【明報專訊】It was mid-autumn and a noble man called Cao dropped in (順道探訪) on his friend Wang while he was passing by a village. He was on his way to the capital, where he was to take the imperial examination. He asked to stay overnight, but his friend's house didn't have enough bedrooms. "Hey Cao, why don't you wait until next year? You had better not stay here so long," Wang advised. "There was a spooky wooden house nearby, which always scared the life out of the villagers." "Nope. I must not miss this chance." Despite his friend's warning, Cao insisted on staying in the wooden house. Finally, Cao settled down in a study in that wooden house.

At midnight, there was someone knocking on the door. "Rat-a-tat-tat... Tat-tat...", in a flash, a peculiar thing was wiggling its way (蠕動) through the door. "Whizzzzz!" It sneaked in quickly and looked as thin as paper. After it managed to get through the door, Cao saw an ugly monster. But Cao was not afraid at all. "Hiss... hiss...", the monster abruptly stuck its tongue out at Cao, and its long hair went awry. "Your hair still looks like hair, but a bit untidy; your tongue still looks like a tongue, but a bit lengthy," laughed Cao.

"Thuddddd!" All of a sudden, the monster removed its head and put it on the table. Cao laughed again, "I'm not afraid of you with your head, even less if you're without one." "How come? I haven't seen anyone like him," the monster was desperate and at its wits' end (技窮). Eventually it disappeared in the twinkling of an eye.

Cao took the examination and left the capital. On his way back home, Cao stayed in that wooden house for another night. During midnight, there was again something twisting its way through the door. After showing itself, the monster started cussing and let loose a stream of abuse, "That spoilsport again? How come?" It then left like a shot.

It is believed that tigers don't eat drunken men because those men do not know fear. Generally speaking, your mind will be in turmoil if you fear. But if you stay calm, no evil spirits will dare bother you.

Food for thought

Do you fear anything? Former US president Franklin Roosevelt once said "the only thing we have to fear is... fear itself." Do you agree with that?

〔Adapted from one of Ji Yun 紀昀(1724-1805)'s short stories〕

■Glossary

spooky (adj) 陰森的

study (n) 書房

cuss (v) 咒罵

spoilsport (n) 掃興的人

[Smarties' Power English 第221期]