This book contains translations of vernacular versions of one hundred allegorical tales (yuyan) selected from several centuries of classical Chinese Writings, including such works as Zhan Guo Ce (5th to 3rd centuries B.C.), Zhuang Zi (4th to 3rd centuries B.C.), Han Fei Zi (3rd century B.C.), Lie Zi (late 3rd to early 4th centuries A.D.), Liu Hedong Ji by Liu Zongyuan (773-819) and Xiao Fu by Feng Menglong (1574-1646). The Chinese vernacular (baihua) texts on which the translations are based were rendered by Wei Jinzhi (1900-1972). These allegorical tales are short, terse, satirical, often humorous and they all contain a social message or a moral. Delightful to read, many of them have become a part of the Chinese language in the form of idiomatic sayings, such as : " the fool buys shoes, " "marking the boat where the sword was lost, " " tugging the seedlings to help the plant grow, " and many more. Although they are generally considered literary works, the tales in this book are listed and cross-referenced with A Type Index of Chinese Folktales, which should be of special interest to the folklorist.

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