The Favorite of Fortune and the Child of Ill Luck The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921):
The Miserly Farmer The Chinese Fairy Book, ed. by R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (1921):
There was a child of a prince who always had bad luck. When it was time for her to get married she decided to pick her suitor based off of who caught the red ball of silk she threw it. In the crowd she saw a beggar but knew he was destined for great fortune. She threw him the ball and he caught it. The father was supposed he chased them away. They lived in a hut and lived off of very little. One day the beggar, now the husband, decided he was going to find his fortune. He was gone for 18 years and when he returned his wife could not recognize him. He asked if she would rather marry someone else since her husband had been gone so long and she said no. So, he told her who he was and that he was now an emperor. They moved away and had parties all the time. However, since the wife was so prone to bad luck she was only an empress for 18 days before falling ill and dying.
There was a farmer who was planning on selling pears down in the local market. When he got there a bonze (priest) had asked for a pear and the farmer declined. Bystanders thought the farmer should give the bonze a pear but he still continued to say no. Finally someone else saw what was happening and decided to buy one for the bonze. The bonze told everyone that he had beautiful pears that he would share with everyone once they grew.
After eating the pear the bonze took the pit and put it in the ground while others fetched some water. Instantly the tree began to sprout. Soon a whole pear tree was standing before them. He offered everyone a pear until they were all gone.
The farmer went back to his cart to see that all his pears were gone. He believed that the pears being passed out were his. Then he noticed that one of the axles on his cart was missing. He went chasing after the bonze but never saw him again.
Pear. Russell Street, 2011. Flickr.
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