Whose Strange Stories? P'u Sung-ling (1640 - East Asian History

Studying Should Root Itself
in Tranquillity
t)DA*-sealcarved
by Kao Feng-han
i
,
Charm suspended facing
the West (Don'!)
WHOSE STRANGE STORIES?
bade Yen-erh take a peep at him from behind
the curtain. Sang arrived last of all; and immediately
out rushed Miss Yen-erh and seized his
sleeve, and said she would go back with him.
Her mother scolded her well for this, and she ran
in abashed; but Sang, who had looked at her
closely [and recognized her], began to weep,
and threw himself at the feet of Mrs. Chang, who
raised him up without saying anything unkind [a
harsh word l. Sang then took his leave, and got
his [her] uncle to act as medium between them;
the result being that [Mrs. Chang chose ] an
auspicious day was fixed upon for the wedding
[for him to marry into her family l.
[So Sang came home and told Lien-hsiang,
and discussed with her what they should do. She
was downcast for a long time, and then said she
wished to go away. He was greatly shocked at this
and wept. Lien-hsiang said: "Now you are going
to her home to be wed, and it would not be right
fo r me to be there. " Sang proposed that the two
of them should return to his home-townfirst, and
that he should then go to fetch Yen-erh . Lienhsiang
agreed to this, and Sang told the Chang
fa mily of his plan. When the Changs learned that
he already had a wife, they were angry and
reproached him. Yen-erh, however, defended
him strongly, and they relented.]
41
One who is eager to climb famous mountains
must have the patience to follow a winding
path; one who is eager to eat bear's paw, must
have the patience to let it cook slowly; one who
is eager to watch the moonlight, must have the
patience to wait until midnight; one who is
eager to see a beautiful woman must have the
patience to let her finish her toilette; reading a
story such as this requires its own kind of
patience. (Feng)
Sana teas Lienhsiana
about the
yro;;osed marriaae,
and she wants to
(eave the two of
them. 'But San,q
sl!Mests that they
(he-and Lienhsiana)
shou(d first
ao and five in his
oed home, and that
he shou(d then Fetch
Yen-erh. '1-fe te (s
the truth (about
Lien-hsia r;g ) to
Yen-erh's familY.
rfhey are ananf.,
but Yen-erh ta1'ks
them round:
Clever Old Giles! He had to remove this
passage, even though it contains nothing
offensive, because he has consistently
described their relationship (Sang and Lienhsiang's)
as a purely platonic friendship.
(TM)