by Ji, Yun
Copyright © 2013 by Walton Lee. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Chinese Ghost Fables 1
Translated By Walton Lee
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CONTENTS
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
1 AN OBSERVANT FOX SPIRIT 1
2 AN ARCHAIC BOOKWORM 3
3 DO YOUR BEST 5
4 ANOTHER SET OF ETHICAL RULES 7
5 LAY A FOUNDATION 10
6 TWO OLD TUTORS 12
7 DOUBLE-STANDARD 14
8 RESCUE A DEVIL 16
9 AN INTRIGUING OFFICIAL 17
10 FROM BIZARRE TO GROTESQUE 18
11 ILL-INTENTION 20
12 INVECTIVE WON’T HELP 22
13 WRONG NUNBER 23
14 CONFLICT OF INTEREST 24
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15 MAYOR GOO’S ADVISOR 25
16 TRUE EVIL 26
17 A FAKE HANGED GHOST 28
18 AN APPEAL JUDGE 29
19 TOO CUNNING 31
20 A JUDGE FRIEND 33
21 SERVANT WAI 35
22 A GENUINE MONK 37
23 IN THE WEST MOUNTAIN 38
24 A MALICIOUS INTRIGUE 41
25 STRUCK BY A THUNDERBOLT 43
26 A CALLOUS WEALTHY MERCHANT 45
27 MEET WITH YOUR OWN MATCH 47
28 KEEP AWAY FROM TROUBLE 49
29 A NORMAL PLACE OF ODDITY 51
30 A STRANGE CREATURE 53
31 THE MISERABLE SKULL 55
32 EARN THE RESPECT 57
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33 MR. DON’S ROOMMATE 58
34 A HAUNTED HOUSE 60
35 INFLECT SOME FLESH WOUNDS 62
36 A FORTUNE-TELLER 63
37 MY FRAGILE COLLAR-BONES 65
38 A TALKING DONKEY 66
39 A BLIND MUSICIAN 67
40 MASTER THE GHOSTS 69
41 REPAIR A COFFIN 71
42 VIRTUOUS AND COURAGEOUS 73
43 SEEKING A GRAVE GROUND 75
44 FIREWOOD STACK 78
45 SEVEN THOUSAND PENNIES 79
46 UNDER A HIGH FEVER 81
47 SERVANT WONG 83 PREFACE My lifetime goal has always been to usher in traditional Chinese wisdom to the English-speaking world. By learning from each other, the East and the West could reduce alienation, avoid confrontation and promote cooperation for the ultimate welfare of mankind.
By utilizing your intelligence, you will be able to enhance your own sophistication and your chances at finding success in life. The traditional Chinese wisdom provides sagacious methods and new perceptions in dealing with conflicts and resolving issues, which also can be applied to our day-to-day problems.
Ji Yun (aka Ji Xiao-Lan, 1724-1805) was the editor-in-chief of the famous Four Encyclopedic libraries, which consisted of 3503 categories, 79337 volumes, and 36304 books which took him 15 years, from 1773 to 1788, to complete. After the completion of supervising this massive editorial task, he started writing ghost fables. In total, within ten years, from 1789 to 1798, he finished five books: 1) "Summertime in Ruan-Yan" (Chengde, Hebei providence, China ), located on the North-East of and 158 miles away from Beijing.
2) "That is What I Heard"
3) "Sketchbooks from Hwai-Xi" (Shi-Jia-zhuang, capital city of Hebei providence, China), located on the South-West of and 176 miles away from Beijing. 4) "Take It with a Grain of Salt"
5) "Another Summertime in Ruan-Yan"
This is the gem of the first book and I hope you will enjoy reading it.
Ms. Hepzibah Nanna has been the book's meticulous copy editor, to whom I am indebted for many improvements.
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INTRODUCTION Books are the media of conveying intelligence. A scholar shouldn't have taboos when he expresses his opinions. How could intelligence be too unfathomable to grasp and too secretive to express, like the Buda's incantation or the Taoist's spell? In short, it's mere common sense. Common sense is the path towards intelligence and eventually, to wisdom-after all, it's all around you.
Having intelligence is like mercury: every drop of it is rounded and glaring. Like the moon's reflection on the water, you could notice it everywhere. From ruling a huge country down to dealing with a trivial issue, your every move reflects your intelligence. Writing a book is the most salient accomplishment. These most supreme books are the six holy scrolls. They are sparkled with wisdom. Secondly, those official history books of each dynasty. Numerous scholars’ volumes can be lined up behind them. On the bottom of this hierarchy of knowledge, fiction and short stories can be located. Their existence seems to be "for entertainment only."
Nevertheless, over one thousand years ago, during the West Han dynasty (206BC-26AD), the official history books list arts and fiction. Every dynasty's official records also have art and fiction sections. Don't look down on creative writing, especially writing that mentions ghosts, fox spirits and such monsters. Compared with dried and monotonous holy books; fiction, in reality, is always very colorful and dramatic. Some of the best ones can also convey wisdom in the most mundane method. The authors of such works sugar-coated their intelligence for better distribution and so that people could easily digest the books that were read. This method also helps to sharpen readers' wits and advance the corporate moral standard in a casual way.
My teacher's writing is well-known, straight-forward and high-minded, he didn’t like to preach. He never even mingled with other scholars, who were especially famous for drinking and writing impromptu poems. After dinner, he enjoyed reading books and writing down notes. These five books are from his collection. It seems odd for my teacher to have written such low-level fables, from wandering ghosts to fox spirits, however, there is often a motto behind each fable. Fables are also easy to read and easy to understand. Nobody will be bored. I hope that readers can learn something from these short ghost fables.
Xen, Shi-Yan (his student) Peking, China
August 1800
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01 AN OBSERVANT FOX SPIRIT We were taught that the wicked could never subjugate and that they were afraid of the upright. A phony, who could easily fool an ordinary dolt, couldn't defraud God, ghosts or any of the otherworldly creatures.
Mr. Liu, who was an educated man, noticed a fox spirit that was occupying the attic of his study room. The invisible creature, that often threw shingles and stones at bystanders, has begun to irritate residents. A popular mayor, learning this incident, was pretty excited. He dressed himself up, enthusiastically visited Mr. Liu's home, and offered to evict this nuisance. By doing this voluntary service for them, this official has proven once and for all that his honor is genuine and that his reputation is well-deserved: after all, even the wicked have to tug their tails and make way for the scrupulous.
They suddenly heard a voice, with a tone of sarcasm mixed with reproof, shouting from the attic, "Give me a fat break, Your Highness. People think that you are an honorable gentleman and that you treat them with decency and decorum. That's the only reason that I wouldn't welcome you with flying shingles. However, your mild temper is your disguise for quick promotions. And your lame deed was merely so that you could avoid trouble. In the bottom of your heart, you are calculating and selfish. Because of that, I am not afraid of you. Save your breath and beat it or you will soon regret!" With embarrassment, the mayor made an excuse, fled home, got a high fever, and stayed in bed for weeks.
Another day, a kitchen maid; who was illiterate, shabbily-dressed, and in her late fifties; passed by and nothing happened. People were flabbergasted by this unusual treatment. "What has happe
ned?" With eyes widely opened, one servant curiously asked the otherworldly creature, with perplexity.
"This woman is honest and upright. Her integrity will earn the respect from heaven to hell. Whom do I dare to offend such an honorable person?" The spirit proclaimed. Mr. Liu let the old maid move into his study room and, after a few months, the fox spirit quietly relocated itself elsewhere.
Fame is ephemeral and honor is earned. 02 AN ARCHAIC BOOKWORM
In traditional China, educated people belonged to the first of the four social castes. Their future would be secured only by passing imperial examinations. After that, they would be assigned to minor government positions. However, the majority of those whom were learned, those who couldn't pass those examinations, could work as tutors. With a meager income, as a temporary occupation, they earned a living and, in the meantime, they were preparing for the next examination. After years of fruitless attempts, they would give up and seek clerical jobs, while quietly merging themselves into society through connections or talent. The worst of them would become tutors for their entire lives. They were the dregs of the educated caste. An old tutor is a synonym of an adamant bookworm or an unsociable individual. The following story is a mockery of an old tutor:
An old-fashioned tutor traveled in the midnight. He noticed a shadow afar and quickly recognized that an acquaintance of his, whom had died years ago, was approaching him. "Where are you going," The tutor, considering himself as an honorable gentleman, who would be respected by all dark creatures, inquired. With confidence, he, fearlessly and curiously, inquired.
"I am an underworld minor official now," The ghost friend politely replied. "I was dispatched to the South Village to collect a newly-born soul." They traveled together. A weather-beaten, deteriorated bungalow stood on the distance and the ghost ecstatically revered. "Look at that! An honest and well-educated gentleman lives there."
"How could you tell?" Under this pitch-dark night, with starlight sprinkling at sky, the old tutor, who could not detect anything at all, raised his eyebrow in a supercilious manner, was bewildered, and questioned the ghost.
"Well, it is simple," The ghost cordially explained. "When people labor in daytime, their spirits are buried underneath mundane dust. But, at night, after they sleep, their spirits became live and visible. Their intelligence will clearly display itself in the form of a colorful column of light beam over their heads. Its shape, size, transparency and the colors of light will be in reflection of their knowledge. Take a look at that person, for example. His spirit is similar to five-color torch blazing in the darkness. Like fire crackers, all his study is sparkling. How could I fail to notice this marvel before? Such a well-learned person! In matter of degrees, the supreme scholar's light beam is as glaring as the sunshine. The second-best is as bright as moonlight and as so on. On the other end of the spectrum, the beams are like candlelight, flickering and drudging only inches. Observing the miracle from afar, I firmly believe that he is well-educated."
"How about me?" The old bookworm, with impatience, proudly interrupted, "Mind you. You might also overlook a genius who is standing right here. I have studied for my entire life. How bright is my spirit? Please, tell me the truth. I would cherish it honesty."
"Well," The ghost, with great difficulty; after dodging and evading the answer for a while; and, with obvious reluctance and sluggishness, stammered apologetically, "Yesterday, by chance, I, on my way to a village, accidentally went by your classroom. Hearing a riotous noise, I curiously dropped by, and investigated. Unsupervised, your pupils were running amok. And then, I noticed that you were snoring loudly on your desk, with saliva all over your face. Indeed, you have studied for your entire life. But strangely enough, all that I observed was excessively dense, pitch-dark smog that was surrounding your roof. Some of your pupils' incipient light beams were blocked by this impenetrable smog."
The old tutor's face was turning from pale white, crimson red, dark purple, and ash black. "Believe me," With a tinge of fake dejection mixed with poorly-concealed smirk, the ghost apologized, "I really tried very hard. But I still couldn't find any trace of light at all." The old tutor ferociously reproached this ghost, who giggled, and suddenly disappeared into thin air.
It's not about what you learned but how you learned it. Can you digest the materials and apply them to handle current challenges?
03 DO YOUR BEST
Before becoming a mayor, in his youth, Mr. Lee took a boat across a river. He observed a passenger violently quarrelling with the steersman. Dressed like a monk, a Taoist whom believed in Taoism, behaved in specific fashions in compliance with their religion, also noticed that and sighed profoundly, "Life is so brief and swift. Why bicker over such trivialities?"
While the boat was in the middle of the river, the argumentative traveler was blown away by a sudden strong gust of wind. He hit the mast and was dead instantly. He fell down the river and draft away. All of the passengers were dumb-founded by this unforeseen tragedy. Mr. Lee was amazed and mystified. The wind blew ferociously and almost tumbled the boat. On the deck, the Taoist solemnly stared at the sky, murmuring, and continuously cast spells against the violent weather. The storm gradually dwindled down, diminished and turned into breeze again.
Witnessing the whole episode, Mr. Lee stood on his knees and sincerely praised to that religious person, "Oh! Thank you very much. You save my life." "Why thank me?" The Taoist responded, questioningly, with calm and tranquility, "That person was fated to forfeit his life at that moment. I can do nothing about it. You are a blessed gentleman and you are destined to be a mayor someday. The Almighty wouldn't harm you, anyway."
Nodding his head in agreement, Mr. Lee treasured this insightful statement and remarked. "I learned a valuable lesson today: Fate is inevitable." "Gee! What are you talking about? Poppycock!" With a face full of surprise and disbelief, this religious person contemptuously reproached my friend. "Life is always precious; whether it's long or short, rich or poor. You must cherish every single second of it. As an old maxim, 'do your best and don't be pestered by any adverse outcomes, even if it is the worst kind. You can beef up your motivations and enhance your potentials, which could minimize the calculated risks and smooth the process. However, the upshot could be determinate only by the Almighty. So, why bother worrying over something that's beyond your control?"
Mr. Lee contemplated it for a long moment and deeply appreciated the religious person's sagacity. He courteously asked about his name.
Mildly shaking his head, the Taoist declined to reveal his identity and answered half-jokingly, "I don't want to frighten you, farewell, lad!" The boat crossed and landed on the other side of the river. Passengers left it in throng. Nobody ever saw that mysterious person again. He simply disappeared into thin air without a trace. People speculated: Perhaps, he could be a ghost, a fox spirit, or some other kind of otherworldly creature.
04 ANOTHER SET OF ETHICAL RULES
Living in North village, Mr. Zhan had a weird dream. He dreamed that he was strolling in the underworld. He noticed that the ghost-master was judging the newly dead. An old kitchen-maid, who was from Mr. Zhan's neighboring village, appeared. The ghost-master suddenly stood up, bowed to her, and invited her to sit beside him. A servant ghost brought green tea to them. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the ghost-master meticulously instructed two of his most capable assistant ghosts to escort and accompany her to heaven.
"How could this be true? Am I missing something? I recognize that maid. Poor, unattractive, and illiterate, she had been a labor hand for all her lifetime. Why is she treated as a noble person by the ghost-master?" He was greatly mystified and murmured to himself, privately inquiring one of the ghost assistants.
"Comparing with human's rules and laws, we have a set of much superior moral standards on evaluating a 'newly-born' soul," The ghost patiently explained, "Instead of physical appearance, academic achievement, and social status, which are popular bench marks in the mundane human world, we assess a brand-ne
w ghost's position by examining her characters and intentions. Allow me to illustrate my point using this kitchen-maid as an example. In short, she was innocent and broad-minded. These are two of the best qualities a pure soul could possess. That earned her high score in our world. On the other hand, selfishness is the sole cause of all troubles. Even the most prominent scholars often could not understand this simple fact. For short-term personal gain, numerous "smart" persons are perfectly willing to pull a fast one on others. Not believing there could be any negative consequences, they thought they could outwit the Almighty. With similar egocentric philosophy, the victims will retaliate, avenge or trick their opponents to get 'even.' What is 'even' anyway? For those that have artificial fairness and are self-centered people foolishly waste their limited energy and precious time over those futile and tedious tasks of intrigue. It's a vicious cycle and eventually everybody lose. She always forgave her adversaries. This is a rarity among "street-wise" people. This lady is so selfless that even the Almighty would respect her. That's the reason why my master greeted her with courtesy and decorum."
With a little puzzlement and disbelief, Mr. Zhan sneaked back to the underworld court. He observed a formally-dressed county judge arrogantly strode in the middle of the hall. Gulping a cup of water, he, with displeasure, impatiently announced his titles, vigorously demanding that he must be accompanied up to heaven, immediately, "This is a mistake. As a high-ranking official and faultless gentleman, I am the epitome of virtue and my residence is in paradise. Why should I be here, facing such an undeserved humiliation?"
Irritated and perplexed, he indignantly demanded an explanation, proclaiming, with pride and arrogance, "I had never embezzled a penny and never mistrial any single case in my whole life. My record is spotless. How much more can you expect?"
The ghost-master beamed a smile and calmly asked, "Spotlessness isn't equal to perfection. Why people want a county judge instead of a wooden figurine? The later will never make any false step. Actually, it won't move at all. If no embezzlement is equal to honesty, why people wouldn't raise a wood figurine instead, who will never even drink a cup of water?"