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X. L. Woo is a bilingual writer and poet. He has published 4 books in Chinese, 2 books in translation of Chinese classics into English, and 11 books in English. His name is in the Library of Congress Who’sWho.
He is now leading a quiet retired life at home.
5.5x8.5 paperback, 76 pages
from the author...
This book provides readers, who like Chinese culture, with nine famous love tales. These stories are well-known to most Chinese people and are turned into stage plays or serial movies performed by famous Chinese movie stars or actors and actresses. Or they were written in English. However, my version is very much different from other publications. I wrote these stories in poetic forms with meter and rhyme like Greek epics, which require different poetic talents than writing poems without meter and rhyme. Rhyme is easy to use, but meter not. So when reading, they sound more musical and pleasing to the ear. I hope readers will like them. I include in the appendix fifty short funny poems. In every poem I use the same rhyme from the beginning to the end, which is myown invention. All are absurdly funny. Read them and have fun.
contents & sample poems . . .
- 1 - White Snake Genie
2 - Karma of Three Smiles
3 - Tale of Butterflies
4 - Cowboy and Girl-Weaver
5 - Beauty Pan and Dwarf
6 - Chen, a Singsong Girl
7 - Fox Genie
8 - Mussel Genie
9 - Mishap, The Test of Love
Appendix: 50 Funny Poems
Tale of Butterflies
In Hangzhou city there's a public school,
A little far from which there was a large pool.
A lot of students came from far and near,
From various homes and of various born year.
The school supplied students with board and food.
All the furniture was made of hard wood.
A young boy called Liang came from a small town.
A pupil, Zhu, liked to wear dress of brown.
Zhu was actually a girl in disguise;
That time girls not allowed in school, likewise.
Liang and Zhu sat at same desk, side by side.
They kept apart on bench possibly wide.
At the time, boys and girls couldn't e'en touch hands;
Liang didn't know she's girl, as she'd no wrist bands.
But as he helped her much, their friendship grew.
Friendship developed into love, she knew.
They were at school together for three years.
Zhu got letters from home; they'd part in tears.
Liang went with her on her way home for miles.
At length, Liang bade her farewell without smiles.
She told him that she had a twin sister.
She liked her to marry him, good brother*.
Liang gladly promised to come soon to woo.
Hearing his promise, Zhu was happy, too.
*In ancient Chinese tradition, they called people or friends by using the word
"brother" plus their surname, i.e., Brother Liang. If the relationship was close
enough, they could use "brother" plus given name. For female, they used the
word "sister" generally plus given name.
Liang returned home soon after Zhu went back.
His mother was sick; her neck skin was slack.
He wished to see Zhu, but now he's not free.
He'd take care of mom, e'en no time to pee.
Mother recover'd after half a year.
He planned to go to Zhu, as he had fear
That Zhu's parents might find another boy
For the twin sister, which would mar his joy.
He sat in study for Zhu to appear,
But here came a girl with rings on the ear.
She said, "I do not have a twin sister,
I'm a girl in disguise to be brother."
"But really you come half a year too late.
I am not allowed to be your life mate.
My father'll soon marry me to some boy
Which at last has my fond hopes to destroy."
The boy was stunned at the sudden bad news.
He saw before his eyes only dark views.
How he had returned home, he could not tell.
His mind's in confusion, and sick he fell.
Lovesick is really a fatal disease,
Worse than cancer, and it will make life cease.
Liang's case got from worse to worst, day by day,
Until he breathed no more and passed away.
He left a letter for Zhu, which was sent
To her; she began to weep and lament.
She decided to follow and marry
Him in other world, same tomb to bury.
Children must obey parents, it's the rule.
Zhu could not resist and only to pule.
She had a condition that she should pass
Liang's grave to cry as he's her mate of class.
So on her way to the boy's home, she stopp'd,
Before Liang's tomb, on her knees she dropp'd.
Just then, the tomb exploded with a hole,
Zhu jumped in, what was seen only her sole.
A legend said that their souls turned into
Two butterflies flying there with halo.
Appendix: 50 Funny Poems
*
~~ 1 ~~
Last night I dreamed an antelope,
Who had with him a pink envelope,
Which he'd mail to a lady antelope,
Asking her with him to elope.
But he's tripped on a steep slope,
And lost his dear envelope.
So it didn't reach the lady antelope.
So the poor thing failed to elope.
~ 23 ~~
In a heavy fog,
I take a noon jog,
And walk my dog.
I trip over a log,
And fall into a bog,
And meet a fat frog
Having a dialog
With a little hog,
Who is so agog
As if drunk with grog.
I put it in my blog.
© 2018-2022 X. L. Woo.
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