Original Text
In the eastern commandery there lived a man who made his living by performing snake tricks. He had once tamed two snakes, both of a greenish hue; the larger he called Daqing, and the smaller Erqing. Erqing had a red spot on its forehead and was especially clever and docile, responding to commands to coil left or right and perform movements without ever failing to please. Thus the snake charmer doted on it greatly, treating it differently from the other snakes.
After a year had passed, Daqing died, and the snake charmer wished to find another to fill the vacancy but had not yet had the opportunity. One night, he lodged in a mountain temple. At daybreak, when he opened the bamboo box, he found that Erqing had also vanished. The snake charmer was overcome with grief and vexation, nearly to the point of death. He searched desperately, calling out loudly, yet found no trace or sign. In times past, whenever they reached dense forests or lush thickets, the snake charmer would release the snakes, allowing them to roam freely for a while before they soon returned on their own. For this reason, the snake charmer still hoped that Erqing would come back by itself. So he stayed and waited until the sun had risen high, and only when utterly despairing did he depart in dejection. He had barely taken a few steps out of the temple gate when he suddenly heard a rustling sound from the tangled undergrowth. He paused, startled, and looked—it was Erqing returning. The snake charmer was overjoyed, as if he had obtained a precious gem. He set down his carrying pole and stood by the roadside, and the snake also stopped. Looking behind it, he saw a small snake following. The snake charmer stroked Erqing and said, "I thought you had run away. Is this little companion one you have introduced to me?" As he spoke, he took out snake food to feed Erqing, and also fed the small snake. Though the small snake did not leave, it shrank back, not daring to eat. Erqing then took the food in its mouth and fed it, as if a host were inviting a guest to dine. The snake charmer fed it again, and only then did the small snake eat. After eating, the small snake followed Erqing into the bamboo box. The snake charmer trained the small snake, and it coiled and twisted in perfect accordance with his commands, no different from Erqing, so he named it Xiaoqing. He took them everywhere to perform and display their tricks, earning a considerable amount of money.
Generally speaking, the snakes that snake charmers perform with are best suited if they are under two feet in length; any larger and they become too heavy and must be replaced. Although Second Green had exceeded two feet, it was so docile that the charmer did not immediately exchange it. After another two or three years, Second Green had grown to over three feet in length, and when it coiled itself into the bamboo box, it filled it completely, so the charmer resolved to release it. One day, he journeyed to the eastern mountains of Zichuan County, took out the finest food to feed Second Green, offered a prayer over it, and set it free. After Second Green had departed, it returned after a short while, winding and slithering around the outside of the bamboo box. The charmer waved his hand to drive it away, saying, "Go now; there is no banquet under heaven that lasts a hundred years. From now on, you may hide yourself in the deep mountains and vast valleys, and in time you will surely become a divine dragon. How can a bamboo box be a place for you to dwell long?" Only then did Second Green leave. The charmer watched it go into the distance. After a short while, Second Green came back again. The charmer shooed it with his hand, but it would not leave, merely tapping its head repeatedly against the bamboo box. Little Green inside the box stirred restlessly as well. Suddenly, the charmer understood and said, "Are you perhaps wanting to bid farewell to Little Green?" He then opened the box. Little Green darted out in an instant, and the two snakes intertwined their heads and necks, flicking their tongues repeatedly, as if exchanging words of parting. After a short time, the two snakes twisted and writhed away together. The charmer was just thinking that Little Green would not return, when after a while, Little Green came back alone, crawled into the bamboo box, and lay down. From then on, the charmer was constantly on the lookout for a new snake, but he never found a suitable one. Little Green, too, had gradually grown too large for performances. Later, the charmer found another snake, which was also quite docile, but it was not as outstanding as Little Green. By this time, Little Green had grown as thick as a child's arm.
Prior to this, Second Green had been seen in the mountains by many woodcutters. After several more years, it grew to several feet in length and as thick as a bowl's mouth, gradually beginning to chase after people. Thus travelers and wayfarers warned one another, daring not to pass through the region where it appeared. One day, a snake charmer passed by that place, and a great serpent darted forth like a sudden gale. The snake charmer, greatly terrified, fled with all his might, but the snake pursued him ever more fiercely. Turning his head, he saw it was nearly upon him, when suddenly he noticed a distinct red spot on the serpent's head, and realized this was Second Green. Setting down his burden, he called out, "Second Green! Second Green!" The snake at once halted, raised its head, and paused for a long while, then leaped forward and coiled around the snake charmer, just as it had done in their performances of old. The charmer sensed it bore no ill intent, but its body was so large and heavy that he could not bear its coiling; he fell to the ground and cried out in supplication, whereupon Second Green released him. The snake then struck its head against the bamboo basket. Understanding its intent, the charmer opened the basket and released Little Green. The two snakes, upon seeing each other, immediately entwined tightly, coiling together as if glued with honey, and only parted after a long time. The snake charmer then addressed Little Green with a blessing: "I have long wished to part with you, and now you have a companion." Turning to Second Green, he said, "Little Green was originally brought by you; you may take it away. I have one more word of advice: in the deep mountains, there is no lack of food and drink; do not disturb passing travelers, lest you provoke Heaven's wrath and receive punishment." The two snakes hung their heads, as if accepting his counsel. Suddenly they darted away, the larger leading, the smaller following, and wherever they passed, trees and grass were parted and bent aside. The snake charmer stood watching them until they vanished from sight, then departed. From that time onward, travelers passing through that region enjoyed peace once more, and none knew where the two snakes had gone.
The Chronicler of Strange Tales remarks: The snake is but a dull and ugly crawling creature, yet it still clings with lingering affection to the bond of an old friend, and upon hearing advice, it swiftly accepts it. What I find truly strange are those who, bearing the semblance of men, would, toward a close companion of ten years' intimacy or a benefactor whose kindness has been received for generations, seize any opportunity to cast stones down a well and bring about their ruin. And there are others who, when offered bitter but healing counsel, pay it no heed, instead flaring up in anger and treating the advisor as an enemy—these are indeed worse than the snake!
Commentary
This is a tale of friendship between humans and snakes, and among snakes themselves. The entire story is composed of two smaller narratives. The first tells of Erqing, who, grateful for the snake charmer's deep affection, introduces another small snake named Xiaoqing to assist the charmer in his profession of snake handling, allowing him to "perform tricks across the land, reaping boundless profits." The second narrative recounts the friendship between Erqing and Xiaoqing, and how, as they grew large and could no longer aid the charmer's trade, they were released into the deep mountains one after another. Heeding the charmer's advice to "not disturb travelers," they refrained from doing harm. The concluding remarks by the "Historian of the Strange" state, "The snake, a mere dull-witted creature, yet clings with the affection of an old friend, and accepts counsel as readily as turning a wheel," summarizing the story's essence.
In "The Snake Man," the snake is clearly anthropomorphized, endowed with human qualities. Pu Songling was a man of deep emotion, yearning for friendship, steadfast in his bonds of camaraderie, and especially one who dared to admonish friends with righteous principles. Throughout his life, he had many close friends, such as Li Ximei and Zhang Duqing, yet he also had childhood friends and bosom companions who, because Pu Songling "offered bitter medicine that was recklessly disregarded, and even met with anger and enmity," brought him emotional hurt. From the words in "The Historian of the Strange says," it is evident that Pu Songling wrote this piece out of personal sentiment and experience.