初刻拍案惊奇

chū kè pāi àn jīng qí

Slapping the Table in Amazement (Part I), first of two books of vernacular stories by Ming dynasty novelist Ling Mengchu 凌濛初|凌蒙初[Ling2 Meng2 chu1]

初

chū

at first

刻

kè

quarter (hour)

拍

pāi

to pat

案

àn

(legal) case

惊

jīng

to startle

奇

qí

strange