This book includes thirty-five stories about not being afraid of ghosts, which are taken from ancient Chinese collections of tales and anecdotes. They show the adroitness and courage of Chinese people in ancient times who dared to defy ghosts. Today, everyone knows there are no such things as ghosts. But while there are no demons like those described in these tales, there are many things which resemble them -- imperialism, reactionaries, difficulties and obstacles in work, for example. These stories, therefore, may be considered in the nature of allegories and satires.

This is a collection of some of the best Chinese tales and anecdotes from the third to the sixth century. Most of these stories deal with the supernatural, some are folk tales, yet others are pen-pictures of historical figures.These stories give us exciting and intimate glimpses of four troubled centuries in Chinese history. Frequent civil wars made the lot of the Chinese people a bitter one. Peasants were often goaded to revolt, intellectuals to turn hermit or to seek consolation in wine or religion and the spread of Buddhism heightened the interest in the world of spirits.These tales have a unique place in Chinese literature and their influence upon the subsequent development of Chinese fiction was immense. Their form was copied right down to the nineteenth century, and some of them were adapted by later dramatists, poets or prose-writers.The stories are plentifully illustrated with reproductions of works of art which reflect the spirit and social background of their age.