長山徐遠公，故明諸生，鼎革後，棄儒訪道，稍稍學敕勒之術，遠近多耳其名。某邑一巨公，具幣，致誠款書，招之以騎。徐問：「召某何意？」僕曰：「不知。但囑小人務屈降臨。」徐乃行。至則中亭宴饌，禮遇甚恭，然終不道其相迎之旨。徐因問曰：「實欲何為？」幸祛疑抱。主人輒言：「無他。」但勸杯酒。言詞閃爍，殊所不解。談話之間，不覺向暮，邀徐飲園中。園頗佳勝，而竹樹蒙翳，景物陰森，雜花叢叢，半沒草萊。抵一閣，覆板之上懸蛛錯綴，似久無人住者。酒數行，天色曛暗，命燭復飲。徐辭不勝酒，主人即罷酒呼茶。諸僕倉皇撤肴器，盡納閣之左室幾上。茶啜未半，主人托故竟去。僕人持燭引宿左室，燭置案上，遽返身去，頗甚草草。徐疑或攜襆被來伴，久之，人聲杳然，乃自起扃戶就寢。
长山徐远公，故明诸生，鼎革后，弃儒访道，稍稍学敕勒之术，远近多耳其名。某邑一巨公，具币，致诚款书，招之以骑。徐问：「召某何意？」仆曰：「不知。但嘱小人务屈降临。」徐乃行。至则中亭宴馔，礼遇甚恭，然终不道其相迎之旨。徐因问曰：「实欲何为？」幸祛疑抱。主人辄言：「无他。」但劝杯酒。言词闪烁，殊所不解。谈话之间，不觉向暮，邀徐饮园中。园颇佳胜，而竹树蒙翳，景物阴森，杂花丛丛，半没草莱。抵一阁，覆板之上悬蛛错缀，似久无人住者。酒数行，天色曛暗，命烛复饮。徐辞不胜酒，主人即罢酒呼茶。诸仆仓皇撤肴器，尽纳阁之左室几上。茶啜未半，主人托故竟去。仆人持烛引宿左室，烛置案上，遽返身去，颇甚草草。徐疑或携襆被来伴，久之，人声杳然，乃自起扃户就寝。
Xu Yuangong of Changshan had been a licentiate under the Ming. When the dynasty changed, he gave up Confucian learning to seek the Way, and picked up a little of the art of commanding spirits with spells. People far and near had heard of him. A great gentleman of a certain county prepared gifts, sent a sincere and courteous letter, and had a horse brought to fetch him. “Why does he send for me?” Xu asked. “I don’t know,” said the servant. “He only told me I must be sure to beg you to come.” So Xu went. When he arrived, a banquet was laid in the central hall and he was received with great respect, but his host never said why he had invited him. At last Xu asked, “What is it you really want of me? Please put my doubts to rest.” “Nothing in particular,” said the host, and only pressed more wine on him. His answers were evasive, and Xu could make nothing of them. As they talked, evening came on before they noticed it, and the host invited Xu to drink in the garden. It was a fine garden, but the bamboo and trees grew thick and overshadowing, the whole place was gloomy, and clumps of flowers of every kind lay half buried in weeds. They came to a two-storey pavilion. Spiders’ webs hung tangled from the ceiling boards; it looked as if no one had lived there for a long time. After several rounds of wine it grew dark, and the host called for candles and went on drinking. When Xu declined, saying he could hold no more, the host at once stopped the wine and called for tea. The servants hurriedly cleared away the dishes and put them all on the table in the left-hand room of the pavilion. The tea was not half drunk when the host made some excuse and left. A servant took a candle and showed Xu to the left-hand room to sleep. He set the candle on the table and hurried straight out again, very offhand about it. Xu thought he might be fetching bedding to keep him company, but a long time passed and not a voice was to be heard, so he got up himself, barred the door, and went to bed.
窗外皎月，入室侵床，夜鳥秋蟲，一時啾唧，心中怛然，寢不成寐。頃之，板上橐橐似踏蹴聲，甚厲。俄下護梯，俄近寢門。徐駭，毛發猬立，急引被蒙首，而門已豁然頓開。徐展被角微伺之，見一物獸首人身，毛周遍體，長如馬鬐，深黑色；牙粲群蜂，目炯雙炬。及幾，伏餂器中剩肴，舌一過，數器輒凈如掃。已而趨近榻，嗅徐被。徐驟起，翻被冪怪頭，按之狂喊。怪出不意，驚脫，啟外戶竄去。徐披衣起遁，則園門外扃，不可得出。緣墻而走，躍逾短垣，則主人馬廄。廄人驚，徐告以故，即就乞宿。
窗外皎月，入室侵床，夜鸟秋虫，一时啾唧，心中怛然，寝不成寐。顷之，板上橐橐似踏蹴声，甚厉。俄下护梯，俄近寝门。徐骇，毛发猬立，急引被蒙首，而门已豁然顿开。徐展被角微伺之，见一物兽首人身，毛周遍体，长如马鬐，深黑色；牙粲群蜂，目炯双炬。及几，伏餂器中剩肴，舌一过，数器辄净如扫。已而趋近榻，嗅徐被。徐骤起，翻被幂怪头，按之狂喊。怪出不意，惊脱，启外户窜去。徐披衣起遁，则园门外扃，不可得出。缘墙而走，跃逾短垣，则主人马厩。厩人惊，徐告以故，即就乞宿。
Bright moonlight came in at the window and fell across the bed. Night birds and autumn insects were all chirping at once. Xu felt uneasy and could not sleep. Presently there was a thudding on the boards overhead, like stamping and kicking, very loud. Soon it was coming down the stairs; soon it was at the bedroom door. Xu was terrified, his hair bristling like a hedgehog’s quills. He pulled the quilt over his head, but the door had already burst wide open. Lifting a corner of the quilt, Xu peeped out and saw a creature with a beast’s head and a man’s body. Hair covered it all over, long as a horse’s mane and deep black. Its teeth gleamed like a range of peaks; its eyes blazed like two torches. At the table it bent down and licked up the leftovers in the dishes: one pass of its tongue, and several dishes were clean as if swept. Then it came to the bed and sniffed at Xu’s quilt. Xu sprang up, flung the quilt over the monster’s head, held it down and yelled like a madman. Taken by surprise, the monster wrenched itself free in fright, opened the outer door and fled. Xu threw on his clothes and ran for it, but the garden gate was locked from outside and he could not get out. He ran along the wall and leapt over a low stretch of it, and found himself in his host’s stable. The grooms were startled. Xu told them what had happened and begged to sleep there.