Tales from the Top

Edited and translated by David E. Pollard

2017
165 pages
ISBN 962-7255-43-7

Order

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations 9
Introduction 11
Illustrations 21
Part 1 ANIMATION 29
Crock and marksman 31
Free-standing gown 33
Jade horse shows a leg 34
A too perfect model 35
Marionettes play up 36
All in the mind 37
Stone statue harasses 38
Part 2 CONJUGAL 41
A fallen woman 43
Love survives remarriage 45
The Juliet motif 47
Elopement condoned 48
Young love blighted 49
Wife sacrifices her honour in vain 52
Part 3 KARMA 55
Fox allows adultery 56
Fox debauches wife 58
Fox girl impersonates maid 59
Saved lives averts rebirth as pig 60
Generosity saves from fire 62
Part 4 ANIMAL WELFARE 65
Cruelty to animals 66
Getting cut up 68
Ox spared the butcher 69
Sharpshooter bested by spell 70
Part 5 FOX FAIRIES 71
Fox fairy rebuts 73
Hiding in gourd 73
Concubine impersonates fox fairy 75
Fox fairy proves a handful 77
Fox fairy escapes domestic tyranny 79
A genteel lifestyle 82
Part 6 GHOSTS 85
Ghostland betrothals 88
Belles-lettres in ghostland 89
The tender trap in ghostland 90
Poseur reprimanded in ghostland 91
Unburied concubine appeals 92
The ageing of ghosts 94
Descriptions of ghosts 94
Ghosts are everywhere 95
Greedy ghost messengers 97
Ghost recruits scholar 99
Hanged ghost gets tactical advice 101
Hanged ghost has a conscience 103
Hanged ghost traps lovers 105
Hanged ghost gang up 107
Hanged ghost puts filial duty first 108
Hanging and drowning averted 109
Hungry ghosts secure redemption 111
Hungry ghost’s impersonation falls flat 113
Hungry ghost impersonates dead concubine 115
Part 7 JI DOMESTIC 117
Caring ancestors 119
Dead first wife returns to advise second wife 120
Death throws ducks 121
Drum demon 122
Ghost suspected 123
Sack monster 124
Toddler playmates 124
Yaksha 125
Saved from suicide by past kindness 126
Yang beats yin 127
Changji uprising 128
Impiety punished 129
Thwarted ghosts vow revenge 130
Transmigration proved 132
Part 8 SOCIETY 133
A daughter’s revenge 134
Fiendish cunning 135
Trade in daughters 137
Bandit rues arrogance 140
Doctors’ rivalry 140
Fake ghost comes to grief 142
Fake bogeys 143
An example to judges 144
Masters worse than servants 146
Monks, nuns and almsgiving 147
Moralist gets own medicine 149
Judge not in haste 150
Please no torture 152
Portrait mistaken for ghost 153
Revenge taken on wife 154
Discord among wives 156
Part 9 UNCLASSIFIED 157
Boy ages fast 158
Saving mother-in-law raises woman to divinity 159
Sorcerers redundant 160
Stomach gremlins 162
Tables turned 163
Valour in battle elevates menial 164
Weird flies 165