Original Text
In Huangmei County, Hubei, there was a man named Wang Keshou, who could remember the events of his three previous lives. In his first life, he was a scholar studying in a temple. The temple's monk had a mare that gave birth to a mule, and Wang, taking a liking to it, seized it. After his death, the King of Hell examined the records and, angered by his greed, punished him by reincarnating him as a mule to repay the monk. Born as a mule, the monk cherished him, and though he wished to die, he found no opportunity. When he grew older, he thought of leaping into a deep valley but feared betraying the monk's kindness and facing harsher punishment in the underworld, so he resigned himself to diligent service. After several years, his penance was fulfilled, and he died, reborn into a peasant family. As soon as he emerged from the womb, he spoke, and his parents, thinking him a monster, killed him. He then reincarnated into the household of Scholar Wang. Scholar Wang, nearly fifty, was overjoyed at having a son. Wang Keshou was born intelligent and perceptive, but recalling that his previous life ended due to speaking too early, he dared not utter a word. By the age of three or four, people thought him mute. One day, his father was composing an essay when a friend visited; setting down his brush, he went to receive the guest. Wang Keshou entered the study, saw his father's unfinished essay, and, unable to resist, completed it. When his father returned and found the essay finished, he asked, "Who came by?" The servant replied, "No one." Puzzled, the next day the father deliberately left a topic on the desk and then left. Returning quietly after a short while, he found his son bent over the desk, having written several lines. The son, suddenly seeing his father, cried out involuntarily, knelt, and begged for his life. The father, delighted, took his hand and said, "You are my only son; since you can write, it is a great fortune for our family—why hide it?" From then on, Scholar Wang taught his son with even greater diligence. Wang Keshou passed the imperial examinations in his youth and rose to the position of Grand Coordinator of Datong.
Commentary
In "Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio," there are three stories recounting the theme of three lifetimes. Besides this one, there is also "Three Lives" in Volume One and another "Three Lives" in Volume Ten. Although this piece is titled after the name "Wang Keshou," it too tells a tale of three lifetimes. Their common characteristic is that they are all relatively brief and carry an allegorical nature. The "Three Lives" in Volume One elucidates that "among the horned and furred beasts, there are those who were once nobles and high officials." The "Three Lives" in Volume Ten clarifies that "once dismissed from office, the grievance remains unresolved for three lifetimes—such is the depth of enmity!" This piece, however, reveals that scholars who achieve success and gain renown are those who possessed innate wisdom in their previous lives, accumulating the fruits of several generations of study.