Chinese Children's Favorite Stories. Mingmei Yip
Text and illustrations by
Mingmei Yip
TUTTLE PUBLISHING
Tokyo • Rutland, Vermont • Singapore
When my brother and I were very small, both our parents liked to read us bedtime stories. Sometimes, when Mother had tucked us in for the night, Father would come into the bedroom, wink at both of us, and then proudly say, "I'm the storyteller tonight."
I still remember how on many evenings, an arm around each of us, my young, handsome father would keep us spellbound with traditional Chinese tales—The Monkey King, The Ghost Catcher, The Frog Who Lived in a Well—either from memory or retold from the popular magazine, Children's Happy Garden. He would tell each story in a lively, animated manner, sometimes even jumping up to show us kung fu movements in imitation of the Monkey King or the Little Immortal. But Father's expression would become serious when he explained the story's moral—kindness and wisdom as in The Wolf and the Scholar, helping others as in The Fish-Basket Goddess, or overcoming obstacles as in the Carp Jumping over the Dragon Gate. One night, after he had finished telling The Frog Who Lived in a Well, Father stared at us and asked, "You don't want to be like that frog, do you?
Thinking that a tiny well is the whole universe, and he's the smartest fellow in the whole world?" He reached to pat our heads. "Remember, never be boastful, for there may always be a mountain higher than the one you live on."
I believe this is how children in China grow up and learn to meet life's challenges—by listening to tales filled with precious lessons passed down from their ancestors.
It is my hope that, by retelling some of these thousand-year-old Chinese stories, I can pass along the gift of my parents, their generous spirit and their love for children—and inspire other children for many generations to come.
—Mingmei Yip
To my husband Geoffrey, for his compassion and wisdom
—Mingmei Yip
Published by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd., with editorial offices at 364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436 USA and 61 Tai Seng Avenue, #02-12, Singapore 534167
Text and illustrations © 2004 Mingmei Yip
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
LCC Card No. 2004101748
ISBN: 978-1-4629-0795-3 (ebook)
Printed in Malaysia
First printing, 2004
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