Gan Zong 甘宗

The Qin envoy Gan Zong reported from Xicheng that:

In foreign lands there are people who can summon deities by incantations. Approaching a river, adopting the ‘Yu walk’* and blowing, they cause a dragon to appear. On first emerging, it would be several tens of zhang** in length, but when the scholar blew again it would shrink, reaching only several cun,*** at which he would put it in a flask (rather teapot-shaped), feeding it with a little water. Foreign realms often suffer from severe drought, and when the scholar hears of a place with such as drought, he will send the dragon, taking it out to sell. One dragon is worth several catties of gold. The entire realm will gather to see it, and, once in place, he will open the pot and release the dragon. Placed in a deep pool, once the ‘Yu walk’* and blowing has been performed, it will grow to several zhang. In a moment rain will gather from the four directions.

From Baopuzi.

* The ‘Yu walk’ yubu 禹步 here refers to an imitation of the legendary Emperor Yu’s limp, reportedly employed as a magical technique. My thanks to the ever-helpful Ofer Waldman for bringing this to my attention and vastly improving this translation.

** A zhang 丈 is usually reckoned at about 3.3m in length.

*** A cun 寸 is usually reckoned at about 3.3cm in length.

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), ix, 418.3402:

甘宗

秦使者甘宗所奏西城事云。外國方土能神呪者。臨川禹步吹氣。龍卽浮出。初出。乃長數十丈。方士吹之。一吹則龍輒一縮。至長數寸。乃取置壺中。以少水養之。外國常苦旱災。於是方士聞有（有原作而。據明鈔本丶陳校本改。）旱處。便賚龍往。出賣之。一龍直金數十觔。擧國會歛以顧之。直畢。乃發壺出龍。置淵中。復禹步吹之。長數十丈。須臾雨四集矣。

出抱朴子

A Strangeness of Dogs 犬異

During the fourth month of the fourteenth year in the Jin realm’s Tianhui era,* the capital saw little rain, but at a great thunderclap a crowd of several dozen dogs fought to hurry into the (Yellow) River. Only one or two of them could be saved.

* This is confusing; the Tianhui 天會 era is usually dated to 1135-38 CE.

犬異

金國天會十四年四月中，京小雨，大雷震，羣犬數十争赴土河而死，所可救者才一二耳。

Hong Mai 洪邁,  He Zhuo 何卓 (ed.), Yijianzhi 夷堅志 (Record of Yijian) (Beijing: Zhonghua Shuju, 1981), 4 volumes, i, 甲1.7.

Fan Ying 樊英

The Han-era Fan Ying was skilled with books of augury and had a deep understanding of the obscure and the profound. During the Yongtai era,[1] he had an audience with the emperor, after which he turned to the southwest and spat. It was decreed he be questioned as to why. He replied: “Today there is fire in Chengdu.” Shu Prefecture subsequently reported a conflagration, which accorded precisely with that day. It also said: “Just at that time a rain came from the northeast, so the fire did not cause much damage.” Ying once suddenly loosed his hair, drew a blade, and hacked about him within the house. His wife was taken aback and asked why. Ying said: “Disciple Xi has encountered bandits.” Disciple Xi, named Xun, was Ying’s pupil and follower, and was at the time on a long journey. On his return, he reported that he had run into thieves on the road and owed his release to a loose-haired old man, [477] thanks to whom he escaped scot-free. During the Yongjian era (126-32 CE), a bell atop the palace hall rang by itself. The emperor was extremely concerned at this, and the nobles and ministers were all unable to explain it. He therefore asked Ying. Ying told him: “Min Peak in Shu has collapsed, and its mother[2] rang out due to the fall of her son. It is not a catastrophe for this court.”

From Yingbiezhuan.

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), ii, 76.476-77:

樊英

漢樊英。善圖緯。洞達幽微。永太中。見帝。因向西南噀之。詔問其故。對曰。成都今日火。後蜀郡言火災。正符其日。又云。時有雨從東北來。故火不大為害。英嘗忽被髮拔刀。斫擊舍中。妻怪問其故。英曰。郗生遇賊。郗生者名巡。是英弟子。時遠行。後還說。於道中逢賊。賴一被髮老人相救。 [477] 故得全免。永建時。殿上鐘自鳴。帝甚憂之。公卿莫能解。乃問英。英曰。蜀岷山崩。母崩子故鳴。非聖朝災也。尋奏蜀山崩。出英別傳

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[1] This timescale doesn’t seem to work. It could perhaps refer to the Yongning era (120-21 CE).

[2] I don’t understand this! Must be missing a reference.

Xiao Siyu 蕭思遇

Xiao Siyu was a paternal grand-nephew of the Liang Emperor Wu (464-549 CE, r. 502-49). His father, Que, was killed by Hou Jing,[1] and due to his father’s death he refused to enter public life. He often yearned for the Way, and wished to meet the immortals. He was thus named Siyu (‘Desiring Encounters’), with the courtesy name Wangming (‘Expecting Illumination’), and said he hoped to encounter divinities. His residence was in Dongshan, within Huqiu, by nature he was frugal and quiet, and he loved music and books. Whenever the wind rustled the pines, he would stop playing and utter a long cry, startling all those dwelling in buildings on the mountain, and he would often sit on a rock in the rain and sing.

Suddenly, hearing someone knocking at the wicker gate, Siyu suspected that this was something strange. He ordered a servant to ask who was there. The answer came: “There is no need to ask.” The voice seemed, however, to come out of the rain, along the [2596] washing-brook. When the servant-boy opened the door, he saw a beautiful woman, followed by two dark-robed maids, all of celestial appearance. Siyu donned his reclusive scholar’s clothes and greeted them politely, saying: “Just now the lady’s speech was heard coming along the washing brook, from a distance through the rain. I don’t know whether you came by carriage?” The woman said: “It is said the gentleman treasures a different path, and is simple and clean of intent. I do not ride a carriage, but arrived on the wind.” Siyu said: “If you arrived via the washbrook, must you not be Xishi?[2] The woman turned to the two youths and laughed, then asked the gentleman how he had known of her. Siyu said: “There’s no need to worry; we should just go to bed.”

When dawn broke and they were about to part the woman left a gold bracelet as a parting gift. Siyu said that his heart would stay true without such things. The lady told him: “That is extremely rare.” Siyu asked: “If the lady leaves now, when will she return?” She then wept and said: “I dare not promise a time, or speak empty words of affection.” Siyu was also sorrowful. Once they had finished speaking, she mounted the wind and departed. Before long, she had disappeared from sight, leaving only a fragrance lingering in the bedchamber. This was the second day of the second month in the first year of the Chen Wen Emperor’s Tianjia era (560 CE).

From Bowuzhi (Note: the Chenjiaoben reports that this comes from the Xubowuzhi)

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), vii, 327.2595-96:

蕭思遇

蕭思遇。梁武帝從姪孫。父慤。為侯景所殺。思遇以父遭害。不樂仕進。常慕道。有冀神人。故名思遇而字望明。言望遇神明也。居虎丘東山。性簡靜。愛琴書。每松風之夜。罷琴長嘯。一山樓宇皆驚。常雨中坐石酣歌。忽聞扣柴門者。思遇心疑有異。令侍者遙問。乃應曰。不須問。但言雨中從浣 [2596] 溪來。及侍童開戶。見一美女。二青衣女奴從之。並神仙之容。思遇加山人之服。以禮見之。曰。適聞夫人云。從浣溪來。雨中道遠。不知所乘何車耶。女曰。聞先生心懷異道。以簡潔為心。不用車輿。乘風而至。思遇曰。若浣溪來。得非西施乎。女回顧二童而笑。復問先生何以知之。思遇曰。不必慮懷。應就寢耳。及天曉將別。女以金釧子一隻留訣。思遇稱無物敘情。又曰。但有此心不忘。夫人曰。此最珍奇。思遇曰。夫人此去。何時來。女乃掩涕曰。未敢有期。空勞情意。思遇亦愴然。言訖。遂乘風而去。須臾不見。唯聞香氣猶在寢室。時陳文帝天嘉元年二月二日也。出博物志。陳校本作出續博物志。

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[1] Hou Jing 侯景 (d.552 CE, courtesy name Wanjing 萬景), was a northern commander under the Wei 魏, but submitted to Emperor Wu of Liang, who named him Prince of Henan 河南王. In 548 CE he seized the Liang throne to rule as Han Di 漢帝 until suffering defeat and being executed by his own troops.

[2] Xishi 西施, also Xizi 西子 (lived around 450 BCE), a famously beautiful woman reportedly presented by Gou Jian 勾踐 of Yue 越 as concubine to the King of Wu 吳 in a plan to seduce him and destroy that kingdom. This seems to be a play on xi 溪 ‘brook, creek’ and xi 西 ‘west, western’ in the woman’s name, but I’m sure I’m missing something else obvious to readers here.

Liu Juan 劉雋

At the beginning of the Yuanjia era (424-53 CE), the Cavalier Attendant-In-ordinary Liu Juan, whose home was in Danyang, once encountered a sudden shower of rain.[1] Before his gate he saw three small boys, all perhaps six or seven sui (five to six years old), joking around together, their faces not, however, getting damp. Presently, he saw them tussle over a large gourd pot. Juan took up a pebble and threw, hitting the pot squarely. The boys suddenly vanished, so Juan took up the pot and hung it by his office. The following day, a woman entered his gate, picked up the pot, and started to weep. When Juan asked her why, she replied: “This belonged to my son. I don’t know how it got here.” Juan told her what had happened, and the woman took the pot and buried it before her son’s grave. After a day had passed, another small boy arrived carrying it before the gate. Lifting the pot, he smiled at Juan and said: “My pot has been returned to me!” As soon it had finished speaking it disappeared.

From Youminglu.

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), vii, 324.2571:

劉雋

元嘉初。散騎常侍劉雋。家在丹陽。後嘗遇驟雨。見門前有三小兒。皆可六七歲。相率狡獪。面並不沾濡。俄見共爭一匏壺子。雋引彈彈之。正中壺。霍然不見。雋得壺。因掛閣邊。明日。有一婦人入門。執壺而泣。雋問之。對曰。此是吾兒物。不知何由在此。雋具語所以。婦持壺埋兒墓前。間一日。又見向小兒持來門側。舉之。笑語雋曰。阿儂已復得壺矣。言終而隱。出幽明錄

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[1] On the rank of Cavalier Attendant-In-ordinary (sanjichangshi 散騎常侍), see Hucker, Dictionary, p. 395.

Xu Daorao 徐道饒

In the tenth year of the Yuanjia era (433 CE), Xu Daorao suddenly saw a spirit, which told him it was one of his ancestors. At that time it was winter, and the weather was fine and clear. He had previously gathered rice and placed it beneath the roof, and the spirit told him: “You should lay out your rice to dry tomorrow.” Even though the skies were full of rain, and it had not yet cleared up, Rao followed this advice, and the spirit also assisted with the hand-cart.[1] Later on, there was indeed continuous heavy rain. When it was visible to people, the spirit resembled a rhesus monkey. Rao requested talismans from a priest and suspended them at doors and windows. The spirit then gave a great laugh, and said: “You want to stop me with that? I can come and go via the dog flap!” Despite having said this, it no longer entered the house. After several days had passed, it sighed and said: “Your uncle Xu Bao is coming; I should not be seen by him.” The next day he did indeed arrive, and from then the strange events ceased.

From Yiyuan.

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), vii, 323.2562-63:

Xu Daorao 徐道饒

[2563] 徐道饒。以元嘉十年。忽見一鬼。自言是其先人。于時冬日。天氣清朗。先積稻屋下。云。汝明日可曝穀。天方大雨。未有晴時。饒從其教。鬼亦助輦。後果霖雨。時有見者。形如獼猴。饒就道士請符。懸著窗戶。鬼便大笑。欲以此斷我。我自能從狗竇中入。雖則此語。而不復進。經數日。歎云。徐叔寶來。吾不宜見之。后日果至。於是遂絕。出異苑

[1] This translation was revised with generous help from Ofer Waldman. Thanks Ofer!

Zhou Of Linhe 周臨賀

During the Jin era there was a man from Yixing with the surname Zhou. During the Yonghe era (345-57 CE), he set off from Guo on horseback, travelling with two followers. Dusk fell before they had reached the next settlement, but beside the road there stood a small, newly built thatched hut. They saw a woman emerge from the doorway to watch them, aged perhaps sixteen or seventeen, handsome in appearance and wearing fresh and clean clothes. Seeing Zhou pass, she said: “It is already dusk, and the next village is still distant; how could you have reached Linhe?” Zhou then asked if he could lodge there. The woman kindled a fire and cooked him a meal. Around the first watch (7-9pm), the voice of a small child was heard from outside, calling out to Axiang.[1] The woman replied: “Yes?” Soon after, the child said: “The officials call on you to push the thunder chariot!” The woman then departed, saying: “I have some business to attend to, and must go.” The night then filled with thunder and rain, and the woman returned around daybreak. When Zhou had mounted his horse, he looked back at the place where he had spent the night. He saw only a new tomb, with horse urine and straw scattered around the tomb entrance. Zhou sighed to himself in shock and amazement. Five years later, he was indeed serving as Prefectural Chief of Linhe.

From Fayuan Zhulin.

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), vii, 319.2525:

周臨賀

晉義興人姓周。永和年中。出郭乘馬。從兩人行。未至村。日暮。道邊有一新小草屋。見一女子出門望。年可十六七。姿容端正。衣服鮮潔。見周過。謂曰。日已暮。前村尚遠。臨賀詎得至。周便求寄宿。此女為燃火作食。向一更。聞外有小兒喚阿香聲。女應曰。諾。尋云。官喚汝推雷車。女乃辭行。云。今有事當去。夜遂大雷雨。向曉女還。周既上馬。看昨所宿處。止見一新冢。冢口有馬尿及餘草。周甚驚惋。至後五年。果作臨賀太守。出法苑珠林

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[1] Axiang 阿香 is the name of the deity who drove the thunder chariot 雷車 across the skies.

Zhang Yu 張禹

[2518] During the Yongjia era (307-13 CE), the palace guard commander Zhang Yu once travelled through the Great Marsh. The sky had grown dark when he suddenly spotted a mansion with its gates open wide. Yu thus approached and when he arrived before the hall a maid emerged and greeted him. Tu said: “I was passing when the rain started, and would just like to stay over.” The maid entered to report, and soon emerged again, calling Yu forward. He saw a woman, aged around thirty years, seated under a canopy, and waited on by more than twenty maids, their clothing all luminous and beautiful. She asked Yu what he desired. Yu said: “I have my own food, and only need something to drink.” The woman ordered that a shallow pan be brought out and given to him. He therefore kindled a fire to make soup. Despite hearing the water boil, when tried it remained cold.

The woman told him: “I am a dead person, within my tomb mound. I have nobody to share with, only my sense of shame and guilt.” She then began to weep and told Yu: “I am a daughter of the Sun family from Rencheng County, and my father served as Prefectural Chief of Zhongshan. I left to marry into the Li clan of Dunqiu, and bore a son and a daughter. The boy is eleven sui and the girl seven. After my death, the Lis favoured my former maidservant Cheng Gui. Now my son is always beaten, not even sparing his head or face, and pained to the depths of the heart. I wish to kill this maid, but a dead person’s qi force is weak. I have been waiting to find someone on whom I could rely on, and I beg the gentleman to help with the matter. The rewards would be rich.”

Yu said: “Though I cherish Madame’s words, because killing people is a serious matter, I dare not take on this assignment.” The lady replied: “Why would the gentleman be ordered to take up a knife himself? It is only wished that he speak to Li and his family on my behalf, telling them what I have explained. Li will then regret Cheng Gui, and will have to offer prayers to remove this misfortune. The gentleman will then explain that he himself has power to suppress spirits. When Li hears this he will order Cheng Gui to be present for the matter, and I will have the opportunity to kill her.”

Yu made a pledge to her, and set off the next day, telling Li everything he had been told. Li was shocked and terrified, and told Cheng Gui, who was very frightened. They sought help from Yu, but just then he saw the lady Sun coming in from outside, accompanied by more than twenty female attendants. All carried knives and stabbed Cheng Gui, who immediately fell to the floor and died. Before long, Yu passed through the Great Marsh again, and the woman sent her maids out with fifty bolts of zacai coloured silks to reward him.

From Zhiguai.

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), vii, 318.2517-8:

張禹

[2518] 永嘉中。黃門將張禹。曾行經大澤中。天陰晦。忽見一宅門大開。禹遂前至廳事。有一婢出問之。禹曰。行次遇雨。欲寄宿耳。婢入報之。尋出。呼禹前。見一女子。年三十許。坐帳中。有侍婢二十餘人。衣服皆燦麗。問禹所欲。禹曰。自有飯。唯須飲耳。女敕取鐺與之。因燃火作湯。雖聞沸聲。探之尚冷。女曰。我亡人也。塚墓之間。無以相共。慙愧而已。因歔欷告禹曰。我是任城縣孫家女。父為中山太守。出適頓丘李氏。有一男一女。男年十一。女年七歲。亡後。李氏幸我舊使婢承貴者。今我兒每被捶楚。不避頭面。常痛極心髓。欲殺此婢。然亡人氣弱。須有所憑。託君助濟此事。當厚報君。禹曰。雖念夫人言。緣殺人事大。不敢承命。婦人曰。何緣令君手刃。唯欲因君為我語李氏家。說我告君事狀。李氏念惜承貴。必作禳除。君當語之。自言能為厭斷之法。李氏聞此。必令承貴莅事。我因伺便殺之。禹許諾。及明而出。遂語李氏。具以其言告之。李氏驚愕。以語承貴。大懼。遂求救於禹。既而禹見孫氏自外來。侍婢二十餘人。悉持刀刺承貴。應手仆地而死。未幾。禹復經過澤中。此人遣婢送五十匹雜綵以報禹。出志怪

 

Mou Ying 牟穎

When Mou Ying, from Luoyang, was still young, he accidentally, due to drunkenness, left the city and reached open country. He only came to at midnight, resting at the roadside, where he saw an exposed skeleton. Ying was extremely distressed by this, and when dawn broke he stooped over and buried it. That night, he dreamed of a youth, of perhaps just over twenty, robed in white silk and bearing a sword. He bowed to Ying, and said: “I am a stubborn bandit. My whole life I have wilfully injured and slaughtered and indulged in injustice. Recently I clashed with my peers, and was killed, buried by the roadside. Over a long time, rain and wind caused my bones to become exposed. Your servant was reburied by the gentleman, so I have come to thank you. In life I was a fierce and brutal man. In death I am a fierce and brutal ghost. You could allow me shelter and rest, but the gentleman would have to pour a small libation to me every night. I will ever respond to the gentleman’s requirements, and I am already obliged to the gentlemen. Neither hunger or thirst will reach you, and you will always receive the objects of your requests and desires.” In his dream Ying promised this.

When he awoke, he thus had a try at laying out offerings and secretly spoke prayers. That night he again dreamed of the ghost, who said: “I have already entrusted myself to the gentleman. Whenever the gentleman wishes to direct me, he should just call out ‘Chi ding zi’. Speak softly of your affairs and I will always respond to the sound and arrive.” Ying then would always call for him in secret, ordering him to steal, to take other people’s property. His voice never went unanswered or wishes unfulfilled, so he became rich on gold and jewels. One day, Ting noticed that a woman in a neighbouring household was very beautiful, and fell in love with her. He therefore called ‘chi ding zi’ and ordered him to steal her away. The neighbour’s wife arrived at midnight, leaping over the outside wall as she came. Ying jumped up in shock, but treated her with courtesy, asking why she had come. The woman replied: “I had not intended to come, but was suddenly seized by someone who brought me to your chamber. It was suddenly as if I had woken from a dream. [2785] I don’t know what kind of demon it could have been, or what it intended, but whenever I try to return home, I weep without cease.” Ying felt great sympathy for her, and she stayed in secret for several days. Her family made urgent attempts to see her, however, and eventually reported the matter to the authorities.

When Ying became aware of this, he and the woman came up with a ruse. He had her return but then, setting out to a different house, state that she had no idea which evil spirit had spirited her away, and refuse to return to her former home. After she had returned to her family, every third or fifth night she was then picked up by a person and removed to Ying’s house, but, not staying until dawn, she would always be returned home. A year passed, and her family knew nothing about this. She found it deeply strange that Ying possessed such powers of sorcery, so urgently approached Ying and asked: “If you do not explain this to me, I will have to expose the whole affair.” Ying therefore related the truth about the whole matter. The neighbour’s wife then reported it to her family, and together they made a plan to deal with the matter. Her family then secretly requested a Daoist to come and clean away these illicit arts. They then waited. Chidingzi arrived at their gate as soon as night had fallen, but, seeing the great array of magic figures, he was driven back and returned. He explained to Ying: “They repelled me with orthodox magic, but their power is only fragile. If the gentleman fights alongside me we should be able to steal away that woman, and this time you must not allow her to return.” After this speech he set off again, and in a moment a great tempest of wind and rain arose around the neighbour’s house. The entire residence turned black, and the various talismans and prohibitions seemed to be swept away all of a sudden. The woman vanished once more, so once dawn had broken her husband went to the government officials. They accompanied him to Ying’s house bent on arresting him, so Ying fled with the woman. It is not known where they went.

From Xiaoxianglu.

Li Fang 李昉, et al., Taiping guangji 太平廣記 (Extensive Gleanings from the Era of Great Harmony), 10 vols (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1961), viii, 352.2784-85:

牟穎

洛陽人牟穎。少年時。因醉。誤出郊野。夜半方醒。息於路旁。見一發露骸骨。穎甚傷念之。達曙。躬身掩埋。其夕。夢一少年。可二十已來。衣白練衣。仗一劍。拜穎曰。我彊寇耳。平生恣意殺害。作不平事。近與同輩爭。遂為所害。埋於路旁。久經風雨。所以發露。蒙君復藏。我故來謝君。我生為凶勇人。死亦為兇勇鬼。若能容我棲託。但君每夜微奠祭我。我常應君指使。我既得託於君。不至飢渴。足得令君所求狥意也。穎夢中許之。及覺。乃試設祭饗。暗以祀禱祈。夜又夢鬼曰。我已託君矣。君每欲使我。即呼赤丁子一聲。輕言其事。我必應聲而至也。穎遂每潛告。令竊盜。盜人之財物。無不應聲遂意。後致富有金寶。一日。穎見鄰家婦有美色。愛之。乃呼赤丁子令竊焉。鄰婦至夜半。忽至外踰垣而至。穎驚起款曲。問其所由來。婦曰。我本無心。忽夜被一人擒我至君室。忽如夢 [2785] 覺。我亦不知何怪也。不知何計。却得還家。悲泣不已。穎甚閔之。潛留數日。而其婦家人求訪極切。至於告官。穎知之。乃與婦人詐謀。令婦人出別墅。却自歸。言不知被何妖精取去。今却得廻。婦人至家後。再每三夜或五夜。依前被一人取至穎家。不至曉。即却送歸。經一年。家人皆不覺。婦人深怪穎有此妖術。後因至切。問於穎曰。若不白我。我必自發此事。穎遂具述其實。鄰婦遂告於家人。共圖此患。家人乃密請一道流。潔淨作禁法以伺之。赤丁子方夜至其門。見符籙甚多。却反。白於穎曰。彼以正法拒我。但力微耳。與君力爭。當惡取此婦人。此來必須不放回也。言訖復去。須臾。鄰家飄驟風起。一宅俱黑色。但是符籙禁法之物。一時如掃。復失婦人。至曙。其夫遂去官。同來穎宅擒捉。穎乃携此婦人逃。不知所之。出瀟湘錄

A Spirit Uproots A Tree 鬼拔樹

Towards the end of the Xingding 興定 era (1217-1220 CE), a peasant from Caozhou 曹州 was walking along the road one day, when he was caught in a sudden shower. From the empty air a voice spoke: “Brave enough?” He then heard a loud laughing sound. The person went on a further half-li, and saw a large willow tree torn up by its roots and thrown several dozen paces. In the mud there was the print of a great thigh and buttocks, about as big as a grain container. That spirit must have pulled up a tree and then just fallen on its back and laughed!

Yuan Haowen 元好問, Xu Yijian zhi 續夷堅志 (Continued Records of the Listener), 2.26:

鬼拔樹

興定末，曹州一農民，一日行道中，忽驟雨。聞空中人語云：「敢否」？俄又聞大笑聲。此人行半里，見道左大柳樹拔根出，擲之十步外，泥中印大臀髀痕，如麥籠許，蓋神拔樹偃坐泥中破笑耳。

Yuan Haowen 元好問, Chang Zhenguo 常振國 (ed), Xu Yijian zhi 續夷堅志 (Continued Records of the Listener), and Anon., Jin Xin 金心 (ed.) Huhai xinwen yijian xuzhi 湖海新聞夷堅續志 (Continuation of Records of the Listener with New Items from the Lakes and Seas) (Beijing: Zhonghua shuju, 1986)