Those Upright Chinese Eggs
N June, 1945, The Listener ran a story from Life called "Eggs stand on end in Chungking," being the account of a silly season pastime that turned the attention of China’s capital
away from China’s war for a few weeks. The story told how everyone in Chungking was trying out a legend recorded in two old Chinese books of great antiquity — namely, that at a certain hour (Lih Chun) on a certain day in the year (a variable day) when Winter goes and Spring comes, eggs will stand on end. Of course they went on trying it for long after the magic hour had passed, and correspondents made copy of the craze. Albert Einstein was consulted, and at diplomatic dinners in China, high-ups stood eggs on end. Now a distant echo of that story has reached The Listener-this time from Nanking. Joan Young, a New Zealander with UNRRA, wrote recently to her father in Wellington that she had stood eggs on end in Nanking that day-at the magic hour. Winter went and Spring began at 11.45 p.m. on February 3 this year, and Miss Young, after consulting the ancient books Know What Heaven Knows and The Secret Kaleidoscope, stood eggs on end-"either end, with the greatest of ‘ease (plus patience)." Miss Young sent several photographs with her letter, and we print one of them here,
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/NZLIST19470424.2.40
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 16, Issue 409, 24 April 1947, Page 21
Word count
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229Those Upright Chinese Eggs New Zealand Listener, Volume 16, Issue 409, 24 April 1947, Page 21
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Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
Copyright in the Denis Glover serial Hot Water Sailor published in 1959 is owned by Pia Glover. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this serial and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the Listener. You can search, browse, and print this serial for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Pia Glover for any other use.
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