This Transformation

"This Transformation"
Short story by Pu Songling
19th-century illustration from Xiangzhu liaozhai zhiyi tuyong (Liaozhai Zhiyi with commentary and illustrations; 1886)
Original title丐僧 (Gaiseng)
TranslatorJohn Minford
CountryChina
LanguageChinese
Genre(s)Zhiguai
Publication
Published inStrange Stories from a Chinese Studio
Publication typeAnthology
Publication datec. 1740
Published in English2006
Chronology
 
胡氏
 
伏狐

"This Transformation", also known as "The Begging Monk", (Chinese: 丐僧; pinyin: Gaì Sēng) is a short story by Pu Songling collected in Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio (1740). The tale revolves around a monk who begs for nothing in particular and is treated like an outcast. It was first fully translated into English by John Minford in 2006, followed by Sidney L. Sondergard in 2008.