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Preface

The stories in this book were derived from many sources. The written texts that have survived are often very sketchy and sometimes present different interpretations and plots. To fill in gaps in the written versions and resolve discrepancies, I have used discretion in adding to or simplifying and interpreting these tales in my own way in order to make them as interesting as possible. In the same spirit, I have made minor modifications to the tales to make them consistent with each other. These modifications include the addition of dialogue, and, in some cases, episodes and references to characters that are introduced in other stories.

This book includes a historical introduction that discusses Chinese history, politics, and religion and how these forces affected classic Chinese stories. This introduction also provides background that will help the reader better understand the stories presented. It is followed by stories of three kinds: tales of creation, morality tales, and tales of love. The creation tales present ancient Chinese beliefs regarding the origins and characteristics of the world. These stories also introduce Chinese religious and ethical beliefs. The morality tales further explore the Chinese religious and ethical ideology. The love tales encompass many of the themes introduced in the first two types of stories. The story notes in the back of this book contain a proverb for each story from Chinese literature appropriate to the theme of the story, followed by notes that explain and interpret the story. Also included are a list of characters, a further reading and multimedia resources guide, and a pronunciation guide.

I have tried to present the stories in this book as I remembered them from my childhood and to preserve the essence of the tales. This collection includes some of the most beloved and famous of the Chinese stories. They are as well known to the Chinese as, for example, the most famous Grimm fairy tales are to Westerners. This book is not meant to be an academic exploration of Chinese literature and classic Chinese tales but rather to entertain and enlighten the reader.

The stories in this book were derived from many sources, including my memory and imagination. However, the sources below were a great help and deserve to be cited:

Anonymous. Nu Wo Mends the Sky. Chinese edition. Hong Kong: Seagull Publishing Company, Undated.

Chang, Richard F. Chinese Mythical Stories. Chinese edition. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois, 1980.

Ch’eng–En, Wu. Monkey. Translated by Arthur Waley. New York: Grove Press Inc., 1958.

Fei, Xu. Lady White. Translated by Xu Guo-Hua. Chinese–English edition. Hong Kong: Hai Feng Publishing Company, 1985.