法苑珠林 31.66

31.66

建安中。東郡界家有怪者。無故盆器自發訇訇作聲。若有人焉。盤案在前。忽然便失之。雞生輒失子。如是數歲。甚疾惡之。乃多作美食覆蓋著一室中。藏戶間伺之。果復重來。發聲如前。便閉戶周旋室中。更無所見為闇。但以杖撾地。良久於室隅間有所中。呼曰哊哊冥死。開戶視之得一老翁。可百餘歲。言語了不相當。貌狀頗欲類獸。遂行推問。乃於數里上得其家人。云失來十餘年得之哀喜。後歲餘日復更失之。聞在陳留界。復作妖怪如此時人猶以為此翁也。

During the Jian'an era, within the borders of Dong Commandery, there was a household plagued by an anomaly. For no reason, basins and vessels would spontaneously make loud clattering noises as if someone were there. When plates and tables were set before them, they would suddenly vanish. Whenever hens hatched chicks, they would lose them. It went on like this for several years, causing great hatred and distress. They then prepared a large amount of delicious food, placed it covered inside a room, and hid between the doors to watch. Sure enough, it returned, making sounds as before. They then shut the door and moved about the room, but could see nothing because of the darkness; they only struck the ground with staves. After a long while, they struck something in the corner of the room, which cried out, 'Ouch, ouch! I am dying in the dark!' Opening the door to inspect it, they found an old man, perhaps over a hundred years old. His speech made no sense at all, and his appearance was rather like that of a beast. They then carried out an investigation and found his family several li away, who said he had been lost for over ten years; they received him with mixed sorrow and joy. A year and some days later, they lost him again. It was heard that within the borders of Chenliu, anomalous monsters were acting just like this again; people at the time still thought it was this old man.