The Spirit Officer

　　A Daoist priest at the Chaotian Temple was fond of the art of breath control and inner cultivation. An old man lodged in the temple as a temporary resident. Happening to share the same interest, they became friends in the Way. The old man lived there for several years. Every year, when the time for the suburban sacrifice came, he would always leave about ten days beforehand and only return after the sacrifice was over. The priest grew suspicious and asked him why.

　　The old man said, "We two are devoted friends, so I may tell you the truth: I am a fox. When the time for the suburban sacrifice approaches, all the deities come to purify the realm of filth. I have nowhere to hide, so I flee and go into hiding."

　　Another year came, and at the appointed time the old man left. But after a long while he did not return. The priest wondered what had happened. One day the old man suddenly appeared. The priest asked him the reason. He replied, "I nearly never saw you again! I had intended to flee far away, but I grew rather weary. I noticed a drain that seemed very secluded, so I hid beneath a jar in the ditch. I never expected that the Spirit Officer would come to cleanse that very spot. He caught sight of me at once and angrily raised his whip to strike me. I fled in terror, and the Spirit Officer pursued me fiercely. When I reached the Yellow River, he was almost upon me. In great desperation, with no plan left, I dived into a latrine and crouched there. The deity, disgusted by the filth, finally turned back and left.

　　"When I came out, I was so stained with stench and grime that I could no longer walk among the living. So I plunged into the water and washed myself, then hid in a cave. It took nearly a hundred days before the filth was completely cleansed. Now I have come to bid you farewell, and also to give you a warning: you too should move away to some other place. A great calamity is coming—this is not a blessed land."

　　With these words, he took his leave. The priest followed his advice and moved away. Not long after, the Catastrophe of the Jiashen Year (1644) occurred.


原文如下：

朝天观道士某，喜吐纳之术。有翁假寓观中，适同所好，遂为玄友。居数年，每至郊祭时，辄先旬日而去，郊后乃返。道士疑而问之。翁曰：“我两人莫逆，可以实告：我狐也。郊期至，则诸神清秽，我无所容，故行遁耳。”又一年，及期而去，久不复返。疑之。一日忽至，因问其故。答曰：“我几不复见子矣！曩欲远避，心颇怠，视阴沟甚隐，遂潜伏卷瓮下。不意灵官粪除至此，瞥为所睹，愤欲加鞭。余惧而逃，灵官追逐甚急。至黄河上，濒将及矣。大窘无计，窜伏溷中。神恶其秽，始返身去。既出，臭恶沾染，不可复游人世。乃投水自濯讫，又蛰隐穴中，几百日，垢浊始净。今来相别，兼以致嘱：君亦宜引身他去，大劫将来，此非福地也。”言已，辞去。道士依言别徙。未几，而有甲申之变。

【翻译】

朝天观的道士某人，喜欢吐纳养生术。有一个老头儿借住在观中，恰好也同样喜欢这种养生法术，两人于是就成了道友。老头儿在观中住了几年，每年到了郊祭天地的时候，他就提前十来天离开道观，郊祭结束后再返回观里。道士对此很是疑惑，就问老头儿为什么要这样。老头儿说：“我们两人是莫逆之交，我可以实话告诉你，我是只狐狸。郊祭的日子一到，各路神仙就都会来清扫污秽，我便无处容身了，所以才自行逃走。”又过了一年，快到郊祭的日期时，老头儿又走了，但过了很长时间也没有返回观中来。道士的心里非常疑惑。一天，老头儿忽然来了，道士就问他为什么这么晚才返回。老头儿回答说：“我几乎见不到先生了！我先前本想去远远地躲藏起来，但心里感到很倦怠，看到阴沟里很是隐蔽，于是就潜伏在阴沟入口的瓮下面。没想到王灵官打扫到这里，一眼就看见了我，他生气地想要用鞭打我。我害怕地逃走，灵官神在后面追赶得很紧。我跑到黄河边上时，眼看灵官神就要追上来了，万般无奈，我就窜进厕所里面趴着。神灵嫌这地方太肮脏，才返身离去。我从那里面出来，身上沾染上了恶臭，不能再在人世间出没了。于是，我跳进水里，清洗自己的身体，洗完后又隐居在洞穴里，过了将近一百天，污垢才除尽。今天我来是和你告别的，同时，告诉你几句话：先生也应该离开这里到其他地方去隐居，大的劫难即将来临，这里不是安乐之地。”说完，老头儿告辞而去。道士听从了老头儿的话，搬迁到别的地方去了。没过多久，就发生了明朝覆灭的甲申之变。