Content created: 2020-11-01
File last modified:
2022-10-31
Procursus:
The present story of a reanimated and irrationally homicidal corpse may or may not be a vampire or zombie tale as we know them in English storytelling, since the creature ignores her first victims once they are dead and never catches the one she pursues. But it is unquestionably a story about the depersonalized hostility of a reanimated dead body. For a brief note about Chinese “zombies,” click here.
This version, like so many Chinese frightening tales of the supernatural, comes from the brush of the remarkable PÚ Sōnglíng 蒲松龄 (1640-1715), one of the stories in his “Liáozhāi” 聊斋 collection. For more about this remarkable writer, click here.
However Pú is not the only teller of this tale. A closely similar variant was collected as part of an oral tradition project among Chinese in San Francisco in the early 1930s. It is also available on this web site (link). Pú’s influence on Chinese ghost lore was enormous, and it is tempting to imagine that the San Francisco version, despite the intervening centuries, is a well remembered retelling ultimately derived from Pú’s writings. But Pú himself does not claim originality for his stories, so we do not know how old this one may actually be.
DKJ
An old innkeeper and his sons
His long-deceased but still unburied wife
Four weary travellers
A temple full of frightened Buddhist priests
A Daoist priest living nearby
A pragmatic magistrate
| 1. | A certain old man of Yángxìn 阳信 (in Shāndōng 山东) lived in Càidiàn 蔡店, a place in that district. His village lay five or six miles from the walls of the district-city. He and his sons kept a road side-inn to lodge travelling traders, and several carters and itinerant peddlers used to put up under their roof. | 阳信某翁者。 邑之蔡店人。 村去城五六里。 父子设临路店宿行商。 有车夫数人、往来负贩 辄寓其家。 Yángxìn mǒu wēng zhě. Yì zhī Càidiàn rén. Cūn qù chéng wǔ liù lǐ. Fù zǐ shè lín lù diàn sù xíng shāng. Yǒu chē fú shǔ rén, wǎng lái fù fàn zhé yù qí jiā. 陽信某翁者。 邑之蔡店人。 村去城五六里。 父子設臨路店宿行商。 有車夫數人、往來負販 輒寓其家。 |
| 2. | One day as it was getting dark, four men appeared. Perceiving the house, they went thither with the intention of staying, but the sleeping-rooms destined for visitors were all occupied. | 一日昏暮四人偕来。 望门投止，则翁家客宿邸满。 Yī rì hūn mù sì rén xié lái. Wàng mén tóu zhǐ， zé wēng jiā kè sù dǐ mǎn. 一日昏暮四人偕來。 望門投止，則翁家客宿邸滿。 |
| 3. | Considering that there was no other place to put up, the four men urgently entreated the landlord to take them in somehow, on which he hm’d, and said he thought a place might be found for them, though it would not suit, their taste. The strangers replied that all they desired was a single mat to sleep on, and a shelter, and that they could not be at all particular. | 四人计无复之，坚请容纳。翁沉吟，思得一所似恐不当客意。 客言：「但求一席厦宇，更不敢有所择。」 Sì rén jì wú fù zhī， jiān qǐng róng nà. Wēng chén yín， sī dé yī suǒ sì kǒng bù dàng kè yì. Kè yán：「 dàn qiú yī xí shà yǔ， gèng bù gǎn yǒu suǒ zé. 」 四人計無復之，堅請容納。翁沉吟，思得一所似恐不當客意。 客言：「但求一席廈宇，更不敢有所擇。」 |
| 4. | The fact was, that a daughter in-law of the old man had just died, her body still lay uncoffined in her house, and the son had gone to fetch a coffin and had not yet returned. | 时翁有子妇新死，停尸室中。 子出购材木未归。 Shí wēng yǒu zǐ fù xīn sǐ， tíng shī shì zhōng. Zǐ chū gòu cái mù wèi guī. 時翁有子婦新死，停尸室中。 子出購材木未歸。 |
| 5. | The old man took the strangers down the street into the lonely house where the corpse lay. They entered the apartment, where a lamp shed a dim light over a table ; behind this a curtain hung, and the deceased woman lay there under paper shrouds. | 翁以灵所室寂，遂穿衢导客往。 入其𪪏，灯昏案上。 案后有搭帐衣，纸衾覆逝者。 Wēng yǐ líng suǒ shì jì， suì chuān qú dǎo kè wǎng. Rù qí lú， dēng hūn àn shàng. Àn hòu yǒu dā zhàng yī， zhǐ qīn fù shì zhě. 翁以靈所室寂，遂穿衢導客往。 入其廬，燈昏案上。 案後有搭帳衣，紙衾覆逝者。 |
| 6. | They saw also a sleeping-place in a screened-off section, with four beds placed against each other in a row. Fatigued by their journey, the strangers had no sooner thrown themselves on their pillows than they were snoring loudly. | 又观寝所，则复室中有连榻。 四客奔波颇困甫就枕，鼻息渐粗。 Yòu guān qǐn suǒ， zé fù shì zhōng yǒu lián tà. Sì kè bēn bō pō kùn fǔ jiù zhěn， bí xī jiàn cū. 又觀寢所，則復室中有連榻。 四客奔波頗困甫就枕，鼻息漸粗。 |
| 7. | One of them was not quite off, when suddenly he heard a creaking sound on the couch of the corpse. Immediately he opened his eyes, and saw distinctly by the light of the lamp standing before the corpse, that it had raised the shroud and risen. | 惟一客尚朦胧，忽闻灵床上察察有声。 急开目则灵前灯火照视甚了。 女尸已揭衾起。 Wéi yī kè shàng méng lóng， hū wén líng chuáng shàng chá chá yǒu shēng. Jí kāi mù zé líng qián dēng huǒ zhào shì shèn le. Nǚ shī yǐ jiē qīn qǐ. 惟一客尚朦朧，忽聞靈床上察察有聲。 急開目則靈前燈火照視甚了。 女尸已揭衾起。 |
| 8. | In a moment it was on the floor, and slowly entered the sleeping-room. Her face had a wet gold hue, and she wiped her forehead with a coarse gauze cloth. | 俄而下，渐入卧室。 面淡金色，生绢抹额。 É ér xià， jiàn rù wò shì. Miàn dàn jīn sè， shēng juàn mǒ é. 俄而下，漸入臥室。 面淡金色，生絹抹額。 |
| 9. | In a stooping attitude she approached the beds and blew thrice on the three sleeping travellers; the fourth, terror-struck, fearing that he too might be hit, gently drew the blanket over his face and held his breath to listen. | 俯近榻前，遍吹卧客者三。 客大惧，恐将及己，潜引被覆首，闭息忍咽以听之。 Fǔ jìn tà qián， biàn chuī wò kè zhě sān. Kè dà jù， kǒng jiāng jí jǐ， qián yǐn bèi fù shǒu， bì xī rěn yān yǐ tīng zhī. 俯近榻前，遍吹臥客者三。 客大懼，恐將及己，潛引被覆首，閉息忍咽以聽之。 |
| 10. | Forthwith she breathed on him as she had done on the others; then he perceived that she left the room, and hearing the rustling sound of the paper shrouds, he put out his head to take a peep, and saw her lying rigid as before 1. | 未几女果来，吹之如诸客。 觉出房去，即闻纸衾声。 出首微窥，见殭卧犹初矣。 Wèi jī nǚ guǒ lái， chuī zhī rú zhū kè. Jué chū fáng qù， jí wén zhǐ qīn shēng. Chū shǒu wēi kuī， jiàn jiāng wò yóu chū yǐ. 未幾女果來，吹之如諸客。 覺出房去，即聞紙衾聲。 出首微窺，見殭臥猶初矣。 |
| 11. | The traveller, extremely frightened, lacked courage to raise the alarm. Stealthily stretching forth his foot, he kicked his comrades, but they did not stir in the least, and thus he conceived there was no other alternative for him but to put on his clothes and slink away. | 客惧甚，不敢作声。阴以足踏诸客。 而诸客绝无少动。 顾念无计，不如着衣以窜。 Kè jù shèn， bù gǎn zuò shēng. Yīn yǐ zú tà zhū kè. Ér zhū kè jué wú shǎo dòng. Gù niàn wú jì， bù rú zhe yī yǐ cuàn. 客懼甚，不敢作聲。陰以足踏諸客。 而諸客絕無少動。 顧念無計，不如著衣以竄。 |
| 12. | No sooner, however, did he rise and move his coat than again there was that creaking noise, which caused him to hide himself anew, terror-stricken, with his head under the blanket. He perceived that the woman came again and breathed over him repeatedly, doing this over and over again before she retired. | 裁起振衣而察察之声又作。客惧复伏，缩首衾中。觉女复来，连续吹数数始去。 Cái qǐ zhèn yī ér chá chá zhī shēng yòu zuò. Kè jù fù fú， suō shǒu qīn zhōng. Jué nǚ fù lái， lián xù chuī shǔ shǔ shǐ qù. 裁起振衣而察察之聲又作。客懼復伏，縮首衾中。覺女復來，連續吹數數始去。 |
| 13. | After a short pause, he knew by the noise on the death-bed that she had lain down as before. Now he put his hand very slowly out of the blanket, seized his trousers, quickly got into them, and ran out of the house, bare-footed. | 少间闻灵床作响知其复卧。乃从被底渐渐出手得裤。 遽就着之。 白足奔出。 Shǎo jiàn wén líng chuáng zuò xiǎng zhī qí fù wò. Nǎi cóng bèi dǐ jiàn jiàn chū shǒu dé kù. Jù jiù zhe zhī. Bái zú bēn chū. 少間聞靈床作響知其復臥。乃從被底漸漸出手得褲。 遽就著之。 白足奔出。 |
| 14. | The corpse too jumped up as if to give him chase; but by the time it came forth from behind the curtain the traveller had drawn the bolt and was off. | 尸亦起似将逐客。 比其离帏而客已拔关出矣。 Shī yì qǐ sì jiāng zhú kè. Bǐ qí lí wéi ér kè yǐ bá guān chū yǐ. 尸亦起似將逐客。 比其離幃而客已拔關出矣。 |
| 15. | With the corpse at his heels he rushed forth with loud shrieks, which alarmed everybody in the hamlet. | 尸驰从之。 客且奔且号，村中人无有警者。 Shī chí cóng zhī. Kè qiě bēn qiě hào， cūn zhōng rén wú yǒu jǐng zhě. 尸馳從之。 客且奔且號，村中人無有警者。 |
| 16. | He would have thumped the door of the inn but for his fear that it would make him lose time and bring him within reach of the demon; so, seeing the road to the district-city before him, he ran up it with all his might, till he reached the eastern suburb. | 欲叩主人之门，又恐迟为所及。 遂望邑城路极力窜去至东郊。 Yù kòu zhǔ rén zhī mén， yòu kǒng chí wéi suǒ jí. Suì wàng yì chéng lù jí lì cuàn qù zhì dōng jiāo. 欲叩主人之門，又恐遲為所及。 遂望邑城路極力竄去至東郊。 |
| 17. | Here he saw a Buddhist convent, and hearing the wooden fish*, nervously beat on the outer gate. But the monks, astonished at such an unusual tumult, hesitated to let him in; and as he turned round, he saw the corpse quite near him, hardly one foot off. *-A hollow, fish-shaped block beaten with a clapper while reciting sacred books and liturgies. |
瞥见兰若、闻木鱼声乃急挝山门。 道人讶其非常又不即纳。 旋踵尸已至，去身盈尺。 Piē jiàn lán ruò, wén mù yú shēng nǎi jí zhuā shān mén. Dào rén yà qí fēi cháng yòu bù jí nà. Xuán zhǒng shī yǐ zhì， qù shēn yíng chǐ. 瞥見蘭若、聞木魚聲乃急撾山門。 道人訝其非常又不即納。 旋踵尸已至，去身盈尺。 |
| 18. | In these straits he sought . shelter behind a white willow four or five feet thick, standing outside the convent-gate. As the corpse dodged to the right, he dodged to the left, and so on, which enraged the corpse more ,and more, and exhausted them both. | 客窘益甚。 门外有白杨，围四五尺许，因以树自障。 彼右则左之，彼左则右之。尸益怒。然各濅倦矣。 Kè jiǒng yì shèn. Mén wài yǒu bái yáng， wéi sì wǔ chǐ xǔ， yīn yǐ shù zì zhàng. Bǐ yòu zé zuǒ zhī， bǐ zuǒ zé yòu zhī. Shī yì nù. Rán gè濅 juàn yǐ. 客窘益甚。 門外有白楊，圍四五尺許，因以樹自障。 彼右則左之，彼左則右之。尸益怒。然各濅倦矣。 |
| 19. | On a sudden the corpse stood still. The traveller, soaked with perspiration and with panting chest, sheltered himself behind the tree; the corpse raised itself fiercely and threw both its arms around it to grab him. At that moment he sank to the ground in fright, and the corpse thus missing its victim, remained rigid embracing the tree. | 尸顿立。 客汗促气逆庇树间。尸暴起，伸两臂隔树探扑之。 客惊仆。 尸捉之不得，抱树而殭。 Shī dùn lì. Kè hàn cù qì nì bì shù jiàn. Shī pù qǐ， shēn liǎng bì gé shù tàn pū zhī. Kè jīng pú. Shī zhuō zhī bù dé， bào shù ér jiāng. 尸頓立。 客汗促氣逆庇樹間。尸暴起，伸兩臂隔樹探撲之。 客驚僕。 尸捉之不得，抱樹而殭。 |
| 20. | For a good while longer the monks stood listening, and hearing nothing more, they came forth circumspectly, to find the traveller flat on the ground. | 道人窃听良久。 无声始渐出。 见客卧地上。 Dào rén qiè tīng liáng jiǔ. Wú shēng shǐ jiàn chū. Jiàn kè wò dì shàng. 道人竊聽良久。 無聲始漸出。 見客臥地上。 |
| 21. | By the light of their torches they perceived, that though he was apparently dead, there was still a slight palpitation under his heart. They bore him into the convent, but the night passed away before he came round. | 烛之、死、然心下丝丝有动气。 负入，终夜始甦。 Zhú zhī, sǐ, rán xīn xià sī sī yǒu dòng qì. Fù rù， zhōng yè shǐ sū. 燭之、死、然心下絲絲有動氣。 負入，終夜始甦。 |
| 22. | Having refreshed him with some broth, they interrogated him, and he related to them the whole story. By that time the morning-bell sounded, and in the early dawn, still dimmed by mist and fog, the monks examining the tree discovered the woman upon it in a rigid condition. | 饮以汤水而问之。客具以状对。 时晨钟已尽。 晓色迷蒙。 道人觇树上，果见殭女。 Yǐn yǐ tāng shuǐ ér wèn zhī. Kè jù yǐ zhuàng duì. Shí chén zhōng yǐ jìn. Xiǎo sè mí méng. Dào rén chān shù shàng， guǒ jiàn jiāng nǚ. 飲以湯水而問之。客具以狀對。 時晨鐘已盡。 曉色迷蒙。 道人覘樹上，果見殭女。 |
| 23. | In great consternation they reported the incident to the magistrate of the district. This grandee appeared in person on the spot to hold an inquest, and ordered his men to pull off the arms of the woman ; but so firmly were they fixed in the tree that it was impossible to unclasp them. | 大骇报邑宰。 宰亲诣质验，使人拔女手，牢不可开。 Dà hài bào yì zǎi. Zǎi qīn yì zhì yàn， shǐ rén bá nǚ shǒu， láo bù kě kāi. 大駭報邑宰。 宰親詣質驗，使人拔女手，牢不可開。 |
| 24. | They found, in fact, on a closer inspection, that the four fingers of either hand were bent like hooks, and sunk into the wood so deeply that the nails were buried in it. A fresh batch of men was set to work to pull with all their might ; and as they tore her off, the holes made by the fingers were found to look as if made with a chisel or auger. | 审谛之则左右四指并卷如钩，入木没甲。又数人力拔乃得下。 视指穴如凿孔然。 Shěn dì zhī zé zuǒ yòu sì zhǐ bìng juǎn rú gōu， rù mù méi jiǎ. Yòu shǔ rén lì bá nǎi dé xià. Shì zhǐ xué rú záo kǒng rán. 審諦之則左右四指並卷如鉤，入木沒甲。又數人力拔乃得下。 視指穴如鑿孔然。 |
| 25. | Now the mandarin dispatched a messenger to the old man, who gave him a confused mixture of truth and untruth about the disappearance of the corpse and the death of the travellers. The matter being explained to him, he followed the messenger and took the corpse home. | 遣役探翁家则以尸亡客毙，纷纷正哗。 役告之故，翁乃从往，舁尸归。 Qiǎn yì tàn wēng jiā zé yǐ shī wáng kè bì， fēn fēn zhèng huá. Yì gào zhī gù， wēng nǎi cóng wǎng， yú shī guī. 遣役探翁家則以尸亡客斃，紛紛正嘩。 役告之故，翁乃從往，舁尸歸。 |
| 26. | The traveller, bursting into tears, said to the magistrate: “I left my home with three men, and now I must return alone; what shall I do to make my fellow-villagers believe my words?” So the mandarin gave him a certificate, and sent him home with some presents. | 客泣告宰曰： 「身四人出今一人归，此情何以信乡里？」 宰与之牒，赍送以归。 Kè qì gào zǎi yuē： 「 shēn sì rén chū jīn yī rén guī， cǐ qíng hé yǐ xìn xiāng lǐ？」 zǎi yǔ zhī dié， jī sòng yǐ guī. 客泣告宰曰： 「身四人出今一人歸，此情何以信鄉里？」 宰與之牒，齎送以歸。 |
| 27. | Source: “Strange Tales From a Rustic Studio” (1): The Transformed Corpse | 《聊斋志异》 (第一卷)·尸变 “Liáozhāi zhì Yì” (dì yī juàn)·Shībiàn 《聊齋誌異》 (第一卷)· 屍變 |
“At that moment he sank to the ground in fright, and the corpse thus missing its victim, remained rigid embracing the tree.”Acknowledgements: The traditional Chinese text is from the Chinese Wikisource. Pinyin and simplified character versions were mechanically created from it. The translation is from J.J.M. de GROOT 1892-1910 The Religious System of China. Leiden: E.J.Brill. Vol. 5, pp. 734-738. The Wikisource Chinese has been corrected in one or two places, following de Groot, and repunctuated.