STRANGE STORIES
FROM A
CHINESE STUDIO.
STRANGE STORIES FROM A CHINESE STUDIO.
TRANSLATED AND ANNOTATED BY HERBERT A. GILES, _Of H.M.'s Consular Service_.
IN TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. I.
LONDON: THOS. DE LA RUE & CO. 110, BUNHILL ROW.
1880.
PRINTED BY THOMAS DE LA RUE AND CO., BUNHILL ROW, LONDON.
TO MY WIFE AND OUR CHILDREN:
_BERTRAM_,
_LIONEL_,
_VALENTINE_,
_LANCELOT_.
CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTION Vol. I., pp. xiii-xxxii.
STORIES.
VOL. I. VOL. II.
PAGE PAGE
Adulteration Punished -- 332
Alchemist, The -- 313
Boat-girl Bride, The -- 149
Boatmen of Lao-lung, The -- 348
Boon Companion, The 165 --
Bribery and Corruption -- 170
Buddhist Priest of Ch'ang-ch'ing, The 22 --
Buddhist Priests, Arrival of -- 231
Butterfly's Revenge, The -- 289
Carrying a Corpse -- 181
Cattle Plague, The -- 253
Censor in Purgatory, The -- 238
Chang Pu-liang -- 177
Chang's Transformation 237 --
Chou K'o-ch'ang and his Ghost -- 106
Clay Image, The -- 276
Cloth Merchant, The -- 127
Collecting Subscriptions -- 220
Considerate Husband, The 158 --
Country of the Cave Men, The 397 --
Courage Tested -- 116
Cruelty Avenged -- 267
Dead Priest, The -- 247
Death by Laughing 352 --
Disembodied Friend, The -- 119
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio (Volumes I a
- 2: The 272 Forty Strings of Cash
- 3: The 1 Lost Brother
- 4: The 193 Rip van Winkle
- 5: The 374 Wei ch'i Devil
- 6: And I had made the journey overland from Swatow to Canton
- 7: His particular name was Sung ling
- 8: Known to the Chinese as the Liao Chai Chih I
- 9: That it is from the edition of Tan Ming lun
- 10: These words stand for Liao library record strange
- 11: Who can enjoy the Liao Chai in the original text
- 12: A celebrated musician and alchemist A
- 13: Of the Buddhist system of metempsychosis
- 14: Sung sat down alongside of him
- 15: Sung here left him and rode on
- 16: Fang noticed that the carriage curtain was partly open
- 17: Fang was very fond of these epidendrums
- 18: Chu keep quiet until she came back
- 19: You have several hundred pears on your barrow
- 20: Should be participated in by married Taoist priests
- 21: But Wang was overwhelmed with rage and shame
- 22: The buddhist priest of ch'ang ch'ing
- 23: One evening when Yin was carousing with some fellow students
- 24: Yin slightly changed his position
- 25: Yin heard the bridegroom take his leave
- 26: Then the goblets were brought in
- 27: This is the Shan family mansion
- 28: At that moment a servant entered and announced Miss Chiao no
- 29: Miss Chiao no immediately dismissed her blushes
- 30: K'ung asked after Miss Chiao no
- 31: And Chiao no gradually came round
- 32: Whereupon the necromancer said
- 33: Yue again ran between his legs
- 34: And depended very much upon Chou
- 35: Chou married another named Wang
- 36: And Chou was permitted to return home
- 37: And Chou recognised his own features
- 38: Chou then approached his house
- 39: From the degrading penalty of the bamboo
- 40: Wang asked what her husband had been
- 41: Wang replied that he had no capital
- 42: Wang waited for it to clear up
- 43: The landlord therefore said to Wang
- 44: Wang here looked at the landlord
- 45: She asked Wang where his family were
- 46: Where she ripped open Wang and tore out his heart
- 47: And then the maniac crying out
- 48: Does not sit in a sedan when she goes out
- 49: But she became queerer and queerer every day
- 50: Leaving the long bearded servant alone
- 51: One of them has bewitched a lady named Wang
- 52: At Ling yang there lived a man named Chu Erh tan
- 53: In the morning Chu undid the bandage
- 54: Chu took a mirror to look at herself
- 55: Chu was proceeding to inquire further
- 56: 106 Wei subsequently rose to high honours
- 57: Chinese coffins are beautifully made
- 58: Wang drew the flower from underneath his pillow
- 59: Wang had been explaining who he was
- 60: Wang waited till she had finished
- 61: Wang told her she did not understand
- 62: Wang and Ying ning then took their leave
- 63: His mother then scolded Ying ning well
- 64: And when he waked he told Ying ning
- 65: 114 The semi divine head of the Taoist religion
- 66: All lodgings had gone up in price
- 67: Cannot the spirits trouble Yen
- 68: Collected Hsiao ch'ien's bones
- 69: But Hsiao ch'ien came out rejoicing
- 70: The shui mang 126 is a poisonous herb
- 71: San niang entreated them to dry their tears
- 72: Subsequently a man of the village who had eaten shui mang
- 73: Shortly after these events little Chu fell sick
- 74: Little Chu was merely a man named Yen Tz u fang
- 75: To get an interview with Hsiao hui
- 76: 136 and that she was called Tertia
- 77: While Miss Quarta sat playing with her girdle
- 78: When he descried Miss Quarta at a distance
- 79: Chu urged her again to prepare
- 80: Ku thereupon shouldered a peck of rice
- 81: As she was speaking Ku walked in
- 82: Buckwheat is very cheap in the market just now
- 83: The next evening Lien hsiang came
- 84: Lien hsiang asked who had said so
- 85: Sang then began to reproach her
- 86: Lien hsiang looked round and said
- 87: And Miss Yen erh was delighted to recover it
- 88: She's the image of Lien hsiang
- 89: Sang written by a comrade of his named Wang Tz u chang
- 90: And bade her inform Miss A pao
- 91: Occasionally calling on A pao by name
- 92: A pao was greatly astonished at this
- 93: Every footstep makes a lily grow
- 94: Which brought young Hsiu to his senses
- 95: Hsiu soon took this out of them
- 96: In Honan there lived a man named Chang
- 97: Na replied that he was only hungry
- 98: The magician said he didn't know
- 99: Why did your father go away to Honan
- 100: Slaves take the surnames of their masters
- 101: But Chieh led the scholar into another room
- 102: And then he tapped the frogs all round
- 103: Followed Li Neng to the magistrate's office
- 104: Who had an only son called Hsiang ju
- 105: In reply to Hsiang ju's inquiries
- 106: Hsiang ju soon perceived what Mr
- 107: Thereby nearly causing Hsiang ju to die of grief and rage
- 108: Hsiang ju was released and went home
- 109: Hsiang ju marvelled very much at this
- 110: That Miss Tseng had died suddenly
- 111: As Miss Tseng was sitting by Chang's side
- 112: And in a few days Miss Tseng had cried herself to death
- 113: And on one occasion Hsue said to him in raillery
- 114: And Han and Hsue lay down to sleep
- 115: The tutor said his name was Hu
- 116: Hu was somewhat disconcerted at this
- 117: And the magistrate obeyed his instructions
- 118: The magistrate here burst into tears
- 119: And the third was Liang Yuen tung
- 120: And Yuen mien led him into another court yard
- 121: Chen threw himself on his knees
- 122: The young lady of the tung t'ing lake
- 123: Soldiers now came and bound Lin
- 124: Lin then begged she would return with him
- 125: And Yue received a suit of black clothes
- 126: Yue therefore remained with her
- 127: So Yue communicated this to Chu ch'ing
- 128: Huang asked the young lady her name
- 129: Hsiang yue declared it was destiny
- 130: To which Chiang hsueeh replied
- 131: And drawing Chiang hsueeh towards them
- 132: And the question was gravely put to Mencius Book IV
- 133: Ta nan next met a gentleman named Chiang
- 134: Shen was therefore compelled to yield
- 135: To the great satisfaction of Hsi and his wife
- 136: Consisting of the teachings of Confucius and Mencius
- 137: This took Hsing very much aback
- 138: Hsing was overjoyed at this dream
- 139: So Hsiao in a rage got his brothers Chung and Hsin
- 140: Besides causing the arrest of Hsiao
- 141: Hsiao and the other two determined that
- 142: Chi tsu had no brothers of his own
- 143: And Hsiao himself said to Yu yue
- 144: 254 A sham entertainment given by the Fu t'ai
- 145: But when he mentioned Wen chi's name
- 146: And then Miao got up and took his leave
- 147: But so wretchedly that Miao called out
- 148: 263 This is the vel ego vel Cluvienus style of satire
- 149: Begging Mao to wait a little longer
- 150: Until at last Mao himself arrived
- 151: And when Mao and his wife saw her return
- 152: Pao chu walked along the eaves
- 153: Arrows fell round Pao chu like drops of rain
- 154: 285 The Chinese distinguish five degrees of homicide
- 155: An invitation to which Hsi Shan gladly responded
- 156: We sold all our grain except about twenty piculs
- 157: Hsi Shan was very much astonished at this
- 158: Lan then went home and told San lang
- 159: Tai was a little disturbed at this
- 160: And that he was otherwise known as Lung fei
- 161: Tai was promptly conveyed home
- 162: His mother abused Shan hu for dressing so nicely
- 163: In three or four years Erh ch'eng had grown up
- 164: And ultimately Tsang ku consented
- 165: Knowing what Tsang ku's temper was
- 166: Erh ch'eng entreated him to do so
- 167: Tsang ku had thirteen children
- 168: Thereupon Tseng was much pleased
- 169: The soldiers bade Tseng begone
- 170: The devils flogged Tseng on to the wheel
- 171: Tseng bowed and begged him to explain
- 172: And buy a concubine for your husband
- 173: Hsue was horribly afraid of her
- 174: On reaching home Hsue found that his wife had married again
- 175: He then went off to find a boat for Piao
- 176: Piao then laid his scheme before them
- 177: 334 Here again we have 100 chuen
- 178: Wang was of course unable to flee
- 179: Whereupon Le came forward and paid all expenses
- 180: And drawing a cart with a huge vat in it
- 181: When suddenly they met Han on the road
- 182: So Han gave him a talismanic formula
- 183: She married a gentleman of position named Hsia
- 184: Ching now thought she could not be A hsia
- 185: Ma doubted this rather extraordinary promise
- 186: Ma replied that he wasn't engaged
- 187: Strange storiesfrom achinese studio
- 188: Ma asked the name of their country
- 189: Ma then got up and began to attitudinize
- 190: Whereupon Ma made obeisance before the king
- 191: But if loneliness 364 overtakes you then choose a concubine
- 192: Ma having found out she was there
- 193: Presented him with a cricket which
- 194: While the soothsayer stood by the side
- 195: And sent the cricket in to the Governor
- 196: And deeply attached to his half brother Sheng
- 197: Falling on his knees before Feng
- 198: Feng now asked what it all meant
- 199: Feng was accordingly liberated
- 200: Which Kuo drank off at a draught
- 201: On the score of being himself a Kiangsi man
- 202: And Niu took her by the ear and began to revile her
- 203: And saw beautiful green hills and waving willows
- 204: He walked up and entered the kiosque
- 205: Death would have been almost a happy release
- 206: Then Ch'en said to the Princess
- 207: Which very much astonished Liang
- 208: At Chiao chou there lived a man named Tou Hsuen
- 209: Tou rose and thanked the Prince
- 210: Tou begged to know what was the matter
- 211: Tou at first offered objections to this
- 212: Chung got into a great perspiration
- 213: Chung was overwhelmed with anxiety
- 214: Whereupon Chung begged her pardon
- 215: And his eldest son was called Chia
- 216: Despatched his second son with a letter to Chia
- 217: Chia had indeed come to life again
- 218: Chu said his bloody clothes would be evidence enough
- 219: Evidently inflicted by a heavy chopper
- 220: Chia took off his shoes and lay down
- 221: Chia was amazed when he heard all this
- 222: Hsing went home dreadfully mortified
- 223: Would not summon Hsing at once
- 224: His father's name was Hsi Lien a hasty tempered man
- 225: Fang p'ing thought this was mere gossip
- 226: But his spirit did not forget Erh Lang
- 227: So Ku begged to be excused a moment
- 228: He then bade Ku close his eyes
- 229: The position of which Chai had changed
- 230: Hsue was consulting his archives
- 231: Feng hsien seemed to be crying bitterly
- 232: Tung asked what plan he could suggest
- 233: Lue discovered what had taken place
- 234: Lue advised Ch'en to take Ch'u as his tutor
- 235: Ch'en found his name among the successful candidates
- 236: A certain cloth merchant went to Ch'ing chou
- 237: There indeed he was in one of the panniers
- 238: Stands on one leg and performs the shang yang
- 239: Chou Kung was the first Emperor of the Chou dynasty
- 240: After Tsu had been wounded in the hand
- 241: The Yue hang scholar was much abashed at this
- 242: And observing Liang ss u outside
- 243: So Liang ss u sat down again
- 244: Lin tsung had the good sense to be charmed
- 245: Wang then threw a piece of silver towards her
- 246: Wang now sent off betrothal presents
- 247: Wang now unpacked his baggage again
- 248: 492 Adoption is common all over China
- 249: 494 Thereupon Chi sheng became dangerously ill
- 250: And hurried off to tell Chi sheng
- 251: And thought no more of Kuei hsiu
- 252: Chao when he went out to dinner anywhere
- 253: Explaining that he was Kung sun Hsia
- 254: Upon which Kuan Ti exclaimed in a loud voice
- 255: Shansi being literally west of the mountains
- 256: If he was pu liang not virtuous
- 257: From the Pescadores they finally retired
- 258: 520 Some years afterwards he returned
- 259: He was instructed to produce some peaches
- 260: Stepped down from one of the camellias before him
- 261: As he could tell by the noise of the trestles
- 262: Hsue meanwhile not catching a single fish
- 263: Hsue would accept his assistance
- 264: Hsue informed him that his name was Hsue
- 265: Told the lictors they had brought the wrong man
- 266: When the lictors had returned his soul to its tenement
- 267: In the year 1621 he took his master's degree
- 268: 549 and unlicensed dealers in salt
- 269: A curious custom exists in Canton
- 270: Chou immediately sent off fifty taels
- 271: Each what he had misappropriated from the public fund
- 272: And a yellow girdle about his waist
- 273: 564 Of course only pretending to be hurt
- 274: That Kuan yin and Wen shu 569 are still alive
- 275: FOOTNOTES 572 The perfect man
- 276: Hua had forgotten almost all the sutras he had ever known
- 277: The capital city of which is also called Feng tu
- 278: On proceeding to the magistrate's yamen
- 279: 587 Quadrupeds don't usually fly
- 280: 588 She saw two men pushing each other in jest
- 281: Ch'en suddenly bethought himself of the earth in the niche
- 282: Lin felt a deadly thirst coming on
- 283: 597 scraped together one hundred ounces of silver
- 284: This is commonly called ta hsue pa
- 285: The disembodied spirit of the oilman
- 286: 611 He did the same with another uncle
- 287: If he had any business at T'ai ngan
- 288: And smeared it on the clay image
- 289: At Chiao chou there lived a man named Liu Hsi ch'uan
- 290: The umbrella handle became a huge serpent
- 291: Shao was greatly astonished at this remark
- 292: 629 exactly like the one he was in search of
- 293: Which he was quite unable to cure
- 294: Who understood the art of planchette
- 295: Used here and elsewhere for Planchette
- 296: All of a sudden the whirling movement stopped
- 297: Shook and shook while its victim squeaked and squeaked
- 298: And killed Kuo Ngan 648 in mistake for his enemy
- 299: 651 The Chinese dog is usually an ill fed
- 300: Next day Chia called and sent in his card
- 301: This silver he would give to Chia
- 302: Chen relaxed his hold and let Chia proceed
- 303: Confucius referred him on to Wen ch'ang
- 304: And the geomancers engaged by one brother
- 305: 671 He then narrated all that had taken place
- 306: And then Wang got up once more
- 307: The boy in the other tree pinched the other cub
- 308: Now Feng was well aware of the state of Hu's affairs
- 309: He then summoned Hu before him
- 310: Was followed to his home by the gander
- 311: The Kuang yuen says it is a kind of lion
- 312: Now Yueeh sheng was a filial son
- 313: Hou was at his wits' end what to do
- 314: Hou now understood all that had happened
- 315: Had not the mandarin stopped her
- 316: These belong specially to Taoism
- 317: From this rule to be excepted disloyal ministers
- 318: Two punishments shall be remitted him
- 319: And subdivided into sixteen wards
- 320: Their faces are scraped with iron and copper knives
- 321: Their mouths are painfully pricked
- 322: Will be thrust into the great Gehenna
- 323: Shall first be tortured in the great Gehenna
- 324: All dwellers upon earth who on the 8th day of the 3rd moon
- 325: The third by the Chief Justice of the great Gehenna
- 326: Due east below the Wu chiao rock
- 327: Having heard the warnings of the Divine Panorama
- 328: Enclosed on all sides by an iron palisade
- 329: But men called her Mother Meng
- 330: 715 The soil of China belongs
- 331: 725 Popularly known as the Chinese Pluto
- 332: The ghost of a ghost is called chien
- 333: ' TYLOR'S Primitive Culture
- 334: Theatrical Entertainments during ii
- 335: Priestly ii
- 336: Fresh water ii
- 337: Soothsayers possessed by ii
- 338: Fixing the ii
- 339: 351 689 Living Lictors of Purgatory
- 340: Professors of ii
- 341: The ii
- 342: 196 170 Sections of Purgatory
- 343: Pardonable ii
- 344: A Chinese Landseer ii
- 345: From swatow to canton overland
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