Feng Jicai, the author of these two fictional Chinese short stories, was born in Tianjin in 1942. Trained as an artist and professional athlete, his life was shattered by events which occurred during the Cultural Revolution. As a result of those ten tumultuous years, he decided to embark upon a career as a professional writer. "The Carved Pipe" and "The Tall Woman and Her Short Husband" are two fine examples of Feng Jicai's writing. "The Carved Pipe", extracted from a book entitled The Miraculous Pigtail, won an award in a national short story competition in China.