法苑珠林 32.55

32.55

In the Wei period, barbarians in the northern mountains of Xunyang county possessed an art that could cause a person to transform into a tiger, with fur color and bodily features exactly like a real tiger. Zhou Zhen, a native of Yuxiang, had a slave whom he sent into the mountains to cut firewood; the slave had a wife and a younger sister who also went with him. Having arrived at the mountain, the slave said to the two of them, "Climb up a tall tree for now and watch what I do." They did as he said. He then entered the grass. In an instant, a large yellow-striped tiger emerged from the grass, rushing about and roaring, exceedingly terrifying. The two women were greatly frightened. After a long while, it returned to the grass. Shortly thereafter, he returned to human form and said to the two women, "When we return home, take care not to speak of this." Later, they eventually spoke of it to their peers, and Zhou Zhen soon came to know of it. Thereupon, he gave him pure wine to drink, making him dead drunk. He sent men to strip his clothing and thoroughly examine his body in every detail, but there was nothing unusual at all. Only within the hair of his topknot did they find a slip of paper with a drawing of a large tiger, with a talisman beside the tiger. Zhou secretly took it and recorded it. Once the slave awakened, he summoned and questioned him. Seeing that the matter had already been exposed, he then related the entire affair from beginning to end, saying, "I once went to purchase grain among the barbarians. A barbarian master said that he possessed this art, and for three feet of cloth, one dou of fine rice, one red rooster, and one dou of wine, I received this method."