When the eldest son fell in the well and most of the time getting help was spent pronouncing the name of the one in trouble, the Chinese, according to legend, decided to give all their children short names.

Winston Chu saves the owner of a curiosities shop from a robbery only to be gifted a broomstick and a dustpan for his trouble--items that turn out to be more a curse than a blessing when they sweep away important stuff, like his baby sister.

When the eldest son fell in the well and most of the time getting help was spent pronouncing the name of the one in trouble, the Chinese, according to legend, decided to give all their children short names.

The six stories in this captivating collection, published in 1887, are retellings of classical Chinese myths and legends. In his preface, Hearn writes that he "sought especially for 'weird beauty' in these phantom tales." Among those included are "The Soul of the Great Bell," the story of a young girl's sacrifice for the creation of the Emperor's sublime bell; "The Story of Ming-Y," a phantom tale about a young man's love for a woman long-dead, as...

Three sisters staying home alone are endangered by a hungry wolf who is disguised as their grandmother.

A stingy peddler is chastised for his miserly ways by an old beggar with magical powers.

Little Sima's village in China was suffering from a 100 years without rain. Then a wizard gave the Sima family a giant porcelain bowl. He said this gang would turn their luck around. Sure enough, rain started to fall. But one day, Little Sima's friend fell into the gang. Can Little Sima save his friend from drowning without stopping the rain?

Monkey King, China's most popular hero in lore and legend, has entertained and delighted children for centuries. Born from a rock, Monkey proclaims himself king of all monkeys. But the impish, clever Monkey causes too much trouble for heavenly authorities. He is punished until he agrees to provide protection for a Buddhist monk on a difficult journey to India to fetch sacred writings and bring them back to China. Monkey needs all his magical tricks...