The Project Gutenberg EBook of Chinese Folk-Lore Tales, by J. Macgowan

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Title: Chinese Folk-Lore Tales

Author: J. Macgowan

Release Date: July 16, 2008 [EBook #26070]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHINESE FOLK-LORE TALES ***

Produced by Al Haines

CHINESE FOLK-LORE TALES

BY

REV. J. MACGOWAN, D.D.

[Transcriber's note: the original book from which
this etext was prepared was missing pages 3 and 4,
and 13 and 14.]

MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED

ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON

1910

GLASGOW: PRINTED AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS

BY ROBERT MACLEHOSE AND CO. LTD.

CONTENTS

I. THE WIDOW HO
II. KWANG-JUI AND THE GOD OF THE RIVER
III. THE BEAUTIFUL DAUGHTER OF LIU-KUNG
IV. THE FAIRY BONZE
V. THE MYSTERIOUS BUDDHIST ROBE
VI. THE VENGEANCE OF THE GODDESS
VII. "THE WONDERFUL MAN"
VIII. THE GOD OF THE CITY
IX. THE TRAGEDY OF THE YIN FAMILY
X. SAM-CHUNG AND THE WATER DEMON
XI. THE REWARD OF A BENEVOLENT LIFE

I

THE WIDOW HO

One day in the early dawn, a distinguished mandarin was leaving the
temple of the City God. It was his duty to visit this temple on the
first and fifteenth of the moon, whilst the city was still asleep, to
offer incense and adoration to the stern-looking figure enshrined
within.

This mandarin was Shih-Kung, and a juster or more upright official did
not exist in all the fair provinces of the Empire. Wherever his name
was mentioned it was received with the profoundest reverence and
respect; for the Chinese people have never lost their ideal of Tien-Li,
or Divine Righteousness. This ideal is still deeply embedded in the
hearts of high and low, rich and poor; and the homage of all classes,
even of the most depraved is gladly offered to any man who
conspicuously displays this heavenly virtue.

As Shih-Kung was being carried along in his sedan chair, with his
numerous retinue following closely behind him, he happened to notice a
young woman walking in the road in front of him, and began to wonder
what it was that had brought her out at such an unusually early hour.
Sh