Prevod

Confucius was in distress in the state of Chen, yet he continued to sing to the accompaniment of his strings at his lodgings. In the middle of the night, a man more than nine feet tall appeared, dressed in black and wearing a high cap. He let out a great roar that startled everyone nearby. Zigong stepped forward and asked, “Who are you?” The man promptly seized Zigong and tucked him under his arm. Zilu drew him out into the courtyard and fought him, but after some time had still not prevailed. Confucius watched closely and noticed that the creature’s jaws would now and then open a hand’s breadth. “Why not reach between its jaws,” he said, “and wrench upward with all your strength?” Zilu did so; his hand sank in, and the creature toppled to the ground. It proved to be a huge catfish, more than nine feet long. Confucius said, “What has brought such a creature here? I have heard that when things grow old, spirits gather and take possession of them. It must have come here because our fortunes are at a low ebb. Could it have come because I am in distress, our food has run out, and my followers are ill? Domestic animals, turtles, snakes, fish, soft-shelled turtles, plants, and trees—when any of these grow old, spirits may inhabit them, enabling them to become uncanny beings. Hence they are called the ‘Five You.’ The ‘Five’ refers to the regions governed by the five elements, each with its own creatures; ‘You’ means old. When things grow old, they become uncanny, but killing them puts an end to it. What is there to fear? Perhaps Heaven does not yet intend this cultural inheritance to perish, and has sent this creature to sustain my life! Otherwise, why should it have come here?” He went on singing and playing without pause. Zilu cooked the fish, and its flesh was delicious. Those who had been ill recovered, and the next day they resumed their journey.