Strange Tales from Liaozhai - Vol. 6The weird and whimsical short stories in Strange Tales from Liaozhai show their author, Pu Songling (1640-1715), to be both an explorer of the macabre, like Edgar Allan Poe, and a moralist, like Aesop. In this first complete translation of the collection's 494 stories into English, readers will encounter supernatural creatures, natural disasters, magical aspects of Buddhist and Daoist spirituality, and a wide range of Chinese folklore. Annotations are provided to clarify unfamiliar references or cultural allusions, and introductory essays have been included to explain facets of Pu Songling's work and to provide context for some of the unique qualities of his uncanny tales. This is the sixth of 6 volumes. |
From inside the book
Results 6-10 of 79
... servants set such low prices on his stock that within a few days, Tao had sold absolutely everything. Ma urged him to pack up everything into a bag, hired a boat, and they headed northward. By the time they entered Ma's gates, Huangying ...
... servants to renovate the pavilions in the garden while he spent his days drinking and playing chess together with Ma, no longer interacting with traveling merchants. When Ma offered to help him select a wife, he proved unwilling and ...
... servants carrying a large jar of herb-infused sorghum wine for Tao to join him in emptying. Even when the jar was almost empty, however, the two men were still not very drunk. Then Ma stealthily poured in some wine from another ...
... servants to drive him directly to Yan's home. There he found the rooms filled with so many books that he couldn't possibly search them all, so he ordered them burned; the courtyard filled with swirling smoke that wouldn't dissipate ...
... servants to deliver a plea on the elder brother's behalf to the Hell King. The servant replied, “The spirits of the dead are reported in the register of heaven's court three days after their demise, so I'm afraid it'll be tough to do ...