famous chinese short stories- part-iii & iv

7/29/2019 Famous Chinese Short Stories- Part-III & IV

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FAMOUS CHINESE SHORT STORIES PART III & IVRetold by LIN YUTANG (1959)


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Translated by Ma Hninpwint 2


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FAMOUS CHINESE SHORT STORIES PART 3 & 4

Retold by Lin Yutang (1959)

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A LODGING FOR THE NIGHT

A Lodging for the Night, The Man Who Became a Fish, The Tiger, and Matrimony Inn

These four stories are written by Li Fu-Yen (See Introduction). They are Preserved in Taiping Kwangchi

as Numbers 418,471,429 and 159 respectively. Another story by the same author may be found in my Vigil

of a Nation (John Day), pages 155-58; it is told against the same weird background of magic and answers

the question: When is it hardest for a person to keep his mouth shut? Among the four here, MatrimonyInn is the best known, and the phrases the old man under the moon and tying red threads have passed

into current Chinese vocabulary.

Lin Yutang


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THE MAN WHO BECAME A FISHTHE MAN WHO BECAME A FISHTHE MAN WHO BECAME A FISHTHE MAN WHO BECAME A FISH





the question: When is it hardest for a person to keep his mouth shut? Among the four here, Matrimony

Inn is the best known, and the phrases the old man under the moon and tying red threads have passed


Lin Yutang


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THE TIGER





the question: When is it hardest for a person to keep his mouth shut? Among the four here, MatrimonyInn is the best known, and the phrases the old man under the moon and tying red threads have passed


Lin Yutang


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MATRIMONY INN

A Lodging for the Night, The Man Who Became a Fish , The Tiger , and Matrimony Inn



of a Nation (John Day) , pages 155-58; it is told against the same weird background of magic and answers

the question : When is it hardest for a person to keep his mouth shut? Among the four here, Matrimony

Inn is the best known, and the phrases the old man under the moon and tying red threads have passed


Lin Yutang


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THE DRUNKARDS DREAM

This is one of the best known of the Tang tales, written by Li Kung-tso, who also wrote several other

popular stories. Like Li Fu-yen, he lived in the first half of the ninth century. The Dream of South bough

has now become a standard Chinese expression signifying that all life is but a dream.

Lin Yutang


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CINDERALLA

The story is found in Yuyang Tsatsu, by Tuan Chengshih who died in 863. Tuan was a zealous recorder of strange

tales. Folklorists have studied the migration of this universally loved fairy tale, and it is interesting that the earliest

record in writing of this tale is found in Chinese. The Chinese version has both the Slavonic feature of animal friend

and Germanic feature of the lost slipper. Tuan recorded that this story was told him by his servant who came from the

aboriginal tribes of Yungchow in modern Kwangsi. The earliest record of European record of this story is by Des

Perriers in his Nouvelles recreations et joyeux devis, published in 1558. Because of this historic interest of this piece, I

have made here as exact a translation as possible.

LIN YUTANG


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THE CRICKET BOY

From Liaotsai , by Pu Sungling ( See note for JOJO, No. 10 )

Lin Yutang


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THE POETS CLUB

From Taiping Kwangchi, No.490. The story was written by Wang Chu (997 1057). Wang was a many-sided

scholar who lived in the beginning of Sung Dynasty, and the decline of Tang poetry in his time may be the reason for

this whimsical satire upon the latter-days poets. I have necessarily written the story, for the verses written by animals

would have little meanings in translations. I have been compelled to translate the names of the poets into English, for

the names in the original contain hints as to the true characters of poets.

Lin Yutang


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THE BOOKWORM

From Laiotsai, by Pu Sungling (see note on story No.10). Pu was an original and extremely gifted scholar,

but he failed in the imperial examinations. This is no way reflected upon his literary talent, for gifted

scholars often had contempt for official success. In Pus case, his contempt found expression in this

humorous and very lively satire upon politicians.

Lin Yutang


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THE WOLF OF CHUNGSHANG

This remarkable tale was written by Hsieh Liang of Sung Dynasty, but some texts give the author as Ma Chungshi of

Ming Dynasty. It is possible that Ma revised and improved upon Hsiens text. The style is highly classical, making the

wolf talk in the language of cultured gentlemen of Tsochuan (which I have, of course, not followed), but this fault maybe forgiven in consideration of the authors very original comment on human ingratitude toward animals, who are our

friends and faithful servants.

Lin Yutang


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famous chinese short stories- part-iii & iv

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