Song Dingbo of Nanyang came across a ghost when he was walking at night. Dingbo asked who he was.

 

"I am a ghost," replied the ghost. "And who are you?"

 

"I am a ghost too," Dingbo lied.

 

"Where are you going?" the ghost asked.

 

"To the City of Wan¹," Dingbo replied.

 

"I am going to the City of Wan, too," said the ghost. "We happen to go the same way."

 

Thereupon, they walked together. After walking for a few li, the ghost suggested: "It is too tiring to walk. Let us carry each other on the back by turns."

 

"Excellent," Dingbo agreed.

 

Thereupon the ghost carried Dingbo on its back. After walking for a few li, it found Dingbo rather heavy. It became suspicious and asked: "You are too heavy. Are you not a ghost?"

 

"I died not long ago, so I am heavy," Dingbo gave a clever reply.

 

It was now Dingbo's turn to carry the ghost. As expected, the ghost really had no weight.

 

Thus they carried each other by turns and went on their journey. At this moment, Dingbo asked again: "I am a new ghost. I don't know what ghosts are afraid of."

 

The ghost whispered: "It is man's spittle that ghosts fear most."

 

As they walked along, they came to a small creek². Dingbo let the ghost cross first. The ghost crossed the creek as if it were walking on land in shoes, without making the slightest noise. But when Dingbo crossed the creek, he splashed the water in all directions with a lot of noise.

 

The ghost became suspicious again and asked: "Why was there such noise when you crossed the creek?"

 

Dingbo explained: "I'm a new ghost and not used to crossing the water yet."

 

At that, the ghost was convinced.

 

As they were approaching the City of Wan, Dingbo carried the ghost on his shoulder, held it tightly and started to run very fast with vigorous strides. The ghost shouted loudly and demanded that it be put down, but Dingbo turned a deaf ear to its demand. He reached the city of Wan in one breath and threw the ghost to the ground. Then and there the ghost revealed its original shape of a sheep. Dingbo sold it and, fearing it might turn back into a ghost, spit on it several times. With a payment of 1,500 coins from the sale, he left happily.

 

南阳人宋定伯，夜里走路时碰见了鬼。定伯发问，对方回答说：“我是鬼。”然后，对方反问道:“你是谁?”

 

“我也是鬼，”定伯谎报。

 

鬼问：“你到哪里去呀?”

 

“我到宛市去。”定伯答道。

 

鬼说：“我也要去宛市，刚好同路。”

 

于是，他们结伴而行。走了几里，鬼提议说：“步行太累了，咱们轮流背着走吧!”

 

定伯说：“太好了。”

 

鬼先背定伯走了几里，感到沉重，不免生疑说：“你太重了，莫非不是鬼?”

 

定伯机灵地说：“我刚死不久，所以沉重。”

 

轮到定伯背鬼，果然没有什么重量。

 

就这样，他们轮流背着赶路。这时候，定伯又开口问道：“我是新鬼，不知鬼害怕些什么?”

 

鬼小声回答说：“最怕人唾。”

 

走着走着，前面遇到了一条小河。定伯让鬼先走，鬼像穿着鞋子在平地上走一样，没有一点响声。定伯自己过河的时候，却是水花四溅，响声很大。

 

鬼又起了疑心，问：“你过河为啥有响声?”

 

定伯说：“我刚死，还不习惯渡水。”

 

听了定伯的解释，鬼也就深信不疑了。

 

快到宛市的时候，定伯把鬼架在肩上，紧紧捉住，大步流星地猛跑起来。鬼大声呼叫，要求放下。定伯不再答话，一口气跑到了宛市，把鬼摔在地下。鬼现了羊的原形。定伯把它卖掉，怕它变化，连唾了它几口，卖得一千五百钱，高兴地走了。

上一篇：盲人摸象 下一篇：翼射不中