泗水山中，舊有禪院，四無村落，人蹟罕及，有道士棲止其中。或言內多大蛇，故游人益遠之。一少年入山羅鷹。入既深，無所歸宿；遙見蘭若，趨投之。道士驚曰：「居士何來？幸不為兒輩所見！」即命坐，具饘粥。食未已，一巨蛇入，粗十餘圍，昂首向客，怒目電瞛。客大懼。道士以掌擊其額，呵曰：去！」蛇乃俯首入東室。蜿蜒移時，其軀始盡，盤伏其中，一室盡滿。客大懼，搖戰。道士曰：「此平時所豢養。有我在，不妨；所患者，客自遇之耳。」客甫坐，又一蛇入，較前略小，約可五六圍。見客遽止，睒閃吐舌如前狀。道士又叱之，亦入室去。室無臥處，半遶梁間，壁上土搖落有聲。客益懼，終夜不寢。早起欲歸，道士送之。出屋門，見牆上階下，大如盎琖者，行臥不一。見生人，皆有吞噬狀。客懼，依道士肘腋而行，使送出谷口，乃歸。
泗水山中從前有一座禪院，四周沒有村落，很少有人到那裡去，有個道士住在裡面。有人說院裡有許多大蛇，遊人便更加遠遠避開它。有個少年進山張網捕鷹，走得太深，找不到過夜的地方，遠遠看見一座寺院，便趕過去求宿。道士吃驚地說：「居士從哪裡來？幸好沒被那些孩子看見！」隨即讓他坐下，端來稠粥。少年還沒吃完，一條巨蛇就爬了進來，身子粗得要十幾個人合抱，昂起頭對著客人，怒目閃著電光般的光芒。客人十分害怕。道士用手掌拍了一下蛇的額頭，呵斥道：「走開！」蛇便低下頭，爬進東邊的房間。它蜿蜒著爬了好一會兒，整條身子才進去，在裡面盤伏下來，把一間屋子塞得滿滿的。客人嚇得渾身發抖。道士說：「這是我平時養的蛇。有我在，不會傷害你；怕的是你獨自遇上它。」客人剛坐下，又有一條蛇爬進來，比先前那條略小，身子大約要五六個人合抱。它看見客人，立刻停住，眼睛閃動，吐著舌頭，與先前那條蛇一樣。道士又呵斥它，它也爬進了房間。屋裡已經沒有地方躺下，它便把半截身子纏在梁上，震得牆上的泥土簌簌掉落，發出聲響。客人更加害怕，整夜沒睡。第二天一早，他起身要回家，道士出來送他。出了屋門，他看見牆上和臺階下到處都是蛇，有的粗如盆，有的粗如杯，有的在爬，有的躺著。它們見了陌生人，都露出要吞咬的樣子。客人嚇得緊貼著道士身旁走，讓道士一直送到谷口，才回家去。
泗水山中，旧有禅院，四无村落，人迹罕及，有道士栖止其中。或言内多大蛇，故游人益远之。一少年入山罗鹰。入既深，无所归宿；遥见兰若，趋投之。道士惊曰：「居士何来？幸不为儿辈所见！」即命坐，具𫗴粥。食未已，一巨蛇入，粗十余围，昂首向客，怒目电瞛。客大惧。道士以掌击其额，呵曰：去！」蛇乃俯首入东室。蜿蜒移时，其躯始尽，盘伏其中，一室尽满。客大惧，摇战。道士曰：「此平时所豢养。有我在，不妨；所患者，客自遇之耳。」客甫坐，又一蛇入，较前略小，约可五六围。见客遽止，睒闪吐舌如前状。道士又叱之，亦入室去。室无卧处，半绕梁间，壁上土摇落有声。客益惧，终夜不寝。早起欲归，道士送之。出屋门，见墙上阶下，大如盎琖者，行卧不一。见生人，皆有吞噬状。客惧，依道士肘腋而行，使送出谷口，乃归。
泗水山中从前有一座禅院，四周没有村落，很少有人到那里去，有个道士住在里面。有人说院里有许多大蛇，游人便更加远远避开它。有个少年进山张网捕鹰，走得太深，找不到过夜的地方，远远看见一座寺院，便赶过去求宿。道士吃惊地说：“居士从哪里来？幸好没被那些孩子看见！”随即让他坐下，端来稠粥。少年还没吃完，一条巨蛇就爬了进来，身子粗得要十几个人合抱，昂起头对着客人，怒目闪着电光般的光芒。客人十分害怕。道士用手掌拍了一下蛇的额头，呵斥道：“走开！”蛇便低下头，爬进东边的房间。它蜿蜒着爬了好一会儿，整条身子才进去，在里面盘伏下来，把一间屋子塞得满满的。客人吓得浑身发抖。道士说：“这是我平时养的蛇。有我在，不会伤害你；怕的是你独自遇上它。”客人刚坐下，又有一条蛇爬进来，比先前那条略小，身子大约要五六个人合抱。它看见客人，立刻停住，眼睛闪动，吐着舌头，与先前那条蛇一样。道士又呵斥它，它也爬进了房间。屋里已经没有地方躺下，它便把半截身子缠在梁上，震得墙上的泥土簌簌掉落，发出声响。客人更加害怕，整夜没睡。第二天一早，他起身要回家，道士出来送他。出了屋门，他看见墙上和台阶下到处都是蛇，有的粗如盆，有的粗如杯，有的在爬，有的躺着。它们见了陌生人，都露出要吞咬的样子。客人吓得紧贴着道士身旁走，让道士一直送到谷口，才回家去。
In the hills of Sishui there was an old Chan monastery. There were no villages anywhere around it, and few people ever came that way. A Daoist lived in it. Some said there were many big snakes inside, so travellers kept all the further away. A young man went into the hills to net hawks. He went in so deep that he had nowhere to spend the night. Seeing a temple far off, he hurried to it for shelter. The Daoist was startled. “Where have you come from, good layman?” he said. “Lucky my children didn’t see you!” He had him sit down at once and set out a bowl of gruel. Before the young man had finished eating, a huge snake came in, more than ten spans around. It reared its head at the guest, its angry eyes flashing like lightning. The guest was terrified. The Daoist slapped it on the forehead with his palm and shouted, “Go!” The snake lowered its head and went into the east room. It wound on in for a long while before the last of its body was through, and then it lay coiled there, filling the whole room. The guest was terrified and shook all over. “This is one I keep,” said the Daoist. “While I am here it does no harm. The danger would be if you met it on your own.” The guest had hardly sat down when another snake came in, a little smaller than the first, perhaps five or six spans around. Seeing the guest, it stopped short, eyes flashing and tongue flicking, just like the first. The Daoist shouted at it too, and it also went into the room. There was no space left in there to lie, so it wound half its length around the beams, and the mud plaster shook loose from the walls and fell pattering down. The guest was more frightened than ever and did not sleep all night. He rose early to go home, and the Daoist saw him off. Outside the door, on the walls and below the steps, he saw snakes as thick as basins and as thick as cups, some moving, some lying still. At the sight of a stranger they all looked ready to swallow him. Afraid, the guest walked pressed close at the Daoist’s elbow and had him see him all the way out to the mouth of the valley before he went home.