顛道人，不知姓名，寓蒙山寺。歌哭不常，人莫之測，或見其煮石為飯者。會重陽，有邑貴載酒登臨，輿蓋而往，宴畢過寺，甫及門，則道人赤足著破衲，自張黃蓋，作警蹕聲而出，意近玩弄。邑貴乃慚怒，揮僕輩逐罵之。道人笑而卻走。逐急棄蓋；共毀裂之，片片化為鷹隼，四散群飛。眾始駭，蓋柄轉成巨蟒，赤鱗耀目。眾譁欲奔，有同游者止之曰：「此不過翳眼之幻術耳，烏能噬人！」遂操刃直前。蟒張吻怒逆，吞客嚥之。眾駭，擁貴人急奔，息於三里之外。使數人逡巡往探，漸入寺，則人蟒俱無。方將返報，聞老槐內喘急如驢，駭甚。初不敢前；潛蹤移近之，見樹朽中空，有竅如盤。試一攀窺，則鬥蟒者倒植其中，而孔大僅容兩手，無術可以出之。急以刀劈樹，比樹開而人已死。踰時少蘇，舁歸。道人不知所之矣。
有個瘋癲的道人，沒有人知道他的姓名，住在蒙山寺裡。他時而唱歌，時而哭泣，反覆無常，誰也摸不透他。有人還見過他把石頭煮來當飯吃。正逢重陽節，縣裡有位貴人帶著酒上山遊玩，坐著轎子，撐著傘蓋。宴飲結束後，他經過寺院，剛到門口，就見道人光著腳，穿著破舊的衲衣，自己撐起一把黃色的傘蓋，嘴裡發出喝令行人讓路的聲音，走了出來，分明有戲弄他的意思。那貴人又羞又怒，揮手叫僕人們追上去罵他。道人笑著往後退跑。僕人追得緊，他就丟下傘蓋；眾人一起把傘蓋撕毀，碎片竟一片片變成鷹隼，成群地向四面飛散。眾人這才害怕起來，傘柄又變成一條巨蟒，紅色的鱗片耀眼奪目。眾人驚叫著要逃，有個同遊的人攔住他們說：「這不過是矇騙人的眼睛的幻術，哪裡能咬人！」說完拿起刀，徑直迎了上去。巨蟒張開大嘴，怒氣衝衝地迎向他，一口把他吞了下去。眾人嚇壞了，簇擁著貴人急忙逃跑，直到三里之外才停下來歇息。貴人派幾個人回去探看。他們遲疑著慢慢走進寺院，卻見那人和巨蟒都不見了。正要回去報告，忽然聽見一棵老槐樹裡傳出急促的喘息聲，像驢喘氣一樣，嚇得厲害。起初不敢上前，後來悄悄挪近，發現樹已經腐朽，中間是空的，有個盤子大小的洞。有人試著攀上去往裡看，只見那個與巨蟒搏鬥的人頭朝下倒插在樹裡，而洞口只容得下兩隻手，根本沒法把他弄出來。眾人急忙用刀劈樹，等到樹劈開，那人已經斷了氣。過了一會兒，他又稍稍甦醒，眾人便把他抬回去了。至於道人去了哪裡，誰也不知道。
颠道人，不知姓名，寓蒙山寺。歌哭不常，人莫之测，或见其煮石为饭者。会重阳，有邑贵载酒登临，舆盖而往，宴毕过寺，甫及门，则道人赤足着破衲，自张黄盖，作警跸声而出，意近玩弄。邑贵乃惭怒，挥仆辈逐骂之。道人笑而却走。逐急弃盖；共毁裂之，片片化为鹰隼，四散群飞。众始骇，盖柄转成巨蟒，赤鳞耀目。众哗欲奔，有同游者止之曰：「此不过翳眼之幻术耳，乌能噬人！」遂操刃直前。蟒张吻怒逆，吞客咽之。众骇，拥贵人急奔，息于三里之外。使数人逡巡往探，渐入寺，则人蟒俱无。方将返报，闻老槐内喘急如驴，骇甚。初不敢前；潜踪移近之，见树朽中空，有窍如盘。试一攀窥，则斗蟒者倒植其中，而孔大仅容两手，无术可以出之。急以刀劈树，比树开而人已死。逾时少苏，舁归。道人不知所之矣。
有个疯癫的道人，没有人知道他的姓名，住在蒙山寺里。他时而唱歌，时而哭泣，反复无常，谁也摸不透他。有人还见过他把石头煮来当饭吃。正逢重阳节，县里有位贵人带着酒上山游玩，坐着轿子，撑着伞盖。宴饮结束后，他经过寺院，刚到门口，就见道人光着脚，穿着破旧的衲衣，自己撑起一把黄色的伞盖，嘴里发出喝令行人让路的声音，走了出来，分明有戏弄他的意思。那贵人又羞又怒，挥手叫仆人们追上去骂他。道人笑着往后退跑。仆人追得紧，他就丢下伞盖；众人一起把伞盖撕毁，碎片竟一片片变成鹰隼，成群地向四面飞散。众人这才害怕起来，伞柄又变成一条巨蟒，红色的鳞片耀眼夺目。众人惊叫着要逃，有个同游的人拦住他们说：“这不过是蒙骗人的眼睛的幻术，哪里能咬人！”说完拿起刀，径直迎了上去。巨蟒张开大嘴，怒气冲冲地迎向他，一口把他吞了下去。众人吓坏了，簇拥着贵人急忙逃跑，直到三里之外才停下来歇息。贵人派几个人回去探看。他们迟疑着慢慢走进寺院，却见那人和巨蟒都不见了。正要回去报告，忽然听见一棵老槐树里传出急促的喘息声，像驴喘气一样，吓得厉害。起初不敢上前，后来悄悄挪近，发现树已经腐朽，中间是空的，有个盘子大小的洞。有人试着攀上去往里看，只见那个与巨蟒搏斗的人头朝下倒插在树里，而洞口只容得下两只手，根本没法把他弄出来。众人急忙用刀劈树，等到树劈开，那人已经断了气。过了一会儿，他又稍稍苏醒，众人便把他抬回去了。至于道人去了哪里，谁也不知道。
The Mad Daoist: no one knew his name. He lodged at the temple on Mount Meng. He would sing or weep for no reason anyone could see, and no one could make him out. Some had seen him boil stones and eat them as rice. At the Double Ninth festival a grandee of the county took wine up the mountain to enjoy the heights, riding in a sedan chair under a canopy. When the feast was over he passed by the temple. He had just reached the gate when out came the Daoist, barefoot, in a ragged patched robe, holding a yellow canopy over himself and crying out to clear the road. It looked very much like mockery. The grandee, shamed and angry, waved his servants on to chase the man off with curses. The Daoist laughed and backed away. Pressed hard, he dropped the canopy. They tore it to pieces together, and every piece turned into a hawk or a falcon, and they flew off in flocks in all directions. Only now were the men alarmed. The canopy’s handle turned into a huge python, its red scales dazzling. They cried out and were about to run, but one of the party stopped them. “It’s nothing but a conjuring trick to cloud your eyes,” he said. “How could it bite anyone?” He took up a blade and went straight at it. The python opened its jaws, reared angrily to meet him, swallowed him and gulped him down. Terrified, the others hustled the grandee away at a run and did not stop to rest until they were three li off. He sent a few men to creep back and look. They edged into the temple: man and python were both gone. They were about to go back and report when they heard, inside an old locust tree, a hard panting like a donkey’s. They were badly frightened. At first they dared not go near; then they crept up quietly and saw that the tree was rotten and hollow, with a hole in it the size of a dish. One of them climbed up to peep in. There was the man who had fought the python, stuck head-down inside, and the hole was only big enough for two hands. There was no way to get him out. They hacked at the tree with their knives, and by the time it split open the man was dead. After a while he came round a little, and they carried him home. Where the Daoist had gone, no one knew.