The Monkey and the Tiger: Two Chinese Detective Stories

The Monkey and the Tiger: Two Chinese Detective Stories

Robert Hans Van Gulik

Language: English

Pages: 152

ISBN: 0226848698

Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub


The Monkey and The Tiger includes two detective stories, "The Morning of the Monkey" and "The Night of the Tiger." In the first, a gibbon drops an emerald in the open gallery of Dee's official residence, leading the judge to discover a strangely mutilated body in the woods—and how it got there. In the second, Dee is traveling to the imperial capital to assume a new position when he is separated from his escort by a flood. Marooned in a large country house surrounded by fierce bandits, Dee confronts an apparition that helps him solve a mystery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

of the old man you cruelly did to death.' The gangster burst out in a string of curses. The constable on his right hit him over his head with his heavy club. 'Confess ! ' he barked at him. The blow didn't seem to bother the giant much. He just shook his head, then shouted : 'I didn't kill him ! The old fool was still alive and kicking when he left the inn last night ! ' 'Who was he?' 'A rich fool, called Twan Mou-tsai. Owned a big drugstore, in the capital.' 'A rich drug dealer? What was his

financier, a cousin of the Director of the Treasury. 'He wrote me a letter saying that, if I would come to see him, he was willing to talk matters over. I travelled to the capital and he received me most kindly. He said that, if I agreed to collaborate with him on a certain financial scheme of his, he would not only cancel my bonds, but also give me a generous share in the proceeds. Of course I agreed. Then, to my horrified amazement, he went on to explain coolly that he had organized a

The bailiff lit the candlestick on the table, then offered the judge the capacious armchair behind it. He himself took the chair on the left. Mr Min, who had been muttering to himself all the time, sank down in the smaller armchair on the opposite side. While the bailiff busied himself about the tea tray, Judge Dee unfastened his sword and laid it on the small wall table. He loosened his fur coat and sat down. Leaning back in his chair, he covertly observed the two men, slowly caressing his long

I had seen flying kites in the afternoon. I told him to attach each copy to a large kite. He was to fly them one after the other. Each time one was high up in the air, he was to cut the string. With the north wind blowing steadily, I hoped that at least one or two of the brightly-coloured kites would reach the village on the opposite bank, be found and taken to the commandant of the fort. And that is what happened. This is the end of the Flying Tigers, Mr Yen. And your end too.' POSTSCRIPT

Dee saw that the gibbon was watching him 'I am not yet through with you, Mr Leng ! ' 'It's a very private matter,' Tao Gan said 'Well,' she said, 'I have done nothing wrong' The Night of the Tiger Judge Dee caught the spear on his sword He pulled the silk strings in succession Suddenly the judge had the feeling that he was not alone 'I grabbed her and shouted at her to stop . . .' A sketchmap of the flooded area DRAMATIS PERSONAE Note that in Chinese the surname-here printed in

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