut them off, you will die even as my brother." NowShang and the young ladies had kept their acquaintanceship very dark; but his father and mother had guessed that something was up, and, much alarmed, bade theShensiman walk in and perform his exorcisms. The latter then produced two bottles which he placed upon the ground, and proceeded to mutter a number of charms and cabalistic formulae; whereupon four wreaths of smoke passed two by two into each bottle. "I have the whole family," cried he, in an ecstasy of delight; as he proceeded to tie down the mouths of the bottles with pig's bladder, sealing them with the utmost care.

Shang's father was likewise very pleased, and kept his guest to dinner; but the young man himself was sadly dejected, and approaching the bottles unperceived, bent his ear to listen. "Ungrateful man," said MissQuarta from within, "to sit there and make no effort to save me." This was more thanShang could stand, and he immediately broke the seal, but found he could not untie the knot. "Not so," cried MissQuarta ; "merely lay down the flag that now stands on the altar, and with a pin prick the bladder, and I can get out."Shang did as she bade him, and in a moment a thin streak of white smoke issued forth from the hole and disappeared in the clouds. When theShensiman came out, and saw the flag lying on the ground, he started violently, and cried out, "Escaped! This must be your doing, young sir." He then shook the bottle and listened, finally exclaiming, "Luckily only one has got away. She was not fated to die, and may therefore be pardoned." Thereupon he took the bottles and went his way.

Some years afterwardsShang was one day superintending his reapers cutting the corn, when he descried MissQuarta at a distance, sitting under a tree. He approached, and she took his hand, saying, "Ten years have rolled away since we last met. Since then I have gained the prize of immortality; but I thought that perhaps you had not quite forgotten me, and so I came to see you once more."Shang wished her to return home with him; to which she replied, "I am no longer what I was that I should mingle in the affairs of mortals. We shall meet again." And as she said this, she disappeared; but twenty years later, whenShang was one day alone, MissQuarta walked in.Shang was overjoyed, and began to address her; but she answered him, saying, "My name is already enrolled in the register of the Immortals, and I have no right to return to earth. However, out of gratitude to you I determined to announce to you the date of your dissolution, that you might put your affairs in order. Fear nothing; I will see you safely through to the happy land." She then departed, and on the day namedShang actually died. A relative of a friend of mine, Mr. LiWen-yu , frequently met the above-mentioned Mr.Shang .

  

  

 MagicalArts

  

 A certain Mr. Yu was a spirited young fellow, fond of boxing and trials of strength. He was able to take two kettles and swing them round about with the speed of the wind. Now, during the reign ofCh'ung Cheng, when up for the final examination at thecaptial , heservent became seriously ill. Much troubled at this, he applied to a necromancer in the market-place who wasskillful at determining the various leases of lifealloted to men. Before he had uttered a word, the necromancer asked him, saying, "Is it not about your servant, Sir, that you would consult me?" Mr. Yu was startled by this, and replied that it was. "The sick man," continued the necromancer, "will come to no harm; you, Sir, are the one in danger." Mr. Yu then begged him to cast his nativity, which he proceeded to do, finally saying to Mr. Yu, "You have but three days to live!" Dreadfully frightened, he remained some time in a state of stupefaction, when the necromancer quietly observed that he possessed the power of averting this calamity by magic, and would exert it for the sum of ten ounces of silver. But Mr. Yu reflected that Life and Death are already fixed, and he didn't see how magic could save him. So he refused, and was just going away, whereupon the necromancer said, "You grudge this trifling outlay. I hope you will not repent it." Mr. Yu's friends also urged him to pay the money, advising him rather to empty his purse than not secure the necromancer's compassion. Mr. Yu, however, would not hear of it, and the three days slipped quickly away. Then he sat down calmly in his inn to see what was going to happen. Nothing did happen all day, and at night he shut his door and trimmed the lamp; then, with a sword at his side, he awaited the approach of death.

By-and-by, the clepsydra showed that two hours had already gone without bringing him any nearer to dissolution; and he was thinking about lying down, when he heard a scratching at the window, and then saw a tiny little man creep through, carrying a spear on his shoulder, who, on reaching the ground, shot up to the ordinary height. Mr. Yu seized his sword and at once struck at it; but only succeeded in cutting the air. His visitor instantly shrank down small again, and made an attempt to escape through the crevice of the window; but Yu redoubled his blows and at last brought him to the ground. Lighting the lamp, he found only a paper man, cut right through the middle.

This made him afraid to sleep, and he sat up watching, until in a little time he saw a horrid hobgoblin creep through the same place. No sooner did it touch the ground than he assailed it lustily with his sword, at length cutting it in half. Seeing, however, that both halves kept on wriggling about, and fearing that it might get up again, he went on hacking at it. Every blow told, giving forth a hard sound, and when he came to examine his work, he found a clay image all knocked to pieces. Upon this he moved his seat near the window, and kept his eye fixed upon the crack.

AFter some time, he heard a noise like a bull bellowing outside the window, and something pushed against the window-frame with such force as to make the whole house tremble and seem about to fall. Mr. Yu, fearing he should be buried under the ruins, thought he could not do better than fight outside; so he accordingly burst open the door with a crash and rushed out.

There he found a huge devil, as tall as the house, and he saw by the dim light of the moon that its face was as black as coal. Its eyes shot forth yellow fire: it had nothing either upon its shoulders or feet; but held a bow in its hand and had some arrows at its waist. Mr. Yu was terrified; and the devil discharged an arrow at him which he struck to the ground with his sword. On Mr. Yu preparing to strike, the devil let off another arrow which the former avoided by jumping aside, the arrow quivering in the wall beyond with a smart crack. The devil here got very angry, and drawing his sword flourished it like a whirlwind, aiming a tremendous blow at Mr. Yu. Mr. Yu ducked, and the whole force of the blow fell upon the stone wall of the house, cutting it right in two. Mr. Yu then ran out from between the devil's legs, and began hacking at its back -- whack!whack ! The devil now became furious, and roared like thunder, turning round to get another blow at his assailant. But Mr. Yu again ran between his legs, the devil's sword merely cutting off a piece of his coat. Once more he hacked away -- whack! -- whack!and at length the devil came tumbling down flat. Mr. Yu cut at him right and left, each blow resounding like the watchman's wooden gong, and then, bringing a light, he found it was a wooden image about as tall as a man. The bow and arrows were still there, the latter attached to its waist.Its carved and painted features were most hideous to behold, and wherever Mr. Yu had struck it with his sword, there was blood.

 Mr. Yu sat with the light in his hand till morning, when he awaked to the fact that all these devils had been sent by the necromancer in order to kill him, and so evidence his own magical power. The next day, after having told the story far and wide, he went with some others to the place where the necromancer had his stall; but the latter, seeing them coming, vanished in the twinkling of an eye. Some one observed that the blood of a dog would reveal a person who had made himself invisible, and Mr. Yu immediately procured some and went back with it. The necromancer disappeared as before, but on the spot where he had been standing they quickly threw down the dog's blood. Thereupon they saw his head and face all smeared over with blood, his eyes glaring like a devil's; and at once seizing him, they handed him over to the authorities, by whom he was put to death.

  

  

  

  

  

  

 Strange Tales from the Make-Do Studio

  

 PuSongLing


 TRANSLATED BY DENIS C. & VICTOR H. MAIR
1989 FOREIGN LANGUE PRESS,BEIJING




 Qingfeng


            TheGengs ofTaiyuan were an aristocratic family of long standing who lived in an enormous manor. Eventually their fortunes declined and half of the rambling complex ofstoriedbuildings and living quarters was left desolate. This gave rise tohauntings : the door to the main hall often opened and closed by itself, and the household members repeatedly broke the night stillness with terrified cries.
          Geng found this so disturbing that he moved to acontry residence, leaving an old caretaker to watch the gate. From then on the place became even more neglected and overgrown. Laughter and music could sometimes be heard within.Geng had a nephew named Sickness-free, who was a wild, uninhibited youth. The nephew instructed the caretaker to report anything he saw or heard without delay. One night lamplight was seen flicking in one of the storied buildings.
           When the caretaker rushed to inform him of this, the scholar wanted to enter the building and observe the disturbances. Attempts to dissuade him were in vain. He had long been familiar with the layout of the buildings, but this time he had pushed a circuitous way through thickmugworts and brambles. He climbed to the upper story of one building withoutseeeing anything suspicious. Passing through the building, his ears caught the sibilance of human speech.
           Peeking into a room lighted indaylike brilliance by a pair of large candles, he saw a man in a scholar's cap seated facing a woman at the south of the room. Both were in their forties. On the east side was a young man,probally in his twenties, and on his right was a young woman who had just reached the hairpin age of fifteen. They sat talking jovially around a table laden with meat and wine. The scholar barged in and cried out laughingly:
           "An uninvited guest has arrived."
           Thefrighted group ran to hide. The old man alone came out and asked in rebuking tones: "Who are you that you dare to enter other people's private chambers?"
           "These are my family'schambers,"said the scholar. "You have taken them over. You drinkexquiste wine by yourselves without so much as asking the master of the house to join you. Aren't you pushing your stinginessto far?"
           "You are not the master of the house," said the old man, inspecting him with a sidelong glance.
           "I am the way ward scholarGeng Sickness-Free, nephew of the master of this house."
           The old manutterewd a respectful greeting: "I've long looked up to your luminosity!"
           After bowing the scholar into the room, he called on his servants to replace the food on the table. Thescholare stopped him, so the old man poured wine for his guest.
           The scholar said," There is friendship between our families, so the guest who were just at table need not remain separate. I earnestly hope you will call then back to have a drink."
           "Xiao-er!" called the old man. A young man came quickly from outside. The older man said, "This is my humble child." The youth bowed and sat down. The conversation opened with inquires into each others backgrounds. The older man volunteered:
           "My foster-father is surnamed Fox."
           The scholar had always been outgoing, and his conversation sparked with wit. Xiao-er, too had and easy, charming, manner. In the course of thefourthright conversation, each felt attached to the other. The scholar, being twenty-one years old, was two years older then his friend, so he addressed Xiao-eras a younger brother.
           The old man spoke up: "I've heard that your grandfather compiled "The Legends ofTushan ."[*1] do you know about it?"
           "Yes I do."
           "I am descended from theTushan line," said the old man. "I can remember my family tree to as far back as the Tang dynasty (618-906), but there are no records of our linage from the Five dynasties[*2] period and before. I would feel fortunate if you could impart some of what you know."
           The scholar gave a brief account of the assistance which the maid ofTushan had rendered to Emperor Yu. He embellished the new story with many fine phrases, and his flow of captivating thoughts gushed forth like a spring. The old man said to his son in great delight:
           "This is a chance to hear what we've never heard before. The young gentleman is not an outsider: go ahead and ask your mother andQingfeng to listen with us, so they too will know of my ancestor's glory." Xiao-erwent behind a curtain. In a moment the woman appeared with the girl.Geng took a good long look at her. Her dainty poise breathed loveliness, and her eyes rippled with brilliance like autumn pools. Nowhere in the world of men was such beauty to be seen.
           The old man pointed first to his wife then to the girl: "This is my old wife, and this is myneice ,Qingfeng . She has quite a head on her shoulders. She always remembers everything she hears and sees, so I called her hear to listen."
           After the scholarfinshed telling his tale the drinking began. He turned his eyes to the young woman and let his gaze rest upon her. Sensing his glance she did nothing but lower her head. The scholar furtively placed his foot on her lotus-like slipper. She drew her foot quickly away, but gave no sign of displeasure. The scholar rovingthoughs robbed him of self-command. With a slap on the table he blurted:
           "If I had a wife like this, I would not trade places with a king facing south on his throne!"
           Seeing the scholar become even more boisterous as he succumbed to the wine, the woman and the girlrose, hurriedly parted the curtain and left the room. The disappointed scholar took leave of the old man and departed, but the threads of affection tugged at his heart, and he could not rid his thought ofQingfeng .
           At nightfall the next day he went back to the manor. Her orchid-musk remained in the air. He passed the night absorbed in waiting, but not so much as a cough of hers was heard. Returning home, he broached to his wife his plan to take the family there and stay, in hopes of having an encounter. Since his wife did not assent, he went alone. That night, as he sat reading at the desk in the lower story of the mansion, a wild-haired ghost with a lacquer-black face entered and stared wide-eyed at him. He laughingly dipped his fingers in freshly-rubbed ink, smeared it on his face and looked back at the ghost with a burning gaze. The ghost left in shame.
           Late the following night he hadblowen out his candle and was about to retire when he heard a bolt sliding open in the rear of his mansion, followed by the thud of an opening door. He rushed to take a look. Adoorleaf was standing ajar. Therewasa sudden pattering of slippers, and the light of a candle shone from inside. He saw that it wasQingfeng . Frightened at the unexpected sight of the scholar, she backed away and slammed the double-leaved door. The scholar knelt upright before her door and delivered his plea:
           It was for your sake that I did not shrink from danger. By goodfourtune no one else was here. If you were to grant me just once the joy of a touch of your hand, I would face death itself without regret."
           The girl spoke through the intervening door: "Do not suppose that I know nothing of the heart-gripping longing you feel, but my uncle raised me by a stern code of womanly conduct: I dare not obey your wish."
           The scholar kept pleading, nevertheless: I do notprsume to hope for bodily intimacy: is would be enough just see your face."
           The girl seemed amenable to this. She opened the door and came out. In a paroxysm of delight the scholar took her arm and drew hew into the mansion, where he sat her on his lap and embraced her.
           "It is fortunate that fate has brought us together," said the girl. "But now matter how much we yearn for each other, it will do us no good after tonight."
           "Why is that?" asked the scholar.
           "Your wildness frightened my uncle, so he disguised himself as a fierce ghost to frighten you, but you were not fazed. Now he has found another place to live. The whole family has taken our belongings and moved to our new home. They left me here to watch the place, but I have to leavetomarow ."
           Then she rose toleave,saying : "I'm afraid my uncle will come back."
           The scholar, who wanted to enjoy himself with her, did his utmost to detain her. The matter was still under discussion when her uncle entered stealthily. The shamed,frighted girl would have crawled into a hole had there been one handy. She bowed her head and leaned against the bed, wordlessly fingering her sash.
           "You are a disgrace to my family, you cheap chamber maid!"Roared the uncle.
           "If you don't get out of here now, I'll speed you on your way with a whip." The girl rushed from the room, her head loweredajectly , and her uncle followed. As the scholar trailed behindthemlisting , the old man raving curses andQingfeng'd muffled sobs pierced his heart.
           "I am the guilty one," he shouted after them. "This is notQingfeng's fault. If you'll be lenient with her, I'll gladly bear any punishment, be it by sword, saw, hatchet or axe."
           All sounds died down into prolonged silence. The scholar went back to bed. From this time on not a breath of noise was heard in themannor . The scholar's uncle, amazed by the news of these events, agreed to sell themannor to his nephew withouthaggleing over price. The scholar was delighted: he moved into themannor with his family. They lived there quitecomforably for more then a year, but the scholar never forgotQingfeng .
           Then, while retuning from the family graves on Tomb Sweeping day, he happened to see to small foxes closely pursued by hounds. One of them ducked into the brush, but the other was sofrighted it kept running on the road. Seeing the scholar, it clung to his sidewhinningpathetically, ears folded back and head hanging, as if to beg for help. The scholar's pity was aroused. He loosened his robe, picked up the fox and carried it home in his arms. When he closed the door to his room and out it onto the bed, it turned intoQingfeng . What joy he felt! He consoled her and asked how she had come to this pass.
           "Just now I was out frolicking with a maid servant, when thisterrrible calamity threatened us. If it had not been for you, I would be buried now in adogs stomach. I hope youdont hate me for not being one of your kind."
           The scholar replied," My constantyearing for you intrudes into the dreams of my soul. Seeing you is like discovering a precious treasure. How can you say "hate"?
           "This meeting is fixed by the working of fate. If it had not been for that near calamity, how could I be able to serve you? Fortunately for us, the maidservant will surly think I'm dead. Now we can hold fast to outenternal vow."
           With joy in his heart the scholar set the girl up inroomsseparte from his family. Two years passed. One night the scholar was in the middle of his reading when Xiao-ercame into his room. The startled scholar put down his book and asked the reason for his coming.
           Xiao-erprostrated himself and said woefully: "My father is facing an unexpecteddiaster . Only you can save him.he would have come to plead with you himself, but he feared you would not grant his request, so he sent me."
           "Well, what is it?" asked the scholar.
           "Do you know Mo the third Son?"
           "He is the son of a man who took examinations the year I did," said the scholar.
           Xiao-ersaid, "He will pass by heretomarrow . If he is carrying a fox taken in the hunt, please ask him to leave it here."
           "The shame your father subjected me to in the mansion still burns in my heart. Let me hear no more of what does not concern me. If you insist on my doing what little I can, I will do only ifQingfeng comes to me first!"
           "CousinQingfeng died in the field three years ago!" Xiao-ersniffed as he spoke.
           The scholar retorted with a sweep of his sleeve, "If so my resentments is so much the greater!"
           He picked up his book and loudly intoned a poem, without lifting his gaze in the slightest. Xiao-errose and cried himself hoarse, then walked out, hiding his face in his hands. The scholar went toQingfeng's room to let her know.
           "Will you save him or not?" she asked, her face gone pale.
           "I'll save him all right. My refusal just now was my way of repaying his past spitefulness."
           At this the girl brightened: "I was orphaned at an early age, but my uncle took me in and raised me. Though he once offendedyou, that was only because of the family discipline he had demanded of me."
           "True, said the scholar. "But one can't help holding it against him."
           "You really are hard-hearted!" she said with a laugh.
           Sure enough, Mo the third Son showed up the next day sporting engraved harness ornaments, abowcase of tiger skin and an impressive entourage. Meeting him at the gate, the scholar saw that he had bagged a fair amount of game.Amoung it was a black fox, still warm to the touch, its fur matted with dark red blood. The scholar asked to have it, claiming that he needed the pelt to patch his worn fur coat. Mo parted with it magnanimously.
           The scholar turned it over toQingfeng and drank wine with his guest. When the guest had gone, the girl held the fox in her arms. After three days it came back to life. Then, through several stages, it changed back into her uncle.
          Qingfeng was the first to meet his eyes when he looked up, which led him to suspect that he was no longer in the world of men. When the girl had gone through the true story, he bowed down and stammered an apology for his past offence.That done, he turned beamingly to the girl and said.
           "I kept saying that you weren't dead: now it turns out that I was right!"
           The girl said to the scholar: "I also beg you, if you care for me, to give us the use of a building, so that I can care for the one who has cared for me." The scholar assented.
           The old man then excused himself blushingly and left. That night he returned with his whole family. From then on they lived like one big family, all ill feelings left in the past. The scholar lived a secluded life in his studio, but Xiao-erfrequently joined him for wine and conversation. As the son born to scholar's wife grew older, Xiao-erwas asked to act as tutor, because he was taught with skill and patience and conducted himself as a teacher should.
1 Based on the mythological marriage of an ancient ruler Yu with a nine-tailed vixen fromTushan ofAnhui province.

 2Not the Five dynasties period usually referred to (907-960), but the one (420-618) before the Tang dynasty.

  

 FOX-FAIRY JIAONUO


  
           Scholar KongXueli , adecendant of Confucius, was poised in amannor and accomplished in poetry.A close friend whoservedas magistrate ofTiantai District (InZhejiang province) summoned him by letter. Kong arrived only to find that the magistrate had just died. This left him down-and-out and without the means to return, so he put up inPotala Monastery, where he was employed copying sutras for the monks.
           The residence of one Master Shanlay a hundred-some steps to the west of the monastery. Master Shan, the scion of agentry family, had moved to the country with his reduced household, leaving the residents vacant,afterbeing involved in a lawsuit which had brought on the decline of his fortunes.
           One day while walking through the swirling eddies of heavy snowfall, Scholar Kong happened to pass by the gate. A young man, quite striking in manner, was issuing from the gate when he saw Scholar Kong, and hurried over to greet him.
           Having expressed concern for Kong's health in a few words, he begged to have thehonor ofreciving him as a visitor. Delighted at the young man's refreshing charm, Kong followed him in with alacrity. The rooms were hardly spacious, but brocade draperies hung everywhere. A number of paintings and works of calligraphy by ancient masters were on the walls. On the desk lay a volume bearing the title "Random Notes from theLandofLanghuam."[*1] A quick glance through showed it to be full of things never seen in other books.
           Because the young man occupied the Shan residence, Kong assumed him to be the master of the house and did not inquire about his family's social standing. The young man questioned Kong atlenght about the life he led and was moved to pity by what he heard. He suggested setting up a private schoolhouse and finding some pupils.
           Kong sighed and said, "Who would vouch for a wanderer like me?"
           "I would like to study under you, if you still find some redeeming value in a worthless nag likemyself ."
           Delighted as he was, Kong could not presume to act as the young man's tutor, so he asked that they be bound by friendship instead.
           Kong went on to ask: "Why has your house been boarded up all this time?"
           "This is the Shan manor," replied the young man. "The owner moved to the country and left this place empty quite some time ago. I belong to theHuangfu clan, which has its ancestral home inShaanxi. I am using this as a temporary resting place because my family dwelling was destroyed by wildfire." Only then did Scholar Kong realize that his friend was not one of theShans .
           That evening the two of then conversed merrily, after which they shared the young man's sleeping mat. Just before dawn, a servant boy lit a charcoal fire in the room. The young man got up first and went into the innerquaters , while Kong sat huddled under the covers. The servant came in to say that the oldgenteman was coming. Kong got up in surprise.
           A silver-headed old man entered and graciously thanked Kong, saying: "You have been kind enough not to spurn my thick-headed son, and you have even offered him the benefit of your teaching. My boy is just now learning to scribble. Don't treat him as an equal just because you are friends."
           Saying this, he presented Kong with a gown, a mink cap, and a pair each of shoes and stockings. He watched until Kongfinshed washing his face and combing his hair, then called for wine and victuals to be set out before him. The furnishings of the room and the host's clothing were of unfamiliar materials that dazzled the eyes with their lustre. After several rounds of wine the old man rose, took his leave and walked out leaning on his cane.
           At the end of the meal the young gentlemen brought out his exercises, all of which were written in classic style. There was not one example of up-to-date examination writing [*2] among them.
           When Kong questioned him on this he answered with a laugh: "I am not out to climb the ladder of success."
           As evening approached, he filled thewinecups again and said, "Let's enjoy ourselves to the full tonight: startingtomarrow there will be more of this."
           He called the servant boy: "See whether the old gentleman is in bed yet. If he is, callXiangnu in here, and keep it quit."
           The boyleft, then returned with an embroidered bag containing a four-string luteabiwa - Foxtrot . In a moment a maid entered, looking as stunning as could be in hercolorfuladorments . The young gentleman toldhe to play the piece called "Goddesses of the RiverXiang ." Strumming the strings with an ivory pick, she played an intense and passionate melody to a rhythm unlike anything Kong had ever heard. Then she was ordered to serve wine in huge beakers. Only when the third watch came did they call it a night.
           The next day they rose early to study together. The young gentleman was exceptionally bright, with the ability to memorize a passage simply by running his eyes over it. After two or three months his command of the ink brush wasthroughly remarkable. They agreed to drink together once every five days and did not fail to summonXiangnu to each bout. One night Kong, feeling his desire kindled by the mellowness of the wine, let his eyes linger on her. The young gentleman grasped what was on his mind immediately and said, "This maid was brought up as one of our family by my father. Seeing youforelore and wifeless, I have turned the matter over in my mind day and night. Sooner or later I should arrange abeatufil mate for you."
          "If you would be so kind, let it be someone likeXiangnu ," Blurted Kong.
           The young gentleman answered laughingly: "You certainly bear out the old saying that "the inexperienced are easily excited." If this is your idea of beauty, your wishes are indeed easily satisfied."
           A half-year had passed when one day, Kong wanted to gorambleing about theevirons of the city, but when he reached the gate he found that its double leaves had been bolted from the outside.
           When asked about it, the young gentleman told him: "The master of the house fears that socializing will distract me from my studies so he is turning away all guests."
           This was readily accepted by Kong. That was at the height of the summer season - a time of sweltering heat - so they set up their studio in a pavilion in the garden. Soon afterwards a peach-sized swelling appeared onKongs chest. After one night, it grew to the size of a bowl and made him cry out in anguish. The young gentleman looked after himconstanly , neglecting to eat and sleep.
           In a few days the pain from the boil became increasinglygrievous , so that eating and drinking were now out of the question. The old gentleman, too, came out for a look and heaved a great sigh at what he saw.
           "The night before last I wasworring about my tutor's affliction", said the young gentleman.
           "Itoccured to me that sisterJiaonuo could cure it, so I sent someone togrannys place to bring her."
           Father and son rushed into the inner quarters. In a short while they ushered in a girl to have a look at the scholar. She was around thirteen or fourteen years of age, her eyes were coy pools darting withbriliance and her slender-willow frame figured forthlovliness in its every attitude. When he glimpsed her charms, the scholar abruptly left off his moaning and hisspirts revived.
           Then the young gentleman spoke: "This is my good friend. We are closer than if we had been born of the same parents. Try your best to treat him sister."
           At this the girl dispensed with her look of bashfulness and walked toward the bed to make the examination, trailing her long sleeves through the air. As she probed with her fingers, Kong was aware of a fragrance that surpassed orchids.
           "No wonder he has this affliction," said the girl laughingly. "His pulse is unsteady. The illness is critical, but it can be cured. However, this area of tissue is alreadymoribound . Our only choice is to remove the skin and cut away the flesh."
           Whereupon she removed a bracelet from her arm, placed it on the afflicted spot and pressed down gradually. The boil bulged more then an inch out of thebraclet , and the base of the swelling wascompletly contained within. No longer was it as wide in diameter as a bowl. Then the girl lifted the front of her gossamer gown with one hand andunfasted a knife with a razor thin blade which hung at her waist. Holding thebraclet and grasping the knife firmly, she cut gently along the base.
           Purple blood spilled out in gouts, staining the bed mat. But the scholar, in his craving for proximity to her soft loveliness, was not only unaware of the pain but even apprehensive lest the operation endto soon and put a stop to their nearness.
           Before long a lump of putrefied flesh,resembleing a gall cut from atree, was sliced away. The girl then called for water, which she used to cleanse the incision. She expelled a red lozenge the size of a crossbow pellet from her mouth and placed it on the raw flesh, then pressed downward and rolled it around the wound. When it had made one circuit, the scholar felt heat darting like flame. When the lozenge had rolled around the second time, the spot pulsated with a comfortable itching sensation. At the end of the thirdcircut a refreshing coolness flooded through his body and penetrated to the very marrow of his bones.
           The girl put the lozenge back into her throat,annouced "He's cured!" and walked away with rapid steps.
           The scholarleapted up and ran to thank her, as if he had never been stricken with the serious malady.
           After that her glorious countenance hovered before his minds eye: his painfulyearing was notdisspelled . From this time on he neglected his books and sat in fond vapidity. Nothingfuther couldengadge hisattenion .
           The young gentleman, who had seen into the root of his unease, said "I did some judicious looking, and I've settled on the perfect mate for you.
           "Who?" asked thescholar.
           "She is also a member of my family."
           The scholar absorbed in himself in considering this for quite some time, but he firmly said, "No need." Turning his face to the wall he recited:
           These streams seem nothing since I've crossed
           the vastness of the sea;
           None other thanWitchMountainmists
           are truly clouds to me.[Notation *3]

            The young gentleman knew what he was getting at and said, "My father has the highestreguard for your greatabilites and has long wished toattache himself to you through marriage. But I have only this one younger sister: she is too tender in years. I do have a cousin named "A song" who is eighteen years old and by no means of course mild. If you don't believe me, wait in the front chamber. Cousin Song takes a stroll through the garden every day, so you can get a look at her."
           The scholar did as he was told. Sure enough, he sawJiaonuo come by in the company of anotherbeatiful girl, whose jet eyebrows arched like mothattennae and whose lotus feet strode along in upturned phoenix slippers. She was every bit a match forJiaonuo . The delighted scholar asked the young gentleman to help tie the knot.
           On the next day the young gentleman came out to the garden and congratulated him saying: "Itsall arranged."
           Theroomes around a side courtyard were then made ready, and the scholar's wedding ceremony was preformed. That evening theplaceresounded to the beating of drums andblarring of horns till the air rolled with dust. Now that the fairy maid of his dreams was about to share his canopy and quilt, he suspected that the place of Vast Coldness, where dwelt the goddess of the moon, was notnecesarily beyond the clouds. After they had drunk together from the paired goblet of matrimony, theyreveled deeply in the joy that answered to their longing.
           One night the young gentleman said to the scholar: "I can never forget the kindness you have showed by instructing me.
           But recently young master Shan returned, following theresoulution of his lawsuit, and now heinsist on taking up residence here again. I think I'll leave this place and go west.things being as they are, it will be difficult for us to remain together: You must know how the sorrow of parting tugs at my heart." The scholar wished to leave with him but the young gentleman urged him to return to his home district. The scholar shrank back from the difficulty of doing so.
           "Don't worry," said the young gentleman. "I'll see you off at once."
           Before long, the oldgentalman led out Mistress Song and presented the scholar with one hundredtaels of gold. The young gentleman clasped the couple with both arms and cautioned them to close their eyes, and keep them closed. They wentdriftingly airborne, aware only of the wind rushing in their ears.
           "We've arrived," said the young gentleman after a long while. They opened their eyes and found that they had indeed come to the scholar's oldneighborhood . It was plain by now that the young gentle was no ordinary mortal. Thescholoar knocked delightedly on the door of his house. When his mother came out she could not believe her eyes. Then she met the scholar's beautiful wife, and the three of them rejoiced together. When they thought to turn and look behind them, the young gentleman was already gone.
           Mistress Song proved filial to her mother-in-law. She was renowned for her ravishing good looks and wifely virtue.
           Afterwards the scholar took the doctorate of letters and was assigned the judgeship atYenan.( InShaanxi )
           He took his household with him and went to assume his post, but his mother remained behind because of the distanceinvloved . Mistress Song gave birth to a son, whom they namedXiaohuan .
           Then the scholar gave offence to the censor, which resulted in the loss of hispostion . Because there were some unresolved problems relating to his dismissal, he was unable to return home. It happened that he was hunting in the wilds outside the city when he came upon a handsome young man sitting on a black colt, who kept glancing at him.
           A careful look told him that this was the young gentleman of theHuangfu family. The younggentalman drew back on the reins andpulledup a three horse team hitched to his chariot, overcome by the mixture of sorrow and gladness that welled up within him. He asked the scholar to follow along to the village, where the shade cast by many trees cut off the sun and sky and created a dense twilight.
           The door leading into the house had bronze bosses and studs in the style of alandowners mansion. In response to the scholar's questions the young gentleman saidthe his younger sister had gotten married and his mother had passed away. The scholar expressed heart feltcondolances . After staying the night he left, then returned with his wife.
          Jiaonuo also showed up. She hugged the scholar's son, dandled him in her arms and poked fun at him, saying, "Look how my cousin has diluted our bloodline!"
           The scholar bowed down to thank her for past kindness. "Brother-in-law, you are an exalted personage now," she answered with a laugh.
           "Your wound is long healed: haven't you forgotten the pain by now?" Master Wu, the younger sister's husband, also came to pay his respects,then departed after a two-night stay.
           One day the young gentleman came to the scholar with a troubled expression on his face and said, "Heaven is about to inflict grave calamity upon us. Can you find it in yourself to save us?"
           The scholar had no knowledge of what he had to deal with, nevertheless, hebeleived himself equal to theattempte . The young gentleman hurried out and summoned his whole family into the hall, where they lined up to make obeisance to him. The dismayed scholar anxiously asked for anexplaination .
           "I am a fox spirit, not a human being," said the young gentleman. "We are now faced with a cataclysm of thunder and lighting. If you consent to take the risk of rescuing us, my family has hope of surviving. Otherwise, please take your child and leave; we will not involve you."
           The scholar vowed to live or die with them. The young gentleman had him stand with sword in hand at the gate and warned him: "When the lightning strikes, do not move!"
           The scholar took hisassighnedpostion .Soon the storm-clouds as dusky black as basalt turned day into night. Turning to look at the house where he had been staying, he saw that the gate was no longer there. Instead, there stood a great mound rearing upwards, pierced by a gaping mouth of a huge cave. He was standing in astonished dread when -"CRACK"- the air was split by a peal of thunder that shook the very mountains. Demented winds driving torrents of rain uprooted ancient trees.
           The scholar was blinded and deafened, but planted his feet and stood firm. Suddenly a sharp-beaked,taloned monster appeared out of the wind-whipped convolutions of smoky black cloud.
           It dragged a person out of the cave,then rose directly with the densevapor . In one flashing glimpse that thescholoar caught of the person's shoes and cloths, he was struck by the thought that this wasJiaonuo . He leapt into the air and thrust with his sword, bringing the monster down to the ground. At that instant the sky tore open with a crashing thunder. The scholar fell over and expired. In a short time the sky cleared, andJiaonuo regainedconciousness .
           Seeing the scholar dead beside her she sobbed, "What is life to me ifmaster Kong dies for me?"
           Mistress Song, too, came out, and they carried him back together.Jiaonuo mademistress Song hold up his head and her brother pry apart his jaws with a metalhairclasp , while she herself pulled his mouth open by pinching his cheeks. She used hertounge to put the redexlir -lozenge in his mouth, and then, placing her lips against his, she blew itfuther in. When the red lozenge had been blown into his throat hebegin to make a gurgling sound. In a while he came to himself. Seeing all his relatives before him made him realize that he had now awaked from a dream.
           Once they had gotten over the shock of these events, everyone in the house rejoiced in their renewed togetherness. But the scholar decided that he could not stay long in such a cave, so he proposed that the others return with him to his home district. The hall echoed with exclamations of approval: onlyJiaonuo was unhappy.
           The scholar suggested that she and master Wu go along, but she worried that her in-laws would not want to be separated from their young son. They discussed the matter most of the day without result. Just then aservent of the Wu family arrived, sweating profusely and gasping for breath. Everyone loosed a barrage of astonished questions. It turned out that calamity had struck Master Wu's house on the same day, and that the entire family had perished.Jiaonuo stamped her feet in grief and cried ceaselessly, while everyone tried to console her.
           And so the plan to return together was agreed upon. The scholar went into the city forserval days to attend to his affairs, then returned and stayed up into the night hurriedly packing for the trip. When they reached scholar's home, he set up rooms for the young gentleman in an unfrequented garden, which healway locked from the outside. The bolt was only removed when he and Mistress Song arrived for a visit. The scholar played chess, wined and dined, and conversed with the young gentleman and his sister as if they belonged to one family. The childXiaohuan grew up to besplendedly good looking, but there was something vulpine about him. People who saw him rambled about the city knew he was a fox spirit's child.
           The Chronicler of the tale comments: "I envy Scholar Kong not because he found a ravishing wife but because he found a bosom friend. Looking at the face of such a friend can make one forget hunger; listening to his voice can bring a smile. Simply having such a good friend and visitinghim sometimes for meal and conversation brings greater "communion between souls" than does loves "sweet disorder in the dress."


 1 A collection of fairy tales by YiSchizhen of the Yuan dynasty (1206-1341)Its firstartical on the list bears the title
"The Blessed Land ofLanghuan "

 2 Better known as eight-legged (or eight-paragraphed) essay, a style of writingperscribed for civil examinations during the Ming andQingdynastys (1368-1911)

 3 Lines of a poem by the Tang poet, Yuan Zhen (779-831), lamenting his deceased wife.