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Overview

A young farmer passing a wealthy man’s gardens sees a shining ball rising and falling above a doglike animal. Watching from the wall, he recognizes a fox breathing the ball toward the moon and drawing it back into its mouth. He hides until it descends within reach, snatches it and swallows it. The fox is furious but fears the strong young man and leaves without attacking.

The stolen elixir gives the farmer powers: he can become invisible, see ghosts and devils, communicate with spirits and call back the souls of unconscious patients. The narrative says that he becomes wealthy through these gifts. At fifty he retires from practising them. One summer night he drinks wine and falls asleep in his courtyard; he wakes feeling someone pat his back, and the fiery ball rises from his throat.

A hand catches the ball and a voice tells him that he has kept the treasure for thirty years and gained enough wealth from it. The man understands that the fox has reclaimed its property, but the fox is already gone. The tale does not describe a subsequent punishment or specify which powers the man retains. Its note explains the fox’s preparation of an elixir from breath raised toward the moon; this is the particular translated tale’s account, not a universal rule for every Chinese fox spirit.

Breath raises and lowers a luminous elixirTreasure stolen and swallowed by a humanReclaims the elixir after thirty years
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Origins & earliest records

Chinese tales mediated by Richard Wilhelm and Frederick H. Martens

02

Records & interpretation

Complete tale and its attached source note read in the retained1921-edition transcription.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

  1. 01

    The Chinese Fairy Book

    Richard Wilhelm, editor; Frederick H. Martens, translator · 1921

    XLVIII, Fox-fire, pp.161–162; New York, Frederick A. Stokes Company

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

Primary records and illustrations

Complete historical translated tale

Richard Wilhelm/Frederick H. Martens, The Chinese Fairy Book (Stokes1921)

Nature and Animal Tales. XLVIII, Fox-fire, pp.161–162

Complete chapter and attached note read in wilhelm-XLVIII.txt and29939.html. Source-specific identity, reported claims and complete ending preserved; earlier Chinese witness not independently collated.

Inspect the digitized plate · Source collection manifest

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

  1. Historical translated taleWilhelm/Martens, The Chinese Fairy Book, Fox-fire, pp.161–162Research access: 2026-10-05

Image credits

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