The Young Lady of the Tung-T‘Ing Lake
After failing an examination, Mr. Lin trips a supernatural waiting-maid aboard his boat and escapes the lake king's death sentence by composing an ode. A crystal square given by the king protects his boat during a deadly storm; later, a matching square leads him to marry Chih-ch‘eng, the same maid, sent by the Queen. Her subsequent visits to her parents bring gifts from the Queen that make Lin rich.
By Pu Songling · Genre: Supernatural Fiction, Short Story · 2,091 words
First lines
The spirits of the Tung-t‘ing lake[1] are very much in the habit of borrowing boats. Sometimes the cable of an empty junk will cast itself off, and away goes the vessel over the waves to the sound of music in the air above. The boatmen crouch down in one corner and hide their faces, not daring to look up until the trip is over and they are once more at their old anchorage.
[1]: The celebrated lake in Hu-nan, round which has gathered so much of the folk-lore of China.
Genres
- Supernatural Fiction — Lake spirits commandeer a boat, a crystal square protects it from destructive waves, and Chih-ch‘eng returns from a visit in bird form.
- Short Story — A compact prose narrative follows Lin's encounter with the lake king through his rescue, marriage, and receipt of gifts.
Tags
lake spirits · imperial examinations · protective talismans · supernatural marriage · storms · transformation
What this Textopian page supports
The Young Lady of the Tung-T‘Ing Lake 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: 2,091 words
- Structure: 1 section, 7 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
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