Reading Notes: Chinese Fairy Tales, Reading A

Settings

In this reading, my favorite stories and plot points all had to do with unusual settings. For my story this week, I want to make one or both of these settings the focal point. I may tell a prequel about how the cave came to be. For the crystal palace on the moon, I might tell a story about what happens to the lady after she reaches the moon but before the wise men get there. Or, I might tell the whole story only from the perspectives of one of the wise men.

Cave filled with precious stones: The original telling of “The Cave of Beasts” includes a few details about the cave: the door is a large stone, it is filled with many types of precious stones that emit light, there are golden beds and jars filled with gems and pearls, there is a hearth with kettles of gold and silver, and a fox and wolf live there. As I was reading, I wondered whether the cave was wet or dry, big or little, very bright or dimly lit, hospitable or hostile, and narrow or cavernous. I also wanted to know how all the treasure got there, and why the fox and wolf decided to live there.

“The Spreading Halls of Crystal Cold”—crystal palace on the moon: Details of this palace in the original telling of “The Lady of the Moon” include: the name is inscribed on the castle, a fragrant cassia tree grows nearby, the castle appears silver or liquid crystal, it is many-storied and has columns, cages and ponds contain moving glass-like creatures, white birds and a lady live there, and “a pure clear music [floats] through the air.” While reading, I wondered whether the palace had tapestries, if the creatures were actually living, if the castle had a garden, how it got there, and whether the lady had acquired any magical powers. 

 Story Source: The Chinese Fairy Book by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921).

Image information:

1. Cave photo by Jakub Balon on Unsplash.

2. Ice palace image by Etolane on Flickr.