濟南道人者，不知何許人，亦不詳其姓氏。冬夏著一單帢衣，系黃絛，無褲襦。每用半梳梳發，即以齒銜髻，如冠狀。日赤腳行市上；夜臥街頭，離身數尺外，冰雪盡熔。初來，輒對人作幻劇，市人爭貽之。有井曲無賴子，遺以酒，求傳其術，不許。遇道人浴于河津，驟抱其衣以脅之，道人揖曰：「請以賜還，當不吝術。」無賴者恐其紿，固不肯釋。道人曰：「果不相授耶？」曰：「然。」道人默不與語，俄見黃綈化為蛇，圍可數握，繞其身六七匝，怒目昂首，吐舌相向，某大愕，長跪，色青氣促，惟言乞命。道人乃竟取絛。絛竟非蛇；另有一蛇，蜿蜒入城去。由是道人之名益著。
济南道人者，不知何许人，亦不详其姓氏。冬夏着一单帢衣，系黄绦，无裤襦。每用半梳梳发，即以齿衔髻，如冠状。日赤脚行市上；夜卧街头，离身数尺外，冰雪尽熔。初来，辄对人作幻剧，市人争贻之。有井曲无赖子，遗以酒，求传其术，不许。遇道人浴于河津，骤抱其衣以胁之，道人揖曰：「请以赐还，当不吝术。」无赖者恐其绐，固不肯释。道人曰：「果不相授耶？」曰：「然。」道人默不与语，俄见黄绨化为蛇，围可数握，绕其身六七匝，怒目昂首，吐舌相向，某大愕，长跪，色青气促，惟言乞命。道人乃竟取绦。绦竟非蛇；另有一蛇，蜿蜒入城去。由是道人之名益着。
The Daoist of Jinan: no one knew where he came from, and no one knew his family name. Winter and summer he wore a single thin robe tied with a yellow sash, with no jacket or trousers beneath. He combed his hair with half a comb, then stuck the comb’s teeth into his topknot so that it looked like a cap. By day he walked barefoot through the market; at night he slept in the street, and for several feet around him the ice and snow all melted. When he first came, he would perform conjuring tricks for people, and the market folk vied to give him things. A good-for-nothing from the back lanes gave him wine and asked to be taught his arts. He refused. The rogue came upon him bathing at a river ford, snatched up his clothes and held on to them to force him. The Daoist bowed. “Please be so kind as to give them back,” he said, “and I will not grudge you my arts.” The rogue was afraid of a trick and stubbornly would not let go. “So you really will not hand them over?” said the Daoist. “That’s right.” The Daoist said nothing more to him. In a moment the yellow sash turned into a snake, several handspans round, which coiled six or seven times about the man’s body and reared its head, glaring, its tongue flicking at his face. The man was terrified. He went down on his knees, his face ashen, gasping, and could only beg for his life. The Daoist simply took back his sash. The sash was not the snake after all: there was another snake, which wound its way off into the city. After this the Daoist grew all the more famous.