邑西白家莊居民某，盜鄰鴨烹之。至夜，覺膚癢。天明視之，茸生鴨毛，觸之則痛。大懼，無術可醫。夜夢一人告之曰：「汝病乃天罰。須得失者罵，毛乃可落。」而鄰翁素雅量，生平失物，未嘗徵於聲色。某詭告翁曰：「鴨乃某甲所盜。彼深畏罵焉，罵之亦可警將來。」翁笑曰：「誰有閒氣罵惡人。」卒不罵。某益窘，因實告鄰翁。翁乃罵，其病良已。
邑西白家庄居民某，盗邻鸭烹之。至夜，觉肤痒。天明视之，茸生鸭毛，触之则痛。大惧，无术可医。夜梦一人告之曰：「汝病乃天罚。须得失者骂，毛乃可落。」而邻翁素雅量，生平失物，未尝征于声色。某诡告翁曰：「鸭乃某甲所盗。彼深畏骂焉，骂之亦可警将来。」翁笑曰：「谁有闲气骂恶人。」卒不骂。某益窘，因实告邻翁。翁乃骂，其病良已。
A man of Baijia Village, west of my county town, stole his neighbour’s duck and cooked it. That night his skin began to itch. At daybreak he looked, and found a down of duck feathers growing on him that hurt when touched. He was terrified, but there was no cure for it. Then one night he dreamed that someone told him, “Your sickness is Heaven’s punishment. Only if the man who lost the duck curses you will the feathers fall out.” But the old man next door had always been magnanimous. All his life, whenever he lost anything, he had never let it show in his voice or face. The thief tried a trick on him. “The duck was stolen by So-and-so,” he told the old man. “He is terribly afraid of being cursed. Cursing him would also be a warning for the future.” The old man laughed. “Who has temper to spare for cursing wicked people?” And he would not curse. The thief, more desperate than ever, told the old man the truth. Only then did the old man curse him, and he was cured.