The Snake Charmer

　　A certain man from Dongjun made his living as a snake charmer. He had once raised two tame snakes, both green in color. The larger one he called Daqing (Big Green), and the smaller one Erqing (Second Green). Erqing had a red spot on its forehead and was especially clever and gentle. It would coil and twist however he wished, without fail. The snake charmer loved it more than any other snake.

　　After a year, Daqing died. The charmer wanted to find a replacement but had no time to look. One night, he stayed overnight at a mountain temple. At daybreak, when he opened his bamboo basket, Erqing was gone too. The snake charmer was so distressed and angry he could have died. He searched everywhere and called out, but there was no sign of the snake. Now, whenever he had passed through thick woods or tall grass, he used to let the snakes out so they could enjoy themselves, and they would always return on their own. So he hoped Erqing would come back. He sat waiting for it, but as the sun rose higher, he finally gave up and left, feeling glum.

　　He had gone only a few paces when he heard a rustling sound from a pile of firewood and brush. He stopped and looked in astonishment—it was Erqing! Overjoyed, he felt as if he had found a priceless treasure. He put his shoulder pole down by the roadside, and the snake stopped as well. Looking behind it, he saw a little snake following. He stroked Erqing and said, "I thought you had run away. Is this little friend someone you've brought to me?" He took out some snake food and fed Erqing, and also offered some to the little snake. The little snake didn't leave, but it shrank back, afraid to eat. Erqing took food in its mouth and fed it, just like a host urging a guest to eat. The charmer fed the little snake again, and then it ate. After eating, it followed Erqing into the basket. The charmer took it along and trained it. It coiled and turned just as it should, no different from Erqing. So he named it Xiaoqing (Little Green). He traveled everywhere showing off his snakes and made a great deal of money.

　　Generally speaking, snake charmers prefer snakes no longer than two feet, because larger ones are too heavy, and they then replace them. But Erqing was so gentle that he hadn't yet abandoned it. Two or three years passed, and Erqing grew to over three feet. When it lay down, it filled the basket completely. So he decided to let it go.

　　One day, he went to the eastern mountains of Ziyi County. He fed Erqing some fine food, said a prayer, and set it free. The snake left, but after a while it came back, coiling outside the basket. The charmer waved it away and said, "Go on. There's no such thing as a feast that lasts a hundred years. Hide yourself deep in the great valley, and you will surely become a divine dragon. How can you live in this little basket forever?" Then the snake left. The charmer watched it go. It soon came back again. He waved it away, but it wouldn't go. It touched the basket with its head. Xiaoqing inside was also trembling and moving about. The charmer understood. "Do you want to say goodbye to Xiaoqing?" he said. He opened the basket. Xiaoqing came straight out, and the two snakes entwined their heads and flicked their tongues together, as if talking to each other. After a while, they both slithered away together.

　　The charmer thought Xiaoqing would not return, but in a little while it came back all alone, entered the basket, and lay down. From then on, he looked everywhere for a new snake but could never find a good one. Xiaoqing also grew too large to perform. Later he got another snake that was fairly gentle, but it never matched Xiaoqing. And by then Xiaoqing was as thick as a child's arm.

　　Now, after Erqing was released, woodcutters in the mountains often saw it. Several years later, it had grown several feet long, as thick as a bowl, and began coming out to chase people. Travelers warned each other and dared not use that road.

　　One day, the snake charmer happened to pass through that area. A huge snake sprang out at him like the wind. Terrified, the charmer ran for his life, but the snake chased him even faster. He looked back—it was almost upon him—and then he saw the unmistakable red spot on its head. He realized it was Erqing. He put down his load and called out, "Erqing! Erqing!" The snake stopped at once. It raised its head for a long time, then threw itself around the charmer's body, just as it had done in its performing days. He could tell it meant him no harm, but its body was so huge and heavy that he couldn't bear being coiled. He fell to the ground, crying out in supplication, and the snake let him go. It then touched the basket with its head. The charmer understood. He opened the basket and took out Xiaoqing. When the two snakes saw each other, they wound together like twisted molasses, and it was a long time before they separated. Then the charmer made a wish for Xiaoqing: "I've long wanted to part with you. Now you have a companion." And he said to Erqing, "You brought him here. Now lead him away. One more thing: there's no shortage of food and drink in the deep mountains. Don't disturb travelers, or you'll bring Heaven's punishment down on you." The two snakes lowered their heads as if accepting his instructions. Then they swiftly left, the large one in front, the small one behind. Where they passed, the trees and grass parted down the middle. The snake charmer stood watching until they vanished from sight, then went on his way. From that time on, travelers used the road as usual. No one ever knew where the snakes went.

　　The Historian of the Strange comments:

　　A snake is nothing but a dumb creature, yet it could feel deep affection for an old friend and could follow advice as easily as turning a wheel. What is truly strange is that those who walk on two legs and call themselves human—who have been friends for ten years, or who have received generations of kindness from a master—can still think of dropping a stone down the well after someone. Or, when sincere advice is offered, they turn a deaf ear and treat the advisor as an enemy. They should be ashamed before these snakes.



中文如下：

　　蛇人

　　【原文】

　　东郡某甲，以弄蛇为业。尝蓄驯蛇二，皆青色，其大者呼之大青，小曰二青。二青额有赤点，尤灵驯，盘旋无不如意。蛇人爱之，异于他蛇。

　　期年，大青死，思补其缺，未暇遑也。一夜，寄宿山寺。既明，启笥，二青亦渺。蛇人怅恨欲死。冥搜亟呼，迄无影兆。然每值丰林茂草，辄纵之去，俾得自适，寻复还。以此故，冀其自至。坐伺之，日既高，亦已绝望，怏怏遂行。出门数武，闻丛薪错楚中，窸窣作响。停趾愕顾，则二青来也。大喜，如获拱璧。息肩路隅，蛇亦顿止。视其后，小蛇从焉。抚之曰：“我以汝为逝矣。小侣而所荐耶？”出饵饲之，兼饲小蛇。小蛇虽不去，然瑟缩不敢食。二青含哺之，宛似主人之让客者。蛇人又饲之，乃食。食已，随二青俱入笥中。荷去教之，旋折辄中规矩，与二青无少异，因名之小青。衒技四方，获利无算。

　　大抵蛇人之弄蛇也，止以二尺为率，大则过重，辄便更易。缘二青驯，故未遽弃。又二三年，长三尺馀，卧则笥为之满，遂决去之。一日，至淄邑东山间，饲以美饵，祝而纵之。既去，顷之复来，蜿蜒笥外。蛇人挥曰：“去之！世无百年不散之筵。从此隐身大谷，必且为神龙，笥中何可以久居也？”蛇乃去。蛇人目送之。已而复返，挥之不去，以首触笥。小青在中，亦震震而动。蛇人悟曰：“得毋欲别小青耶？”乃发笥。小青径出，因与交首吐舌，似相告语。已而委蛇并去。方意小青不返，俄而踽踽独来，竟入笥卧。由此随在物色，迄无佳者。而小青亦渐大，不可弄。后得一头，亦颇驯，然终不如小青良。而小青粗于儿臂矣。

　　先是，二青在山中，樵人多见之。又数年，长数尺，围如碗，渐出逐人。因而行旅相戒，罔敢出其途。一日，蛇人经其处，蛇暴出如风。蛇人大怖而奔，蛇逐益急。回顾已将及矣，而视其首，朱点俨然，始悟为二青。下担呼曰：“二青，二青！”蛇顿止。昂首久之，纵身绕蛇人，如昔弄状。觉其意殊不恶，但躯巨重，不胜其绕，仆地呼祷，乃释之。又以首触笥。蛇人悟其意，开笥出小青。二蛇相见，交缠如饴糖状，久之始开。蛇人乃祝小青：“我久欲与汝别，今有伴矣。”谓二青曰：“原君引之来，可还引之去。更嘱一言：深山不乏食饮，勿扰行人，以犯天谴。”二蛇垂头，似相领受。遽起，大者前，小者后，过处林木为之中分。蛇人伫立望之，不见乃去。自此行人如常，不知其何往也。

　　异史氏曰：蛇，蠢然一物耳，乃恋恋有故人之意，且其从谏也如转圜。独怪俨然而人也者，以十年把臂之交，数世蒙恩之主，辄思下井复投石焉。又不然，则药石相投，悍然不顾，且怒而仇焉者，亦羞此蛇也已。

　　【翻译】

　　东郡有一个人，以耍蛇戏为生。他曾经驯养了两条蛇，都是青色的，他管那条大的叫大青，小的叫二青。二青的前额上长着红点，尤其灵巧驯服，指挥它左右盘旋，表演动作，没有不如人意的。因此，耍蛇人十分宠爱它，和对待其他的蛇不一样。

　　过了一年，大青死了，耍蛇人想再找一条来补上这个空缺，但一直没有顾得上。一天夜里，他借住在一座山寺里。天亮后，打开竹箱一看，二青也不见了。耍蛇人懊丧恼恨得要死。他苦苦搜寻，高声呼叫，却找不到任何踪影迹象。先前的时候，每到了茂密的树林、繁盛的草丛，耍蛇人就把蛇放出去，等它们自由自在放松一番之后，不久自己就又回来了。由于这个原因，耍蛇人这次还希望二青自己能够回来。于是他就留下来等待，直到太阳升得很高，实在绝望了，才怏怏不乐地离开了。出寺门刚走了几步，他忽然听见杂乱的草木丛中，传来了“窸窸窣窣”的响声。他停下脚步惊奇地一看，正是二青回来了。耍蛇人很高兴，就像得到了珍贵的宝玉似的。他放下肩上的担子，站在了路边，蛇也跟着停了下来。再一看它后面，还跟着一条小蛇。耍蛇人抚摸着二青说：“我还以为你跑了呢。这小伙伴是你引荐给我的吗？”他边说边拿出蛇食喂二青，同时也喂给小蛇吃。小蛇虽然不离开，但还是缩着身子不敢吃。二青就用嘴含着食物喂它，好像主人请客人吃东西似的。耍蛇人再次喂食，小蛇才吃了。吃完，小蛇跟着二青都进了竹箱。耍蛇人带着小蛇进行训练，小蛇盘旋弯曲都很合乎要求，与二青没什么差别，于是耍蛇人给它取名叫小青。带着它们到处表演献技，赚了不少钱。

　　一般来说，耍蛇人耍弄的蛇，二尺以下的比较合适，再大就太重了，就要更换。二青虽然超过了二尺，但因为它驯服，所以耍蛇人没有马上就换掉它。又过了两三年，二青身长已经三尺多了，它一躺进去竹箱就满了，耍蛇人于是决心放掉它。有一天，他走到淄川县的东山里，拿出最好的食物喂二青，对它祝祷一番后放它离去。二青走了以后，过了一会儿又回来了，蜿蜒爬绕在竹箱外边。耍蛇人挥手驱赶它说：“走吧，世界上没有百年不散的筵席。你从此在深山大谷里藏身，将来必定会成为神龙，竹箱子里怎么可以久住呢？”二青这才离去。耍蛇人目送他远去。过了一会儿，二青又回来了，耍蛇人用手驱赶它，它也不走，只是用头不断地触碰竹箱。小青也在里面不安地窜动。耍蛇人忽然明白过来了，说：“你是不是要和小青告别呀？”就打开了竹箱。小青一下子蹿了出来，二青与它头颈相交，频频吐舌，好像在互相嘱咐说话。过了不久，两条蛇竟然扭扭曲曲地一起走了。耍蛇人正在想小青不会回来了，一会儿，小青却又独自回来，爬进竹箱里卧下了。从此耍蛇人随时都在物色新蛇，可是一直没找到合适的。小青也已渐渐长大，不便于表演了。后来，耍蛇人又找到一条蛇，也很驯服，但到底不如小青出色。可是这时小青已经粗得像小孩的胳臂了。

　　在此之前，二青在山中，不少打柴人曾经见过它。又过了几年，二青长成好几尺长，有碗口那么粗，渐渐地出来追赶起人来了。因此行人旅客们都相互告诫，不敢经过它出没的地方。有一天，耍蛇人经过那个地方，一条大蛇像狂风一样猛蹿了出来。耍蛇人大为惊恐拔腿就跑，那蛇追得更急了。他回头一看已经快追上来了，忽然发现蛇头上有明显的红点，这才明白这蛇就是二青。他放下担子呼叫道：“二青，二青！”那蛇顿时停下来，昂起头来停了很久，就纵身一扑，缠绕在了耍蛇人身上，就像以前表演时的样子。耍蛇人觉得它没什么恶意，只是躯干又大又沉，自己经不住它这么缠来绕去，就倒在地上呼叫央求起来，二青于是放开了他。二青又用头去碰撞竹箱。耍蛇人明白了它的意思，打开竹箱放出了小青。两条蛇一相见，立即紧紧交缠在一块儿，盘绕得像用蜜糖粘在一起似的，很久才分开。耍蛇人于是对小青祝愿说：“我早就想和你告别了，如今你可有伴儿了。”又对二青说：“小青原本就是你引来的，你可以还把它带走。我再嘱咐你一句话：深山里面不缺吃喝，不要惊扰过往的行人，以免惹怒了上天受到惩罚。”两条蛇垂着头，好像接受了他的劝告。忽然蹿开离去，大的在前面走，小的在后面走，所过之处，树木草丛都被它们从中间分开，向两边倒伏。耍蛇人站立在那里望着它们，直到看不见了才离开。从此以后，行人经过那一带地方又恢复了往常的安宁，也不知道那两条蛇到哪里去了。

　　异史氏说：蛇，只是个蠢丑的爬行动物，也还恋恋不舍地有故人之情，而且听到劝告就会迅速地接受。我唯独奇怪的是有些看起来人模人样的家伙，对十年亲密来往的好朋友，对几代都蒙受人家恩德的恩主，动不动就想落井下石地进行陷害。又有一些人对别人良药苦口的劝告，毫不理会，而且还怒气冲冲地把人家当仇人相待，真是连蛇都还不如！