The White Snake

Tracing the history and adaptation of one of China's foundational texts

Imagine this. You take a bite from the king’s dish which is a white snake. Then suddenly you start understanding the language of animals. And this gets you out of numerous problems. Does it sound believable? Well it should because this is what the servant in our story experienced. However what are those troubles that he found himself in? Could he really understand all animals and how did this help him? If a servant takes a bite from the king’s dish, you would expect punishment to follow. Did it? Or the servant got a reward? If you want to know how and why, you can read "The White Snake". Children and adults alike, immerse yourselves into Grimm’s world of folktales and legends! Come, discover the little-known tales and treasured classics in this collection of 200 fairytales. Brothers Grimm are probably the best-known storytellers in the world. Some of their most popular fairy tales are "Cinderella", "Beauty and the Beast" and "Little Red Riding Hood" and there is hardly anybody who has not grown up with the adventures of Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel and Snow White. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm’s exceptional literature legacy consists of recorded German and European folktales and legends. Their collections have been translated into all European languages in their lifetime and into every living language today.

Young Randall dreams of adventures until one day he’s sent off on a mission to discover the neighboring king’s secret. When he returns, he’s thrown in a dungeon and despairs until Princess Tilda — the power behind the throne – entices him to compete for her hand. Courage, determination — and Tilda’s trust in him – toss him from one adventure to the next as he dives for a ring at the bottom of the ocean and searches for a Golden Apple from the Tree of Life. BEN NADLER’s modern version in comics highlights the timeless truth at the heart of this Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale in a way that is sure to delight and resonate with today’s young readers.

First collection published in English by major, multiple award-winning Chinese writer Yan Geling.

A picture book, focusing on the Asia Paciflic region.

A cornerstone of Chinese popular culture, the legend of the White Snake--the admirable demon who loves her victim--has been continually rewritten, reinterpreted, and readapted for over five hundred years. The Precious Scroll of Thunder Peak was one of the most popular nineteenth-century versions of the legend. In bringing together translations of the Scroll, four anonymous youth books, and other texts related to the development of the White Snake legend, this volume opens a window into the richness and variety of premodern Chinese popular literature. It also illustrates the ways in which traditional and modern Chinese societies have treated a host of vital cultural issues, including the role of women in society, perceptions of sexuality, and folk religion. Wilt L. Idema's Introduction traces the evolution of the legend and places the translated texts in the history of Chinese popular literature and culture. Annotations explaining terms and references that may be unfamiliar to Western readers, a glossary, and a thorough bibliography further enhance the value of this book for both scholars and students.

Based on an ancient Chinese legend in which a snake spirit transforms herself into a beautiful woman in order to experience the human world.