I read a lot of fairy tale and folktale collections, and I can usually tell within the first couple of pages of each story if I'm going to fall in love or if it's just not for me. It's rare for each one to be equally as captivating, so a marker for a good collection for me is how many of the tales I truly enjoy and how memorable it is overall. Gladys Yang did not disappoint: I enjoyed the majority of the folktales and they stayed in my mind for weeks after I read them. As I read I was sketching out little scenes on random bits of paper, so this post essentially ended up writing itself. She has taken 12 tales from 11 of the Chinese nationalities, and her translation is highly accessible to all ages, making this a fun and engaging book. I came across it over on Scribd, and from what I can see, it is primarily available in e-book form - I have left links in the Extra Resources section at the end of this post to the places you can get your hands on it. 'The Seven Sisters and other Folktales from China' seems to be part of a series of collections she put together before her death in 1999, and I definitely plan on reading the rest in the future.

I chose six of my favourite tales to illustrate. Gumiya is the only one I loved and left out of this series intentionally; it's the longest and I think it deserves a post all to itself, so look out for that in the future!

I added in a title page to draw everything together, and also to bring us up to a fitting seven pieces. For each tale I will give a very brief synopsis - I don’t want to spoil anything, and these stories are super short as it is! I kept the template for each of the pieces the same for continuity, and overall I'm really happy with how each of these has turned out. You can find my lettering references here.

Visit the Puddles of Ink Instagram and click on the Seven Sisters Highlight to learn more about Gladys Yang and her amazing story. I've listed all of my references at the end if you want to read up on her yourself - I'd definitely recommend it. I spent a long time down that rabbit hole and it made me appreciate her work so much more.

Something for Nothing

A Hui Story

A story of quite a spoilt, ignorant and unappreciative father and son duo, aptly named Old and Young Money Bags, who learn a few lessons when the son goes off to master the family trade. How hard could bartering, trading and acquiring new skills possibly be?

It’s a fairly predictable plot, but it’s funny enough to keep you entertained.
Short and sweet; the perfect length for a good moral to be embedded and the character not to grate on you too much - Young Money Bags isn’t the most likeable!
I really liked how the hustle and bustle of a busy marketplace is captured in so few words; you get a feel for the environment and it captures your imagination.

The Seven Sisters

A Miao Story

Seven wolves decide to transform themselves into seven men for the night. They come across a house where seven sisters live, their parents conveniently away for the night. Whatever spell they used to transform themselves clearly wasn't strong enough because, one by one, the sisters notice little features like hairy hands and sneaky tails. What happens when they try to protect themselves?

Tried to word this in a way that wouldn't spoil the story; there are a few twists that really make this enjoyable.
Not what I expected at all - I found it refreshing in terms of the sister dynamic and I wish it was explored a little more.
The ending is hilarious, if a little gruesome!

How the Panpipes came to be Played

A Miao Story
A beautiful girl falls in love with a hunter and refuses to marry anyone else, despite knowing he may never pass by her village again. When a demon kidnaps her and carries her off to his lair, her chances of being rescued seem impossible. Luckily, there is not much in life that panpipes can't fix.

Adored this story; it's sweet, entertaining and charming. There is the typical damsel in distress/love at first sight trope, and obviously it would have been nice for some more depth to the main characters, but all in all it's simple and familiar in a good way.
Lots of nice imagery in this one; refreshing to go between a few settings too - much more like a classic adventure story.
An origin story of the Miao people's panpipe festival, as well as how white pheasant feathers began to be worn: partly to show a defiance towards evil spirits and demons, and partly for luck in love, although Gladys ends the tale by explaining that, due to the scarcity of the feathers, young girls now wear silver ornaments in the shape of a cock pheasant's tale.

Rice

A Hani Story

Tells the story of Miniya, a special maid to a horribly spiteful queen. Set in a kingdom where people only ate rice husks, throwing the kernal away as they assumed it was the bone, people were often hungry - particularly the maids in the palace. One day, when Miniya gets on the wrong side of the queen, she is punished with starvation. How does she overcome this awful ordeal to discover something that will change the lives of everyone forever?

There had to be one evil queen story, and this one doesn't disappoint. I really liked how this played out; yes, you can predict what happens, but it's a lot of fun to read.
Really like that Miniya isn't a victimised, watery character. She isn't easily manipulated and gets her revenge in quite a fitting way - definitely not a Disney-approved ending, but a satisfying one nonetheless!
Loved the contrast between the camaraderie in this tale between Miniya and the maids compared to the relationship between the sisters in 'The Seven Sisters'; it's a really nice dynamic that makes for a nice sense of closure.

The Wooing of Pumei

An Oruquen Story

Yanjiao, son of an old hunter, encounters a mysterious girl with a birch bark basket and a poppy in her hair at a lake when he is out hunting. She teases him into undertaking some pretty dangerous adventures in order to win the heart of a maiden in a faraway land. Mistaken identity, trials and tribulations ensue - will Yanjiao win the heart of the girl he's seeking?

Probably my favourite story out of them all because it's so charming and playful. It's hard to stop yourself from smiling all the way through this, and it actually does keep you wondering.
Good balance between the action and the romance - this has a really strong story that you get so absorbed in.
Favourite line: "The girls smiled at him, and like most other men would have done, he blushed and tried to escape." - Captures the humour, playfulness and innocence of the story.

The Heavenly Flute Player

A Li Story

The shortest, and probably the sweetest, tale in the collection. What happens when a very ordinary man with an extraordinary gift captures the attention of the Dragon King of the South Sea?

Less than 3 pages long, this made me smile so much. It's a really good choice to end with because it leaves readers with a happy buzz and a good moral.
There's really beautiful imagery throughout - it feels magical from start to finish.
It has a really nice rhythm to it; I think it would be really good to read to children.

I hope you enjoyed this closer look at my pieces for this collection, as well as finding out more about my favourite tales. Have you read any of them? Which is your favourite? Are you inspired to pick this up for yourself?

Gladys Yang lived an incredible life full of intense love and intense hardship. Have a click through the Highlight over on my Instagram to find out more. I have linked my sources down below if you'd like to read through them yourself.

Extra Resources:

The copy I read on Scribd.
The Book Depository: It's currently out of stock here, but you can request it, as well as follow their link to Abe Books where you might be able to find it.
Goodreads Page
Read more about Gladys Yang:
Guardian Article
The New York Times