東郡某甲，以弄蛇為業。嘗蓄馴蛇二，皆青色：其大者呼之大青，小曰二青。二青額有赤點，尤靈馴，盤旋無不如意。蛇人愛之，異于他蛇。期年，大青死，思補其缺，未暇遑也。一夜，寄宿山寺。既明，啟笥，二青亦渺。蛇人悵恨欲死。冥搜亟呼，迄無影兆。然每值豐林茂草，輒縱之去，俾得自適，尋復返；以此故，冀其自至。坐伺之，日既高，亦已絕望，怏怏遂行。出門數武，聞叢薪錯楚中，窸窣作響。停趾愕顧，則二青來也。大喜，如獲拱璧。息肩路隅，蛇亦頓止。視其後，小蛇從焉。撫之曰：「我以汝為逝矣。小侶而所薦耶？」出餌飼之，兼飼小蛇。小蛇雖不去，然瑟縮不敢食。二青含哺之，宛似主人之讓客者。蛇人又飼之，乃食。食已，隨二青俱入笥中。荷去教之，旋折輒中規矩，與二青無少異，因名之小青。炫技四方，獲利無算。
东郡某甲，以弄蛇为业。尝蓄驯蛇二，皆青色：其大者呼之大青，小曰二青。二青额有赤点，尤灵驯，盘旋无不如意。蛇人爱之，异于他蛇。期年，大青死，思补其缺，未暇遑也。一夜，寄宿山寺。既明，启笥，二青亦渺。蛇人怅恨欲死。冥搜亟呼，迄无影兆。然每值丰林茂草，辄纵之去，俾得自适，寻复返；以此故，冀其自至。坐伺之，日既高，亦已绝望，怏怏遂行。出门数武，闻丛薪错楚中，窸窣作响。停趾愕顾，则二青来也。大喜，如获拱璧。息肩路隅，蛇亦顿止。视其后，小蛇从焉。抚之曰：「我以汝为逝矣。小侣而所荐耶？」出饵饲之，兼饲小蛇。小蛇虽不去，然瑟缩不敢食。二青含哺之，宛似主人之让客者。蛇人又饲之，乃食。食已，随二青俱入笥中。荷去教之，旋折辄中规矩，与二青无少异，因名之小青。炫技四方，获利无算。
A man of Dongjun made his living as a snake charmer. He once kept two tame snakes, both green. The bigger he called Big Green and the smaller Second Green. Second Green had a red spot on its forehead and was especially clever and tame; it coiled and turned exactly as he wished. The snake man loved it more than any of his other snakes. After a year Big Green died. He meant to find another to fill its place, but had not yet had the chance. One night he lodged at a temple in the hills. In the morning he opened his basket, and Second Green was gone as well. The snake man was so wretched he could have died. He searched everywhere and called for it, but found no trace. Yet whenever they came to thick woods or deep grass, he used to let it go off to roam as it pleased, and it always came back before long; and so he hoped it would come back by itself. He sat and waited. The sun rose high, and he gave up hope. Dejected, he set off. A few steps out of the gate he heard a rustling in a tangle of brushwood. He stopped short and looked round in surprise: it was Second Green coming. He was overjoyed, as if he had found a priceless jade. He set down his load by the roadside, and the snake stopped too. Behind it a little snake was following. He stroked Second Green and said, “I thought you were gone for good. Is this little companion someone you’re bringing me?” He took out some food and fed it, and fed the little snake too. The little snake did not go away, but it cowered and would not eat. Second Green took food in its mouth and fed it, just like a host pressing food on a guest. The snake man fed it again, and this time it ate. When it had eaten, it followed Second Green into the basket. He carried it off and trained it, and it was soon turning and coiling exactly as it should, no different from Second Green. So he named it Little Green. He showed off their tricks everywhere he went and made more money than he could count.
大抵蛇人之弄蛇也，止以二尺為率；大則過重，輒便更易。──緣二青馴，故未遽棄。又二三年，長三尺餘，臥則笥為之滿，遂決去之。一日，至淄邑東山間，飼以美餌，祝而縱之。既去，頃之復來，蜿蜒笥外。蛇人揮曰：「去之！世無百年不散之筵。從此隱身大谷，必且為神龍，笥中何可以久居也？」蛇乃去。蛇人目送之。已而復返，揮之不去，以首觸笥。小青在中，亦震震而動。蛇人悟曰：「得毋欲別小青也？」乃發笥。小青徑出，因與交首吐舌，似相告語。已而委蛇並去。方意小青不返，俄而踽踽獨來，竟入笥臥。由此隨在物色，迄無佳者。而小青亦漸大，不可弄。後得一頭，亦頗馴，然終不如小青良。而小青粗于兒臂矣。先是，二青在山中，樵人多見之。又數年，長數尺，圍如碗；漸出逐人，因而行旅相戒，罔敢出其途。一日，蛇人經其處，蛇暴出如風。蛇人大怖而奔。蛇逐益急，回顧已將及矣。而視其首，朱點儼然，始悟為二青。下擔呼曰：「二青，二青！」蛇頓止。昂首久之，縱身繞蛇人，如昔弄狀。覺其意殊不惡，但軀巨重，不勝其繞；仆地呼禱，乃釋之。又以首觸笥。蛇人悟其意，開笥出小青。二蛇相見，交纏如飴糖狀，久之始開。蛇人乃祝小青：「我久欲與汝別，今有伴矣。」謂二青曰：「原君引之來，可還引之去。更囑一言：深山不乏食飲，勿擾行人，以犯天譴。」二蛇垂頭，似相領受。遽起，大者前，小者後，過處林木為之中分。蛇人佇立望之，不見乃去。自此行人如常，不知其何往也。
大抵蛇人之弄蛇也，止以二尺为率；大则过重，辄便更易。──缘二青驯，故未遽弃。又二三年，长三尺余，卧则笥为之满，遂决去之。一日，至淄邑东山间，饲以美饵，祝而纵之。既去，顷之复来，蜿蜒笥外。蛇人挥曰：「去之！世无百年不散之筵。从此隐身大谷，必且为神龙，笥中何可以久居也？」蛇乃去。蛇人目送之。已而复返，挥之不去，以首触笥。小青在中，亦震震而动。蛇人悟曰：「得毋欲别小青也？」乃发笥。小青径出，因与交首吐舌，似相告语。已而委蛇并去。方意小青不返，俄而踽踽独来，竟入笥卧。由此随在物色，迄无佳者。而小青亦渐大，不可弄。后得一头，亦颇驯，然终不如小青良。而小青粗于儿臂矣。先是，二青在山中，樵人多见之。又数年，长数尺，围如碗；渐出逐人，因而行旅相戒，罔敢出其途。一日，蛇人经其处，蛇暴出如风。蛇人大怖而奔。蛇逐益急，回顾已将及矣。而视其首，朱点俨然，始悟为二青。下担呼曰：「二青，二青！」蛇顿止。昂首久之，纵身绕蛇人，如昔弄状。觉其意殊不恶，但躯巨重，不胜其绕；仆地呼祷，乃释之。又以首触笥。蛇人悟其意，开笥出小青。二蛇相见，交缠如饴糖状，久之始开。蛇人乃祝小青：「我久欲与汝别，今有伴矣。」谓二青曰：「原君引之来，可还引之去。更嘱一言：深山不乏食饮，勿扰行人，以犯天谴。」二蛇垂头，似相领受。遽起，大者前，小者后，过处林木为之中分。蛇人伫立望之，不见乃去。自此行人如常，不知其何往也。
As a rule, a snake charmer’s snakes are no more than two feet long; a bigger one is too heavy, and he trades it for another. Because Second Green was so tame, he had not been in a hurry to get rid of it. Two or three more years went by, and it grew to over three feet long; when it lay down it filled the basket. So he decided to let it go. One day he came to the hills east of Zichuan. He gave it a good meal, prayed over it and set it free. It went off, but soon came back and wound about outside the basket. The snake man waved it away. “Go! There is no feast in the world that lasts a hundred years. From now on, hide yourself in some great valley, and you are sure to become a divine dragon. How can you live in a basket for long?” The snake went away. The snake man watched it go. Then it came back again, and would not leave though he waved at it, but nudged the basket with its head. Inside, Little Green was stirring too. The snake man understood. “Could it be that you want to say goodbye to Little Green?” He opened the basket. Little Green came straight out, and the two touched heads and flicked their tongues, as if talking to each other. Then they wound away together. Just as he was thinking Little Green would not come back, it came creeping back alone, went into the basket and lay down. From then on he looked everywhere for another snake, but never found a good one. And Little Green was growing too, and could no longer be used in the act. Later he got another snake, fairly tame, but never as good as Little Green. By then Little Green was thicker than a child’s arm. Before this, woodcutters had often seen Second Green in the hills. Several more years passed, and it grew several feet long and as thick around as a bowl. It began to come out and chase people, so travellers warned each other, and no one dared take that road. One day the snake man passed that way, and a snake shot out at him like the wind. Terrified, the snake man ran. The snake chased him all the harder, and when he looked back it was almost on him. But when he looked at its head, there was the red spot, plain as could be, and he realized it was Second Green. He set down his load and called out, “Second Green! Second Green!” The snake stopped short. It held its head high for a long while, then threw itself around him and coiled about him as it had in the old days. He could tell it meant no harm, but its body was so huge and heavy that he could not bear its coils. He fell to the ground, crying out and praying, and it let him go. Then it nudged the basket with its head again. The snake man understood, and opened the basket and let Little Green out. When the two snakes saw each other, they wound together like taffy, and only after a long time did they come apart. Then the snake man spoke to Little Green: “I have long wanted to part with you, and now you have a companion.” And he said to Second Green, “It was you who brought him to me, sir, and now you may take him away. But one more word: there is no lack of food and drink in the deep hills. Do not trouble travellers, or you will bring down the punishment of Heaven.” The two snakes lowered their heads, as if they took his words to heart. Then they rose, the big one in front, the small one behind, and wherever they passed, the trees parted for them. The snake man stood watching until they were out of sight, and then went on his way. From then on travellers used the road as before. No one knows where the snakes went.
異史氏曰：「蛇，蠢然一物耳，乃戀戀有故人之意。且其從諫也如轉圜。獨怪儼然而人也者，以十年把臂之交，數世蒙恩之主，輒思下井復投石焉；又不然，則藥石相投，悍然不顧，且怒而仇焉者，亦羞此蛇也已。」
异史氏曰：「蛇，蠢然一物耳，乃恋恋有故人之意。且其从谏也如转圜。独怪俨然而人也者，以十年把臂之交，数世蒙恩之主，辄思下井复投石焉；又不然，则药石相投，悍然不顾，且怒而仇焉者，亦羞此蛇也已。」
The Historian of the Strange says: A snake is only a dull creature, and yet it clung to an old friend with such affection, and took advice as readily as a ball rolls. How strange, then, that some who look every inch like men will turn on a friend they have walked arm in arm with for ten years, or a master whose family has shown theirs kindness for generations, and drop stones on him once he has fallen down a well. Or else, when good advice is given them like medicine, they defiantly ignore it, and even turn on the giver in anger as an enemy. They ought to be ashamed before this snake.