法苑珠林 6.79

6.79

南陽宋定伯年少時。夜行逢鬼。問曰。言鬼。尋復問之。卿復誰。定伯誑之言。我亦鬼。鬼問。欲至何所。答曰。欲至宛市。鬼言。我亦欲至宛。遂行數里。鬼言。步行太遲。可共遞相檐也。定伯曰。大善。鬼便先檐定伯數里。鬼言。卿大重將非鬼也。定伯言。我新死故身重耳。伯因復檐鬼。鬼略無重。如是再三。定伯復言。我新死不知鬼悉何所畏忌。鬼答言。唯不喜人唾。於是共行。道遇水。定伯令鬼先度。聽之了無聲音。定伯自度漕灌作聲。鬼復言。何以聲。定伯曰。新死不習度水故爾。勿怪吾也。行欲至宛。定伯便檐鬼著頭上急持之。鬼大呼聲咋咋然。索下不復聽之。徑至宛市中下著地。化為一羊便賣之。恐其變化。為羊唾之。得錢千五百乃去。于時石崇言。定伯賣鬼得千五百文（右此一驗出列異傳）。

When Song Dingbo of Nanyang was young, he met a ghost while traveling by night. He asked it [who it was], and it said, "I am a ghost." It then asked him in turn, "And who are you, sir?" Dingbo deceived it, saying, "I too am a ghost." The ghost asked, "Where do you wish to go?" He replied, "I wish to go to the market of Wan." The ghost said, "I too wish to go to Wan." So they walked together for several miles. The ghost said, "Walking is too slow. We can take turns carrying each other on our backs." Dingbo said, "Splendid." The ghost then carried Dingbo first for several miles. The ghost said, "You, sir, are exceedingly heavy; might you not be a ghost?" Dingbo said, "I have only newly died; that is why my body is heavy." Dingbo then in turn carried the ghost, and the ghost was almost entirely weightless. They did this two or three times. Dingbo spoke again: "I have newly died and do not know what ghosts fear and avoid." The ghost replied, "We dislike only human spit." Thereupon they walked on together. Meeting water on the road, Dingbo made the ghost cross first; listening, there was not the slightest sound. Dingbo crossed himself, splashing and wading with loud noises. The ghost spoke again: "Why is there sound?" Dingbo said, "Having newly died, I am unaccustomed to crossing water; that is all. Do not blame me." As they were about to arrive at Wan, Dingbo carried the ghost upon his head and held it fast. The ghost cried out loudly with a chattering shriek, begging to be let down, but [Dingbo] would no longer listen. He went straight into the market of Wan and put it down upon the ground, where it transformed into a sheep; he then sold it. Fearing that it might transform again, he spat upon the sheep. He obtained one thousand five hundred coins before leaving. At the time, Shi Chong remarked, "Dingbo sold a ghost and obtained one thousand five hundred cash." (This single verification above is taken from the Lieyi zhuan.)