The Story of Kao Yu

by Peter S. Beagle

"The Story of Kao Yu" is a new fantasy short story by the legendary Peter S. Beagle which tells of an ageing judge traveling through rural China and of a criminal he encounters.

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Fiction, Historical Fiction, China, Historical, Historical Fantasy

28 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 30, 2016

About the author

Peter Soyer Beagle (born April 20, 1939) is an American fantasist and author of novels, nonfiction, and screenplays. He is also a talented guitarist and folk singer. He wrote his first novel, A Fine and Private Place , when he was only 19 years old. Today he is best known as the author of The Last Unicorn, which routinely polls as one of the top ten fantasy novels of all time, and at least two of his other books (A Fine and Private Place and I See By My Outfit) are considered modern classics.

Reviews

[Elena May · Rating 3 out of 5]

China is one of the few countries where sadness has always been medically recognized.

A beautiful, captivating short story, in the style of an old Chinese folktale. Really loved this one. The narrative voice is calming and comfortable, and the story grips you and never lets you go.

But he was uniquely different from all other judges in all of China, in that when a problem came down to a matter of good versus evil [...], he would often submit that problem to the judgment of a unicorn.

Wow! You've got my attention here!

You think the author talks about unicorns, do you? So, you imagine something like this:



...but no, he's actually talking about this:



Why the 3 stars then, you ask? I just felt the story doesn't bring anything new to the table. It relies on traditional archetypes and storylines, and, overall, doesn't do anything so many myths and legends haven't been doing for millennia. But the execution is absolutely perfect, and I'd easily recommend it! Peter S. Beagle is a master storyteller!

[karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

WELCOME TO DECEMBER PROJECT!

last year, amy(other amy) tipped me off to this cool thing she was doing: the short story advent calendar, where you sign up to this thingie here and you get a free story each day.

i dropped the ball and by the time i came to my senses, it had already sold out, so for december project, i'm going rogue and just reading a free online story a day of my choosing. this foolhardy endeavor is going to screw up my already-deep-in-the-weeds review backlog, so i don't think i will be reviewing each individual story "properly." i might just do a picture review or - if i am feeling wicked motivated, i will draw something, but i can't be treating each short story like a real book and spending half my day examining and dissecting it, so we'll just see what shape this project takes as we go.

and if you know of any particularly good short stories available free online, let me know! i'm no good at finding them myself unless they're on the tor.com site, and i only have enough at this stage of the game to fill half my calendar. <--- that part is no longer true, but i am still interested in getting suggestions!

DECEMBER 10

Kao Yu’s own wisdom and long experience generally governed his considerations in court, and his eventual rulings. But he was uniquely different from all other judges in all of China, in that when a problem came down to a matter of good versus evil—in a murder case, most often, or arson, or rape (which Kao Yu particularly despised), he would often submit that problem to the judgment of a unicorn.

oh my god, wow. this is an ALL-NEW story by peter s. beagle, who proves he's still got it at 77 years old. this is a spectacular story, kids. the beautiful prose you expect from the man who gave us the much-beloved The Last Unicorn, but the "unicorn" this time out is not a unicorn-unicorn, but the chinese chi-lin, which seems more like a quirk of translation than anything resembling a horn'ed pony.



this one is brandy-new to the tor site, and i'm completely bewildered by the low-star GR ratings on here so far. the reviews attached to them help to clarify what wasn't working for those readers, but me? i freaking LOVED it! unreservedly. i think it is beautifully-written and i appreciate its ending, which is classic beagle - haunted, melancholy, permeated with loss. that's exactly what i like outta my stories.

read it for yourself here:

http://www.tor.com/2016/12/07/the-sto...

DECEMBER 1: FABLE - CHARLES YU
DECEMBER 2: THE REAL DEAL - ANDY WEIR
DECEMBER 3: THE WAYS OF WALLS AND WORDS - SABRINA VOURVOULIAS
DECEMBER 4: GHOSTS AND EMPTIES - LAUREN GROFF
DECEMBER 5: THE RETURN OF THE THIN WHITE DUKE - NEIL GAIMAN
DECEMBER 6: WHEN THE YOGURT TOOK OVER - JOHN SCALZI
DECEMBER 7: A CHRISTMAS PAGEANT - DONNA TARTT
DECEMBER 8: DEEP - PHILIP PLAIT
DECEMBER 9: COOKIE JAR - STEPHEN KING
DECEMBER 11: THE HEEBIE-JEEBIES - ALAN BEARD
DECEMBER 12: THE TOMATO THIEF - URSULA VERNON
DECEMBER 13: THE JAWS THAT BITE, THE CLAWS THAT CATCH - SEANAN MCGUIRE
DECEMBER 14: ROLLING IN THE DEEP - JULIO ALEXI GENAO
DECEMBER 15: ANTIHYPOXIANT - ANDY WEIR
DECEMBER 16: THE AMBUSH - DONNA TARTT
DECEMBER 17: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A TRAITOR AND A HALF-SAVAGE - ALIX HARROW
DECEMBER 18: THE CHRISTMAS SHOW - PAT CADIGAN
DECEMBER 19: THE GHOSTS OF CHRISTMAS - PAUL CORNELL
DECEMBER 20: THE TRAINS THAT CLIMB THE WINTER TREE - MICHAEL SWANWICK
DECEMBER 21: BLUE IS A DARKNESS WEAKENED BY LIGHT - SARAH MCCARRY
DECEMBER 22: WATERS OF VERSAILLES - KELLY ROBSON
DECEMBER 23: RAZORBACK - URSULA VERNON
DECEMBER 24: DIARY OF AN ASSCAN - ANDY WEIR
DECEMBER 25: CHANGING MEANINGS - SEANAN MCGUIRE
DECEMBER 26: SHOGGOTHS IN BLOOM - ELIZABETH BEAR
DECEMBER 27: THE CARTOGRAPHY OF SUDDEN DEATH - CHARLIE JANE ANDERS
DECEMBER 28: FRIEDRICH THE SNOW MAN - LEWIS SHINER
DECEMBER 29: DRESS YOUR MARINES IN WHITE - EMMY LAYBOURNE
DECEMBER 30: AM I FREE TO GO? - KATHRYN CRAMER
DECEMBER 31: OLD DEAD FUTURES - TINA CONNOLLY

come to my blog!

[Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Free online Tor short story, available here. Review first posted on Fantasy Literature:

Kao Yu is a middle-aged judge in ancient China, renowned for his fairness and honesty. He spends much of the year traveling from town to town to assist with legal cases. Kao Yu is sometimes assisted in making decisions by a chi-lin, a multicolored Chinese unicorn who will suffer no dishonesty in its presence.

More than once—and the memories often returned to him on sleepless nights—he had pleaded with the criminal slouching before him, “If you have any hope of surviving this moment, do not lie to me. If you have some smallest vision of yet changing your life—even if you have lied with every breath from your first, tell the truth now.” But few there—tragically few—were able to break the habit of a lifetime; and Judge Kao Yu would once again see the dragon-like horned head go down, and would lower his own head and close his eyes, praying this time not to hear the soft-footed rush across the courtroom, and the terrible scream of despair that followed. But he always did.

Now it so happens that on one trip Kao Yu is asked to pass judgment on an imprisoned pickpocket, who turns out to be a young woman of surpassing beauty named Lanying. He is instantly entranced by Lanying, and unexpectedly tempers his judgment of her with mercy, cutting her sentence in half. He spends many sleepless nights thereafter dreaming of Lanying, and grumping at his devoted servants during the day. When he next passes through the area, he arranges to have dinner with Lanying, and ends up spending the night with her. But Lanying, though lovely and refined in her manners, is a hardened criminal, and the judge’s heart will end up conflicting with his duties and his devotion to justice.

“The Story of Kao Yu” is a melancholy tale, another story of love and loss, and the choices we make when any choice will bring pain. Peter S. Beagle has told a tale of a very different unicorn here, one who embodies justice. Beagle effectively and respectfully captures the style of an ancient Chinese legend, while making some timeless points about our human weaknesses.

[Althea Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just googled "Kao Yu" to see if he might be a historical figure, and apparently, "kao yu" means "roast fish." Hmm. That does not add anything to my appreciation of the story. Some pretty tasty-looking dishes, though!

Kao Yu, here, is an upstanding judge. To fulfill his civil duties, he travels a route through rural China, making himself available to hear criminal cases. But something about him is special: he has the favor of the qilin, a mythic creature who acts as an avatar of justice; and doles out summary execution to the dishonest. Kao Yu is grateful for this sign of divine favor, and glad to defer to Heavenly opinion on the thorniest of cases.

But then, he is called upon to judge a petty pickpocket - who happens to be an alluringly beautiful young woman. For the first time, Kao Yu's objectivity may be compromised...

As with Beagle's recent novel, 'Summerlong' I feel that the themes of this story may be more greatly appreciated by older readers. I liked the 'traditional' style of the writing.

[Jokoloyo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I cannot help myself comparing Judge Kao Yu, main character in this story, with Judge Bao Zheng (based on historical character) or Judge Dee (created by Robert van Gulik). All three told as incorruptible judges, but Kao Yu unfortunately a pale clone compared to other judges. Without too much spoiler, I don't believe a senior judge could be so naïve when handling the first case on the story of pickpocket thief. Too naïve to be true.

I rate 2 star because the deep setting for such a short story, and unexpectedly, the three assistants characters of Kao Yu. We see the story from their POV, and their actions move the plot.

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kao Yu is a fair and just judge who travels with his three assistants from town to town to deliver justice. Kao Yu is middle aged and he is also sometimes helped by chi-lin also known as the Chinese unicorn to deliver justice.

One day, Kao Yu comes across a case of pickpocket and Kao Yu becomes captivated with her as he finds her beautiful and doesn't deliver the proper justice. Then he thinks and dreams of her whilst travelling further and his decisions as a judge get affected. His assistants come up with a plan for Kao Yu to go back to that same town and spend time with the pickpocket woman. She meets up with Kao Yu but steals money from the inn. Kao Yu blames himself for everything.

Then again, they come across the pickpocket woman but this time it is a murder case. But Kao Yu even knowing that the woman had committed the murder saves her from the chi-lin but the woman escapes and Kao Yu retires and lives and dies alone.

This was a captivating story with wonderful writing.

4.5 stars

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. I would have expected the judge to have more sense than that. I would have let her deal with the consequences of her lies. She KNEW what they were and lied anyway. Not my favorite, though written well.

[Daren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Available as a free download from tor.com

A good little short story set in China, about a judge and a chi-lin, or Chinese unicorn. Called on to adjudicate the case of a pickpocket, who happens to be an alluringly beautiful young woman who occupies Kao Yu's thoughts thereafter, compromising his previously unerring honesty and objectivity.

Too short for more plot outlines, this is written atmospherically, in the style of Chinese fables, and with only the unicorn as a fantasy element, it works well with the Chinese historical setting.

The cover artwork is equal to the story, very well done.

[Corrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Story of Kao Yu by author Peter S. Beagle is a short story you can read for free on the Tor.com site https://www.tor.com/2016/12/07/the-st...

“The Story of Kao Yu” is a new fantasy short story by the legendary Peter S. Beagle which tells of an aging judge traveling through rural China and of a criminal he encounters. Of the story, Beagle says it “comes out of a lifelong fascination with Asian legendry — Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indian, Indonesian — all drawn from cultures where storytelling, in one form of another, remains a living art. As a young writer I loved everything from Robert van Gulik’s Judge Dee mysteries to Lafcadio Hearn’s translations of Japanese fairytales and many lesser-known fantasies. Like my story ‘The Tale of Junko and Sayuri,’ ‘The Story of Kao Yu’ is a respectful imitation of an ancient style, and never pretends to be anything else. But I wrote it with great care and love, and I’m still proud of it.“

Ever since the judge had to rule a sentence over beautiful Lanying the Pickpocket (Snow Ermine), he cannot get her out of his mind.

Interesting to learn about the chi-lin or Chinese unicorn and that it is part of the Four Superior Animals of Good Omen (together with the phoenix, turtle, and dragon). Loved this story!

4 Stars

[Maeve MacLysaght · Rating 1 out of 5]

A story that left me wondering why - not in the metaphysical, life-questioning way but the more mundane, "what was I supposed to take away by reading this, other than the author wanting to play in the sandbox of Chinese folktale and coming up with something less interesting to read than the synopsis itself?"

[Roslyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a simple story but so wonderfully written, and with such a sense of deep, dignified emotion - Beagle's reputation as a master story-teller is not for nothing.

I love this quote from towards the end:

Of Kao Yu's death:

' ... when he died quietly at home, from what his doctors termed a sorrow of the soul. China is one of the few countries where sadness has always been medically recognised.'

[ambyr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beagle's prose is lovely, and there's half of an interesting meditation on the nature of justice, here, but ultimately this felt just a little too thin. I appreciated the characterization of the servants, but wanted some depth to the femme fatale, too.

[Phoenix2 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn't get into it. Interesting narration but slow story.

[GoldGato · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this short story from Tor.com about a judge in ancient China who learns that honesty is expected of all men. It's a beautifully written tale that blends slow storytelling with a mythical beast.

Now the chi-lin, the Chinese unicorn, is not only an altogether different species from the white European variety or the menacing Persian karkadann; it is also a different matter in its essence from either one.

Kao Yu is as honest a judge as there is, so he is visited by the legendary unicorn when a hard judgment is required to be made. But then the judge meets a young woman who also happens to be an unrepentant criminal. His future is disrupted by her and it's this relationship that leads to a lesson learned.

I wish the words would go on and on. Just lovely and I completely believed in the Chi-Lin, because who knows what existed before man lost faith with nature.

Book Season = Spring (toppled thrones)

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost a four.

[Peter Tillman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Of the story, Beagle wrote that it “comes out of a lifelong fascination with Asian legendry — Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indian, Indonesian — all drawn from cultures where storytelling, in one form of another, remains a living art. As a young writer I loved everything from Robert van Gulik’s Judge Dee mysteries to Lafcadio Hearn’s translations of Japanese fairy-tales and many lesser-known fantasies. Like my story ‘The Tale of Junko and Sayuri,’ ‘The Story of Kao Yu’ is a respectful imitation of an ancient style, and never pretends to be anything else. But I wrote it with great care and love, and I’m still proud of it.!"

Minor Beagle story, of a circuit-riding judge and a pretty thief in Old China. The judge falls for the thief. "No fool like an old fool." I skimmed the story, which never clicked for me. And I'm a Beagle fan. 1.5 stars, courtesy round-up.

[Tym · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written and sad but the end left me feeling a bit empty, in an unfulfilled sort of way. Perhaps that was the point, but I wish it wasn't.

[Dea꧂ · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nicely written short story but the judge is a complete doofus.

[Maggie Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything Peter S Beagle writes hits me right in the feels. The Story of Kao Yu is a narrative that I would usually be annoyed by. A older dude falls in love with a woman and has a lot of feels. Bleh. And yet there's an ache in my heart for Kao Yu the judge and the two losses he suffered. Also, unicorns. Who can say no to unicorns? In any case, everything Beagle writes works for me. Unicorns and law make me happy. I hope he pulled off the cultural aspects well, though I can't judge for myself.

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is available for free on Tor.com website.

It tells the story of Kao Yu- a middle-aged judge in ancient China. He's renowned for his fairness and honesty. He travels from town to town to assist with legal cases. Kao Yu is sometimes assisted in making decisions by a chi-lin, a multicolored Chinese unicorn who will suffer no dishonesty in its presence. And if someone does lie, the unicorn will tear him into pieces.

The story is short (25 pages), nicely written and self-contained. It was a pleasure to read it.

[Marita_z · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very, very nice story! I liked it!

[James Swenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely short story about a travelling judge in imperial China.

It happens that I just saw the musical Camelot. To me, this story has the same flavor (though it is only 9 pages long). By my count, the three main characters make five significant choices, which show us who they are. The outcome has the inevitability of tragedy: things could have been different, but only for different people.

You can read the Story of Kao Yu for free online at [http://www.tor.com/2016/12/07/the-sto...].

[Eh?Eh! · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recognize myself in this as only one who had lived a highly self-righteous and judgmental life can. Except with less wisdom, self-awareness, and sorrow. Because bad memory and a certain sloppiness of grace is what leads to forgiveness over that screeching self-critical inner voice.

[Nikki ~ The Nocturnal Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really wonderful little story. Nicely written and gets a lot into a little package. This one is not a happy story but it works.

[Nicole (bookwyrm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very atmospheric novelette detailing the interaction between an aging traveling judge and a young pickpocket. The story fit in well with my other experience with modernized Chinese mythological tales/fables, but the telling was really well done. The plot itself was entirely predictable, and my enjoyment of this story came mostly from the telling.

I don't know why I was surprised that this story included a chi-lin (Chinese unicorn) since it was written by Peter S. Beagle, but I was surprised. I love the way it was written, though, and it felt true to the myths of the chi-lin.

[M Sabet · Rating 2 out of 5]

عملا یه قصه ست تا داستان. حکایته تا روایت. ولی اونم نیست آخه. دریافت من این بود که از ماجرایی که تعریف کرد هیچ طرفی نبست آخر.

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short but good.
I've been reading Peter S. Beagle this year...and plan to continue!

[Mary Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming story by Beagle.

[Anatl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely and heartfelt my sole complaint is that the name of the venerable eponymous judge means grilled fish

[A.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful young woman is brought before the judge to answer a charge of pickpocketing. He sentences her to work collecting night soil for two weeks. But he never forgets her…
His courtroom is often blessed by the presence of a chi-lin, a unicorn. It delivers instant justice and gores the guilty to death.
And then the woman is charged with murder.
I believe Kao Yu betrays everthing; the girl, the unicorn, his principles, and himself. She says she’s a pickpocket not a murderer. Yes, it’s her knife but she swears she didn’t kill the man. He doesn’t search for the real murderer or even consider the motives of others. Kao Yu doesn’t believe her, so he’s failed her. It’s her choice to lie (if she IS lying).
It isn’t entirely clear, but I assume the unicorn doesn’t gore every person it appears in front of. Only the guilty ones.

But few there—tragically few—were able to break the habit of a lifetime; and Judge Kao Yu would once again see the dragon-like horned head go down, and would lower his own head and close his eyes, praying this time not to hear the soft-footed rush across the courtroom, and the terrible scream of despair that followed. But he always did.

IF he trusts the unicorn, then he’d let it judge for itself and show that he believes the girl.
*Reads it again*
I guess she is guilty:

Just for an instant, looking into Lanying’s beautiful eyes, he knew that she understood exactly what he was telling her, and, further, that neither he nor the chi-lin was in any doubt that she had slain the merchant she robbed. But she was, as she had told him, what she was; and even with full knowledge of the justice waiting, she repeated, spacing the words carefully, and giving precise value to each, “Believe what you will. I am no killer.”

Again, that’s her choice. But he asks it to refrain from acting and by doing that he betrays the unicorn and the process. The judge asks the unicorn NOT to judge. She escapes before he can deliver his own sentence.
The unicorn never appears to him again. So he suffers for its loss.

It’s kind of sad…

…he died quietly at home, from what his doctors termed a sorrow of the soul. China is one of the few countries where sadness has always been medically recognized.

Read it here:
http://www.tor.com/2016/12/07/the-sto...
4 stars
Add this to the list of gorgeous Tor covers, too…