Twelve short stories written between 1933 and 1937. Featuring personalities and characters to be found in the China of those times, and told with Lao She's usual wit, satire, insight and sympathy. They create a panorama of Chinese society.

Don J. Cohn（宫丹）, a writer, translator, book lover, book collector and Beijing-ophile. It offers insights into aspects of the trade of Chinese books both within and outside of the People's Republic not touched on elsewhere in this issue, or for that matter in other sources.

Don studied Chinese at Oberlin College and Columbia University. He lived and worked for long periods in Beijing, Hong Kong and Taiwan. He worked as an editor at Renditions magazine at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and as books editor at Far Eastern Economic Review. Since 1979, he has operated over 175 tours to China; written, translated and edited books and articles on subjects of Chinese interest; and today is active buying and selling printed matter from China and Japan.

Since 1979, Don Cohn has lived in Beijing for five years and has visited the city over 200 times. He has also run over 185 special interest tours to China, India, Japan, Vietnam and Cambodia. As a China scholar he has written, edited or translated over 50 books, articles and reviews on many aspects of Chinese culture. He has collected and catalogued over 75,000 early and rare children's books, magazines, posters and games from China, Japan, Korea, India, Cambodia, Vietnam, Taiwan and Hong Kong for a private library at Princeton University. His other collections include Chinese and Indian textiles, folk art and jewellery. Don was the books and cultural editor of the Hong Kong-based 'Far Eastern Economic Review' for eight years and is also a diligent oboe player. He now divides his time among New York, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong.