Acknowledgements Chronology of the Song, Yuan, and Early Ming Dynasties Weights and Measures Introduction Section 1 1. The Celebration at the Underwater Palace 2. The Blessed Land in the Three Mountains 3. Meeting Old Friends in Huating 4. The Golden Phoenix Hairpin 5. The Tower of Blended Fragrance Section 2 6. Scholar Linghu's Dream of the Underworld 7. Visiting the Hermit at Mt. Tiantai 8. Teng Mu's Drunken Excursion to Jujing Park 9. The Peony Lantern 10. The Adventure at Weitang Section 3 11. The Bureau for Gaining Wealth and Honor 12. The Temple in the Yongzhou Countryside 13. Shenyang Cave 14. The Story of Aiqing 15. The Story of Cuicui Section 4 16. A Spirit Gathering at Dragon Hall 17. The Legal Administrator of the Grand Void 18. The Story of the Deceased Attendant 19. Boating at Night on Mirror Lake 20. The Girl in Green Appendix 21. Autumn Essence Pavilion 22. Sending Plum Blossoms Bibliography Index

Qu You (1347-1433), whose style name was Zongji and literary name Cunzhai, was a famous scholar and poet of the Ming Dynasty. He is the author of almost thirty books in different genres; however, only one-third of them are extant. New Stories Told while Trimming the Wick earned him the most fame and acclaim. Zhenjun Zhang is Professor of Chinese and Coordinator of Asian Studies Program at St. Lawrence University, author of Buddhism and Tales of the Supernatural in Early Medieval China (2014), translator of Hidden and Visible Realms: Early Medieval Chinese Tales of the Supernatural and the Fantastic (2018), and co-editor (with Victor Mair) of Anthology of Tang and Song Tales: The Tang Song Chuanqi ji of Lu Xun (2020) and Classic Chinese Poems of Mourning and Texts of Lament (2024). Sidney Sondergard is Piskor Professor Emeritus at St. Lawrence University. He is the translator of the complete English edition of Pu Songling's Strange Tales from Liaozhai (6 vols., 2008-2014). His essays have appeared in Studies in Philology, The American Journal of Semiotics, Studies in the Humanities, Theatre Survey, and Critique. Trever McKay is Associate Professor of Chinese language and literature at Brigham Young University-Idaho, whose translations have appeared in Anthology of Tang and Song Tales: The Tang Song chuanqi ji of Lu Xun and Classic Chinese Poems of Mourning and Texts of Lament.

Selling point: First complete translation of this important collection of Chinese tales in English Selling point: Presents historical and literary annotations that allow readers to fully comprehend how elements of these stories have become central plot points in subsequent literature and visual media across Asia Selling point: Offers an excellent introduction to social trends in the Ming dynasty through the cultural values and beliefs expressed in these once banned stories Selling point: Easily accessible to nonprofessional readers of fairy tales, folklore, and supernatural literature Selling point: Includes parallel Chinese text