Black Horse

The Cave of the Beasts

In short: Two girls take shelter in a cave with golden beds. After dark, its owners return.

The Cave of the Beasts · Creatures in the cave FAIRY TALE ATLAS · № 30 The Cave of the Beasts Two girls take shelter in a cave with golden beds. Origin Chinese folktale. Atlas record 1921 First appearance Exact date unknown SIGNATURE MOTIF Creatures in the cave Reach¹ 1/10 Suggested age² 8+ Member rating No votes yet 1 records · 1 countries or regions blackhorsestories.com

¹ Based on the number of Atlas countries, capped at 10. ² Editorial suggestion for reading this page. Discover Black Horse’s question

Origin and tradition

Chinese folktale.

In the 1921 English edition of Richard Wilhelm’s collection, two girls see embroidered covers and decide to sleep in the cave. When the wolf and fox return, the wolf smells a human presence. The fox doubts that anyone could get inside. By showing the same room through the girls’ eyes and then the animals’, the tale changes who seems to be in danger.

Dated records and sources

  1. 1921 · Chinese tale · New York edition
    Richard Wilhelm / Frederick H. Martens · The Chinese Fairy Book

Country pages

Origin
Black Horse. The Cave of the Beasts. https://blackhorsestories.com/en/atlas-tale-cave-beasts/