Prikazen v tuji podobi

Besedilo

Prikazen v tuji podobi

Yu Dingguo of Yuyao was a handsome man. A daughter of the Su family in the same county was also beautiful, and Dingguo had often seen and admired her. One day, when Dingguo came to visit, her father invited him to stay the night. At midnight, the guest said to Master Su, “Your daughter is lovely, and I am much taken with her. Could you let her come out for a little while tonight?” Since he was a man of standing in the district, the father sent his daughter out to keep him company. His visits gradually grew more frequent, and he told Master Su, “I have no way to repay you. Should you ever have any trouble with the authorities, I will take care of it for you.” The father was delighted. Later, when he received a summons for compulsory service, he went to Dingguo. Greatly astonished, Dingguo said, “I have never even spoken with you in person. How could this have happened? There must be something uncanny at work.” The father told him the whole story. Dingguo said, “Would I ever ask a man’s permission to debauch his daughter? If he comes again, strike him down.” In the end, they did indeed catch a supernatural creature.