ABSTRACT
The fact that, regardless of different titles of tales and compositional techniques, all the tales share certain definite but basically limited essential themes would suggest that there must be some definite meanings behind the common form. Perhaps we may cite texts which reflect some of the essential themes and which may reveal, or are known by specialists as having, specified meanings. The first instance is drawn from the Sou-shen ji (Searching for the Supernatural) , a collection of anecdotes and supernatural tales in literary Chinese compiled by Gan Bao (ca. A.D. 300):
South of Yü-hang in the Wu 1 area there was Shang Lake, in which was a pool. A man was sitting on a horse to watch an [open] stage show. With him were three or four other men, who went together to Cenhttps://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781003170976/827cf82f-2872-4a26-9da8-0f70959cd546/content/f0079-01.tif" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"/> village to drink wine. He was slightly drunk. The weather was hot; therefore he dismounted and went into the water, pillowing his head on a stone to sleep. His horse, however, broke the reins and ran away. The other three or four men chased the horse and had not returned by the evening. As he awoke, the sun was already heading toward the [direction of] late afternoon. The other men and the horse 80were nowhere to be seen. He saw a lady coming, who was about sixteen or seventeen. She said, “My greetings to you. The sun is already setting. This is a place to be dreaded. What do you plan to do?” Thereupon he asked, “What is your name, Lady? How is it that we know each other suddenly?” Shortly afterwards, a youth of thirteen or fourteen looking quite intelligent also appeared, driving a new coach with twenty men following behind. After arriving, the youth asked the man to mount the coach, saying, “The Gentleman would like to meet you.” Thereupon he drove around, carrying him away. Along the road were torches held out continuously, and cities and town-settlements visible. Having entered a city, they advanced to a hall to wait upon the superior. The man saw a banner on which was written “Command of River God.” Suddenly appeared a man about thirty years old. The color of his countenance looked as pretty as a picture. [He was surrounded by a] cluster of bodyguards. Facing him, the River God was pleased and, proposing a toast, smilingly said, “I have a little daughter, who is quite bright. I would like to give her to you to perform wifely duties.” The man, knowing the ways of the gods, dared not reject the proposal. Thereupon decrees were given to prepare the matter. [The River God] asked him to assume the rank of secretary [lang-zhong] to marry her. All was prepared as stated. Consequently silk clothes, unlined jackets, gauze-lined garments, stiff-silk skirts, gauze shirts and trousers, and shoes and clogs were presented [to him]—all were [of] elegant and refined [quality]. Also given him were ten petty clerks and several scores of maids. The lady was about eighteen or nineteen. Her looks were charming and pleasing. Then [the ceremony] was completed. Three days [after their marriage, the groom and the bride] went through the great pomp of meeting the guests and visiting cabinet offices. On the fourth day, [the River God] said, “Propriety has its boundaries. Send him away.” The lady presented him gold chalices and musk bags as gifts to bid her husband farewell, sobbing while parting. In addition, she gave him one hundred thousand coin-cash and three volumes of medical prescriptions, saying, “You may use them to do meritorious works and spread good deeds [among the people].” Again she added: “Ten years later I should welcome you [back].” This man returned home. He was, consequently, unwilling to remarry. He bid farewell to his parents, left the family, and became a Daoist. Of the three volumes of prescriptions, one volume contained instructions for reading the 81pulse; one volume, prescriptions for various decoctions; and one volume of prescriptions for pills. He travelled widely, saving lives and treating diseases, all miraculously effective. Later on, his mother became aged and his elder brother died. Thereupon he returned to his previous marriage and official post, (from Sou shen ji , 1979: 47. Tr. Yen, 1971: 171-172 modified.)
