Chinese Fairy Tales

by Frederick H. Martens

Talking animals, imperiled princesses, clever cowherds, and other intriguing characters populate this engaging collection of authentic Chinese fairy tales. Among them are a wide variety of fables, legends of the gods, ghost stories, myths, and more.Included in this modestly priced compilation are such favorite stories as "Why Dog and Cat Are Enemies," "The Flower-Elves," "The Dragon-Princess," "The Maiden Who Was Stolen Away," "The Bird with Nine Heads," and many others. Enhanced by 18 charming illustrations, Chinese Fairy Tales offers a captivating series of tine-honored tales sure to enchant children, adults, and any lover of folklore.

Genres: Mythology, Fiction, Childrens, Fairy Tales, Classics, China, Fantasy

82 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 1998

Reviews

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though this is a book for children I was keen to read fairy tales from cultures other than the UK.
When I undertook a degree in English one of the text we looked at was Grimm Fairy Tales which were, frankly, quite disturbing reading material for children!!!!
I’m pleased to report the Chinese fairy tales are every bit as disturbing as our ones!! The panther based equivalent of Little Red Riding Hood is quite something!!
Always interesting to discover how story telling varies around the world?
No matter what age you are, giving this little book a read will be an experience…and an enjoyable one at that!

[Alejandra RL · Rating 3 out of 5]

Si no se sabe absolutamente nada de mitología china, creo que este es un buen libro para iniciar.
Pero, a pesar de ser para niños, a veces los términos que se utilizan pueden ser un poco confusos.

Por otra parte, también me sorprendió la cantidad de muerte que hubo en la gran mayoría de los cuentos y que también algunos se parecieran mucho a los cuentos de hadas occidentales.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chinese Fairy Tales is a collection of several short fairy tales from China. They are fun to read. Some have notes to clarify things that a western audience might not totally understand. I highly recommend it for children studying China!

[Anjalica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the stories.

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading the fairy tales of a culture is a necessary part of entering from the outside. This well translated work illuminates Chinese culture and practice. The author provides brief, informative, end notes on select stories. The simple printing, line drawings and compact size make for education at an extremely affordable price. Another excellent addition in the Dover Thrift series.

More Fairy Tales from the East:
Aladdin and Other Tales from Arabian Nights, Dawood, 1960
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...#

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought a re-read would warm me up but I was still left wondering 'where is the punchline' or 'how can they live happily ever after when the dad tried to kill her'.

Different mindsets over time and culture *shrugs*

[Chechoui · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great for adult developmental readers too.

[Molly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting how similar some of these were to western fairy tales. Very simplistic, easy for a child to read. There are much better collections available though.

[Dave · Rating 2 out of 5]

This version was bland and predictable which I imagine says more about the translator than the original tales. The illustrations were uninspiring.