Reading Notes: Chinese Fairy Tales, Part B

 

Songjiang Square Pagoda. Source: Wikipedia

The Maiden Who Was Stolen Away from The Chinese Fairy Book by R. Wilhelm. 

    It starts with a beautiful maiden that is sitting in the courtyard of her home trying to stay cool. She is then swept up by a cyclone and is suddenly on top of a pagoda with a young man. He thinks that heaven brought them together and that they should marry. Every time he asks she says no but he continues to bring her food and drinks. She cannot leave because every time he leaves he seals it with stone and removes some of the steps. She one day watches him leave and sees that he is an ugly ogre and cries. She ends up catching the attention of a wanderer below by throwing her clothes. He thinks his neighbor's daughter could be up there so he goes and tells them. the brother goes there at sundown and injures the ogre after seeing him. Several of the neighbors come back with him and they use a ladder to fetch the beautiful maiden and take her home.