Vidra v ženski podobi

Besedilo

Vidra v ženski podobi

In Wuxi, in Wu Commandery, there was a great reservoir at Shang Lake. Its keeper, Ding Chutian, would patrol the embankments whenever heavy rain fell. One spring, during a downpour, he went out to inspect the banks. As dusk approached, he glanced back and saw a woman dressed in green from head to foot, carrying a green parasol. She was hurrying after him, calling, “Clerk Ding, wait for me!” At first he hesitated, inclined to stop and wait for her. Then suspicion stirred: he had seen no one there before, and now a woman had suddenly appeared, venturing out in the gloom and rain. Fearing she must be some ghostly creature, he hurried away. When he looked back, she too had quickened her pace. He broke into a run and gradually drew farther ahead. Looking back once more, he saw the woman throw herself into the reservoir with a splash, her clothes and parasol scattering as she fell. He looked closely: it was a huge gray otter, and its clothes and parasol were all lotus leaves. This otter would take on human form and had often used its charms to entice young men.