In the short stories, "Separate Ways," by Higuchi Ichiyo, and "Uncanny Stories from the Scholar's Studio," by SongLing, the two pieces both demonstrate the limits, high and low, of friendship. Mrs. Chu and Mrs. Heng have a loving friendship, but not being able to trust is their downfall. Okyo and Kichizo also have a very loving and caring friendship, but money and riches overpowers their friendship in the end.

Mrs. Chu, and Mrs. Heng, in "Uncanny Stories..." show a most admirable fulfilling friendship. Mrs. Chu was driven into the arms of a friend, after feeling deprived of her husband who spent most his days with his concubine. Mrs. Chu took a liking to Mrs. Heng, a neighbor. Mrs. Heng has an experience similar to that of Mr. Chu with her husband's concubine, although the Heng's never showed any signs of quarrels or discord in their household. This struck Mrs. Chu with an interest, because she wanted to know how her relationship with her husband could be brought back to a good situation. As the weeks and months passed by, the time the two women spent together increased. Mrs. Heng would give good advice as to how Mrs

These short stories just show a few examples of how friendship can be highly fulfilling, and at the same time have a low achievement. Even though these stories are fiction, they portray everyday situations that happen in real life. Every friendship has their ups and downs, but not always to this extreme.

In contrast to the admirable friendship the two ladies portrayed, I also believe their friendship has low limits. The whole time Mrs. Chu and Mrs. Heng were intimate friends, Mrs. Heng had a secret hidden. "We to like each other as much as if we had one body...Now however we must part, so I may dare to tell you the truth. You see, I am a fox spirit...." To me friendship is based on love, and most of all trust. Mrs. Chu and Mrs. Heng display the loving part of their friendship, but as for the trusting part, it is obvious their friendship lacks in that area. After all the years that passed, and everything the two ladies had gone through, Mrs. Heng didn't tell Mrs. Chu that she was a fox spirit until the day she had to leave. Mrs. Chu felt very hurt and betrayed when she found out this news, "Mrs. Chu gripped her hand, and took her leave sobbing." The whole time Mrs. Chu thought their friendship was true, it was all based on a lie. Just imagine the pain Mrs. Chu had to go through after Mrs. Heng left, her intimate friend gone for good. If Mrs. Heng was a good friend in actuality, she would have told Mrs. Chu from the begging th

Some common words found in the essay are:
Okyo Kichizo, Chu Heng, Uncanny Stories, Studio SongLing, chu heng, Trust Trust, Bender February, okyo kichizo, Tazzi Lit, fox spirit, friendship chu, money riches, limits low friendship, uncanny stories, hurt betrayed, chu hurt, intimate friends, friendship achieve, friendship chu heng, limits friendship achieve,
Approximate Word count = 976
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)