Kwaidan: Stories and Studies of Strange Things features several Japanese ghost stories and a brief non-fiction study on insects. Most of these stories were translated from old Japanese texts. The author also states that one of the stories – Yuki-onna – was told to him by a farmer in Musashi Province, and his was apparently the first record of it. Riki-Baka is based on a personal experience of the author. Table of Contetns: The Story of Mimi-nashiHōichi Oshidori The Story of O-Tei Ubazakura Diplomacy Of a Mirror and a Bell Jikininki Mujina Rokurokubi A Dead Secret Yuki-Onna The Story of Aoyagi Jiu-Roku-Zakura The Dream of Akinosuke Riki-Baka Hi-Mawari Hōrai In the last half of the book, Hearn lists collected Chinese/Japanese superstitions and his own personal thoughts on various members of the insect world. Butterflies: Personification of the human soul. Mosquitoes: Karmic reincarnation of jealous or greedy people in the form of Jiki-ketsu-gaki or «blood-drinking pretas». Ants: Mankind's superior in terms of chastity, ethics, social structure, longevity and evolution.
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