| In Bazhou lived an old Confucian scholar who
was a true gentleman enjoying high prestige. One day a fox spirit
broke into his house to make trouble. When the scholar was there all would
be quiet, but the moment he left the fox would start shaking the doors
and windows, smashing utensils, throwing rubbish around, and doing other
sorts of mishchief. Thus kept from going out, the old scholar stayed home
all day reading. Just then a group of scholars in Bazhou met in the local
school to sign a joint petition against the prefect about a river control
project. They wanted to elect the old scholar as their leader, but as he
was unable to attend the gathering because of the fox in his house, they
elected a Mr. Wang instead. Wang, charged with gathering a crowd to defy
authority, was subsequently tried and executed, and the old scholar had
a narrow escape. As soon as the case broke out, the old scholar's house
ceased to be disturbed by the fox. Only then did he realize that the fox
had tied him down in the house in order to prevent him from getting involved
in the case. Therefore nothing auspicious will ever happen to a petty man;
if any such thing should happen to him, it must have been generated by
heaven to make him aggravate his sin. Likewise, a gentleman will not meet
any demon; if he should meet one, it must have been sent by heaven to help
him avoid a catastophe. |
