By turns lyrical, robust, and fanciful, this collection of 20 Chinese folktales resonates in the imagination like the slapping sound of an aged man's slippers against his heels. Laurence Yep, author of the Newbery Honor Book, Dragonwings, collected these stories from "old-timers," first generation Chinese immigrants whose connections to the homeland were still strong and beckoning. Many of the stories reflect metaphorically this bond to the homeland, and the kinds of problems immigrants faced in their adopted country. From the chilling story of Dagger Claws, the monster who thumps on the rooftops of people's houses at night, to the plaintive tale of the old woman who would not give up her battered rice jar, these tales are richly imaginative, evocative, and offer a kaleidoscopic view of contemporary China's rich and diverse culture.