An anecdote from Feng Menglong's 馮夢龍 (1574-1646) Gujin xiaoshi 古今笑史.

Something to bear in mind before consuming ginger.

In an attempt to learn more about the beast before our next encounter in my backyard.

A familiar story about modernity from the Ming Dynasty.

A tippler's remedy to toothache.

From Qing bai leichao 清稗類鈔.

Little things that make life better...

From Xiaolin guangji 笑林廣記.

A bit of cultural misunderstanding.

A joke from the Qing dynasty

Some useful tricks for a moonless Mid-Autumn Festival.

A fifteenth-century account

An anecdote about Wang Anshi from an eleventh-century biji collection.

An ancient Chinese hiker and his gear.

An excerpt from the Bencao gangmu 本草綱目.

From the 19th-century collection Xiaolin guangji 笑林廣記.

A reminder for those who work with others in the field/garden.

Remedy or comedy?

On the spirit of a cat.

相傳高皇帝時初起太學，上臨視之，顧學制宏麗，聖情甚悅。行至廣業堂前，偶發一言云：“天下有福兒郎，應得居此。”迄今百四十年來，學生居此堂者，往往占魁選，躋位通貴，他所不及也。又諸堂中都無蜘蛛云。上來時，見蛛布網屋隅，曰：“我纔建屋，爾輒據之耶？”顧叱之出，語訖而蛛遯，從茲遂絕...