A tale of a brave younger brother rescuing his sibling from a python in a mountain valley.
In the village of Hutian, there was a family surnamed Hu. Two brothers were cutting firewood and entered a deep mountain valley. They encountered a large python. The older brother was in front and got bitten by the python. At first, the younger brother was scared and wanted to run away, but when he saw his older brother being bitten by the python, he angrily pulled out the firewood axe and struck the python’s head. Although the giant python was injured in the head, it continued to swallow. Seeing that his older brother’s head had been swallowed by the python, fortunately, his shoulders got stuck at the python’s mouth and couldn’t go down further. The younger brother was extremely anxious but had no other option. He grabbed his brother’s feet with both hands and struggled with the python, miraculously pulling his brother out. The python, in pain, fled. When they looked at the older brother, they saw that his ears and nose had already melted away, and he was barely alive, close to death. The younger brother carried his older brother and walked back home, resting more than a dozen times along the way, before finally returning home. After receiving medical treatment and rest, the older brother took almost half a year to fully recover. To this day, his face is scarred, and he has only holes left where his nose and ears used to be.
Ah! Among the rural farmers in the mountains, there is indeed such a younger brother who respects his elder brother so much! Some people say, “The python did not swallow the older brother because it was moved by the younger brother’s moral integrity and righteousness.” Is it really so!
《斫蟒》
胡田村胡姓者，兄弟采樵，深入幽谷。遇巨蟒，兄在前，为所吞。弟初骇欲奔，见兄被噬，遂奋怒出樵斧，斫蟒首。首伤而吞不已。然头虽已没，幸肩际不能下。弟急极无计，乃两手持兄足，力与蟒争，竟曳兄出。蟒亦负痛去。视兄，则鼻耳俱化，奄将气尽。肩负以行，途中凡十馀息，始至家。医养半年，方愈。至今面目皆瘢痕，鼻耳处惟孔存焉。
噫！农人中，乃有弟弟如此者哉！或言：“蟒不为害，乃德义所感。”信然！