譚晉玄，邑諸生也，篤信導引之術，寒暑不輟；行之數月，若有所得。一日，方趺坐，聞耳中小語如蠅，曰：「可以見矣。」開目即不復聞，合眸定息，又聞如故。謂是丹將成，竊喜，自是每坐輒聞，因（思）俟其再言，當應以覘之。一日，又言。乃微應曰：「可以見矣。」俄覺耳中習習然，似有物出。微睨之，小人長三寸許，貌獰惡如夜叉狀，旋轉地上。心竊異之，姑凝神以觀其變。忽有鄰人假物，扣門而呼，小人聞之，意張皇，繞屋而轉，如鼠失窟。譚覺神魂俱失，不復知小人何所之矣，遂得顛疾，號叫不休；醫藥半年，始漸愈。
谭晋玄，邑诸生也，笃信导引之术，寒暑不辍；行之数月，若有所得。一日，方趺坐，闻耳中小语如蝇，曰：「可以见矣。」开目即不复闻，合眸定息，又闻如故。谓是丹将成，窃喜，自是每坐辄闻，因（思）俟其再言，当应以觇之。一日，又言。乃微应曰：「可以见矣。」俄觉耳中习习然，似有物出。微睨之，小人长三寸许，貌狞恶如夜叉状，旋转地上。心窃异之，姑凝神以观其变。忽有邻人假物，扣门而呼，小人闻之，意张皇，绕屋而转，如鼠失窟。谭觉神魂俱失，不复知小人何所之矣，遂得颠疾，号叫不休；医药半年，始渐愈。
Tan Jinxuan was a licentiate of my county. He had a firm faith in the Daoist arts of guiding the breath and practised them winter and summer without a break. After some months he seemed to be getting somewhere. One day, as he sat cross-legged, he heard a small voice in his ear, like the buzz of a fly: “It can be seen now.” When he opened his eyes he heard nothing more. He closed them and stilled his breath, and heard it again as before. He thought the elixir was about to form, and was secretly pleased. From then on he heard it every time he sat. So he made up his mind to wait for it to speak again and answer it, to see what would happen. One day it spoke again. He answered softly, “It can be seen now.” At once he felt a rustling in his ear, as though something were coming out. He looked sidelong: a little man, three inches or so tall, as ugly and fierce as a yaksha, spinning round and round on the floor. Tan was secretly astonished, but for the moment he held his mind steady and watched to see what it would do. Suddenly a neighbour came to borrow something, knocking at the gate and calling out. Hearing this, the little man took fright and ran round and round the room like a rat that has lost its hole. Tan felt his spirit and soul leave him altogether, and never knew where the little man went. After that he fell into a madness and screamed without stopping. Only after half a year of doctors and medicine did he slowly recover.