白翁，直隸人。長子甲，筮仕南服，三年無耗。適有瓜葛丁姓造謁，翁款之。丁素走無常。談次，翁輒問以冥事，丁對語涉幻；翁不深信，但微哂之。別後數日，翁方臥，見丁又來，邀與同遊。從之去，入一城闕。移時，丁指一門曰：「此間君家甥也。」時翁有姊子為晉令，訝曰：「烏在此？」丁曰：「倘不信，入便知之。」翁入，果見甥，蟬冠豸繡坐堂上，戟幢行列，無人可通。丁曳之出，曰：「公子衙署，去此不遠，亦願見之否？」翁諾。少間，至一第，丁曰：「入之。」窺其門，見一巨狼當道，大懼不敢進。丁又曰：「入之。」又入一門，見堂上、堂下，坐者、臥者，皆狼也。又視墀中，白骨如山，益懼。丁乃以身翼翁而進。公子甲方自內出，見父及丁良喜。少坐，喚侍者治肴蔌。忽一巨狼，啣死人入。翁戰惕而起曰：「此胡為者？」甲曰：「聊充庖廚。」翁急止之。心怔忡不寧，辭欲出，而群狼阻道。進退方無所主，忽見諸狼紛然嗥避，或竄床下，或伏几底。錯愕不解其故。俄有兩金甲猛士努目入，出黑索索甲。甲撲地化為虎，牙齒巉巉，一人出利劍，欲梟其首。一人曰：「且勿，且勿，此明年四月間事，不如姑敲齒去。」乃出巨錘錘齒，齒零落墮地。虎大吼，聲震山岳。翁大懼，忽醒，乃知其夢。心異之，遣人招丁，丁辭不至。翁誌其夢，使次子詣甲，函戒哀切。既至，見兄門齒盡脫；駭而問之，則醉中墜馬所折。考其時，則父夢之日也。益駭。出父書。甲讀之變色，為間曰：「此幻夢之適符耳，何足怪。」時方賂當路者，得首薦，故不以妖夢為意。弟居數日，見其蠹役滿堂，納賄關說者，中夜不絕，流涕諫止之。甲曰：「弟日居衡茅，故不知仕途之關竅耳。黜陟之權，在上臺不在百姓。上臺喜，便是好官；愛百姓，何術能令上臺喜也？」弟知不可勸止，遂歸。告父。翁聞之大哭。無可如何，惟捐家濟貧，日禱於神，但求逆子之報，不累妻孥。次年，報甲以薦舉作吏部，賀者盈門；翁惟欷歔，伏枕託疾不出。未幾，聞子歸途遇寇，主僕殞命。翁乃起，謂人曰：「鬼神之怒，止及其身，祐我家者不可謂不厚也。」因焚香而報謝之。慰藉翁者，咸以為道路訛傳，惟翁則深信不疑，刻日為之營兆。──而甲固未死。先是，四月間，甲解任，甫離境，即遭寇，甲傾裝以獻之。諸寇曰：「我等來，為一邑之民洩冤憤耳，寧耑為此哉！」遂決其首。又問家人：「有司大成者誰是？」──司故甲之腹心，助桀為虐者。──家人共指之。賊亦殺之。更有蠹役四人，──甲聚斂臣也，將攜入都。──并搜決訖，始分貲入囊，騖馳而去。甲魂伏道旁，見一宰官過，問：「殺者何人？」前驅者曰：「某縣白知縣也。」宰官曰：「此白某之子，不宜使老後見此兇慘，宜續其頭。」即有一人掇頭置腔上，曰：「邪人不宜使正，以肩承領可也。」遂去。移時復甦。妻子往收其尸，見有餘息，載之以行；從容灌之，亦受飲。但寄旅邸，貧不能歸。半年許，翁始得確耗，遣次子致之而歸。甲雖復生，而目能自顧其背，不復齒人數矣。翁姊子有政聲，是年行取為御史，悉符所夢。
白翁，直隶人。长子甲，筮仕南服，三年无耗。适有瓜葛丁姓造谒，翁款之。丁素走无常。谈次，翁辄问以冥事，丁对语涉幻；翁不深信，但微哂之。别后数日，翁方卧，见丁又来，邀与同游。从之去，入一城阙。移时，丁指一门曰：「此间君家甥也。」时翁有姊子为晋令，讶曰：「乌在此？」丁曰：「倘不信，入便知之。」翁入，果见甥，蝉冠豸绣坐堂上，戟幢行列，无人可通。丁曳之出，曰：「公子衙署，去此不远，亦愿见之否？」翁诺。少间，至一第，丁曰：「入之。」窥其门，见一巨狼当道，大惧不敢进。丁又曰：「入之。」又入一门，见堂上、堂下，坐者、卧者，皆狼也。又视墀中，白骨如山，益惧。丁乃以身翼翁而进。公子甲方自内出，见父及丁良喜。少坐，唤侍者治肴蔌。忽一巨狼，啣死人入。翁战惕而起曰：「此胡为者？」甲曰：「聊充庖厨。」翁急止之。心怔忡不宁，辞欲出，而群狼阻道。进退方无所主，忽见诸狼纷然嗥避，或窜床下，或伏几底。错愕不解其故。俄有两金甲猛士努目入，出黑索索甲。甲扑地化为虎，牙齿巉巉，一人出利剑，欲枭其首。一人曰：「且勿，且勿，此明年四月间事，不如姑敲齿去。」乃出巨锤锤齿，齿零落堕地。虎大吼，声震山岳。翁大惧，忽醒，乃知其梦。心异之，遣人招丁，丁辞不至。翁志其梦，使次子诣甲，函戒哀切。既至，见兄门齿尽脱；骇而问之，则醉中坠马所折。考其时，则父梦之日也。益骇。出父书。甲读之变色，为间曰：「此幻梦之适符耳，何足怪。」时方赂当路者，得首荐，故不以妖梦为意。弟居数日，见其蠹役满堂，纳贿关说者，中夜不绝，流涕谏止之。甲曰：「弟日居衡茅，故不知仕途之关窍耳。黜陟之权，在上台不在百姓。上台喜，便是好官；爱百姓，何术能令上台喜也？」弟知不可劝止，遂归。告父。翁闻之大哭。无可如何，惟捐家济贫，日祷于神，但求逆子之报，不累妻孥。次年，报甲以荐举作吏部，贺者盈门；翁惟欷歔，伏枕托疾不出。未几，闻子归途遇寇，主仆殒命。翁乃起，谓人曰：「鬼神之怒，止及其身，祐我家者不可谓不厚也。」因焚香而报谢之。慰藉翁者，咸以为道路讹传，惟翁则深信不疑，刻日为之营兆。──而甲固未死。先是，四月间，甲解任，甫离境，即遭寇，甲倾装以献之。诸寇曰：「我等来，为一邑之民泄冤愤耳，宁耑为此哉！」遂决其首。又问家人：「有司大成者谁是？」──司故甲之腹心，助桀为虐者。──家人共指之。贼亦杀之。更有蠹役四人，──甲聚敛臣也，将携入都。──并搜决讫，始分赀入囊，骛驰而去。甲魂伏道旁，见一宰官过，问：「杀者何人？」前驱者曰：「某县白知县也。」宰官曰：「此白某之子，不宜使老后见此凶惨，宜续其头。」即有一人掇头置腔上，曰：「邪人不宜使正，以肩承领可也。」遂去。移时复苏。妻子往收其尸，见有余息，载之以行；从容灌之，亦受饮。但寄旅邸，贫不能归。半年许，翁始得确耗，遣次子致之而归。甲虽复生，而目能自顾其背，不复齿人数矣。翁姊子有政声，是年行取为御史，悉符所梦。
Old Bai was a man of Zhili. His eldest son, Jia, had gone to the far south to take up his first post, and for three years there had been no word of him. It happened that a distant relative named Ding came to call, and the old man entertained him. Ding had long been running errands for the underworld. As they talked, the old man kept asking him about the world of the dead, and Ding’s answers strayed into the fantastic. The old man did not really believe him, and only smiled faintly. Some days after they parted, the old man was lying in bed when he saw Ding come again and invite him out for a stroll. He went with him, and they entered a walled city. After a while Ding pointed to a gate. “This is where your nephew is,” he said. The old man had a sister’s son who was then a county magistrate in Shanxi. “How can he be here?” he asked in surprise. “If you don’t believe me,” said Ding, “go in and you’ll see.” The old man went in, and there indeed was his nephew, sitting in the hall in a cicada cap and a robe embroidered with a xiezhi, with halberds and banners ranged in rows. There was no getting a word through to him. Ding pulled him out. “Your son’s offices are not far from here,” he said. “Would you like to see him too?” The old man said he would. In a little while they came to a mansion. “Go in,” said Ding. The old man peered through the gate and saw a huge wolf blocking the way, and he was too frightened to go in. “Go in,” said Ding again. He went through another gate. In the hall and below it, sitting or lying, every one of them was a wolf. He looked into the courtyard: white bones were heaped there like a mountain. He was more frightened than ever. So Ding shielded him with his own body, and they went in. Jia was just coming out from the inner rooms, and was delighted to see his father and Ding. They sat a little while, and Jia called his servants to prepare a meal. Suddenly a huge wolf came in with a dead man in its jaws. The old man jumped up, trembling. “What is that for?” “Just something for the kitchen,” said Jia. The old man hastily stopped him. His heart was pounding and he could not settle. He made his excuses to leave, but the wolves crowded into his way. He did not know whether to go on or turn back, when all at once the wolves scattered, howling, some darting under the couches, some crouching under the tables. He was dumbfounded and could not see why. A moment later two fierce warriors in golden armour strode in, glaring. They took out a black rope and bound Jia. Jia fell to the ground and turned into a tiger, with jagged teeth. One of the warriors drew a sharp sword to cut off its head. “Not yet, not yet,” said the other. “That is for the fourth month of next year. For now we had better just knock out its teeth.” He took out a great hammer and hammered at its teeth, and they fell scattering to the ground. The tiger gave a great roar that shook the mountains. The old man was terrified — and suddenly woke, and knew it had been a dream. He thought it strange and sent someone to fetch Ding, but Ding sent his excuses and did not come. The old man wrote down his dream and sent his second son to Jia with a letter of warning, earnest and full of grief. When the second son arrived, he found his brother’s front teeth all gone. Shocked, he asked what had happened: Jia had broken them falling from his horse when drunk. He worked out when it had happened, and it was the very day of their father’s dream. He was more shocked still. He brought out his father’s letter. Jia read it and changed colour. After a moment he said, “It’s just a dream that happens to fit. What is so strange about that?” He had just then bribed the men in power and been put first on the list for promotion, so he gave no thought to an uncanny dream. His brother stayed some days. He saw the hall swarming with corrupt runners, and people bringing bribes or putting in a word for someone, coming and going till the middle of the night. In tears, he begged Jia to stop. “You spend your days in a thatched hut,” said Jia, “so you don’t know how things work in office. The power to promote or dismiss lies with your superiors, not with the common people. Please your superiors and you’re a good official. Love the common people — and how will that please your superiors?” His brother saw there was no talking him round. He went home and told their father, and when the old man heard, he wept aloud. There was nothing he could do. He gave away the family’s wealth to help the poor, and prayed to the gods every day, asking only that the punishment of his wicked son should not fall on his wife and children. The next year word came that Jia had been recommended for promotion and given a post in the Ministry of Personnel. Well-wishers crowded the gate, but the old man only sighed and sobbed, kept to his pillow, pleaded illness and would not come out. Before long he heard that his son had met bandits on the way home, and that master and servants had all been killed. Then the old man got up. “The anger of the spirits has fallen on him alone,” he told people. “They have been more than kind to my family.” And he burned incense to thank them. Those who came to comfort him all said it must be a false rumour from the road. Only the old man believed it without a doubt, and set a day to prepare a grave for him. But Jia was not, in fact, dead. In the fourth month, Jia had handed over his post. He had barely left the county when he ran into bandits. Jia emptied out all his baggage and offered it to them. “We have come,” said the bandits, “to avenge the wrongs of the people of a whole county. Do you think we came just for this?” And they cut off his head. Then they asked his household, “Which of you is Si Dacheng?” Si had been Jia’s right-hand man, the one who helped the tyrant in his cruelties. The household all pointed him out, and the bandits killed him too. There were also four corrupt runners, the men who squeezed money for Jia, whom he was taking with him to the capital. These too the bandits hunted out and beheaded. Only then did they share out the money, stuff it into their bags and gallop away. Jia’s soul lay crouching by the roadside. He saw an official passing, who asked, “Who is the dead man?” “Bai, the magistrate of such-and-such county,” said one of the outriders. “This is the son of Bai So-and-so,” said the official. “His father should not have to see such a horror in his old age. The head should be put back on.” At once a man picked up the head and set it on the neck. “A crooked man shouldn’t be put on straight,” he said. “Rest his chin on his shoulder — that will do.” And they went on. After a while Jia came back to life. When his wife and children went to collect his body, they found there was still a little breath in him and took him along in a cart. They gave him sips to drink, slowly, and he could swallow. But they had to stay at an inn, too poor to go home. After about half a year the old man at last had reliable news, and sent his second son to bring Jia home. Jia had come back to life, but his eyes could see his own back, and he was never again counted among men. The old man’s nephew had a name for good government. That year he was called to the capital and made a censor, all just as in the dream.