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CHINA - CHINESE - CHINESE NEW YEAR'S BOOKS AND DECORATIONS Stories, Folktales, Folklore, Fairy Tales, Legends, Myths, History, Nursery Rhymes, Fantasy & Facts Scroll down or click on your choice below • SOS: Searching Out Stories/Info-China-Chinese Chinese New Year's Books and Decorations Advice, Comments and References from Storytellers, Teachers and Librarians |
SOS: SEARCHING OUT STORIES/INFO - CHINA - CHINESE - CHINESE NEW YEAR'S BOOKS & DECORATIONS
Advice, Comments and References from Storytellers, Teachers and Librarians
(excerpts from Storytell posts plus original research)
Book titles and online links are in blue and underlined. Click on them for more information.
To retell any stories, get permission from the copyright holder if the material is not in the public domain.
Storytell posts are added as they are received by Story Lovers World.
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NOTE: A blog has just come to my attention that is outstanding. Its title: "Chinese Folktales: 'The White-Nosed Cat' and Other Tales from the Chinese-Speaking World: Chinese folktales, myths, legends, and proverbs translated, adapted, and annotated by Fred Lobb." It's full of dozens of marvelous folktales from China, with extensive source notes and annotations.
Fred Lobb, its creator, says this on his blog. "I'm an English teacher and collector/translator of Chinese-language folktales from Southeastern China: Guangdong, Fujian and Taiwan. In addition, I have posted stories from China's extreme Northwest and Northeast. I have translated and adapted each folktale and have attached cultural and folklore notes for each particular story. Please note these tales are definitely not PC; folktales and fairy tales are essentially never PC. I bring them to you "warts and all."
http://chinesefolktales.blogspot.com/
Suggested by Granny Sue:
http://www.grannysu.blogspot.com
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1) Chinese folklore - "The Monkey Spirit"
http://mcel.pacificu.edu/as/students/myth/edtech.html#The%20Monkey%20Spirit
2) The Chinese Storyteller's Book: Supernatural Tales
3) "The Extraordinary Cat" in one of Pleasant DeSpain's books, Twenty-Two Splendid Tales to Tell from Around the World (American Storytelling)
4) "The Ten Jugs of Wine" in Sweet and Sour: Tales from China
5) Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress: A Novel
6) Heather Forest's wonderful and wise collection, Wisdom Tales from Around the World (World Storytelling)
BOOKS:
• Wisdom Tales from Around the World: Fifty Gems of Story and Wisdom for Such Diverse Traditions As Sufi, Zen, Taoist, Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, African, and Native American (World Storytelling)
• World Tales of Wisdom and Wonder
7) The Magic Boat and Other Chinese Folk Stories
8) Spring of the Butterflies and Other Folktales of China's Minority Peoples
9) Folk and Fairy Tales of Far-off Lands
10) The Weaving of a Dream (Picture Puffins).
An engrossing Chinese folktale about an old woman who weaves exquisite brocades. One day in the marketplace, she sees a painting of a palace so grand she dreams of living in it. After three years of painstaking weaving, she completes a brocade of the painting. When it is blown away by the wind, she sends each of her three sons on a dangerous quest to find it. Heyer's paintings are replete with stunning detail and lavish color. All sorts of luminous, lifelike insects, reptiles, birds and beasts populate every page, and throughout there is a perfect blending of fantasy and reality.
11) A script version of The Magic Brocade is on Aaron Sheperd's site at:
http://www.aaronshep.com/rt/RTE26.html
Picture Book:
http://www.aaronshep.com/stories/056.html
12) "The Silk Brocade," a version of "The Magic Brocade," is in The Fabrics of Fairytale: Stories Spun from Far and Wide
13) Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress by Dai Sijie, translated by Ina Rilke. Synopses may be found at:
http://adirondackreview.homestead.com/review7.html
http://www.curledup.com/balzac.htm
14) The Mouse Bride: A Chinese Folktale by Lesley Liu (illus), Monica Chang (narrator) and Rick Charette (translator). (1994)
A mouse goes to the sun, cloud, wind, and wall in search of the strongest husband for his daughter, only to find him among his own kind.
15) Why Snails Have Shells: Minority and Han Folktales from China (A Kolowalu Book)
Ant and the Anteater (Yao)
Ant and the Magpie (Miao)
Corn-Picking Monkey (Han)
Dove and the Rooster (Yi)
Dove Who Tried to Eat the Sun (Tu)
Flying Frog (Mongol)
Fox and a Rabbit (Mongol)
Magpie as Teacher (Yao)
Monkey's Experience (Han)
Rabbit Judge (Tibetan)
Rooster and the Nine Suns (Hani)
Tiger and His Master (Han)
Tiger and the Bull (Dai)
Tiger and the Frog (Bouyei)
Two Quarrelsome Cats (Tibetan)
Vain Raven (Tibetan)
Why Snails Have Shells (Zhuang)
Why Snakes Bite Frogs (Miao)
Wild Geese (Hui)
Wolf, the Fox, and the Rabbit (Sala)
16) Two of Everything: A Chinese Folktale
Digging in his garden, a poor farmer discovers an ancient brass pot. While carrying his find home, the man drops his purse, which he then tosses into the pot for safekeeping. At home, when his wife peers into the vessel she finds not one but two purses. The couple puts the magic pot to work, multiplying their remaining gold coins many times over. But their good fortune takes an unexpected turn when Mr. and Mrs. Haktak both manage to fall into the pot, and a clone of each of them appears. "Now even our troubles are beginning to double," the farmer observes wryly. How they make peace with their new lives will have youngsters, if not doubled up with laughter, at least genuinely amused, and wanting to reread this yarn--at least twice.
17) Chinese folktales:
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/china.html
http://www.worldandi.com/folktalesdemo/1988/9_Oct/Html/page2.htm
18) Ancient Chinese fables:
http://chinavista.com/experience/fable/fable.html
http://chineseculture.about.com/library/extra/story/blyrh.htm?once=true&
19) 8,000 Stones: A Chinese Folktale.
Review: This is a wonderful book for children to read or have read to them. I have used it many times when talking about the ingenuity of children and bolstering self esteem. It discusses the intuitive knowledge that children possess to solve problems if they are given the unfettered opportunity. I highly recommend this book to anyone with children between pre-kindergarten and 6th grade. Well written and imaginative.
20) Chinese tea stories:
http://firehorseportfolio.com/tea/
21) The Story of the White Snake
http://www.angelfire.com/darkside/ladywhitesnake/whitesnake.html
22) Chinavista Chinese Myths and Fantasies
http://www.chinavista.com/experience/myth/myth.html
23) Chinavista Selected Chinese Myths and Fantasies
http://www.chinavista.com/experience/story/story.html
24) The Taoist Pantheon
http://taoism.about.com/od/taoistpantheon/Taoist_Pantheon.htm
25) Chinese deities worshipped by farmers
http://www.chinavista.com/experience/joss1/deities.html
25) The Fighting Rooster — A Taoist Tale by Chuang Tzu
http://www.storyarts.org/library/nutshell/stories/fighting.html
BOOK by Bruce Fish:
Fables and Their Morals: The Fighting Roosters and the Eagle to the Lion in Love
26) Wild Goose — A Tale from China
http://www.storyarts.org/library/nutshell/stories/wild.html
27) http://www.mythicalrealm.com/creatures/chinese_dragon.html
Chinese water dragons.
28) Bones: There's a tale from China in which a man drops his ax in a pond and a mermaid type comes up and says, "Here is your ax,"offering him a much fancier silver ax. He is honest and tells her that his was just a plain one and she rewards him doubly both with his and a gold one. Later his neighbor tries to do the same thing but being greedy accepts the silver ax as his. The mermaid creature reprimands him and he does not get his old ax or a new one.
29) Bones of The Empty Pot: It is such a lovely story about an Emperor who devises a test to find a replacement for himself. He loves flowers, so gives every child in the kingdom a seed and tells them to bring him back whatever they could grow in one year. The hero of the story is a boy who loves to garden. He takes great care with the seed doing everything that a good gardener would do but with no luck. All year he works but can produce nothing. Finally the year has passed and it is time to return to the palace with his pot. He is ashamed and tells his father that he doesn't want to go. All of the other children have been bragging about their beautiful flowers. His dad tells him that he has worked his hardest and done his best and that is good enough. He encourages his son to go. So the boy takes the empty pot and stands amidst hundreds of children with their huge and colorful flowers. The emperor calls the boy forward and asks him what happens. In tears the boy tells of how hard he worked. Then the Emperor tells him that he will be the next Emperor. He says that he does not know how everyone else grew flowers, because what he had given them were boiled beans. He commends the boy for his honesty and claims him the next Emperor of China.
BOOKS:
Demi: The Empty Pot
Houghton Mifflin: The Empty Pot (The Literature Experience 1993 Ser.)
30) Resources — China. Bones of Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China
31) Chinese and Tibet juvenile bibliography for kids.
http://hua.umf.maine.edu/China/kids.html
32) Chinese fairy tales.
http://faerymists.tripod.com/fytales/chinese.htm
33) Expansive site for Chinese stories
http://www.chsa.org/
34) Inquiry: I met a wonderful storyteller last night and she told me how long ago she had heard a storyteller tell a beautiful Chinese story about the creation of a particular waterfall and mentioned a rather sketchy moment of someone washiung their face in the water or something like that. Does anyone have any ideas? i did a search on Chinese Waterfall stories and came up with 16,000+ hits. Does this story sound familiar to anyone?
Response: I have a collection called Favorite Folktales of China
Bones:
Girl with long black hair lives in village on high mountain. Village suffers for lack of ready access to water. Girl goes out to collect herbs, pulls a turnip, discovers there is a spring under the turnip. Turnip flies from her hands and replants itself, blocking the spring. Repeat: pulls turnip, water flows, drinks sweet water, turnip replants itself, blocking spring. Gust of wind carries her to mountain spirit, who warns her that if she tells anyone of the spring, he will kill her. She returns to village. As she sees people suffering for lack of water, her hair turns white, as she struggles between desire to tell and fear of death. Finally, she tells people to pull up the turnip, cut it into pieces and widen the spring so it cannot be hidden. Mountain spirit tells her she must lie on the cliff with the spring water falling on her body to die slowly and painfully. A tree spirit offers to help her by carving a stone replica of her body, pulls out her white hair, implants it in the statue, and puts it in her place. The long white hair mingles with the water from the spring to become a great waterfall. They succeed in fooling the mountain spirit, and the girl’s own hair grows in long and black again, as she returns home, a hero for having risked death to bring water to her village.
Response: I remembered that this story was in Mother and Daughter Tales (Abbeville Anthology)
35) Below is my retelling of a Singapore legend. It's a wonderful story and one that is not well known here at all. I can't understand why and I am doing my best to put it right. Please feel free to tell it, but if you want to publish it in any way please contact me for permission.
Sheila Wee
"Rajah Suran’s Expedition to China"
Once, in the time long ago there was a king. His name was Rajah Suran and he ruled over India. But India wasn’t enough for him; he wanted to be the most powerful king in the world. He made all the princes of the countries nearby bow down to him, pay him taxes of rice and gold and call him the most powerful king. But he still wasn’t happy. There was someone who refused to say that he was the most powerful, that he was the greatest King: and that was the Emperor of China.
This made Raja Suran very angry and he decided he would invade China. He gathered a huge army with soldiers from every part of his empire. The army was so big that it was impossible to count the number of soldiers. It was impossible to count the number of weapons, it was impossible to count the numbers of horses and elephants.
The trouble was though, that Raja Suran wasn’t exactly sure where China was. He thought that it was in the south, so he led his army into Myanmar and followed the coast southwards. People said that wherever the Army passed the forests were flattened, the rivers dried up and the mountains trembled.People said it took 6 months for that army to pass by a single village.
Down through Myanmar they went and into Thailand, then further south into Malaysia. They kept on marching for month after month until they reached the beaches of the Straits of Johor and they looked across the water to Singapore, but of course, then it was called Temasek.
Here they had to stop and build boats to ferry them across the water. Building these boats took a long time and Rajah Suran became very impatient. Every day he grumbled to himself “How long before we reach China? How long before that cocky Emperor says that I am the most powerful King?”
At last the whole army was in Temasek. They marched southwards, but it didn’t take long before they reached the Southern Sea and could go no further. Rajah Suran realized that if he wanted to reach China he would now have to travel by sea. So he set his men to building hundreds of strong ships. But he still didn’t know which way to go, so he sent men off in every direction with instructions to find the way to China and find it quickly.
Now, Rajah Suran’s journey to Temasek, had not been a secret, could not be a secret, not with so many men and horses and elephants making the ground thunder with their footsteps. Traders who sailed the coast in search of gold, spices and aromatic wood heard of Raja Suran’s plan, and they told their friends about the huge army that was looking for the way to China.Now their friends told their friends and their friends told their friends and their friends told their friends and their friends told their friends and their friends told their friends until eventually someone told the Emperor of China himself.
The emperor was very worried. He called his ministers together and asked their advice. “What shall we do?” If Rajah Suran finds the way to our land, he will surely defeat us, his army is so much bigger, so much stronger than ours. “We must find a way to stop him.”
The emperor and the ministers thought and thought and thought and thought. They thought all day and they thought all night and then just as the dawn was breaking in the morning, the chief minister burst out laughing.
“Oh yes, I have it, I have a very good plan”, he cried. He whispered his plan to the emperor and the emperor smiled for the first time in days.
“Oh yes that is a very good plan, go and get the things you need at once”.
And so the chief minister went down to the harbour to find a ship to sail to Temasek, to sail to Singapore. But he didn’t look for the best ship, the fastest ship, the newest ship. Oh no! He searched the harbour until he found the oldest ship there was. Its planks were worn and its sails were yellow with age.
The other ministers, who had not heard the plan were very puzzled, how was this old ship, going to help them, how was it going to stop Rajah Suran’s mighty army. They were even more puzzled when they heard who was going to sail on the ship and what it was going to carry.
The chief minister chose the sailors himself. He chose the oldest men he could find. Some of them were so old they could hardly walk and had to be carried onto the ship.
“Old men, sailing an old ship,The chief minister’s gone crazy” the people said
Then the chief minister did some thing that seemed just as ridiculous, he ordered that huge fruit trees should be dug up, planted into pots and carried on board the ship. “Crazy, crazy, he must have gone crazy” the people said.
Lastly he ordered that all the needles in the city, every last one should be brought to the palace.By the next morning the palace courtyard was filled with great piles of sewing needles. The chief minister ordered the servants to pick out all the rusty needles and put them into sacks. The servants worked hard and by nightfall they had gather 50 sacks full of rusty needles.
One of them approached the minister. “We’ve gathered 50 sacks of rusty needles. Shall we throw them away?”
“Throw them away! No! Don’t throw them away, put them onboard the ship!”
The servants did as they were told, but they were sure that the chief minister and the emperor had both gone crazy.
An old ship with old sailors, old fruit trees and old rusty needles, how was that going to save them from the terrible army of Raja Suran.
The emperor and the chief minister heard what people were saying, but they did not say a word, they just smiled as they waved the ship off on its journey.
A few weeks later the ship arrived in Temasek. Raja Suran and all his men were still there, and they still didn’t know the way to China.
When the lookouts spotted the old ship limping into the harbour, with huge fruit trees growing on its deck and a crew of old grandfathers, they couldn’t stop laughing. Soon everyone had heard about the strange ship and even Raja Suran himself came to take a look.
Where have you come from? he said, “What country is it that has such old sailors?”
The oldest of the sailors spoke up: “We have come from China”
When we set out we were all strong young men – we were carrying a cargo of fruit tree seeds and shiny new sewing needles. But it took us so long to get here that we have grown old, the seeds have become trees and the needles have become rusty. And he opened one of the sacks of needles to show Raja Suran.
Raja Suran sighed, If China was that far away his soldiers would be old men to weak to fight when they got there. He would be an old man too. No it was not worth it, he would send his army back to India, and go and conquer other, nearer lands.
And so the huge army turned around and marched back the way it came and China was saved.
But some stories say that Rajah Suran did not go back to India right away. They say that he followed a dream and went down below the waves of the Southern Sea to marry Princess Matabu, the Sea king’s daughter.
They say they had three sons and lived together happily for many years. But then Raja Suran began to miss the world above the ocean, to miss the sunshine, the trees and the birds flying free in the blue sky.
He became sadder and sadder until Princess Mahtabu told him that he should go back to his own world. He wanted to take her and their sons with him, he wanted the boys come and take over his kingdom when he died. But the great King of the sea said no, his daughter and the boys must remain in the under sea kingdom. But he did promise that t when the boys grew into men they would come up out of the sea and become kings of the land.
And some people say that is just what happened; when the boys grew up they came out of the sea near a place called Palembang in Sumatra. And they did become kings; the youngest prince became came the king of the land around Pelambang, and his brothers became kings of nearby kingdoms.
The youngest prince was someone you may have heard of before. His name was Sang Nila Utama, the very same Sang Nila Utama who sailed across stormy waters to land in Temasek, saw what he thought was a lion and gave our country its name Singapura - the lion city. But that as they say is another story.
Copyright Sheila Wee 2003
sheilamwee@yahoo.com
44) I heard this story years 14 years ago and have been telling it ever since. It's a Chinese story if that's any help.
Bones:
Girl in village in forest makes beautiful ribbons
Villagers sew them on clothes but have no one to show them to
Go to City
Emperor in palace sees villagers
Asks where they got clothes.
Finds out about ribbon maiden
Sends servants to fetch her
She refuses to come so they force her
Emperor tells her to make finest ribbons
She refuses
Locks her in room gives her 7 days to sew live chicken or head off
She tries but it is not alive
She cries tear on chicken
Bites thumb blood on chicken
Chicken alive
Emperor doesn't believe she sewed it tells her to sew live peacock
Same again
This time dragon but when he comes back dragon torches him
Dragon asks girl where she wants go. Home she says so she gets on his back and they fly off torching the palace as they go
Girl is so happy she makes the most beautiful ribbons of all different colours and throws them in the air as they fly and if you are very lucky you'll see a rainbow and know that's where they ribbon maiden was making her way home on the back of the dragon.
45) CHINESE FOLKTALES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
Query: I need Chinese folktales for children under age 8. Those of you who have experience working with this age group, could you please recommend some?
Mel
Response: You could use the ancient Chinese Fable Ming Lo Moves the Mountain
Sheila W.
Response: How about Two of Everything: A Chinese Folktale from Alice Ritchie's Treasure of Li-Po
Carol C.
Response: The book Ming Lo Moves the Mountain isn't "Yu Gong Yi Shan," although it was obviously the inspiration for it. To give you an idea of the differences between the two stories here is a summary of Ming Lo followed by Mao Tse Tung's telling of "Yu Gong Yi Shan," in a very famous speech.
Ming Lo Moves the Mountain
This is a story of Ming Lo and his wife who live in the shadow of a large mountain. The mountain was not a good neighbor. It dropped rocks on their home and when it rained, the mountain kept the sun from warming the house. Ming Lo's wife wanted Ming Lo to move the mountain. Ming Lo went to a wise man to get advice on how to move the mountain. The wise man made some suggestions; they did not work. Finally, the wise man gave Ming Lo his last piece of advice. He told them to dismantle their house, pick it up, stand, and face the mountain. Then Ming Lo and his wife were to do the "dance of the moving mountain." After many hours, the mountain was indeed many miles away. They rebuilt their house and lived happily ever after.
Yu Gong Yi Shan
"There is an ancient Chinese fable called The Foolish Old Man Who Removed the Mountains. It tells of an old man who lived in northern China long, long ago and was known as the Foolish Old Man of North Mountain. His house faced south and beyond his doorway stood the two great peaks, Taihang and Wangwu, obstructing the way. He called his sons, and hoe in hand they began to dig up these mountains with great determination. Another greybeard, known as the Wise Old Man, saw them and said derisively, "How silly of you to do this! It is quite impossible for you few to dig up these two huge mountains." The Foolish Old Man replied, "When I die, my sons will carry on; when they die, there will be my grandsons, and then their sons and grandsons, and so on to infinity. High as they are, the mountains cannot grow any higher and with every bit we dig, they will be that much lower. Why can't we clear them away?" Having refuted the Wise Old Man's wrong view, he went on digging every day, unshaken in his conviction. God was moved by this, and he sent down two angels, who carried the mountains away on their backs. Today, two big mountains lie like a dead weight on the Chinese people. One is imperialism, the other is feudalism. The Chinese Communist Party has long made up its mind to dig them up. We must persevere and work unceasingly, and we, too, will touch God's heart. Our God is none other than the masses of the Chinese people. If they stand up and dig together with us, why can't these two mountains be cleared away?"
I just wanted to let you know that Ming Lo Moves the Mountain
Sheila W.
Response: Here are a few suggestions:
Tikki Tikki Tembo
Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China
http://www.unc.edu/~rwilkers/resource-china.htm
Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China
"The Bell That Knew the Truth" - Through the Grapevine
The following stories are suggestions but I have never told them myself. I can imagine Two of Everything working very well with eight year olds.
Two of Everything: A Chinese Folktale- Stories (Story Archive) - by Bob Wiliness
"Lord Bag of Rice" in Twenty-Two Splendid Tales to Tell From Around the World, Vol. 2 (American Storytelling)
"The Burning of the Rice Fields"
"The Old Man With A Wart"
Both of these are in Twenty-Two Splendid Tales, Volume Two by Pleasant DeSpain.
"Why The Sun Comes Up when Rooster Crows" and "Two Brothers, Two Rewards." Both in How & Why Stories (World Storytelling from August House)
"Such A Silly Senseless Servant" - Noodlehead Stories
"The Stonecutter" - I know there is a Japanese version but this bib cites it as a Chinese folktale as well. China & Tibet - A Bibliography of Children's Books
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/mulchinese.htm
Folktales from China
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/china.html
Karen C.
Response: Since it is Chinese New Year time, the story of the animal zodiac and how the animals were chosen would be nice. I have a version on CD by Kate Stevens called The Animal Years. She got it from The Collection of Tales by Four Elders. It tells of the various tricks the animals used to be first into the Emperor's hall to be chosen. It could get quite raucous and easy to work in participation.
"The Twelve Animal Years"
Bones:
One day up in heaven, the Jade Emperor looked down and saw that dragon, tiger and phoenix had come before him. They cried out that a wrong had been done to them. The Jade Emperor asked how this could be. "Tiger, you are lord of all the creatures in the forest and field. Dragon, you have dominion over the entire ocean and all other waters. Phoenix, you rule over all the birds. Have you been fighting with each other over your territories?" The animals said that no, it was the humans. "They harm us and we wish for you to make them behave."
The Jade Emperor says the next day, the South Gate of heaven would be opened at dawn. The first ten animals to come to bow before him will become the representatives of the Animal Years. Each human will belong to one of the animal years and so when they think of that, they will no longer do harm to any animal. The three agreed that this was good. They went back down to earth to tell all the animals about the competition.
Rat did not hear the announcement because he was underground in his tunnels. He comes back up and sees cat washing her face. Rat asks if she is going on a trip.
Cat says no and tells rat all about the contest.
Rat suggests they go together. Cat asks rat to wake her up if she happens to be sleeping when it is time to go. (Cat enjoys her little naps.) Rat agrees.
At the third watch, early in the morning rat wakes up. He decides to go by himself and not wake cat. He is afraid he won’t have a chance because cat is stronger than him. He leaves without waking cat. Rat arrives at South Gate to see many other animals there already. There is much noise and confusion until the Jade Emperor calls out for the animals to be still. He will not open the gate until the fifth watch, at dawn. Immediate quiet. The emperor’s scribe, Venus White Star prepares his ink, scroll and brushes. Dawn arrives and emperor orders the South Gate opened. The animals begin fighting to get in.
Now, each of the ten animals figures out a way to get in. As each animal comes before him, the emperor tells Venus White Star the name to record. (Have him say each animal’s name as they arrive. The original gives the Chinese name for each animal).
Rat scurries between all the feet and hooves and sneaks in.
Ox uses his great strength to shove his way in.
Tiger leaps over all the others and lands in front of the emperor’s throne.
Rabbit knows he can’t push in, so he crouches and with little hops sneaks in like rat.
Dragon waggles his head and waves his tail and soars through the air over the other animals to the throne.
Snake slithers and threads his way in.
Horse uses his hooves to kick the competitors out of the way.
Goat uses his horns to butt his way through.
Monkeys swings off the horns, ears and noses of the animals, just as he does in the forest.
Rooster spots an opening, flaps his wings and flies through the gate.
Emperor sees there are now ten. Rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey and rooster. He turns to Venus White Star and says, "Enough, enough". But in Chinese the word "enough" sounds much like "dog". So, Venus White Star mishears the emperor and writes down dog on the list. Emperor then says, "sufficient, sufficient." Venus White Star mishears again and writes down "pig."
Emperor is afraid Venus White Star will keep adding to the list, so he snatches the scroll from him. Okay he says, there are now twelve animals on the list. (You can list all twelve here if you like.) Emperor tells animals to go home, tell the humans about the animal years and orders them to live in peace.
Rat returns home and sees cat washing her face. Cat has only just woken up and says it must be time to go for the contest. Rat laughs and tells her it is done and that he was the first. Cat is angry rat didn’t wake her to go. Rat explains he didn’t think he could win against cat, so he left her sleeping. Cat is so furious she pounces on rat and gobbles him up in one bite. Cats have chased rats ever since. (Story ends here, but I like to add a little bit like, "so from then on, every human was born into one of the animals years that make up the Chines zodiac."
Adapted from Traditional Chinese Tales told by Kate Stevens. Her version is adapted from the telling of Wang Yulan in Collection of Tales by Four Elders.
Permission for use (from the CD notes): Kate Stevens encourages anyone who has questions about the stories to contact her. She is happy to have others tell any of these stories. She does not require requests for permission for telling the stories in performance but does require requests, in writing, when performances are to be videotaped, recorded or reproduced in any other way. Her address is: 2115 Lorne Terrace, Victoria, B.C., V8S 2H9; phone: (250) 592 1352 email: katestevens@storysave.ca
Kate requests that, with each telling, an acknowledgement in a form similar to the following be made: "This story is adapted from Kate Stevens' translated reworking." She wishes to have the genre of the original (e.g. clappertale) mentioned where appropriate and the name of the creator/performer (e.g. Pu Songling). The final statement might read: "This story is adapted from Kate Stevens' translated reworking of a story in the ______ genre as told/performed by _________."
Kate hopes that tellers will respect the cultural integrity of the story while making the tale their own. She discourages attempts to memorize.
Ruthanne E.
Response: I love Tikki Tikki Tembo
However, it is not a Chinese tale, but a story written by an American author. Clara Yen, a Chinese-American teller from the San Francisco Bay Area told me she'd never come across it in her research. I haven't stopped telling it, but I do always tell the kids it is a story set in China, written by an American man.
Yvonne Y.
Response: I love the book Tales of a Chinese Grandmother: 30 Traditional Tales from China
Also, I have a curiosity about another story mentioned from that book, Ko Ai's Lost Shoe (sometimes called The Girl in the Bell.) I tell that story, but very cautiously; my lower limit for it is 4th grade, and I'm more likely to tell it to 6th (just because they're doing world cultures that year, if they're in Texas). I've even told it in high school. I always tell kids that it's a scary story, and, in fact, I have used it at Halloween before, mixed in with other scary stories where it can receive the same level of disbelief. Anyway, my problem with the story, and maybe good fodder for discussion is...
Ko Ai plans to and does give up her own life to save her father's life. He does not ask her to, he loves her dearly--as his life! I say (I think that is from the text, but I may have added it over the years.) In fact, she knows he would never hear of it, so she keeps her plan a secret. That may be the most frightening part of all!
I cannot think of a way to do the ending properly--that is, true to the legend--that does not include this element of a girl willingly giving her life for her father. The story closes with that act viewed as laudable and generous. With older children, I think I can express in my voice and face and gestures, and just a few words, how misguided a choice it was. I emphasize that her father went mad on the spot; he had to be tied to a bamboo pole and carried home!
The tale ends with something like "And yet, the words of the fortune teller were true...... And surely her spirit is happy. So fine a daughter as she would surely be blessed by the Jade Emperor of Heaven."
I can't think of another story where I opt out by saying "THEY believe;" I think that minimizes the cultural point of view that I try to create in any story, but in this one, since I do not wish to imply that today's Chinese believe a girl child's life is of less value than an adult man's, I say something like "...for as they used to say in China, so fine a daughter as she..."
I guess I have this fear of reinforcing that to an impressionable at-risk child.
I guess I'm open to suggestion. For a legend, I just can't bring myself to change the attitude in which the story is told by the people who tell it. Yet, with this one, I can't bring myself to believe that that attitude prevails today, or would be spoken aloud today. I just haven't found a satisfactory compromise, or one I don't feel some dis-ease with. And I also can't figure out why--if I feel that way--I still love the story so much.
Mary Grace
Response to above: Ignoring the Chinese context for the moment, isn't the idea of one person voluntarily sacrificing his or her life to save another a powerful and universal one? Frightening as you say, but many things in stories are. In Greek Mythology, Alcestis agrees to die in place of her husband Admetus, but luckily Heracles comes along to wrestle with Death and rescue her. Then there is Aslan's death in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
I don't think it is up to the storyteller to give a moral judgment, to say whether they think it misguided or not; that should be a question for the listener. With children old enough to form an opinion, they should be given the chance to respond and argue their opinions, with the storyteller playing Devil's advocate if necessary.
In Chinese culture, where the old are revered, a child sacrificing himself or herself for a parent would be particularly laudable, but emphasising that actually distracts from the sacrifice. And, pace Sheila, I think many modern Chinese still consider a girl child of less value than a boy child.
Even if Western culture, feminists argue that women have been brought up to sacrifice their life or career for someone else, parent or husband, and many blame fairy tales for this. In "Beauty and the Beast", the youngest daughter marries a stranger to save her father's life, and he knows what she is doing. Of course that's only the beginning of the story, but real-life political marriages did not always end so happily.
Philip A.
Response to above: I agree and this leads me to think: Many stories have changed or are told differently because the teller connects with parts of a story and not with other parts of it. This seems to me to be a natural part of storytelling - Is there such a thing as being "true" to the tale because how can we determine what is true?
Mary K.C.
Response to above: That is a dilemma -- perhaps a discussion at the end of any alternatives she might have had instead.
Sheila W.
Response: Good idea! (Discuss it! One of those that--now that you say it--seems so self evident!)
Is your "Innkeeper's Wise Daughter" the one about walking/riding, dressed/undressed, etc? That's a good idea--engaging right off with true love at the end! Tell me "The Stolen Child." How did I miss it?
Mary Grace K.
Response: I wonder whether the best thing would be not to tell it to younger audiences at all. My feeling is that presenting it as a scary story at Halloween might be devaluing the culture it comes from. It may not sit comfortably with modern western culture, it is not now the way of modern Chinese culture, (or of other east asian cultures in which this is quite a common motif) but it is the past of that culture. We have many cultural practises in Europe and America which we have grown out of, yet we are proud of our heritage. This is a real tricky area, where we all need to find our own comfort zones,whilst at the same time honoring the culture we are telling the stories of.
Response: I will most likely tell Yee and the Nine Suns from Chinese Folktales: Instructor's Manual
http://www.storyarts.org/library/nutshell/stories/fighting.html
Ghislaine W.
Final Comment: Many of you suggested tales to help me put together the Chinese Folktales gig for the Dallas Museum of Art. The gig was last night and it was a success, though there was scads of peripheral noise to deal with, including a booming drum-led Dragon parade during the last few minutes of my final story. Still about a hundred folks stayed to the end and I was grateful. Here are the stories I prepared for the evening: Holding Up the Sky from Margaret Read MacDonald's Peace Tales.
"Sweet and Sour Berries," adapted from Linda Fang's tale in More Ready-To-Tell Tales from Around the World
"Blue Rose," thanks to Rose Owens.
"The Foolish Old Man who Removed the Mountains" - thanks to Sheila Wee. (see above)
"Lord Bag of Rice," a Chinese folktale adapted from Pleasant DeSpain.
"Friendship Orchard," a Central Asian tale, and The Rabbit's Tale adapted from Pleasant DeSpain from his book Eleven Nature Tales (World Storytelling)
"The Mandarin and the Tailor," adapted from The Moral Compass: Stories for a Life's Journey
I opened with some wiggle music and then told "Holding up the Sky," "Sweet and Sour Berries," "Blue Rose," and "Friendship Orchard." Thank God I closed with "Friendship Orchard" that was a tried and true favorite of mine, because the concentration levels would have made it hard to finish a newer one with the major noise distractions. All of the stories seemed to go over well with the whole audience, though the middle and upper elementary kids focused the best. Yuppie Moms and Dads were the most attentive of all, yippppeee!
Thank you to all of you who contributed to helping to make this a fun gig for me. I love the challenge of learning new material for thematic tellings. Some of the new ones I may never tell again, but I will be telling Rabbit's Tale on Tuesday at a local Headstart.
Mel
46) A Chinese saying:
The fragrance of flowers needs to be carried by the wind,
The stories of good deeds require to be talked about by people.
Thanks for providing the flowers! Another great resouce for stories of good deeds.
Marilyn K.
47) "The Cracked Pot" - a Chinese folktale
Story:
A water bearer in China had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water.
At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
After 2 years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house."
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house"
Moral: Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them.
Blessings to all my crackpot friends.
Barbara B.
48) Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute Home
Women in Traditional China and their Portrayal in Chinese Folktales by Gale Billingsley
http://www.cis.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/1984/4/84.04.03.x.html
49) Query: I was doing a search for a certain Chinese story or legend and found this address at the end of a web page. Maybe you can help. My mother purchased two small tapestries in China. Each pictures 100 children playing. Since I am a teacher, she gave me one as a gift. I never got it framed and have just kept it. Since my Mother's death, I have received her framed copy and would like to give my other one to a special friend. But before I do, I would like to research the story behind the 100 children. Is it a folk tale, a legend, a story of some kind? It would make the give so much more meaningful if I could add that to the gift. Can anyone help me?
Gail P. 9/19/05
Response: I did a bit of research myself. Mainly today and for a long time the picture of one hundred children (actually boys) at play is used as a good luck charm to ensure fertility and especially continuity of the family line. The picture is hung in the bedroom or put on a bedspread, including around the emperor's bed. However, there is an old story - it's a Vietnamese tale but relates to China too. Whether the tale is the same in China I don't know, but they have the legendary King Wen (12th cent. BC) who had a hundred children though I couldn't find the tale. King Wen, who defeated the Shang and founded the Chou dynasty, also was a master of divination and was one of the originators of the I Ching. Numbers are very important in Chinese symbolism and culture, and in the I Ching, so the 'one hundred' has a specific symbolic meaning and doesn't so much refer to the literal number.
Here's an excerpt from the tale (see web page for more preceding parts), and afterwards a couple more comments on the hundred children.
TALE EXCERPT
In the generation of Sung Lam, the Dragon Lord of the Lac, the North was ruled by King Lai, the son of King Nghi. One day, Lai left the kingdom to the care of others and headed south to visit the sights. At one point he left his wife Au Coo the Princess of Au (or maybe, of the Au, name of a tribe) , and her attendants in one of his temporary palaces and went into the woods, forgetting to return. Because he left his realm unattended,
... the southern people suffered depredations from the northern people, they were not allowed to live in peace as they used to, so they called on the Dragon King: "Father, where are you, why do you let the northern people harass and attack us, your people ?" The Dragon King suddenly appeared, and what he saw was Au Co with her fantastically beautiful features. He felt glad in his heart and transformed himself into a very handsome young man, accompanied right and left by numerous attendants who sang and b eat on their drums as they went. Palaces rise up out of nowhere. Au Co willingly followed the Dragon King, and he hid her at the Dragon Platform Rock.
When King Lai came back from his wanderings, Au Co was no longer there. He sent out parties in every direction but because his uncle the Dragon King had the capability of "changing himself into all kinds of shapes, from devils to demons, dragons and snak es, tigers and elephants, he scared away all the search parties, which dared not venture too far." Then follows the narration of how King Lai's descendants lost their throne, ending the line of Shen Nong in China. The story goes back to the Dragon King a nd Au Co:
The Dragon King took Au Co for wife and she bore him a bagful [of eggs]. Considering this to be an ill omen, he had the bag thrown away in the field. After six or seven days, however, out of the bag hatched one hundred eggs and out of each egg was a boy ; only then were they brought home to be raised. These boys needed no breast-feeding or mouth-feeding, they just naturally grew up into fantastically handsome young men, blessed each one of them with great mind and courage. Everybody respected them, thi nking they were an unusual breed auguring well [for the country].
But as the Dragon King liked to stay long in the Underwater World, his wife and children yearned to go north. When they got to the frontier Huang Ti [the Chinese Emperor] heard about it, he got scared and had troops sent out to hold the pass. Unable to proceed further, Au Co and her children came back south and called out to the Dragon King: "Father, where are you, why are you leaving us alone, unprotected so that day and night we are in this terrible plight?" The Dragon King at once appeared and they met at Tuong [Chinese, Xiang]. Au Co said: "I originally came from the north and after living with you, I bore you one hundred sons. You left me and did not raise the children with me, and I became like a widow. All I could do was to pity myself." The Dragon King answered: "I am of the dragon breed, the king of the aquatic breeds; you are an immortal living on land, and though we have children born of the combination of yin and yang elements we are, like fire and water, not meant for each other, we ar e different breeds. I am afraid our union cannot last, we must now separate. I will take fifty boys with me down to the Underwater World and divide it up for them to rule, let the other fifty follow you on land and you can divide the land up for them to rule. Though we may go up to the mountains or down to the sea, if anything happens we should let each other know. Don't forget." The one hundred children obeyed, said farewell to one another and parted.
Au Co and her fifty sons went up to Phong Chau. The sons established their suzerainties and vassalities while they raised the eldest son to be their king with the dynastic name of Hung Vuong and they called their country Van Lang.
The story concludes by recounting the extent of the Van Lang country, its 15 subdivisions (with their names), the feudal system obtained under the Hung kings, the division of officials' ranks into military and civilian ranks, the names of ranks correspond ing to princes and princesses within the royal family, and the establishment of a patriarchal system of royal succession. The myth provides a long listing of the various customs associated with the ancestral Vietnamese, including the custom of tattooing one's body and that of "ploughing with knives and growing [plants? rice?] using fire," clearly a reference to the slash-and-burn method of the present-day highlanders of Vietnam. "Thus," the story ends, "the hundred sons [of Au Co and the Dragon King] ar e the ancestors of the Hundred Viet [tribes]."
Several observations are in order here. The last sentence of the story shows that the story of Lac Long Quan, the Dragon King of the Lac, and of Au Co is not merely the story of the one tribe or group that eventually became the present-day Vietnamese. R ather, the story purports to tell the ancestral story of all the Viet groups (the Hundred Viet) in the area corresponding to southern China and present-day northern Vietnam.
FENG SHUI
If you have seen the imperial bed where the emperor slept with his empress and other concubines, the silk curtains or paintings hung in the bedroom depicted "Precious Hundred Children Playing" to symbolize many descendants that lasts for generations. Therefore, married couples are recommended to hang this auspicious embroidered silk picture in their bedrooms or the descendant's luck corner of their homes. ...There are exactly 100 children happily playing with different "yang" gestures in the picture. Its presence would invoke excellent children's chi in your space which is useful for those who desire to increase fertility, conceive, have more children or have many descendants that last for generations.
Young children are said to reflect good "yang" positive energy that dominates the home. Young boys personify "PURE YANG" energy. Their appearance would bring joyful and happy energy into your homes. The "Precious Hundred Children" grinning and playing happily would bring "PURE YANG" energy that a home needs which is favorable for those who want to conceive and have many descendants in the future.
KING WEN
One of the most popular visual metaphors for family in traditional China: baizi tu, a reference to the family of King Wen, an early Chinese patriarch whose male progeny numbered one hundred. Children appear in Chinese art in many contexts, often serving didactic functions as paragons of Confucian, Buddhist and Daoist virtue, as embodiments of adult aspirations and as amuletic images that articulate adult concerns regarding prosperity, longevity, status and well being. Furthermore, images of children evoke important human qualities such as purity and simplicity that are associated with childhood and which contribute to self cultivation, societal advancement and spiritual enlightenment.
See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Wen_sequence
http://blue.butler.edu/~jfmcgrat/china/poetry.htm
Legend of King Wen - Jiang Taigong Fishes
http://www.britishbornchinese.org.uk/pages/culture/legends/jiang.html
Tim S. U.K. 9/20/05
50) When I read Billie S's request, I thought of my story about going up to see my mother during the three years before she died of ovarian cancer, but I first judged that that she wasn't about a cancer "survivor." After reading Holly's thoughtful reply, I realized that "I" was a cancer survivor.
My story is actually a Chinese folktale, "Chien Nang," with a specific introduction and closure which some have found to be comforting or at least companionable during the times when their own lives are pressed by taking care of someone else's dire needs. It is on my website, and you are welcome to use it if it is appropriate for your audience: http://talesandlegends.net.
To me, it is an example of the magic of fairy tales--that in fantasy we can actually HAVE what is not possible in real life, and the sympathetic experience is enough to sustain us.
Mary Grace K. 2/13/06
51) Chinese folktales - "A deeper understanding of the Chinese history, customs and traditions can be made through a study of popular Chinese folktales and myths, and their related arts - the Chinese opera..." Read more at:
http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/01397/intrstry.htm
http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/01397/main.htm
52) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_dragon
Chinese dragon myths.
53) "White Gourd Children" - an original Chinese folktale by Xiaodong Ma
Story:
Greetings to the morning. I am a red flower. And look at me: I'm an orange flower. And I too: for I have bright yellow petals. I am pale green. And we are green, blue and purple! Seven flowers opened! Seven flowers opened! Seven flowers opened for the old man to see! Seven flowers opened! Seven flowers opened! Seven flowers opened for the old man to see!
Greetings to you, Grandpa. I am from the red flower. And look at me! I am from the orange flower! And I too, for I have bright yellow hair! We are from the pale green flower, green, blue and purple! Seven flowers opened! Seven flowers opened! Seven flowers opened and became seven boys! Seven flowers opened! Seven flowers opened! Seven flowers opened and became seven boys!
54) Folktales from China, edited by D.L. Ashliman
http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/china.html
55) Chinese folktales
• The Lost Horse: A Chinese Folktale
Sai, introduced as a wise man, loses his horse; when people arrive to comfort him, he tells them, "You know, it may not be such a bad thing." It proves, in fact, to be fortunate: the horse returns with a mare. Sai rejects his friends' congratulations ("Perhaps it is not such a good thing"), and he is right again (the mare throws Sai's son). This pattern continues, and by the end, Sai's son, like his father, "trust[s] in the ever changing fortunes of life."
• The Jade Stone: A Chinese Folktale
A stone carver can't carve the dragon out of the "perfect piece of green and white jade stone," as the Great Emperor of All China has commanded, because a dragon is not what the stone innately "wants" to be. The entire kingdom is in an uproar, and still the craftsman insists on following his creative instincts--to his death, if necessary.
• Chinese Folktales: Instructor's Manual
During the course of a one-year stay, Giskin (English, Appalachian State Univ.) gathered 93 folktales written for him by his students at Northeast University at Shenyang, China (formerly Mukden, Manchuria). His aim is to make available to the English-speaking world many Chinese tales that concern local features of his students' hometowns. Aside from Chinese stories, there are also a few with Mongolian and Manchurian origins. Each brief tale is prefaced by a formulaic introduction by the student storyteller, and the works are grouped somewhat arbitrarily into such divisions as Dragon Tales; Love; Ghosts, Monsters, and Evil Spirits; History and Legend; and Human Nature.
• Folktales China (Folktales of the World)
• The Hunter
Hai Li Bu lives in a small Chinese village. One day while hunting he rescues the Dragon King of the Sea's daughter. As a reward he is given the ability to understand the speech of animals.
• The Magic Tapestry: A Chinese Folktale
A devoted son sets out to retrieve the work, "the most heavenly tapestry ever made," painstakingly woven by his mother over three years. But it is not with the fairies of Sun Mountain, and only an impossible journey through fire and ice will bring it home. Two older brothers have refused even to contemplate the mission but, for the love of his mother, the youngest is determined to succeed.
56) "The Young Head of the Family," in The Fairy Ring (1906)
A Chinese story of a girl who knows how to carry fire in paper (a lantern) and wind in paper (a fan). Her widowed father-in-law designates her head of the family and she leads it to prosperity. Different versions in The Milky Way And other Chinese folk tales
Karen C. 3/30/06
57) Here's a story similar to "The Mask" in a post from Rocci in 1999. He tells it as a story from China, and it's a thief who is transformed by the mask. Interesting version.
Ina V.D 4/16/06
Sent: Monday, November 01, 1999 9:28 AM
I just told this story in my Church yesterday and it was a great success. We were doing a service on just this topic, the masks that we wear to disguise or protect our true selves.
I had found the story via this list, and then made it more my own.
This is the story as I now have it. Enjoy.
The Thief and the Mask
Anonymous
Source: Robert Schneider
It is said that by a particular age, people have the face that they deserve and this is just such a story.
The Emperor of China's daughter was one of the wisest and most beautiful women in all of the land. But, she was not married. The Emperor's daughter had decided that she, being an Emperor's daughter, should only marry the most handsome, honest, generous and honest man in all the land. Many men came to ask for her hand but she found fault with every one. Some were not too gentle and others not kind or generous and some were not honest enough. Some were handsome and gentle and kind and honest, but none was the most handsome and gentle and kind and honest in the land and the Princess knew it.
The Emperor, wishing that his daughter would be happy and wishing for grandchildren, decided that he would announce a great festival to be held at the palace. Every person in the kingdom would be invited and the Princess would meet each man. Surely, , if everyone came to the ball, and who wouldn't come to a festival at the palace, the Princess would find the man with the most handsome, gentle, kind and honest face in all the land.
Now, living in the land at that time, was a master thief. He was a particularly evil, despicable, sneaky, clever, dishonest man and he had the face that he deserved. He was well known and despised throughout all the land for his skill at stealing. He had become so famous, or perhaps it is best to say infamous, that he was recognized everywhere that he went and he couldn't steal anything anymore ~ which is not a good thing for a thief. It was getting so bad for him that he was thinking the most awful thoughts possible for him, he was thinking that he might actually have to get a job ~ which is not a good thing for a thief!
When the thief heard about the festival he thought to himself that this would be a wonderful career opportunity for him. How many chances would he have to visit the palace and what wonderful things must be in there!!! This was his great chance. If he steal just one precious thing from the palace he would be wealthy beyond his wildest dreams and he would never have to steal again and he also would not have to find a job!
The thief realized; however, that he would be immediately recognized so he went to the most skilled mask maker in the land, a great craftsman. The thief asked the craftsman to make him a mask that would completely conceal his identity, a mask with a face so lifelike, and honest and gentle that no one would suspect the wearer of any evil. The craftsman maker did this. In fact, he fashioned his greatest work, in a lifetime of great works. The mask was beautiful. The face was perfect, it was handsome and gentle and honest.
The day of the festival the thief bathed in his golden tub, which he had stolen. He washed himself with the fragrant soaps and expensive perfumes that he had stolen. He dressed in his finest stolen robes and wore his finest stolen sandals. He put on his new mask and he went to the festival.
At the festival the princess, as had been planned, met every man who attended. Some were already married and some were old men and some were mere boys. Of the rest; however, she found some fault with each one. Some were not gentle enough and some were not kind or generous enough and some were not honest enough. Some were handsome and gentle and kind and honest, but none was the most handsome and gentle and kind and honest in the land and the Princess knew it.
When the thief arrived he was astonished by all the wonderful, beautiful things surrounding him. There were golden lamps and silver platters and jade and ivory statues and intricately carved wooden boxes.The thief, tried not to be obvious, but he could not help himself and he stared in amazement. He could not decide what it was that he should steal.
The minute that the princess saw the thief, she fell in love with him. His face was the most handsome and kind and gentle and loving and generous and honest face she had ever seen. The princess approached the thief and introduced herself. She told him that she had been waiting for him for her entire life. She told him that he had the most handsome, gentle, kind, generous and honest face in the land and that she knew that she must marry him.
The thief was completely surprised. He did not know what to do. He had never considered the possibility that a princess would ever actually want to marry him. The thief was completed flustered and told the princess that he was unworthy of her affection. The princess was very persistent and again asked him to marry her. It is very hard to refuse when a princess asks you to marry her. Finally, The thief convinced the princess that this is something very important and that it needs careful consideration. The thief promised that he would come back in one year with his answer. The princess agrees and told the thief that she knew, just by looking into his face, that he would return in a year they would wed. The thief left the palace, very confused by what just happened. It wasn't until The thief got home that he realized that he hadn't even stolen anything!!!
All of a sudden, The thief thought to himself that, perhaps, this was all a trap. Perhaps the Emperor's men knew who he really was and were secretly watching and following him. Or perhaps they were following him to watch the man that the Princess wanted to marry. The thief stopped stealing and continued wearing his disguise so that he would not be found out.
The thief decided that a man with a handsome, gentle, kind and honest face must also act that way and so The thief started to act in a way that was gentle and kind and honest. The thief started to act kindly towards strangers and travelers and invited them into his home. The thief started to act courteously and respectfully to his elders. The thief started to act generously to poor people and orphans and widows. The thief started to act honestly towards everyone and people began to say of the thief that his word was as good as his face.
What started as a clever plan to fool the Emperor's men became a way of life for the thief and, he gradually discovered, he became more contented and harmonious than he had ever been before. The thief had become as handsome and gentle and kind and honest inside as the mask was outside.
When the year had passed the thief returned, as he had promised, to the Emperor's palace. He was very sad for now he knew that he must tell the Princess the truth about himself. The thief went to the princess and he bowed his head; he knelt down and he softly explained the whole story to her. The thief explained how he was nothing but a common, ugly thief and that he was truly unworthy of her. The thief told the Princes how a great craftsman had made a wonderful mask to disguise him. The thief looked up, with tears in his eyes, and asked the princess to forgive him for his cruel deceit and to spare his poor, miserable life.
The Princess, being a kind and generous Princess, agreed to forgive him and spare his life, but asked that first she see his true face under the mask. The thief, fearfully, took off the mask. The Princess was astonished and became angry. "Why would you have a mask made to look exactly like your face?" she demanded. The thief was confused once more and he asked to look into a mirror. Sure enough his face was exactly the same as the mask. In the year of his pretending to be kind, gentle, generous and honest The thief had changed not just inside but outside as well. The thief had earned the face that he deserved.
Well, you probably guessed, The thief and the princess got married. They hung that mask in a place of honor in the great hall and they had wonderful, gentle, kind, generous and honest children who all had the face that they deserved.
Rocci 11/1/99
58) After mentioning recently that the Chinese even today have dedicated Storytelling houses like the west has Opera houses, I've just discovered a wonderful website all about Chinese Storytelling.
http://www.shuoshu.org/
It is a very large site with in-depth information and photos. You can see videos showing the difference between 'square mouth' storytelling and 'round mouth' storytelling. You can find out why storytellers today receive a monthly salary rather than depending on performance income. And you can find out exactly why storytellers have 'red on the door'.
I couldn't help reading a little more on the fascinating traditions of storytelling in China, and saw this below on another site -
http://english.ccnt.com.cn/?catalog=quyi&file=01020
It refers to a specific style of telling called Pingshu.
The [very old] poem Moonlight on the West River says, "of the many crafts in the world, the most difficult is storytelling. It is not easy to master the skills of commentary, narration, speech and acting, as well as having to memorize many lines. To begin with, the performer should have a sonorous voice, and possess the ability to control the tonal rhythm. An artist must be well versed in both cultivated language and martial arts, just as if he or she was performing a one-person play."
I wonder how many western storytellers appreciate the need for martial arts skills before becoming a storyteller? Actually, I suppose really bad storytellers might discover that need really quickly in the face of angry audiences, but I think the poem is referring to the mastery of the body, poise, presence etc.
Tim S. England 9/24/06
59) Not sure I would survive the martial arts, but I did find that after I took some serious pantomime classes in 1980, I could visualize better during my storytelling experiences. The teacher made us concentrate on what an object might feel like in our hands. He repeatedly encouraged us and drilling us on picking up invisible things. Taking invisible trips, getting in and out of invisible trouble. Forever thereafter I have used those techniques in telling my stories. I try not to use gesture TOO much, but when I do, I love the idea of making that object as real to the listener as possible. That often comes in the form of mentally holding/touching that invisible object, weaving that invisible thread of reality into my tales.
I love the idea of the martial arts being incorporated into storytelling. Anything that hones your body into story line could be helpful. It certainly wouldn't be wasted on my waistline...
Mel D. 9/24/06
60) For years I did tai chi, never saw any connection until I was asked to help with fundraising for the club. I did tai chi stories - mostly Chinese tales which had characters referred to in some of the moves in the long form. Was a lovely way to tell - in my tai chi kit, doing some of the form and showing some kids how to join in. I always use some tai chi techniques now when I warm up before a gig.
Ghislaine W. 9/27/06
61) The Chinese Storytelling tradition is most fascinating and it parallels the Tai Chi/Wushu traditions in the most interesting ways. Both are folk arts. Both have been handed down from generation to generation in the master apprentice way. There are different schools and philosophies based on location and practitioner. Tai Chi forms are like stories spoken with the body. Each practitioner hones and polishes the story as they pass it on. Same with stories.
However, while the Martial Arts and Tai Chi thrive in China and continue to be practiced across the country and around the globe, Chinese storytelling is a dying art form. Many young people haven't a clue it exists nor do they care--they're into technology, video games, movies, etc. Even the cities well known for the storytelling traditions have been finding that the elder master storytellers have no apprentices and many of them have gotten "day jobs" out of necessity.
Traditional storytelling in China was rather institutionalized in its form and style, in my opinion, and is now saved for tourists looking for an "old world" experience. I'd guess (without knowing for sure) that there are some people who carry on the tradition in smaller country villages, or in pockets in larger cities. Sadly, it's not like it used to be.
For me, Tai Chi practice feeds my storytelling and vice versa. In fact, it's gotten to the point where I don't see them as separate things!
David V. 9/30/06
62) There is still storytelling going on in China. Vibeke's site is the one mentioned by Tim and she can tell you of a school in Yangzhuo that still teaches pingtan. Her books on Chinese storytelling styles, including pingtan and half a dozen others is fascinating. There are also still shadow puppet troupes and drum singing/telling artists. Google Lian Li ru to find out about her teahouse tellings in Beijing. Asking at the municipal or provincial Cultural and Folklore Bureaus will help get you in touch with what is happening around China.
Think about someone coming to the US and asking where they could find storytelling. How many people would answer, There isn't any one doing that in the US anymore! We are an under publicized group in most parts.
Cathryn F. 10/5/06
63) While researching today I came across this tale from China. With Thanksgiving on the horizon I thought it might be a good fit for some of your programs. You can find Lord of the Cranes here:
http://www.learningtogive.org/materials/folktales/LordofCranes.asp
This is one of my favorite sites, which I highlighted in the July/August 06 Storytelling Magazine issue. It is chock full of wonderful stories and resources. One to bookmark in your files!
Karen C. 10/17/06
64) The Five Chinese Brothers (Paperstar)
Five brothers who look just alike outwit the executioner by using their extraordinary individual qualities.
Took me a while to find it.
Bones:
6 identical brothers live with mother by the sea.
First could swallow the sea
Second had iron neck
Third could stretch and strech his legs
Fourth could not be burned
Fifth could hold his break indefinitely.
First takes little boy to sea, swallows it, but boy refuses to come back and disappears when he can't hold sea inside.
So he is codemned to his head cut off
brother with iron neck comes. sentenced to drown,
brother with long legs sentenced to be burned,
next brother sentenced to smother,
next brother judge says he must be innocent and they all went home
Dvora S. Israel 2/14/07
65) Online source for many Chinese stories:
http://weber.ucsd.edu/~dkjordan/chin/hbtales.html
Anne A. 11/28/08
CHINESE NEW YEAR'S BOOKS FOR CHILDREN
Anthologies of Chinese stories for children:
• Tales from China (Oxford Myths and Legends)
This collection of Chinese stories begins with the great legends of how Earth and Heaven came into being, and of how the archer Yi rid the Emperor Yao of the menace of the ten suns. Engrossing folk tales about ghosts and rainmakers, poor students and magicians, and the man who was nearly made into fishpaste flesh out Chinese culture, character, and customs. Throughout all these stories, the author has kept the subtle oriental flavour of the originals, bringing to life all the magic and mystery of China.
• Maples in the Mist: Poems for Children from the Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.) is often referred to as the Golden Age of China. Poems from that era are widely considered the finest classical poems in China's 2000 year history. Translator Minfong Ho has assembled a collection of simple poems which were traditionally taught to children and will certainly give young readers images to ponder, as in Moon: When I was little/I thought the moon was a white jade plate,/Or maybe a mirror in Heaven/Flying through the blue clouds. Exquisite illustrations by Jean and Mou-sien Tseng not only illuminate the poems but serve as a lovely introduction to another culture's history. For all ages.
• The Illustrated Sutra of the One Hundred Parables (Vol. 2), Collecting a Half Penny, Fishing for the Moon
The Illustrated Sutra of the One Hundred Parables is a 40 stories in 20 volumes children's books. Even so, they are suitable for all ages as these beautifully illustrated books are like so many illuminating lights. Brilliant as the colors of childhood, radiant as the Mani jewel, we hope these lights may be passed from generation to generation.
BOOKS ABOUT THE CHINESE NEW YEAR FOR KIDS
• Chinese New Year For Kids
"Chinese New Year for Kids" is a full color paperback book with beautiful, authentic Chinese illustrations. This is a hands-on workbook for parents and teachers, written for children from ages 3 to 12 years old, for use in the classroom or at home. Children will enjoy the party ideas, dragon parades, lion dances, art projects, and zodiac games. The art projects are designed to be easy, as well as inexpensive to reproduce for large groups. All the activities in this book have been thoroughly tested in the classroom, with very successful results, and have elicited lots of enthusiasm from children and teachers alike. Music, physical movement, art, and food all add to the ambiance of taking an imaginary trip to China during the Chinese New Year.
• My First Chinese New Year
Hooray! Hooray!Soon it will be Chinese New Year.A fun and colorful way to introduce the Chinese New Year to young readers Chinese New Year is a time of new beginnings. Follow one little girl as she learns how to welcome the coming year and experience all the festivities surrounding it. This warm and lively introduction to a special holiday will make even the youngest child want to start a Chinese New Year tradition!
• In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson
Shirley Temple Wong sails from China to America with a heart full of dreams.Her new home is Brooklyn, New York. America is indeed a land full of wonders, but Shirley doesn't know any English, so it's hard to make friends. Then a miracle-baseball-happens. It is 1947, and Jackie Robinson, star of the Brooklyn Dodgers, is everyone's hero. Jackie Robinson is proving that a black man, the grandson of a slave, can make a difference in America and for Shirley as well, on the ball field and off, America becomes the land of opportunity.
• Lanterns and Firecrackers: A Chinese New Year Story (Festival Time)
A Chinese family prepares for their New Year festivities they decorate the house with flowers, then set off firecrackers to scare away bad spirits and welcome the coming year. Family and friends sit down together for a festive dinner, then go outside to watch the parade of dragon dancers. The festival ends on its final night with a display of colored lanterns. Festival Time books depict the activities of typical families, as Mom, Dad, and children celebrate holidays that have special religious or cultural significance for them. Cheerfully attractive color illustrations supplement a simply-told story of the holiday's origins and a description of the festivities that are part of that holiday. Festival Time books can be read aloud to toddlers, but are easy enough for many first and second graders to read to themselves. Each book's final two-page spread is written mainly for parents, offering suggestions for ways to communicate the holiday's meaning to kids. (Ages 3-7)
• Bringing in the New Year
This exuberant story follows a Chinese American family as they prepare for the Lunar New Year. Each member of the family lends a hand as they sweep out the dust of the old year, hang decorations, and make dumplings. Then it’s time to put on new clothes and celebrate with family and friends. There will be fireworks and lion dancers, shining lanterns, and a great, long dragon parade to help bring in the Lunar New Year. And the dragon parade in our book is extra long–on a surprise fold-out page at the end of the story. Grace Lin’s artwork is a bright and gloriously patterned celebration in itself! And her story is tailor-made for reading aloud.
• The Year of the Dog
It's the Chinese Year of the Dog, and as Pacy celebrates with her family, she finds out that this is the year she is supposed to "find herself." Universal themes of friendship, family, and finding one's passion in life make this novel appealing to readers of all backgrounds. This funny and profound book is a wonderful debut novel by a prolific picture book author and illustrator and has all the makings of a classic.
• The Year of the Rat
In this sequel to Year of the Dog, Pacy has another big year in store for her. The Year of the Dog was a very lucky year: she met her best friend Melody and discovered her true talents. However, the Year of the Rat brings big changes: Pacy must deal with Melody moving to California, find the courage to forge on with her dream of becoming a writer and illustrator, and learn to face some of her own flaws. Pacy encounters prejudice, struggles with acceptance, and must find the beauty in change.Based on the author's childhood adventures, Year of the Rat, features the whimsical black and white illustrations and the hilarious and touching anecdotes that helped Year of the Dog earn rave reviews and satisfied readers.
• The Runaway Rice Cake
Although they have rice flour enough for only one nián-gäo--the Chinese New Year's rice cake--the Chang family is determined to make the best of their holiday treat. But when Momma takes the cake out of the steamer, "something incredible happened--the rice cake came alive!" Stunned, the Changs watch as it pops out of the pan and rolls right out of their kitchen, crying, "Ai yo! I don't think so!" Much like the family in the traditional classic, The Gingerbread Boy, the Changs chase that pastry all through the village, but it eludes them every step--until it runs smack into an old woman. Generous Da, the youngest son, upon discovering that this woman is hungry, too, offers to share the nián-gäo. This leaves nothing for the Chang family's New Year's feast, but their kind-hearted deed reaps them benefits they never imagined from the approving Kitchen God.
Ying Chang Compestine's tale of compassion and generosity teaches a valuable, perennially fresh message. Tungwai Chau's acrylic paintings of the family celebrating their most important holiday are rich with details of traditional Chinese life. A note about the Chinese New Year includes recipes for nián-gäo, the good-luck cake that is said to bring safety and fortune to the entire family all year long. (Ages 5 to 8) --Emilie Coulter
• New Clothes for New Year's Day
Thoreau may have distrusted enterprises requiring new clothes, but many young children find them thrilling, and they'll connect with the Korean little girl in this imported picture book who dresses up to welcome the new year. Simple words and inventively composed pictures depict each step in donning the elaborate, traditional costume, from the wrapped and tied "rainbow-striped jacket" to the silk pouch that brings good luck. Bae's delicate illustrations move smoothly between depictions of mishaps as the child wrestles with troublesome accessories and grand, wordless portraits, often incorporating traditional furnishings and ornamentation that demonstrate pride in cultural heritage. Despite an awkwardly translated endnote that lacks pronunciations for Korean vocabulary, this makes an inviting addition to lunar New Year offerings, which frequently focus on Chinese celebrations. Jennifer Mattson
• Dragon Dance: A Chinese New Year LTF: A Chinese New Year Lift-the-Flap Book (Lift-the-Flap, Puffin)
It's Chinese New Year and there are so many fun things to do! Shopping at the outdoor market for fresh flowers, eating New Year's dinner with the whole family, receiving red envelopes from Grandma and Grandpa, and best of all-watching the spectacular Chinese New Year's parade! Introduce the customs of Chinese New Year to even the youngest readers with this festive new lift-the-flap book.
• Celebrating Chinese New Year: An Activity Book
Celebrating Chinese New Year is a fun-filled craft, activity and resource book for the Chinese New Year. In addition to basic facts and history of the Chinese New Year, you can make a dragon parade, a paper lantern, and red lucky envelopes following simple directions and examples in this activity book. You will also have fun learning about your Chinese Zodiac signs. This classroom tested copy-ready activity book is an excellent resource for parents and teachers with children ages 5 to 10. A must for celebrating Chinese New Year!
• Sam and the Lucky Money
It's Chinese New Year in Chinatown, and young Sam has four dollars of New Year money burning a hole in his pocket. As he and his mother are milling through the crowded streets--alive with firecrackers, lion dances, and shoppers--Sam accidentally steps on the foot of a homeless man who is buried in a pile of red paper. Flustered, Sam hurries back to his mother, and is soon distracted by the char siu bao and other sweets he might buy with his gift money. When he sees fish-tail cookies that remind him of toes, he remembers the old man again, and Sam starts to think of his "lucky money" in a new light. Karen Chinn's winning story is perfectly complemented by the vibrant watercolors of Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu, creators of the award-winning Zora Hurston and the Chinaberry Tree and A House by the River. Voted "Pick of the Lists" by American Bookseller, Sam and the Lucky Money succeeds at telling a simple story, while allowing young readers to explore the sights and sounds of an American urban Chinatown during the Chinese New Year. (Ages 4 to 8)
• The Dancing Dragon
Kindergarten-Grade 2-In rhymed couplets, a Chinese-American child describes the excitement, preparation, and festivities of the Chinese New Year, culminating in a parade that includes a magnificent dragon carried aloft on sticks. The format of the book is foldout cardboard; for best effect, after reading it aloud, stand it on a table to show the eight-page panorama of this fine, fierce creature and the appreciative throng of celebrators in the streets of Chinatown. The watercolor-and-gouache illustrations are full of bright colors and action, reflecting the culture and the festivities. Combine this title with Kate Waters and Madeline Slovenz-Low's Lion Dancer (Scholastic, 1990), which is more detailed and full of vibrant photographs.
• Lion Dancer: Ernie Wan's Chinese New Year (Reading Rainbow Books)
PreSchool-Grade 3-- In brief, simple sentences, Ernie Wan describes his Chinese -American family's celebration of the lunar New Year. Ernie lives in New York City's Chinatown, where traditions are rooted in the culture of southern China. Ernie's father, a kung fu master, choreographs The Lion Dance, the center of the community celebration and a major tourist attraction. This year, Ernie dances in the place of honor under the lion's head. Color photographs depict private and public festivities. Brown's Chinese New Year (Holt, 1987), reported in third person, gives more general information about Chinese traditions. Set in San Francisco's Chinatown and portraying the same regional customs in black-and-white photographs, Brown's book explains how the date for New Year is determined (something Lion Dancer never mentions) and emphasizes the variety of ways in which Chinese people celebrate this all-important holiday. Both books include a chart of the 12-year Chinese zodiac; Lion Dancer adds a horoscope for each of the animal signs. Hou-Tien Cheng's The Chinese New Year (Holt, 1976) tells how the holiday is celebrated in China. Brown's book remains the best overall introduction to the Chinese-American celebration, with Lion Dancer a strong supplement for its immediacy, its vibrant color, and its sympathetic look at a Chinese family. --Margaret A. Chang, Buxton School, Williamstown, MA
• On the Back Burner #6 (Dish)
It’s Chinese New Year, and Peichi couldn’t be more excited. But when Peichi becomes too swept up in the festivities, her schoolwork—and Dish—suffers. And when the flu hits, all of the Chef Girls are out of commission! Can the girls of Dishfigure out a way to keep their business running smoothly?
• Shen and the Magic Brush (public domain)
A Tale from China
Adapted and Retold by Dianne de Las Casas
There was once a boy named Shen. But he was no ordinary boy for Shen was blessed with extraordinary talent. When he dipped his brush in paint and stroked the color on a surface, his paintings came to life.
One day, Shen heard the sweet chirping of crickets. It made him want to paint a cricket. So he dipped his brush and began painting on the road.
A herald from the Imperial Palace happened to be walking along. “Stop!” he cried, “you are defacing the property of the Empress of China!” The man looked down and saw Shen’s cricket. Suddenly, the cricket came to life and jumped up.
“I can’t believe it!” the man said. “It’s magic!” He brought Shen to the Imperial Palace to meet the Empress.
The Empress looked at Shen and said, “I am very unhappy. My palace is dreary. And I am weary. Paint me something extraordinary to make me happy.”
Shen thought for a moment and then bent down. He dipped his brush and painted something extraordinary. When Shen was finished, he picked it up. It was a colorful, ripe peach.
The Empress cried, “A peach! You paint me an ordinary peach?! You should be punished!” She ordered Shen to the dungeon and took away his brush.
The Empress said, “His brush must contain the magic. Paint me a golden throne!” The herald picked up the brush and began painting but nothing happened. Many tried but no one could get the brush to work.
Frustrated, the herald threw the brush into the dungeon. Shen was lonely in the dungeon by himself but now he had his brush so he began painting. With every stroke of the brush, he felt better.
Shen painted rolling hills, tall bamboo, a beautiful panda, and a majestic stallion. The walls shimmered with beauty and then came to life. The horse looked at Shen and whinnied.
“Yes,” said Shen, “I would like to go home.” He climbed upon the horse’s back. The Empress heard the sound of the horse and ordered the dungeon door opened. Everyone was surprised to see Shen galloping away.
The royal herald and the Empress’ guards jumped on their horses and chased after Shen. Shen painted a large waterfall but they passed right through it. Shen then painted a grove of bamboo trees but they stampeded through it.
Finally, Shen painted a valley behind him. The royal herald and the Imperial guards saw it but it was too late. Down they fell!
The Empress followed too but on foot. She became lost forever in Shen’s elaborate landscape. As for Shen, he returned home to his family. He never once painted for gain. Shen only painted things that made the world more beautiful.
Author’s Note: This story is from Kamishibai Story Theater: The Art of Picture Telling by Dianne de Las Casas (Westport, CT: Teacher Ideas Press 2006). “Shen and the Magic Brush” was adapted from “Sausage Boy and His Magic Brush” in Silk Tapestry and Other Chinese Folktales by Patrick Atangan (New York: Nantier Beall Minoustchine Publishing, Inc. 2004), “Ma Liang and His Magic Brush” in Tales the People Tell in China by Robert Wyndham (New York: Julian Messner, A Division of Simon & Schuster, 1971) and Liang and the Magic Paintbrush by Demi (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1980).
Dianne de LC 4/18/08
GIFTS AND DECORATIONS FOR THE CHINESE NEW YEAR
• Chinese Animal Powers 2008 Calendar: The Chinese Zodiac in the Year of the Rat
Chinese legend tells us that the Lord Buddha summoned the animals to hear of their power in his sermon under the Bodhi Tree. Representing all animals in the Kingdom, twelve creatures arrived one by one. Buddha taught them about their strengths and weaknesses, and then sent them into the world to guide people in their growth, linking each animal to a month and a year. Since that time, the Chinese have believed that each of us is born with some of the characteristics and powers of these twelve animals depending on the month and year of our birth. Through our identification with these animal powers, we hope to learn more about ourselves, to become more imaginative, creative and fully alive. Chungliang Al Huang is an authority of East-West cultural synthesis, and founder and president of Living Tao Foundation, a worldwide cross-cultural education network. Sample Caption: "TWOO (rabbit) is gifted with the attentive alertness to respond swiftly with graceful agility to life's many sudden changes. This lightning-quick bouncer with an uplifting gait and a happy personality is called a rabbit or a bunny. If you were born in the year or month of Twoo, you are clever, speedy, enthusiastic and capable of producing great works in life..."
• Barbie Collector Dolls Of The World Festivals Of The World Chinese New Year Barbie Doll
On the first day of the First Moon of the lunar calendar, the most important celebration in China begins. Homes are decorated with paper banners adorned with happy wishes, pretty flowers and platters of oranges and tangerine. At midnight on Chinese New Year's Eve, fireworks fire and the festival begins.
One of the most wondrous spectacles of the festival is the dragon dance. Many people carry long silk dragons, dancing in procession as musicians play gongs and drums. A happy celebrant is dressed in a silky red gown decorated with yellow flowers and a phoenix, a symbol of happiness and joy. Flowers and butterflies, symbols of long life and beauty, are in her upswept hair. She is very happy to receive the gift of a red Lai-See Envelope. Doll measures 12" tall.
• Black and Purple Handheld Asian Fan
A collapsible hand-held Asian fan with an attractive, unisex purple design on a black background. Please keep in mind that it's a nice fan but made with plastic (not a high-grade fan). Priced with this in mind, it's a great fan to have for the wall, for fanning in hot rooms, as a scent fan for a room or away from home, or on the dance floor.
• Year of the Rat Chinese New Year Beverage Napkins
Have your green tea in Chinese style with our Chinatown Rat Beverage Napkins. Each package contains 16 3-ply beverage napkins measuring 5" x 5" when folded. Napkins features this year's Year of the Rat and a floral design in red and gold.
• Chinese Parasol Fan Decoration
Colorful paper parasol decoration opens up to 16" in diameter and can be used against walls or ceilings, displayed on buffet tables or any number of creative uses. Predominantly red, it features Chinese characters in gold as well as narcissus blossoms and pink plum blossoms. Chinese characters spell out, "May 10,000 endeavors go your way."
• Chinese Paper Lanterns
2 paper Chinese lanterns featuring a red ball (9") with a gold dragon and Chinese characters for good luck. Also features a tassle at the bottom. The other red lantern is cylindrical in shape (6.125" x 7.5") and features red Chinese characters on a gold backdrop and a tassle at the bottom. Each opens for use and stores flat.
• Chinese Hanging Swirl Decorations
5 hanging swirls, each 24" long, feature the Chinese character for happiness on two swirls and the Chinese dragon on three of the swirls, which is symbolic of the Emperor. Swirls are red and gold shiny foil.
• Chinese Dragon Decoration
This creative and colorful Chinese dragon is 29" in length by 8 1/2" high. It features an accordian body that opens up when in use and stores flat. The dragon is a powerful Chinese icon, symbolic of the Emperor.
• Chinese Honeycomb Centerpiece
Our Chinese honeycomb centerpiece is 10.75" high and features a colorful dragon on a red honeycomb base. Decoration opens up for use (self-supporting) and lies flat for storage. Dragons are very powerful icons in China, symbolic of the Emperor.
• Chinese Dragon String Decoration
Add Asian charm to the party with our Chinese Dragon String Decoration. Each package contains 6 decorations measuring 7' long with attached card stock medallions in 2 designs: a colorful dragon and a metallic finish red and gold Asian design. Medallions measure approximately 4" x 4". Decorations hang easily with attached plastic loops.
• Chinese Jingle Wand by Party America.
Chinese noisemaker features a dragon shaped head on top of a wand with bells. Shake to make it come alive with a "jingle" sound and red and gold swirling fringe. (Approximately 18" long.)
• Chinese Lunch Napkins
6 1/4" x 6 1/4" lunch napkins are 3-ply and come with 16 in each pack. Chinese characters spell out, "May 10,000 endeavors go your way." Decorated with traditional reds and gold, and both narcissus and plum blossoms.
• Chinese 7" Paper Plates
7" paper plates come with 8 in each pack. Chinese characters spell out, "May 10,000 endeavors go your way." Decorated with traditional reds and gold, and both narcissus and plum blossoms.
• Chinese Paper Cups
Each cup holds 9oz of your favorite hot or cold liquid and comes in packages of 8. Chinese characters spell out, "Happy New Year." Decorated with traditional reds and gold, and both narcissus and plum blossoms.
• Chinese Paper Lantern Garland
Red and gold lanterns with coordinating tassels comprise this 12 feet long garland. Can be used for Chinese New Year celebrations or as decorative accents for other parties. (Coordinates with our Chinese New Year Plates, Cups and Napkins.)
• Chinese Floor Length Table Skirt
Red plastic fringed tableskirt is 29" high and 9 feet long. Coordinates with our Chinese New Year plates. Chinese icons decorate the edge featuring a dragon for strength, and the Chinese character for happiness.
• Chinese Happy New Year Glitter Fringe Banner
Glittery gold banner spells out "Happy New Year" in a red Chinese style lettering. Banner is fringed and approximately 4.17 feet in length. Height is approximately 8 1/2".
• Chinese "Lucky Money" Envelopes
In the Chinese tradition, "lucky money" is given in red envelopes like these for new year celebrations, birthdays, or any occasion throughout the year! Includes 8 in each pack with Chinese Characters promising good fortune.
Created 2005; last update 12/26/09
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