法苑珠林 28.49

28.49

The Shuyi ji says: Heading west along the river from Yudu County in Nankang, three li from the county seat is a place named Mengkou. There is a cavern shaped like a stone chamber. Tradition from of old recounts that there is constantly a divine chicken, coloured like fine gold, that comes out of this cavern; fluttering its wings and soaring round, its long crow resonates thoroughly. Whenever someone sees it, it flies back into the cavern. Therefore, this stone is called the Golden Chicken Stone. Formerly someone was ploughing by the side of this mountain and saw from afar the chicken come out to disport itself. There was a giant man holding a slingshot who shot a pellet at it. Seeing it from afar, the chicken immediately flew into the cavern. The pellet struck right over the cavern; the pellet was about six chi in diameter, hanging down to block the cavern, though a gap still remained that could no longer admit a human. Furthermore, someone was taking a boat back to the county from the lower reaches; several li before reaching this cliff, there was a man dressed entirely in yellow, carrying two baskets of yellow melons, who asked for passage. The yellow-clad man begged for food, and the boatmaster gave it to him. When he finished eating, the boat happened to reach the foot of the cliff. The boatmaster begged for a melon, but the man would not give one; he then spat onto a plate, walked straight up the cliff, and entered directly into the stone. At first the boatmaster was very angry with him, but seeing him enter the stone, he then realized it was a divine anomaly. Taking the eating vessel from before and inspecting it, he saw that the spittle on the plate was all yellow gold.