The Flying Cow by Pu Songling
After dreaming that his new cow flies away, a man sells it at a ruinous loss for fear of misfortune. Walking home, he ties a tame falcon to the cloth holding his silver; the bird escapes with cloth and money, and he blames destiny. The narrator warns against trusting dreams and taking things found by the wayside.
By Pu Songling · Genre: Fable, Cautionary Tale · 366 words
First lines
A certain man, who had bought a fine cow, dreamt the same night that wings grew out of the animal's back, and that it had flown away. Regarding this as an omen of some pending misfortune, he led the cow off to market again, and sold it at a ruinous loss. Wrapping up in a cloth the silver he received, he slung it over his back, and was half way home, when he saw a falcon eating part of a hare.[1] Approaching the bird, he found it was quite tame, and accordingly tied it by the leg to one of the corners of the cloth, in which his money was. The falcon fluttered about a good deal, trying to escape; and, by-and-by, the man's hold being for a moment relaxed, away went the bird, cloth, money, and all. "It was destiny," said the man every time he told the story; ignorant as he was, first, that no faith should be put in dreams; [2] and, secondly, that people shouldn't take things they see by the wayside.[3] Quadrupeds don't usually fly.
Genres
- Fable — The man's losses lead to explicit lessons against trusting dreams and taking things found by the wayside.
- Cautionary Tale — Fear of a dream prompts a costly sale, and capturing a falcon costs the man his remaining silver.
Tags
dreams · superstition · omens · falcons · lost money
What this Textopian page supports
The Flying Cow is listed on Textopian as a fable 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: Fable
- Author: Pu Songling
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Fable, Cautionary Tale
- Length: 366 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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