汾州判朱公者，居廨多狐。公夜坐，有女子往來燈下。初謂是家人婦，未遑顧瞻；及舉目，竟不相識，而容光艷艷。心知其狐，而愛好之，遽呼之來。女停履笑曰：「厲聲加人，誰是汝婢媼耶？」朱笑而起，曳坐謝過。遂與款密，久如夫妻之好。忽謂曰：「君秩當遷，別有日矣。」問：「何時？」答曰：「目前。但賀者在門，吊者即在閭，不能官也。」三日，遷報果至。次日，即得太夫人訃音。公解任，欲與偕旋。狐不可。送之河上，強之登舟。女曰：「君自不知，狐不能過河也。」朱不忍別，戀戀河畔。女忽出，言將一謁故舊。移時歸，即有客來答拜。女別室與語。客去乃來，曰：「請便登舟，妾送君渡。」朱曰：「向言不能渡，今何以云？」曰：「曩所謁非他，河神也。妾以君故，特請之。彼限我十天往復，故可暫依耳。」遂同濟。至十日，果別而去。
汾州判朱公者，居廨多狐。公夜坐，有女子往来灯下。初谓是家人妇，未遑顾瞻；及举目，竟不相识，而容光艳艳。心知其狐，而爱好之，遽呼之来。女停履笑曰：「厉声加人，谁是汝婢媪耶？」朱笑而起，曳坐谢过。遂与款密，久如夫妻之好。忽谓曰：「君秩当迁，别有日矣。」问：「何时？」答曰：「目前。但贺者在门，吊者即在闾，不能官也。」三日，迁报果至。次日，即得太夫人讣音。公解任，欲与偕旋。狐不可。送之河上，强之登舟。女曰：「君自不知，狐不能过河也。」朱不忍别，恋恋河畔。女忽出，言将一谒故旧。移时归，即有客来答拜。女别室与语。客去乃来，曰：「请便登舟，妾送君渡。」朱曰：「向言不能渡，今何以云？」曰：「曩所谒非他，河神也。妾以君故，特请之。彼限我十天往复，故可暂依耳。」遂同济。至十日，果别而去。
Zhu, the assistant magistrate of Fenzhou, had many foxes in his official residence. One night as he sat up late, a woman kept passing back and forth in the lamplight. At first he took her for the wife of one of his servants and did not trouble to look at her. When he did raise his eyes, she was a stranger, and radiantly beautiful. He knew she must be a fox, but he liked her, and called her over sharply. She stopped and laughed. “Shouting at people like that — who do you think I am, your maid?” Zhu laughed, rose, drew her to a seat and begged her pardon. After that they were close and tender, and for a long time lived as fondly as husband and wife. One day she said suddenly, “You are due for promotion. We shall be parting soon.” “When?” he asked. “Very soon,” she answered. “But the people who come to congratulate you will be at your door, and the people who come to mourn will be right behind them in the lane. You will not be able to take the post.” Three days later, word of his promotion did come. The next day came news that his mother had died. Zhu gave up his post and wanted to take the fox home with him. She would not go. She saw him off at the river, and he pressed her to board the boat. “You don’t know, then,” she said. “Foxes cannot cross rivers.” Zhu could not bear to part from her, and lingered on the bank. Suddenly she went out, saying she was going to call on an old acquaintance. After a while she came back, and at once a visitor arrived to return her call. She talked with him in another room. When the visitor had gone she came to Zhu and said, “Please board the boat now. I will see you across.” “You said before that you couldn’t cross,” said Zhu. “Why do you say this now?” “The one I called on was none other than the river god. I asked him specially, for your sake. He has given me ten days to go and come back, so I can stay with you for a little while.” So they crossed together. On the tenth day, just as she had said, she took her leave and went.