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Miss Chiao-No

 K'UNG HSUEH-LI was a descendant of Confucius. He was a man of considerable ability, and an excellent poet. A fellow-student, to whom he was much attached, became magistrate at T'ien-t'ai, and sent for K'ung to join him. Unfortunately, just before K'ung arrived his friend died, and he found himself without the means of returning home; so he took up his abode in a Buddhist monastery, where he was employed in transcribing for the priests. Several hundred paces to the west of this monastery there was a house belonging to a Mr. Shan, a gentleman who had known better days, but who had spent all his money in a heavy law-suit; and then, as his family was a small one, had gone away to live in the country and left his house vacant. One day there was a heavy fall of snow which kept visitors away from the monastery; and K'ung, finding it dull, went out. As he was passing by the door of the house above-mentioned, a young man of very elegant appearance came forth, who, the moment he saw K'ung, ran up to him, and with a bow, entered into conversation, asking him to be pleased to walk in. K'ung was much taken with the young man, and followed him inside. The rooms were not particularly large, but adorned throughout with embroidered curtains, and from the walls hung scrolls and drawings by celebrated masters. On the table lay a book, the title of which was, "Jottings from Paradise;" and turning over its leaves, K'ung found therein many strange things. He did not ask the young man his name, presuming that as he lived in the Shan family mansion, he was necessarily the owner of the place. The young man, however, inquired what he was doing in that part of the country, and expressed great sympathy with his misfortunes, recommending him to set about taking pupils. "Alas!" said K'ung, "who will play the Maecenas to a distressed wayfarer like myself?" "If," replied the young man, "you would condescend so far, I for my part would gladly seek instruction at your hands." K'ung was much gratified at this, but said he dared not arrogate to himself the position of teacher, and begged merely to be considered as the young man's friend. He then asked him why the house had been shut up for so long; to which the young man replied, "This is the Shan family mansion. It has been closed all this time because of the owner's removal into the country. My surname is Huang-fu, and my home is in Shen-si; but as our house has been burnt down in a great fire, we have put up here for a while." Thus Mr. K'ung found out that his name was not Shan. That evening they spent in laughing and talking together, and K'ung remained there for the night. In the morning a lad came in to light the fire ; and the young man, rising first, went into the private part of the house. Mr. K'ung was sitting up with the bed-clothes still huddled round him, when the lad looked in and said, "Master's coming!" So he jumped up with a start, and in came an old man with a silvery beard, who began to thank him, saying, "I am very much obliged to you for your condescension in becoming my son's tutor. At present he writes a villanous hand ; and I can only hope you will not allow the ties of friendship to inter- fere with discipline." Thereupon, he presented Mr. K'ung with an embroidered suit of clothes, a sable hat, and a set of shoes and stockings ; and when the latter had washed and dressed himself he called for wine and food. K'ung could not make out what the valances of the chairs and tables were made of: they were so very bright-coloured and dazzling. By-and-by, when the wine had circulated several times, the old gentleman picked up his walking-stick and took his leave. After breakfast, the young man handed in his theme, which turned out to be written in an archaic style, and not at all after the modern fashion of essay-writing. K'ung asked him why he had done this, to which the young man replied that he did not contemplate competing at the public examinations. In the evening they had another drinking-bout, but it was agreed that there should be no more of it after that night. The young man then called the boy and told him to see if his father was asleep or not ; adding, that if he was, he might quietly summon Miss Perfume. The boy went off, first taking a guitar out of a very pretty case ; and in a few minutes in came a very nice-looking young girl. The young man bade her play the Death of Shun; 5 and seizing an ivory plectrum she swept the chords, pouring forth a vocal melody of exquisite sweetness and pathos. He then gave her a goblet of wine to drink, and it was midnight before they parted. Next morning they got up early and settled down to work. The young man proved an apt scholar; he could remember what he had once read, and at the end of two or three months had made astonishing progress. Then they agreed that every five days they would indulge in a symposium, and that Miss Perfume should always be of the party. One night when the wine had gone into K'ung's head, he seemed to be lost in a reverie ; whereupon his young friend, who knew what was the matter with him, said, " This girl was brought up by my father. I know you find it lonely, and I have long been looking out for a nice wife for you." " Let her only resemble Miss Perfume," said K'ung, "and she will do." "Your experience," said the young man, laughing, "is but limited, and, consequently, anything is a surprise to you. If Miss Perfume is your beau ideal, why it will not be difficult to satisfy you."

Some six months had passed away, when one day Mr. K'ung took it into his head that he would like to go out for a stroll in the country. The entrance, however, was carefully closed; and on asking the reason, the young man told him that his father wished to receive no guests for fear of causing interruption to his studies. So K'ung thought no more about it; and by-and-by, when the heat of summer came on, they moved their study to a pavilion in the garden. At this time Mr. K'ung had a swelling on the chest about as big as a peach, which, in a single night, increased to the size of a bowl. There he lay groaning with the pain, while his pupil waited upon him day and night. He slept badly and took hardly any food; and in a few days the place got so much worse that he could neither eat nor drink. The old gentleman also came in, and he and his son lamented over him together. Then the young man said, " I was thinking last night that my sister, Chiao-no, would be able to cure Mr. K'ung, and accordingly I sent over to my grandmother's asking her to come. She ought to be here by now." At that moment a servant entered and announced Miss Chiao-no, who had come with her cousin, having been at her aunt's house. Her father and brother ran out to meet her, and then brought her in to see Mr. K'ung. She was between thirteen and fourteen years old, and had beautiful eyes with a very intelligent expression in them, and a most graceful figure besides. No sooner had Mr. K'ung beheld this lovely creature than he quite forgot to groan, and began to brighten up. Meanwhile the young man was saying, "This respected friend of mine is the same to me as a brother. Try, sister, to cure him." Miss Chiao-no immediately dismissed her blushes, and rolling up her long sleeves approached the bed to feel his pulse. As she was grasping his wrist, K'ung became conscious of a perfume more delicate than that of the epidendrum; and then she laughed, saying, "This illness was to be expected; for the heart is touched. Though it is severe, a cure can be effected; but, as there is already a swelling, not without using the knife." Then she drew from her arm a gold bracelet which she pressed down upon the suffering spot, until by degrees the swelling rose within the bracelet and overtopped it by an inch and more, the outlying parts that were inflamed also passing under, and thus very considerably reducing the extent of the tumour. With one hand she opened her robe and took out a knife with an edge as keen as paper, and pressing the bracelet down all the time with the other, proceeded to cut lightly round near the root of the swelling. The dark blood gushed forth, and stained the bed and the mat; but Mr. K'ung was delighted to be near such a beauty, not only felt no pain, but would willingly have continued the operation that she might sit by him a little longer. In a few moments the whole thing was removed, and the place looked like the knot on a tree where a branch has been cut away. Here Miss Chiao-no called for water to wash the wound, and from between her lips she took a red pill as big as a bullet, which she laid upon the flesh, and, after drawing the skin together, passed round and round the place. The first turn felt like the searing of a hot iron ; the second like a gentle itching; and at the third he ex- perienced a sensation of lightness and coolness which penetrated into his very bones and marrow. The young lady then returned the pill to her mouth, and said, " He is cured," hurrying away as fast as she could. Mr. K'ung jumped up to thank her, and found that his com- plaint had quite disappeared. Her beauty, however, had made such an impression on him that his troubles were hardly at an end. From this moment he gave up his books, and took no interest in anything. This state of things was soon noticed by the young man, who said to him, " My brother, I have found a fine match for you." "Who is it to be?" asked K'ung. "Oh, one of the family," replied his friend. Thereupon Mr. K'ung remained some time lost in thought, and at length said, " Please don't ! " Then turning his face to the wall, he repeated these lines :

" Speak not of lakes and streams to him who once has seen the sea;
The clouds that circle Wu's peak are the only clouds for me."

The young man guessed to whom he was alluding, and replied, "My father has a very high opinion of your talents, and would gladly receive you into the family, but that he has only one daughter, and she is much too young. My cousin, Ah-sung, however, is seventeen years old, and not at all a bad-looking girl. If you doubt my word, you can wait in the verandah until she takes her daily walk in the garden, and thus judge for yourself." This Mr. K'ung acceded to, and accordingly saw Miss Chiao-no come out with a lovely girl her black eyebrows beautifully arched, and her tiny feet encased in phcenix-shaped shoes as like one another as they well could be. He was of course de- lighted, and begged the young man to arrange all preliminaries ; and the very next day his friend came to tell him that the affair was finally settled. A portion of the house was given up to the bride and bridegroom, and the marriage was celebrated with plenty of music and hosts of guests, more like a fairy wedding than any- thing else. Mr. K'ung was very happy, and began to think that the position of Paradise had been wrongly laid down, until one day the young man came to him and said, " For the trouble you have been at in teaching me, I shall ever remain your debtor. At the present moment, the Shan family law-suit has been brought to a termination, and they wish to resume possession of their house immediately. We therefore propose returning to Shen-si, and as it is unlikely that you and I will ever meet again, I feel very sorrowful at the prospect of parting." Mr. K'ung replied that he would go too, but the young man advised him to return to his old home. This, he observed, was no easy matter; upon which the young man said, "Don't let that trouble you : I will see you safe there." By-and-by his father came in with Mr. K'ung's wife, and presented Mr. K'ung with one hundred ounces of gold; and then the young man gave the husband and wife each one of his hands to grasp, bidding them shut their eyes. The next instant they were floating away in the air, with the wind whizzing in their ears. In a little while he said, "You have ar- rived," and opening his eyes, K'ung beheld his former home. Then he knew that the young man was not a human being. Joyfully he knocked at the old door, and his mother was astonished to see him arrive with such a nice wife. They were all rejoicing together, when he turned round and found that his friend had dis- appeared. His wife attended on her mother-in-law with great devotion, and acquired a reputation both for virtue and beauty, which was spread round far and near. Some time passed away, and then Mr. K'ung took his doctor's degree, and was appointed Governor of the Gaol in Yen-ngan. He proceeded to his post with his wife only, the journey being too long for his mother, and by-and-by a son was born. Then he got into trouble by being too honest an official, and threw up his appointment ; but had not the wherewithal to get home again. One day when out hunting he met a handsome young man riding on a nice horse, and seeing that he was staring very hard looked closely at him. It was young Huang-fu. So they drew bridle, and fell to laughing and crying by turns, the young man then in- viting K'ung to go along with him. They rode on together until they had reached a village thickly shaded with trees, so that the sun and sky were invisible over- head, and entered into a most elaborately-decorated mansion, such as might belong to an old-established family. K'ung asked after Miss Chiao-no, and heard that she was married ; also that his own mother-in-law was dead, at which tidings he was greatly moved. Next day he went back and returned again with his wife. Chiao-no also joined them, and taking up K'ung's child played with it, saying, " Your mother played us truant." Mr. K'ung did not forget to thank her for her former kindness to him, to which she replied, "You're a great man now. Though the wound has healed, haven't you forgotten the pain yet?" Her husband, too, came to pay his respects, returning with her on the following morning. One day the young Huang-fu seemed troubled in spirit, and said to Mr. K'ung, "A great calamity is impending. Can you help us? " Mr. K'ung did not know what he was alluding to, but readily promised his assistance. The young man then ran out and summoned the whole family to worship in the ancestral hall, at which Mr. K'ung was alarmed, and asked what it all meant. "You know," answered the young man, " I am not a man but a fox. To-day we shall be attacked by thunder; and if only you will aid us in our trouble, we may still hope to escape. If you are unwilling, take your child and go, that you may not be involved wich us." Mr. K'ung protested he would live or die with them, and so the young man placed him with a sword at the door, bidding him remain quiet there in spite of all the thunder. He did as he was told, and soon saw black clouds obscuring the light until it was all as dark as pitch. Looking round, he could see that the house had disappeared, and that its place was occupied by a huge mound and a bottomless pit. In the midst of his terror, a fearful peal was heard which shook the very hills, accompanied by a violent wind and driving rain. Old trees were torn up, and Mr. K'ung became both dazed and deaf. Yet he stood firm until he saw in a dense black column of smoke a horrid thing with a sharp beak and long claws, with which it snatched some one from the hole, and was disappearing up with the smoke. In an instant K'ung knew by her clothes and shoes that the victim was no other than Chiao-no, and instantly jumping up he struck the devil violently with his sword, and cut it down. Immediately the mountains were riven, and a sharp peal of thunder laid K'ung dead upon the ground. Then the clouds cleared away, and Chiao-no gradually came round, to find K'ung dead at her feet. She burst out crying at the sight, and declared that she would not live since K'ung had died for her. K'ung's wife also came out, and they bore the body inside. Chiao-no then made Ah-sung hold her husband's head, while her brother prised open his teeth with a hair-pin, and she herself arranged his jaw. She next put a red pill into his mouth, and bending down breathed into him. The pill went along with the current of air, and presently there was a gurgle in his throat, and he came round. Seeing all the family about him, he was disturbed as if waking from a dream. However they were all united together, and fear gave place to joy; but Mr. K'ung objected to live in that out-of-the-way place, and proposed that they should return with him to his native village. To this they were only too pleased to assent all except Chiao-no; and when Mr. K'ung invited her husband, Mr. Wu, as well, she said she feared her father and mother-in-law would not like to lose the children. They had tried all day to persuade her, but without success, when suddenly in rushed one of the Wu family's servants, dripping with perspiration and quite out of breath. They asked what was the matter, and the servant replied that the Wu family had been visited by a calamity on the very same day, and had every one perished. Chiao-no cried very bitterly at this, and could not be comforted; but now there was nothing to prevent them from all returning together. Mr. K'ung went into the city for a few days on business, and then they set to work packing-up night and day. On arriving at their destination, separate apartments were allotted to young Mr. Huang-fu, and these he kept carefully shut up, only opening the door to Mr. K'ung and his wife.


Mr. K'ung amused himself with the young man and his sister Chiao-no, filling up the time with chess, wine, conversation, and good cheer, as if they had been one family. His little boy, Huan, grew up to be a handsome young man, with a fox-like penchant for roaming about; and it was generally known that he was actually the son of a fox.

嬌娜

孔生雪笠,聖裔也。為人蘊藉,工詩。有執友令天台,寄函招之。生往,令適卒。落拓不得歸,寓菩陀寺,佣為寺僧抄錄。寺西百餘步,有單先生第。先生故公子,以大訟蕭條,眷口寡,移而鄉居,宅遂曠焉。一日,大雪崩騰,寂無行旅。偶過其門,一少年出,丰采甚都。見生,趨與為禮,略致慰問,即屈降臨。生愛悅之,慨然從入。屋宇都不甚廣,處處悉懸錦幕,壁上多古人書畫。案頭書一冊,簽云:《琅嬛瑣記》。翻閱一過,皆目所未睹。生以居單第,意為第主,即亦不審官閥。少年細詰行蹤,意憐之,勸設帳授徒。生嘆曰:「羈旅之人,誰作曹丘者?」少年曰:「倘不以駑駘見斥,願拜門牆。」生喜,不敢當師,請為友。便問:「宅何久錮?」答曰:「此為單府,曩以公子鄉居,是以久曠。僕皇甫氏,祖居陝。以家宅焚于野火,暫借安頓。」生始知非單。當晚,談笑甚歡,即留共榻。昧爽,即有僮子熾炭火于室。少年先起入內,生尚擁被坐。僮入,白:「太公來。」生驚起。一叟入,鬢髮皤然,向生殷謝曰:「先生不棄頑兒,遂肯賜教。小子初學塗鴉,勿以友故,行輩視之也。」已,乃進錦衣一襲,貂帽、襪、履各一事。視生盥櫛已,乃呼酒荐饌。幾、榻、裙、衣,不知何名,光彩射目。酒數行,叟興辭,曳杖而去。餐訖,公子呈課業,類皆古文詞,並無時藝。問之,笑云:「僕不求進取也。」抵暮,更酌曰:「今夕盡歡,明日便不許矣。」呼僮曰:「視太公寢未;已寢,可暗喚得奴來。」僮去,先以繡囊將琵琶至。少頃,一婢入,紅妝艷絕。公子命彈湘妃。婢以牙撥勾動,激揚哀烈,節拍不類夙聞。又命以巨觴行酒,三更始罷。次日,早起共讀。公子最慧,過目成詠,二三月後,命筆警絕。相約五日一飲,每飲必招香奴。一夕,酒酣氣熱,目注之。公子已會其意,曰:「此婢乃為老父所豢養。兄曠邈無家,我夙夜代籌久矣。行當為君謀一佳偶。」生曰:「如果惠好,必如香奴者。」公子笑曰:「君誠『少所見而多所怪』者矣。以此為佳,君願亦易足也。」
  居半載,生欲翱翔郊郭,至門,則雙扉外扃。問之,公子曰:「家君恐交游紛意念,故謝客耳。」生亦安之。時盛暑溽熱,移齋園亭。生胸間腫起如桃,一夜如碗,痛楚呻吟。公子朝夕省視,眠食都廢。又數日,創劇,益絕食飲。太公亦至,相對太息。公子曰:「兒前夜思先生清恙,嬌娜妹子能療之。遣人于外祖處呼令歸,何久不至?」俄僮入白:「娜姑至,姨與松姑同來。」父子疾趨入內。少間,引妹來視生。年約十三四,嬌波流慧,細柳生姿。生望見顏色,嚬呻頓忘,精神為之一爽。公子便言:「此兄良友,不啻胞也,妹子好醫之。」女乃斂羞容,揄長袖,就榻診視。把握之間,覺芳氣勝蘭。女笑曰:「宜有是疾,心脈動矣。然症雖危,可治,但膚塊已凝,非伐皮削肉不可。」乃脫臂上金釧安患處,徐徐按下之。創突起寸許,高出釧外,而根際餘腫,盡束在內,不似前如碗闊矣。乃一手啟羅衿,解佩刀,刃薄于紙,把釧握刃,輕輕附根而割。紫血流溢,沾染床席,而貪近妖姿,不惟不覺其苦,且恐速竣割事,偎傍不久。未幾,割斷腐肉,團團然如樹上削下之癭。又呼水來,為洗割處。口吐紅丸,如彈大,著肉上,按令旋轉:才一周,覺熱火蒸騰;再一周,習習作癢;三周已,遍體清涼,沁入骨髓。女收丸入咽,曰:「愈矣!」趨步也。生躍起走謝,沉痼若失。而懸想容輝。苦不自已。自是廢卷痴坐,無復聊賴。公子已窺之,曰:「弟為兄物色,得一佳偶。」問:「何人?」曰:「亦弟眷屬。」生凝思良久,但云:「勿須。」面壁吟曰:「曾經滄海難為水,除卻巫山不是雲。」公子會其指,曰:「家君仰慕鴻才,常欲附為婚姻。但止一少妹,齒太稚。有姨女阿松,年十八矣,頗不粗陋。如不見信,松姊日涉園亭,伺前廂,可望見之。」生如其教,果見嬌娜偕麗人來,畫黛彎蛾,蓮鉤蹴鳳,與嬌娜相伯仲也。生大悅,請公子作伐。公子翼日自內出,賀曰:「諧矣。」乃除別院,為生成禮。是夕,鼓吹闐咽,塵落漫飛,以望中仙人,忽同衾幄,遂疑廣寒宮殿,未必在雲霄矣。合巹之後,甚愜心懷。一夕,公子謂生曰:「切磋之惠,無日可以忘之。近單公子解訟歸,索宅甚急,意將棄此而西。勢難復聚,因而離緒縈懷。」生願從之而去。公子勸還鄉閭,生難之。公子曰:「勿慮,可即送君行。」無何,太公引松娘至,以黃金百兩贈生。公子以左右手與生夫婦相把握,囑閉眸勿視。飄然履空,但覺耳際風鳴,久之曰:「至矣。」啟目,果見故里。始知公子非人。喜叩家門。母出非望,又睹美婦,方共忻慰。及回顧,則公子逝矣。松娘事姑孝;艷色賢名,聲聞遐邇。
  後生舉進士,授延安司李,攜家之任。母以道遠不行。松娘舉一男,名小宦。生以迕直指罷官,罣礙不得歸。偶獵郊野,逢一美少年,跨驪駒,頻頻瞻顧。細看,則皇甫公子也。攬轡停驂,悲喜交至。邀生去,至一村,樹木濃昏,蔭翳天日。入其家,則金漚浮釘,宛然世族。問妹子,則嫁;岳母,已亡,深相感悼。經宿別去,偕妻同返。嬌娜亦至,抱生子掇提而弄曰:「姊姊亂吾種矣。」生拜謝曩德。笑曰:「姊夫貴矣。創口已合,未忘痛耶?」妹夫吳郎,亦來拜謁。信宿乃去。
  一日,公子有懮色,謂生曰:「天降凶殃,能相救否?」生不知何事,但銳自任。公子趨出,招一傢俱入,羅拜堂上。生大駭,亟問。公子曰:「余非人類,狐也。今有雷霆之劫。君肯以身赴難,一門可望生全;不然,請抱子而行,無相累。」生矢共生死。乃使仗劍于門,囑曰:「雷霆轟擊,勿動也!」生如所教。果見陰雲晝暝,昏黑如䃜。回視舊居,無復閈閎,惟見高塚巋然,巨穴無底。方錯愕間,霹靂一聲,擺簸山嶽;急雨狂風,老樹為拔。生目眩耳聾,屹不少動。忽于繁煙黑絮之中,見一鬼物,利喙長爪,自穴攫一人出,隨煙直上。瞥睹衣履,念似嬌娜。乃急躍離地,以劍擊之,隨手墮落。忽而崩雷暴裂,生仆,遂斃。少間,睛霽,嬌娜已能自蘇。見生死于旁,大哭曰:「孔郎為我而死,我何生矣!」松娘亦出,共舁生歸。嬌娜使松娘捧其首;兄以金簪撥其齒;自乃撮其頤,以舌度紅丸入,又接吻而呵之。紅丸隨氣入喉,格格作響。移時,醒然而蘇。見眷口滿前,恍如夢寤。於是一門團圞,驚定而喜。生以幽壙不可久居,議同旋里。滿堂交贊,惟嬌娜不樂。生請與吳郎俱,又慮翁媼不肯離幼子,終日議不果。忽吳家一小奴,汗流氣促而至。驚致研詰,則吳郎家亦同日遭劫,一門俱沒。嬌娜頓足悲傷,涕不可止。共慰勸之。而同歸之計遂決。生入城勾當數日,遂連夜趣裝。既歸,以閑園寓公子,恆反關之;生及松娘至,始發扃。生與公子兄妹,棋酒談讌,若一家然。小宦長成,貌韶秀,有狐意。出游都市,共知為狐兒也。
  異史氏曰:「余於孔生,不羨其得艷妻,而羨其得膩友也。觀其容可以忘飢,聽其聲可以解頤。得此良友,時一談宴,則『色授魂與』,尤勝于『顛倒衣裳』矣。」

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