In the Baihou(白鱟) Cave of Mount Bian in Wuxing(吳興卞山), every spring and summer, a white vapor drifted out of the cave. It resembled a piece of white silk, floating aimlessly in the air. Wherever this vapor passed, silkworm cocoons were destroyed completely. Hence, during silkworm cultivation, people dreaded this white vapor. However, this vapor was particularly afraid of the sound of gongs and drums. During the Ming Dynasty, Han Shao(韓紹), the Minister of Rites(明太常卿), once ordered officials to use poisoned arrows to drive it away, documenting the process in the ‘Expulsion of the White Sea Hare’ found in the ‘Annals of Wuxing Prefecture.'(《驅鱟文》載郡志) In recent years, the harm caused by this white vapor has intensified.
In the forty-eighth year of Qianlong (1783), a person surnamed Fan(范姓者) wrote a complaint and submitted it to the City God Temple. That night, he dreamt of an old man who said to him, ‘Your complaint has been approved. Tonight, I will command the Taoist Xuan Yi(玄衣真人) to expel the sea hare. However, the sea hare manages the dew and has some merit. Not many people have been harmed by it. But due to its greed, it should be punished. Prepare sulfur and tobacco and wait at the entrance of the mountain cave.’
Fan gathered several dozen people and arrived as scheduled. Around two in the morning, under the faint moonlight, a wind arose in the sky. They saw a bat, ten feet in size, flying towards the cave followed by several dozen smaller bats. Each bat had a light in front, seemingly guiding the way. Fan realized, ‘Could this be the Xuan Yi mentioned by the City God?’ He immediately lit the sulfur and tobacco. Soon, there were sounds from the cave, resembling a rising tide and strong winds. A stream of white light, like a piece of silk, flew out. The bats surrounded it, engaging in what seemed like a battle formation, fighting for a long time. The villagers cheered, banging drums and setting off firecrackers. After about an hour, the white light dispersed like cotton, followed by a trail of blue vapor flying northeast. The bats also scattered and flew away. The next morning, they found over a thousand catties of cotton-like substance in the woods, some blue and some green, emitting a foul odor. They dared not touch it. From then on, the harm caused by the sea hare ceased.
Notes on the translation:
The term “鱟” is a bit tricky to translate directly because it refers to a mythical creature in Chinese folklore rather than a specific animal. It’s often interpreted as a sea creature due to the “魚” character included in the phrase “鱟魚,” which adds to the confusion.
“Sea Hare” seems a better translation for “鱟” because it’s one of the interpretations of this mythical creature based on its appearance or characteristics. In the text, the “鱟” was described as a creature associated with harmful vapors or mists that affected silkworms and was repelled by sounds like drums and gongs.
Translated from《驱鲎》in 《子不語》:
吳興卞山有白鱟洞，每春夏間即見，狀如匹練，起空中游漾無定。所過之下，蠶繭一空，故養蠶時尤忌之。性獨畏鑼鼓聲。明太常卿韓紹曾命有司挾毒矢逐之，有《驅鱟文》載郡志，近年來作患尤甚。
乾隆癸卯四月，有范姓者具控於城隍。是夜，夢有老人來曰：「汝所控已准，某夜當命玄衣真人逐鱟。但鱟魚司露有功，被害者亦有數，彼以貧故，當示之罰。爾等備硫磺煙草在某山洞口相候可也。」
范至期集數十人往。夜二鼓，月色微明，空中風作，見前山有大蝙蝠丈許飛至洞前，瞬息，諸小群集者不下數十。每一蝙蝠至，必有燈一點，如引導狀。范悟曰：「是得非所謂玄衣真人乎！」即引火縱燒煙草。俄而洞中聲起，如潮湧風發，有匹練飛出，蝙蝠圍環若布陳然，彼此搏擊良久，鄉民亦群打鑼鼓，放爆竹助之。約一時許，匹練飄散如絮，有青氣一道向東北而去，蝙蝠亦散。
次早往視：林莽間綿絮千餘片，或青或白，觸手腥穢，不可近。自是鱟患竟息。