Traditionally, the short story is a fictional prose tale of non-specified length, although a story of more than 20,000 words is usually considered to be a novella, or short novel. The short story is generally too short to be published as a volume on its own, as in the case of the novel or the play. Dramatically, the short story usually concentrates on a single event involving only one or two characters. Here then, is a brief history of the beginnings of the short story as a recognized literary form.
The world's oldest extant short story is Chabuki Yun's Hop Ten Yato, usually translated as Green Tea. This 5000 word Chinese folk story is accurately described as having been written by Chabuki in 1100BC. Green Tea concerns itself with the meetings which take place between a princess and a Genji. The steam of the green tea of the title is the medium by which the Genji visits the princess and informs her of other-worldly realms. The princess grows weary of her day-to-day existence and of her Earth-bound form and decides to leave them behind.
"There is still so much to be done. Things cannot continue as they are for much longer. This world of ours must change!" Princess Hitami paused, and then announced: "No! We must change!"
Shocked, Chien turned sharply from her flower-arranging and faced the princess. "Your Majesty," she cautioned, alarm evident on her face. "You must not say such things - not now, not while there is so much unrest in the country!"
Using the steam of the green tea as the doorway to other realms, the princess decides to abandon her earthly life and enter "the world of spirits". Originally regarded as "a tale of instruction", the much-translated and anthologised Green Tea can also be read as Chabuki's damning indictment of the feudal system which was in place at the time of his writing it.
The second oldest surviving short story is Claxos and Doran, by Demitus. A number of references to this 7000 word Greek pastoral story, written about 600 BC are available to us from a variety of sources, most notably in Plinoctus's Prose Works and in Xenetrates's Fictions.
In characteristically muscular style, Xenetrates synopsises the story's plot, then reviews it favourably, and then mentions its reception by the public upon publication, claiming: 'Claxos and Doran is... a short story well-received by the populace, and will be in demand for long after initial circulation.' Five years later, Plinoctus (in typically inverted style) writes: "Yes, and still they clamour for copies of Claxos and Doran... Those who do not read have those who do read it to them."
The plot of Claxos and Doran is simple and familiar. It involves Doran, a young shepherd, who is forced to flee his home after accidentally striking the hunting helmet of Claxos, the political tyrant of the region, with a stone from a slingshot. Doran flees to Thrace, but Claxos discovers his identity and kills his family. Returning to his homeland years later, when Claxos is on his deathbed. Doran, who has made his fortune as a merchant, buys up all of Claxos's property, then exacts his revenge upon Claxos's family and friends by making them his servants and working them to death.
Critics have justifiably acknowledged Demitus's story as being a major influence on Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, their supposition being based on the fact that although there are no references to the story in any of the Bronte's works or voluminous correspondence, a handwritten copy of Claxos and Doran was included in Branwell Bronte's library (a library to which the entire Bronte family had access).
The third contender is a collection of Indian short stories entitled Im Podbri (The Bridle Path), which dates back to about 500 BC. Although the collection is anonymous, scholars are unified in their belief that the collection's twenty five stories are by different authors and have been collected over a number of years by several anonymous editors, none of whom have been satisfactorily identified. The collection's enigmatic epigram: "Trust not the writer, but the writing" has unfortunately generated more literary interest and critical commentary than the stories themselves.
Apart from a few enigmatic and surreal prose fragments by Igor Yevutno of the Ukraine, there are no other extant short stories until the 3rd Century AD, when Nomaji's Dydra el Kobani, usually translated as The Walnut Tree, is credited as being the next oldest surviving example of the short story. Nojami was a Persian poet and a considerable amount is known about him. We know for example that he was court poet to King Sullaman the Elegant. He won a school poetry competition when fifteen years old, only to renounce poetry at the age of thirty. From then on, he worked at refining his prose style until his major work, Dydra el Kobani was published and circulated. It was immediately hailed by critics as a masterpiece and it established Nomaji as the leading literary figure of his day. Part of the story's appeal (and success) was due to its devout religious content. Having said that, a recent translation by controversial poet Adam Walton has restored the charged eroticism to the story.
