徐公為齊東令。署中有樓，用藏肴餌，往往被物竊食，狼藉於地。家人屢受譙責，因伏伺之。見一蜘蛛，大如斗。駭走白公。公以為異，日遣婢輩投餌焉。蛛益馴，飢輒出依人，飽而後去。積年餘，公偶閱案牘，蛛忽來伏几上。疑其飢，方呼家人取餌；旋見兩蛇夾蛛臥，細裁如箸，蛛爪蜷腹縮，若不勝懼。轉瞬間，蛇暴長，粗於卵。大駭，欲走。巨霆大作，闔家震斃。移時，公甦；夫人及婢僕擊死者七人。公病月餘，尋卒。公為人廉正愛民，柩發之日，民斂錢以送，哭聲滿野。
徐公为齐东令。署中有楼，用藏肴饵，往往被物窃食，狼藉于地。家人屡受谯责，因伏伺之。见一蜘蛛，大如斗。骇走白公。公以为异，日遣婢辈投饵焉。蛛益驯，饥辄出依人，饱而后去。积年余，公偶阅案牍，蛛忽来伏几上。疑其饥，方呼家人取饵；旋见两蛇夹蛛卧，细裁如箸，蛛爪蜷腹缩，若不胜惧。转瞬间，蛇暴长，粗于卵。大骇，欲走。巨霆大作，阖家震毙。移时，公甦；夫人及婢仆击死者七人。公病月余，寻卒。公为人廉正爱民，柩发之日，民敛钱以送，哭声满野。
A gentleman named Xu was magistrate of Qidong. In his official residence there was an upper room used for storing food and delicacies, and again and again something got in and ate them, leaving a mess strewn across the floor. The servants were scolded time after time, so they lay in wait. They saw a spider as big as a peck measure. They fled in terror and told Xu. Xu thought it a marvel, and had the maids throw it food every day. The spider grew tamer and tamer: when it was hungry it came out and stayed close to people, and when it had eaten its fill it went away. After more than a year, Xu happened to be going over official papers when the spider suddenly came and crouched on his desk. Thinking it was hungry, he was just calling for a servant to bring food when he saw two snakes lying one on each side of it, no thicker than chopsticks. The spider’s legs curled and its body shrank, as if it could not bear its fear. In the blink of an eye the snakes swelled, thicker than eggs. Xu was terrified and was about to run. There was a tremendous crack of thunder, and the whole household was struck down. After a while Xu came to. His lady, maids and menservants: seven in all had been struck dead. Xu was ill for more than a month, and soon afterwards he died. He had been an honest, upright man who loved the people. On the day his coffin set out, the people collected money to see him off, and the sound of weeping filled the countryside.