Prevod

In Minzhong, in the land of Dongyue, stood Yong Ridge, rising several dozen li high. In a cleft on its northwestern side lived a great serpent, seven or eight zhang long and more than ten armspans around. The local people lived in constant fear of it. Many commandants of Dongzhi and officials of the towns under their jurisdiction had died because of it. They sacrificed oxen and sheep, but gained no relief. Sometimes the serpent appeared to people in dreams; sometimes it delivered its demands through shamans and priests. It wished to devour girls of twelve or thirteen. The commandant and the local magistrates were all deeply troubled, yet its baleful influence would not cease. Together they sought girls born to bondservants, as well as daughters of convicted criminals, and had them reared for the sacrifice. On the first day of the eighth month, a girl would be taken to the mouth of the serpent’s cave as an offering, and the serpent would emerge and devour her. This continued year after year, until nine girls had been sacrificed. Now they were seeking another, but had yet to find one. In Jiangle County, a man named Li Dan had six daughters and no sons. His youngest daughter, named Ji, offered herself for the sacrifice. Her parents would not allow it. Ji said, “You have been unfortunate, bearing six daughters and not a single son. Having us is as good as having no children at all. I have done nothing to save you, as Tiying saved her father. I cannot support you and only waste your food and clothing. My life is of no benefit; better that I should die soon. By selling me, you could get a little money to provide for yourselves. Would that not be a good thing?” Her parents loved and pitied her, and still refused to let her go. But Ji slipped away on her own, and they could not stop her. She asked for a fine sword and a dog trained to bite snakes. On the first day of the eighth month, she went to the shrine and sat down, carrying the sword and bringing the dog. First she set several shi of rice cakes at the mouth of the cave, pouring honey and roasted grain flour over them. The serpent emerged, its head as large as a granary and its eyes like mirrors two feet across. Smelling the fragrant cakes, it began to eat them. Ji at once loosed the dog, which rushed forward and fastened its teeth into the serpent. From behind, Ji struck it several times with her sword. Maddened by the pain of its wounds, the serpent thrashed out of the cave and died in the courtyard. Ji went inside to inspect the cave and found the skulls of the nine girls. She carried them all out and rebuked them: “You were timid and weak, and so the serpent ate you. How deeply pitiful!” Then the maiden Ji walked home at an unhurried pace. When the King of Yue heard of this, he took Ji as his queen and appointed her father magistrate of Jiangle. Her mother and elder sisters all received rewards. From that time onward, Dongzhi was free of monstrous and evil creatures. Songs of her deed survive to this day.