I’ve been in love with old legends and stories for years. Aside from a few recent additions to the family’s collections, I’ve read nearly every book we own that is a collection of old stories. This was one of the outstanding ones, and I was thrilled to be able to fit it into a reading challenge recently.

This is a delightful collection of stories! I was wishing, as I read all the different ones in here, that I had a stronger grasp on Chinese history, because as you read these short stories, you get a feel for a culture much different from our typical Western culture. Some of the stories are funny, some are sad, and some feel very much like Aesop’s fables (I’d guess most cultures have felt drawn, at some stage, to moralistic stories!).

This is a short, easy-to-read collection, but each story packs a punch. If you enjoy studying Chinese culture and history, this would be a great way to get to know another aspect of what has formed Chinese thought over the last several thousand years. ( )

Twenty-four unusual tales from various periods in Chinese history, some complex, others as brief as a joke, display the wit, cleverness, and down-to-earth wisdom of the Chinese people.