中州境有道士，募食鄉村。食已，聞鸝鳴，因告主人使慎火。問故，答曰：「鳥云：『大火難救，可怕！』」眾笑之，竟不備。明日，果火，延燒數家，始驚其神。好事者追及之，稱為仙。道士曰：「我不過知鳥語耳，何仙也！」適有皂花雀鳴樹上，眾問何語。曰：「雀言：『初六養之，初六養之；十四、十六殤之。』想此家雙生矣。今日為初十，不出五六日，當俱死也。」詢之，果生二子；無何，並死，其日悉符。邑令聞其奇，招之，延為客。時群鴨過，因問之。對曰：「明公內室，必相爭也。鴨曰：『罷罷！偏向他！偏向他！』」令大服，蓋妻妾反脣，令適被喧聒而出也。因留居署中，優禮之。時辨鳥言，多奇中。而道士樸野，肆言輒無所忌。令最貪，一切供用諸物，皆折為錢以入之。一日，方坐，群鴨復來，令又詰之。答曰：「今日所言，不與前同，乃為明公會計耳。」問：「何計？」曰：「彼云：『蠟燭一百八，銀朱一千八。』」令慚，疑其相譏。道士求去，令不許。踰數日，宴客，忽聞杜宇。客問之。答曰：「鳥云：『丟官而去。』」眾愕然失色。令大怒，立逐而出。未幾，令果以墨敗。嗚呼！此仙人儆戒之，而惜乎危厲熏心者，不之悟也。
中州境有道士，募食乡村。食已，闻鹂鸣，因告主人使慎火。问故，答曰：「鸟云：『大火难救，可怕！』」众笑之，竟不备。明日，果火，延烧数家，始惊其神。好事者追及之，称为仙。道士曰：「我不过知鸟语耳，何仙也！」适有皂花雀鸣树上，众问何语。曰：「雀言：『初六养之，初六养之；十四、十六殇之。』想此家双生矣。今日为初十，不出五六日，当俱死也。」询之，果生二子；无何，并死，其日悉符。邑令闻其奇，招之，延为客。时群鸭过，因问之。对曰：「明公内室，必相争也。鸭曰：『罢罢！偏向他！偏向他！』」令大服，盖妻妾反唇，令适被喧聒而出也。因留居署中，优礼之。时辨鸟言，多奇中。而道士朴野，肆言辄无所忌。令最贪，一切供用诸物，皆折为钱以入之。一日，方坐，群鸭复来，令又诘之。答曰：「今日所言，不与前同，乃为明公会计耳。」问：「何计？」曰：「彼云：『蜡烛一百八，银朱一千八。』」令惭，疑其相讥。道士求去，令不许。逾数日，宴客，忽闻杜宇。客问之。答曰：「鸟云：『丢官而去。』」众愕然失色。令大怒，立逐而出。未几，令果以墨败。呜呼！此仙人儆戒之，而惜乎危厉熏心者，不之悟也。
In the Central Plain there was a Daoist who went begging for food from village to village. Once, when he had eaten, he heard an oriole sing, and so he told his host to be careful with fire. Asked why, he answered, “The bird says: ‘A great fire, no saving it — how frightening!’” Everyone laughed at him, and in the end they took no precautions. The next day there was indeed a fire. It spread and burned several houses, and only then were they astonished at his powers. Some busybodies went after him, caught up with him and hailed him as an immortal. “I only understand what birds say, that is all,” said the Daoist. “What immortal?” Just then a black-flecked sparrow was singing in a tree, and they asked what it was saying. “The sparrow says: ‘Born on the sixth, born on the sixth; dead on the fourteenth and the sixteenth.’ I suppose some family here has had twins. Today is the tenth. Within five or six days both should be dead.” They inquired, and sure enough two sons had been born. Before long both died, on exactly the days he had said. The county magistrate heard of these wonders, summoned him and kept him as a guest. Once a flock of ducks went by, and the magistrate asked about them. “In Your Honour’s inner quarters there must be a quarrel,” said the Daoist. “The ducks are saying: ‘Stop it, stop it! You take her side! You take her side!’” The magistrate was entirely won over: his wife and his concubine had been snapping at each other, and he had just come out to get away from the din. So he kept the Daoist living in his official residence and treated him with great courtesy. From time to time the Daoist interpreted what birds said, and was often uncannily right. But he was a plain rustic fellow and spoke his mind freely, with no regard for anything. The magistrate was exceedingly greedy: everything supplied for his use he converted into cash and pocketed. One day, as he was sitting there, the ducks came by again, and he asked once more. “What they say today is not the same as before,” the Daoist answered. “They are doing Your Honour’s accounts.” “What accounts?” “They say: ‘Candles, a hundred and eight; vermilion, a thousand eight hundred.’” The magistrate was embarrassed and suspected he was being mocked. The Daoist asked to leave, but the magistrate would not let him go. A few days later, at a banquet, a cuckoo was suddenly heard. A guest asked what it said. “The bird says: ‘Lose your post and go,’” he answered. The whole company was stunned and turned pale. The magistrate flew into a rage and had him thrown out at once. Not long afterwards the magistrate was indeed dismissed for corruption. Alas! This was an immortal warning him. What a pity that those whose hearts are clouded by perilous greed never see it!