朝天觀道士某，喜吐納之術。有翁假寓觀中，適同所好，遂為玄友。居數年，每至郊祭時，輒先旬日而去，郊後乃返。道士疑而問之。翁曰：「我兩人莫逆，可以實告：我狐也。郊期至，則諸神清穢，我無所容，故行遁耳。」又一年，及期而去，久不復返。疑之。一日忽至。因問其故。答曰：「我幾不復見子矣！曩欲遠避，心頗怠，視陰溝甚隱，遂潛伏卷瓮下。不意靈官糞除至此，瞥為所睹，憤欲加鞭。余懼而逃。靈官追逐甚急。至黃河上，瀕將及矣。大窘無計，竄伏溷中。神惡其穢，始返身去。既出，臭惡沾染，不可復游人世。乃投水自濯訖，又蟄隱穴中幾百日，垢濁始淨。今來相別，兼以致囑：君亦宜隱身他去，大劫將來，此非福地也。」言已，辭去。道士依言別徙。未幾而有甲申之變。
朝天观道士某，喜吐纳之术。有翁假寓观中，适同所好，遂为玄友。居数年，每至郊祭时，辄先旬日而去，郊后乃返。道士疑而问之。翁曰：「我两人莫逆，可以实告：我狐也。郊期至，则诸神清秽，我无所容，故行遁耳。」又一年，及期而去，久不复返。疑之。一日忽至。因问其故。答曰：「我几不复见子矣！曩欲远避，心颇怠，视阴沟甚隐，遂潜伏卷瓮下。不意灵官粪除至此，瞥为所睹，愤欲加鞭。余惧而逃。灵官追逐甚急。至黄河上，濒将及矣。大窘无计，窜伏溷中。神恶其秽，始返身去。既出，臭恶沾染，不可复游人世。乃投水自濯讫，又蛰隐穴中几百日，垢浊始净。今来相别，兼以致嘱：君亦宜隐身他去，大劫将来，此非福地也。」言已，辞去。道士依言别徙。未几而有甲申之变。
A certain Daoist of the Chaotian Temple was devoted to the art of breathing exercises. An old man lodging at the temple happened to share the same pursuit, and the two became friends in the mysteries. For several years, whenever the time of the suburban sacrifice came round, the old man would leave ten days beforehand and return only after it was over. The Daoist grew suspicious and asked him about it. “We two are of one heart,” said the old man, “so I can tell you the truth: I am a fox. When the sacrifice comes, all the gods clear away whatever is unclean, and there is no place for me. So I go into hiding.” The next year he left when the time came and stayed away a long while. The Daoist wondered at it. Then one day the old man suddenly appeared, and the Daoist asked what had happened. “I very nearly never saw you again!” he said. “I meant to go far off, but I felt lazy. A drain looked well hidden, so I crept in under a jar there. I never thought the Spirit Officer would come sweeping that way. He caught sight of me, and in his anger he was going to take the whip to me. I fled in terror, and he chased me hard. By the time we reached the Yellow River he was almost on me. Desperate, with nowhere to turn, I dived into a privy. The god loathed the filth, and at last he turned and went back. Once I was out, I was so fouled with stench that I could not go among men again. I threw myself into the water and washed, then lay hidden in a burrow for nearly a hundred days before I was clean. Now I have come to say goodbye, and to warn you: you too should go and hide somewhere else. A great kalpa is coming, and this is no blessed place.” With that he took his leave. The Daoist did as he said, said goodbye and moved away. Not long after came the upheaval of the jiashen year.