Mož reši ženo iz tigrovih krempljev

Besedilo

Mož reši ženo iz tigrovih krempljev

Xie Yu of Chen Commandery was serving as Administrator of Langye and was in Jingcheng, where savage tigers had killed a great many people. A man came by in a small boat with his young wife, a great broadsword thrust upright in the boat. Toward dusk, they reached a patrol station. The officer came out and warned him, “The undergrowth here has lately become thick and tangled. With your wife aboard, it is far from safe to travel so lightly equipped. You had better stay the night at the station.” When they had finished exchanging greetings, the officer went back inside. The wife stepped ashore and was immediately carried off by a tiger. Her husband drew his sword and shouted, intent on pursuing it. He had long worshipped Lord Jiang, and now called on him for help. After he had gone some ten li, a figure in black suddenly seemed to appear to guide him. He followed it for another twenty li and came to a great tree beside a den. Hearing footsteps, the tiger cubs thought their mother had returned and all ran out. The man killed them on the spot, then drew his sword and hid beside the tree. After a long wait, the tiger arrived. It set the woman on the ground and began dragging her backward into the den. The man struck it across the waist with his sword and cut it in two. The tiger was dead, but his wife was still alive. Toward dawn, she was able to speak. When he questioned her, she said, “As soon as the tiger seized me, it put me on its back and carried me. Only when it reached this place did it set me down. I have no injuries apart from scratches from the trees and undergrowth.” He helped her back to the boat. The following night, he dreamed that someone said to him, “Lord Jiang sent me to help you. Did you know?” When he reached home, he slaughtered a pig and offered it in sacrifice to Lord Jiang.