天津某寺，鸛鳥巢於鴟尾。殿承塵上，藏大蛇如盆，每至鸛雛團翼時，輒出吞食淨盡。鸛悲鳴數日乃去。如是三年，人料其必不復至，而次歲巢如故。約雛長成，即徑去，三日始還。入巢啞啞，哺子如初。蛇又蜿蜒而上。甫近巢，兩鸛驚，飛鳴哀急，直上青冥。俄聞風聲蓬蓬，一瞬間，天地似晦。眾駭異，共視一大鳥，翼蔽天日，從空疾下，驟如風雨，以爪擊蛇，蛇首立墮，連摧殿角數尺許，振翼而去。鸛從其後，若將送之。巢既傾，兩雛俱墮，一生一死。僧取生者置鐘樓上。少頃，鸛返，仍就哺之，翼成而去。
天津某寺，鹳鸟巢于鸱尾。殿承尘上，藏大蛇如盆，每至鹳雏团翼时，辄出吞食净尽。鹳悲鸣数日乃去。如是三年，人料其必不复至，而次岁巢如故。约雏长成，即径去，三日始还。入巢哑哑，哺子如初。蛇又蜿蜒而上。甫近巢，两鹳惊，飞鸣哀急，直上青冥。俄闻风声蓬蓬，一瞬间，天地似晦。众骇异，共视一大鸟，翼蔽天日，从空疾下，骤如风雨，以爪击蛇，蛇首立堕，连摧殿角数尺许，振翼而去。鹳从其后，若将送之。巢既倾，两雏俱堕，一生一死。僧取生者置钟楼上。少顷，鹳返，仍就哺之，翼成而去。
At a temple in Tianjin, storks nested on the owl’s tail at the end of the roof ridge. Above the ceiling of the main hall lived a great snake, as thick as a basin. Every time the stork chicks began to grow their feathers, it came out and swallowed every last one. The storks would cry mournfully for several days and then leave. This went on for three years. People were sure they would never come back, but the next year they nested as before. When the chicks were nearly grown, the storks flew straight off and did not come back for three days. Then they went into the nest, croaking, and fed their young as before. Again the snake came winding its way up. It had just come near the nest when the two storks took fright and flew up, crying in desperate distress, straight into the blue sky. A moment later there came a rushing of wind, and in an instant heaven and earth seemed to go dark. Everyone was alarmed. Together they saw a huge bird, its wings blotting out the sun, swooping down from the sky as sudden as a storm. It struck the snake with its claws, and the snake’s head dropped off at once; several feet of the corner of the hall came crashing down with it. Then the bird beat its wings and was gone. The storks flew after it, as if seeing it off. The nest had tipped over, and both chicks had fallen, one alive and one dead. A monk took the live one and put it up in the bell tower. Soon the storks came back and went on feeding it there, and when its wings were grown, it flew away.