The Lovelorn Spirit 巨鹿石氏女

The following story is from the book Random Notes on the Living and Nether Worlds by Liu Yiqing (403-444). Liu was famous for his another book entitled ‘A New Account of Tales of the World’ (Shi Shuo Xin Yu).

Pang Ah of Julu was a very handsome man. A daughter of the Shi family in that district saw Pang in her family hall and fell in love with him at the first sight. When later she was seen calling on Pang, his wife became extremely jealous. One day, hearing the girl coming, Pang’s wife instructed the maids tie her up and take her home; but on the way the young lady vanished like smoke. The maids reported this to the girl’s family.

The girl’s father was astounded. ‘My daughter has not left the house,’ he said. ‘How dare you slander us like this?’

But Pang’s father watched his son carefully, and discovered the girl in his study one night. He seized her himself and went to the Shi family.

When the girl’s father saw her, he was surprised. ‘I have just come from a inner room,’ he said. ‘I saw my daughter there working with her mother. How can she be here?’

Ho told his servant to call his daughter out, and the moment the girl appeared the other vanished. The puzzled father told his wife to investigate, and the girl explained, ‘Last year when Pang came to visit at our family hall, I had a chance to peep at him. I have dreamed ever since of going to his home, and had been caught by his wife when I went in.’

‘Well, I have never seen such strange happenings!’ exclaimed her father. When a spirit is deeply involved, it can assume any form it chooses. So what vanished was her spirit after all.

Since then the girl resolved not to marry anyone else. A year later, however, Pang’s wife contracted a strange disease which proved incurable. Then Pang sent gifts to the Shi family and married their daughter.

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一下故事来自刘义庆（403-444）的《幽明录•巨鹿石氏女》。刘义庆以写《世说新语》而出名。

“巨鹿有庞阿者，美容仪。同郡石氏有女，曾内睹阿，心悦之。未几，阿见此女来诣阿，阿妻极妒，闻之，使婢缚之，送还石家，中路遂化为烟气而灭。婢乃直诣石家，说此事。

石氏之父大惊，曰：‘我女都不出门，岂可毁谤如此？’

阿父自是常加意伺察之。居一夜，方值女在斋中，乃自拘执以诣石氏。

石氏父见之，愕眙曰：‘我适从内来，见女与母共作，何得在此？’

即令婢仆于内唤女出，向所缚者，奄然灭焉。父疑有异，故遣其母诘之。女曰：‘昔年庞阿来厅中，曾窃视之。自尔彷佛即梦诣阿，及入户，即为妻所缚。’

石曰：‘天下遂有如此奇事！’夫精神所感，灵神为之冥著。灭者，盖其魂神也。

既而女誓心不嫁。经年，阿妻忽得邪病，医药无征，阿乃授币石氏女为妻。”