Read by Natalie Naudus

A Chinese folklore tale featuring a fox spirit, inspired by "Ye Xian" and "The Marriage of the Fox Daughter". "Ye Xian and the Celestial Feast" is a traditional Chinese-inspired fairytale following Ye Xian, a shy and artistic girl with a curious streak, who is the daughter of the village chief's First Wife. Her stepsister, Jun-Li, is sharp-edged but not cruel, unlike her mother, the chief's Second Wife, who harbors a deep bitterness towards Ye Xian even after the chief and her mother die. To make matters more complicated, Ye Xian harbors a secret: she is a húli jīng, a fox spirit, a nature she keeps hidden due to the persistent rumor that eating fox meat grants protection against evil, and the general hatred towards fox spirits in her time. To survive, Ye Xian secretly transforms into a fox at night to hunt for food. In her eighteenth year, Ye Xian's curiosity and hunger lead her to a purportedly haunted house where she discovers a golden staircase to the celestial realm. Will the world beyond the golden staircase be Ye Xian's salvation from her life of her undoing?

Mode of access: World Wide Web