Aesop's Fables

Author: Feng Menglong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-01-01
Features: Yushi Mingyan, originally titled Gujin Xushuo, is a collection of short vernacular stories published during the Ming Dynasty. Together with Yushi Tongyan and Xingshi Hengyan, it forms the "Three Canons," a compilation of Song, Yuan, and Ming Dynasty storytelling manuscripts edited by Feng Menglong. It has long been celebrated as a treasure trove of classical Chinese short fiction. Yushi Mingyan contains 40 works, divided into three parts: first, storytelling manuscripts from Song and Yuan Dynasty storytellers; second, manuscripts and parodies from Ming Dynasty authors (including Feng Menglong's own works); and third, Feng Menglong's own creations. The first two categories were also edited and revised by Feng Menglong. According to expert research, Yang Sixun Encountering an Old Friend in Yanshan, Wang Xinyi Saving His Family with One Death, The Monk Who Tricked the Empress's Wife with a Letter, and Song Si Gong's Chaos at the Soul-Suppressing Platform may be Song Dynasty storytelling manuscripts. Jiang Xingge Reuniting with the Pearl Shirt, Yang Bao's Miraculous Journey to the State of Yue, Zheng Huichen Seeking Vengeance at the Mulberry Grove, Jin Yuni's Rod Striking the Unfeeling Lover, and Shen Xiaoxia's Meeting with the Preface to the Memorial may be works from the Ming Dynasty (including Feng Menglong's own). The dates of the remaining works are difficult to determine.