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Translated by
Rania Huntington


This tale is from Gan Bao's (fl. 320) Sou shen ji (Record of Seeking Immortals.) (juan 18, #420.) Zhang Hua's other name was Maoxian, and he served as Secretariat Director during the reign of Emperor Hui of Ji.

At that time there was a spotted fox who lived in front of the tomb of King Zhao of Yan. Because of his advanced age he could transform himself with illusion, so he changed into a scholar and wanted to call on Lord Zhang. He went to ask the decorated pillar in front of the tomb, "Do you think I, with my talent and appearance, will be able to see Secretariat Director Zhang or not?" The pillar replied, "With your skill at argument, there's nothing to stop you. But Lord Zhang with his knowledge and perception will be hard to fool. If you go, you will certainly be insulted, and probably not be able to return. Not only will you harm your thousand-year old essence, but it will also bring great harm to me."

The fox didn't listen. He took a calling card and went to call on Zhang Hua. Zhang saw that he was young and stylish looking, with brilliant white skin and an impressive matter, so treated him with respect. The talk turned to literature, and he brought up critiques and analysis Zhang had never heard before. His discussions ranged from the histories to the subtleties of Laozi and Zhuangzi, from the odes to the rites, encompassing all the Confucians and sages. To all of it Zhang could only agree. He sighed, "How could there be such a youth in the world! If it isn't a demon, it must be a fox." So he prepared a bed for the youth to spend the night and had men guard him. The young scholar said, "You should respect the sages and be tolerant of the masses, reward the talented and have sympathy with the incompetent. How then can you hate anyone's learning? Is Mozi's Universal Love like this?" After these words he asked to leave. Zhang Hua had sent people to guard the door and he couldnUt get out. He said to Zhang, "You must have bolted your door and had it guarded because you suspect me. In the future I fear the people of the world will hold their tongues and not speak to you, and men of talent will look at your door but not approach it. I pity you." Zhang Hua didn't answer, but had the watch over him tightened.

At that time Ling Weihuan from Fengcheng (whose other name was Kongzhang), a man of broad learning, came to call on Zhang Hua. Zhang told him about the young scholar. Ling said, "If you suspect him, why don't you test him with dogs?" So he ordered that the youth be tested with dogs, but he showed no fear. The fox said, "I was granted talent by heaven, but you think me a monster and test me with dogs. No matter what you try, how can it trouble me?" Zhang Hua hearing this grew even more angry. "This must be a real monster. I've heard that monsters fear dogs, but only monsters of a few hundred years of age can be revealed by them; against thousand year old spirits they are of no use. Only if you can make a torch of thousand year old wood and shine it on them will their forms be instantly revealed." Ling asked, "How can you get thousand-year old wood?" Zhang Hua said, "Legend has it that the pillar in front of King Zhao of Yan's tomb is already a thousand years old." So he sent someone to chop down the pillar.

When the man he sent was about to reach the pillar, suddenly a youth in green clothes appeared and asked, "Why have you come?" He said, "A young man came to call on Secretariat Zhang; he's very talented and a good talker, and Zhang suspects he is a monster. He sent me to get the decorated pillar to shine on him." The youth in green clothes said, "The old fox is foolish and didn't listen to my words. Today misfortune had already come to me; how can I flee?" He let out a sob and vanished. The man cut down the wood, and blood flowed. He took the wood back, and lit it in order to shine on the young scholar. He was after all a spotted fox. Zhang Hua said, "If I hadn't encountered these two things, their like could not be found again in a thousand years."