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The Sea Serpent

A TRADER named Chia was voyaging on the south seas, when one night it suddenly became as light as day on board his ship. Jumping up to see what was the matter, he beheld a huge creature with its body half out of the water, towering up like a hill. Its eyes resembled two suns, and threw a light far and wide; and when the trader asked the boatmen what it was, there was not one who could say. They all crouched down and watched it; and by and by the monster gradually disappeared in the water again, leaving everything in darkness as before. And when they reached port, they found all the people talking about a strange phenomenon of a great light that had appeared in the night, the time of which coincided exactly with the strange scene they themselves had witnessed.

夜明

有賈客泛於南海。三更時,舟中大亮似曉。起視,見一巨物,半身出水上,儼若山岳;目如兩日初升,光四射,大地皆明。駭問舟人,並無知者。共伏瞻之。移時,漸縮入水,乃復晦。後至閩中,俱言某夜明而復昏,相傳為異。計其時,則舟中見怪之夜也。

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