The Three Genii by Pu Songling
On his way to Nanking for an examination, a scholar drinks wine and exchanges essays with three gentlemen, then sleeps at his host’s house. Waking in a dell with his servant, he learns that his companions were the genii Crab, Snake, and Frog; their essay themes later appear in his examination, and he finishes at the top of the list.
By Pu Songling · Genre: Supernatural Fiction, Short Story · 745 words
First lines
There was a certain scholar who, passing through Su-ch‘ien on his way to Nanking, where he was going to try for his master's degree, happened to fall in with three other gentlemen, all graduates like himself, and was so charmed with their unusual refinement that he purchased a quantity of wine, and begged them to join him in drinking it. While thus pleasantly employed, his three friends told him their names. One was Chieh Ch‘in-hêng; the second, Ch‘ang Fêng-lin; and the other, Ma Hsi-ch‘ih. They drank away and enjoyed themselves very much, until evening had crept upon them unperceived, when Chieh said, "Here we, who ought to have been playing the host, have been feasting at a stranger's expense. This is not right. But, come, my house is close by; I will provide you with a bed. " Ch‘ang and Ma got up, and, taking our hero by the arm, bade his servant come along with them. When they reached a hill to the north of the village, there before them was a house and grounds, with a stream of clear water in front of the door, all the apartments within being beautifully clean and nice. Chieh then gave orders to light the lamps and see after his visitor's servant; whereupon Ma observed, "Of old it was customary to set intellectual refreshments before one's friends; let us not miss the opportunity of this lovely evening, but decide on four themes, one for each of us; and then, when we have finished our essays, we can set to work on the wine. "[1] To this the others readily agreed; and each wrote down a theme and threw it on the table. These were next divided amongst them as they sat, and before the second watch[2] was over the essays were all completed and handed round for general inspection; and our scholar was so struck with the elegance and vigour of those by his three friends, that he ran off a copy of them and put it in his pocket. The host then produced some excellent wine, which was drunk by them in such bumpers that soon they were all tolerably tipsy. The other two now took their leave; but Chieh led the scholar into another room, where, so overcome was he with wine, that he went to bed in his boots and clothes.
Genres
- Supernatural Fiction — Three apparently human graduates are identified as animal genii after their house disappears overnight.
- Short Story — A brief prose narrative follows a scholar’s encounter with three strangers and its consequence at his examination.
Tags
genii · examinations · essay writing · supernatural encounters · wine
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The Three Genii is listed on Textopian as a short story by Pu Songling, dated Date unknown.
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- Work type: Short story
- Author: Pu Songling
- Date: Date unknown
- Language: English
- Genres: Supernatural Fiction, Short Story
- Length: 745 words
- Structure: 1 section, 4 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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