In this enchanting collection, the storytellers of old China come alive. A herdsman crosses the Milky Way to meet the woman he loves. A scholar follows a painted fairy into a world behind the wall. A fisherman outwits the Dragon King of the Eastern Sea, and a fox spirit tests the hearts of the men who seek her. Richard Wilhelm gathered these tales from village storytellers and ancient books while living in China, and his versions became beloved around the world. This modern retelling keeps every enchantment intact — the talking animals, the mischievous ghosts, the patient immortals, and the magical objects that grant wishes — while setting them in vivid, natural present-day English. Whether read aloud at bedtime or savored alone, these stories carry the laughter, longing, and hard-won wisdom of a living tradition. Faithful to the spirit and sequence of the classic collection, this edition is an invitation to step into a world where the moon is a palace and every river hides a dragon. Part of Timeless Classics.
