Short story by Pu Songling
"Stealing Peaches" |
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19th-century illustration from Xiangzhu liaozhai zhiyi tuyong (Liaozhai Zhiyi with commentary and illustrations; 1886) |
Original title | 偷桃 (Tou tao) |
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Translator | Sidney L. Sondergard (2009) |
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Country | China |
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Language | Chinese |
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Genre(s) | |
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Published in | Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio |
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Media type | Print (Book) |
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Publication date | 1740 |
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"Stealing Peaches" (Chinese: 偷桃; pinyin: Tōu Táo), also variously translated as "The Peach Theft", "Theft of the Peach", "Stolen Peaches", and "Stealing a Peach", is a short story by Pu Songling, first published in Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio (1740). It is told in first person by Pu himself, and revolves around a magic trick similar to the Indian rope trick; Pu claims to have witnessed it personally as a child.