Chinese Fairy Book, The | Annotated Tale

COMPLETE! Entered into SurLaLune Database in September 2018 with all known ATU Classifications.



Ancient Man, The

ONCE upon a time there was a man named Huang An. He must have been well over eighty and yet he looked like a youth. He lived on cinnabar and wore no clothing. Even in winter he went about without garments. He sat on a tortoise three feet long. Once he was asked: "About how old might this tortoise be?" He answered: "When Fu Hi first invented fish-nets and eel-pots he caught this tortoise and gave it to me. And since then I have worn its shield quite flat sitting on it. The creature dreads the radiance of the sun and moon, so it only sticks its head out of its shell once in two thousand years. Since I have had the beast, it has already stuck its head out five times." With these words he took his tortoise on his back and went off. And the legend arose that this man was ten thousand years old.

Notes

Cinnabar is frequently used in the preparation of the elixir of life (comp. No. 30). Fu Hi is "the life-breeding breath." Tortoises live to a great age.

Bibliographic Information

Tale Title: Ancient Man, The
Tale Author/Editor: Martens, Frederick H.
Book Title: Chinese Fairy Book, The
Book Author/Editor: Wilhelm, Dr. R.
Publisher: Frederick A. Stokes Company
Publication City: New York
Year of Publication: 1921
Country of Origin: China
Classification: unclassified

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