Fox Stories from China.

From Myths and Legends of China, E.T.C. Werner, original publication 1922.

"The Fox:
Among the many animals worshipped by the Chinese, those at times seen emerging from coffins or graves naturally hold a prominent place. They are supposed to be the transmigrated souls of deceased human beings. We should therefore expect such animals as the fox, stoat, weasel, etc., to be closely associated with the worship of ghosts, spirits, and suchlike creatures, and that they should be the subject of, or included in, a large number of Chinese legends. This we find. Of these animals the fox is mentioned in Chinese legendary lore perhaps more often than any other.
The subject of fox-lore has been dealt with exhaustively by my respected colleague, the late Mr. Thomas Watters (formally H.B.M. Consul-General at Canton, a man of vast learning and extreme modesty, insufficiently appreciated in his generation), in the journal of the North China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, viii, 45-65, to which the reader is referred for details. Generally the fox is a creature of ill omen, long-lived (living to eight hundred or even a thousand years) , with a peculiar virtue in every part of his body, able to produce fire by striking the ground with his tail, cunning, cautious, sceptical, able to see into the future, to transform himself (usually into old men, or scholars, or pretty young maidens), and fond of playing pranks and tormenting mankind."

Fox Legends:
"Many interesting fox legends are to be found in a collection of stories entitled Liao chai chih i, by P'u Sung-ling (seventeenth century A.D.), part of which was translated into English many years ago by Professor H. A. Giles and appeared in two fascinating volumes called Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio. These legends were related to the Chinese writer by various people as their own experiences."

"The Alchemist
At ch'ang-an there lived a scholar named Chia Tzu-lung, who one day noticed a very refined-looking stranger; and, on making inquiries about him, learned that he was a Mr. Chen who had taken lodgings hard by. Accordingly, Chia called next day and sent ins his card, but did not see Chen, who happened to be out at the time. The same thing occured thrice; and at length Chia engaged some one to watch and let him know when Mr. Chen was at home. However, even then the latter would not come forth to receive his guest, and Chia had to go in and rout him out. The two now entered into conversation, and soon became mutually charmed with each other; and by and by Chia sent off a servant to bring wine from a neighbouring wine-shop. Mr Chen. proved himself a pleasant booncomapnion, and when the wine was nearly finished he went to a box and took from it some wine-cups and alarge and beautiful jade tankard; into the latter he poured a single cup of wine, and immediately it was filled to the brim. They then proceeded to help themselves from the tankard; but however much they took out, the contents never seemed to diminish. Chia was astonished at this, and begged Mr. Chen to tell him how it was done "Ah," replied Mr. Cehn, "I tried to avoid making your acquaintance soley because of your one bad quality -- avarice. The art I practise is a secret known to the Immortals only: how can I divulge it to you?" "You do me wrong," rejoined Chia, "in thus attributing avarice to me. The avaricious, indeed, are always poor." Mr. Chen laughed, and they seperated for that day; but from that time they were constantly together, and all ceremony was laid aside between them. Whenever Chia wanted money Mr. Chen would bring out a black stone, and, muttering a charm, would rub it on a tile or a brick, which was forthwith changed into a lump of silver. This silver he would give to Chia, and it was always just as much as he actually required, neither more nor less; and if ever the latter asked for more Mr. Chen would rally him on the subject of avarice. Finally Chia determined to try to get possession of this stone; and one day, when Mr. Chen was sleeping off the fumes of a drinking-bout, he tried to extract it from his clothes. However, Chen detected him at once, and declared that they could be friends no more, and next day he left the place altogether. About a year afterward Chia was one day wandering by the river-bank, when he saw a handsome-looking stone, marvellously like that in the possession of Mr. Chen; and he picked it up at once and carried it home with him. A few days passed away, and suddenly Mr. Chen presented himself at Chia's house, and explained that the stone in question possessed the property of changing anything into gold, and had been bestowed upon him long before by a certain Taoist priest whom he had followed as a disciple. "Ala!" added he, "I got tipsy and lost it; but divination told me where it was, and if you will now restore it to me I will take care to repay your kindness." "you have divined rightly," replied Chia; "the stone is with me; but recollect, if you please, that the indigent Kuan Chung shared the wealth of his friend Pao Shu." At this hint Mr. Chen said he would give Chia one hundred ounces of silver; to which the latter replied that one hundred ounces was a fair offer, but that he would far sooner have Mr. Chen teach him the formula to utter when rubbing the stone on anything, so that he might try the thing once himself. Mr. Chen was afraid to do this; whereupon Chia cried out, "You are an Immortal yourself; you must know well enough that I would never deceive a friend." So Mr. Chen was prevailed upon to teach him the forumla, and then Chia would have tried the are upon the immense stone washing-block which was lying near at hand had not Mr. Chen seized his arm and begged him not to do anything so outrageous. Chia then picket up half a brick and laid it on the washing-block, saying to Mr. Chen, "This little piece is not too much, surely?" Accordingly Mr. Cehn relazed his hodl and let Chia proceed; which he did by promptly ignoring the half-brick and quickly rubbing the stone on the washing-block. Mr. Chen turned pale when he saw him do this, and made a dash forward to get hold of the stone, but it was too late; the washing-block was already a solid mass of silver, and Chia quietly handed him back the stone. "Alas! alas!" cried Mr. Chen in despaire, "what is to be done now? For, having thus irregularly conferred wealth upon a mortal, Heaven will surely punish me. Oh, if you would save me, give away one hundred offins and one hundred suits of wadded cloths." "My friend," replied Chia, "my object in getting money was not to hoard it up like a miser." Mr. Chen was delighted at this; and during the next three years Chia engaged in trade, taking care to fulfil always his promise to Mr Chen. At the expiration of that time Mr. Chen himself reappeared, and, grasping Chia's hand, said to him, "Trustworthy and noble friend, when we last parted the Spirit of Happiness impeached me before God, and my name was erased from the list of angels. But now that you have carried out my request that sentence has been rescinded. Go on as you have begun, without ceasing." Chia asked Mr. Chen what office he filled in Heaven; to which the latter replied that he was only a fox who, by a sinless life, had finally attained to that clear perception of the truth which leads to immortality. Wine was then brought, and the two friends enjoyed themselves together as of old; even when Chia had passed the age of ninet years the fox still used to visit him from time to time."