Translated by
Rania Huntington
This tale is from Gan Bao's (fl. 320) Sou shen ji (Record of Seeking
Immortals.) (juan 18, #420.)
Zhang Hua's other name was Maoxian, and he served as Secretariat
Director
during the reign of Emperor Hui of Ji.
At that time there was a spotted fox who lived in front of the tomb of
King Zhao of Yan. Because of his advanced age he could transform
himself with illusion, so he changed into a scholar and wanted to call
on Lord Zhang. He went to ask the decorated pillar in front of the
tomb, "Do you think I, with my talent and appearance, will be able to
see Secretariat Director Zhang or
not?" The pillar replied, "With your skill at argument, there's
nothing to stop you. But Lord Zhang with his knowledge and perception
will be hard to fool. If you go, you will certainly be insulted, and
probably not be able to
return. Not only will you harm your thousand-year old essence, but
it will also bring great harm to me."
The fox didn't listen. He took a calling card and went to call on
Zhang Hua.
Zhang saw that he was young and stylish looking, with brilliant
white skin
and an impressive matter, so treated him with respect. The talk
turned to
literature, and he brought up critiques and analysis Zhang had never
heard
before. His discussions ranged from the histories to the subtleties
of Laozi
and Zhuangzi, from the odes to the rites, encompassing all the
Confucians and
sages. To all of it Zhang could only agree. He sighed, "How could
there be
such a youth in the world! If it isn't a demon, it must be a fox."
So he
prepared a bed for the youth to spend the night and had men guard
him. The
young scholar said, "You should respect the sages and be tolerant of
the
masses, reward the talented and have sympathy with the incompetent.
How then can you hate anyone's learning? Is Mozi's Universal Love
like this?" After these words he asked to leave. Zhang Hua had sent
people to guard the
door and he couldnUt get out. He said to Zhang, "You must have
bolted your door and had it guarded because you suspect me. In the
future I fear the people of the world will hold their tongues and not
speak to you, and men of talent will look at your door but not
approach it. I pity you." Zhang Hua didn't answer, but had the watch
over him tightened.
At that time Ling Weihuan from Fengcheng (whose other name was
Kongzhang), a man of broad learning, came to call on Zhang Hua. Zhang
told him about the young scholar. Ling said, "If you suspect him, why
don't you test him with dogs?" So he ordered that the youth be tested
with dogs, but he showed no fear. The fox said, "I was granted talent
by heaven, but you think me a monster and test me with dogs. No
matter what you try, how can it trouble me?" Zhang Hua hearing this
grew even more angry. "This must be a real monster. I've heard that
monsters fear dogs, but only monsters of a few hundred years of age
can be revealed by them; against thousand year old spirits they are of
no use. Only if you can make a torch of thousand year old wood and
shine it on
them will their forms be instantly revealed." Ling asked, "How can
you get thousand-year old wood?" Zhang Hua said, "Legend has it that
the pillar in front of King Zhao of Yan's tomb is already a thousand
years old." So he sent
someone to chop down the pillar.
When the man he sent was about to reach the pillar, suddenly a youth
in green clothes appeared and asked, "Why have you come?" He said, "A
young man came to call on Secretariat Zhang; he's very talented and a
good talker, and Zhang suspects he is a monster. He sent me to get
the decorated pillar to shine on him." The youth in green clothes
said, "The old fox is foolish and didn't listen to my words. Today
misfortune had already come to me; how can I flee?" He let out a sob
and vanished. The man cut down the wood, and blood flowed. He took
the wood back, and lit it in order to shine on the young scholar. He
was after all a spotted fox. Zhang Hua said, "If I hadn't encountered
these two things, their like could not be found again in a thousand
years."
