Examination for the Post of Guardian Angel
Summoned to an examination before deities, Sung Tao receives a guardian's appointment in Honan but is granted nine years' leave to care for his aged mother. He revives in his coffin and learns that Chang, appointed to serve in his place, has died. Nine years later, after his mother's death and funeral, Sung dies and appears with a procession to his wife's family.
By Pu Songling · Genre: Supernatural Fiction, Short Story · 1,198 words
First lines
Note on the title: The tutelar deity of every Chinese city.
Genres
- Supernatural Fiction — Deities examine Sung Tao, consult his mother's allotted lifespan, and appoint him to an office he assumes after death.
- Short Story — A compact prose narrative follows Sung's summons, return to life, nine-year reprieve, and final apparition.
Tags
filial piety · afterlife · divine examinations · city guardians · fate · apparitions
What this Textopian page supports
Examination for the Post of Guardian Angel is listed on Textopian as a short story by Pu Songling, dated Date unknown.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Pu Songling
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Supernatural Fiction, Short Story
- Length: 1,198 words
- Structure: 1 section, 9 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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- Work identity for Examination for the Post of Guardian Angel by Pu Songling
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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