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This book contains a selection of 16 stories and myths with which most Chinese are familiar. Of course, there are many hundreds, more or less well known, that could have been chosen. The stories represent a cross section of this tradition. They include stories based on the history of China, particularly set in the time of the 'Warring States' and the rise of civilisation in China with the consolidation of China under the Qin and Han Emperors and recounted in the two great Chinese classics "The Records of the Grand Historian" and "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms". Such stories as 'Jin Ke assassinates King Qin', 'Being Besieged on All Sides', 'Feast of Hongmen', 'Su Wu tends sheep', 'Three Visits to the Hut' and the 'Premier and General Make Peace' are roughly from the period 300BC to 300AD and are tales of heroes, treachery and struggles for power among the competing kingdoms and dynasties (Qin, 221–206 BC, followed by the Han, 206 BC–220 AD,). Other stories are from later in the 12th Century based on the novel "Water Margin', one of the four Chinese Classics written during the detested Yuan Dynasty when rebels and more often bandits, were accorded the status of heroes much as British highwaymen, Australian bushrangers and Western outlaws gained legendary status despite their heinous crimes. Titles include 'Water Margin: the Mountain Rebels', and 'Lin Chong in the Snow Temple', The historical accuracy of these stories is questionable as many versions are in circulation, most notably in popular comic books, TV shows and feature films, where historical accuracy, and often plot, comes a poor second to the special effects and fight scenes. Undoubtedly the real events have been distorted to suit the agenda of those who came after as many stories are anti-establishment and some bandit hero stories were banned during the Ming Dynasty and yet they have persisted and have been passed down over thousands of years. Other stories fall into the genre of mythology. Stories such as the 'The Calabash Brothers', although a modern story composed in the 1960s has its roots in Chinese folk religion and mythology. So too the classic tale of "The Journey to the West', that is infused with Buddhist and Taoist philosophy. Two of the tales recounted in this book, 'Monkey Strikes Lady White Bones Thrice' and 'Journey to the West and the Kingdom of Women', are full of fantastic demons, super heroes with super powers and magic and are reminiscent of the ancient Greek myths of Gods and monsters. Another genre are moralistic tales that have their share of the mystical, but which seek to teach a lesson, often a tragic tale of right versus wrong and good versus evil. Some are cautionary tales that warn against parents or Kings ignoring the needs of those they are meant to protect, perhaps to counter Confucianism that gained ascendancy during the reign of the Han Emperor Wudi. Again, many versions abound, but the general moral message is left intact. Such stories as 'Ma Liang and the Magic Paint Brush', 'Thunderstorm' 'Butterfly Lovers’ and 'Snow in Mid-summer' have their fair share of the improbable, but the charm and emotional force of each story is undeniable.