Original Text
The Alligator of the West River is born in the Western River, its form resembling a dragon but shorter and smaller, capable of flying sideways; it often emerges from the river and along the banks to seize geese and ducks for food. When someone captures an alligator, they often sell its flesh to the Chen and Ke families. The members of these two families are all descendants of Chen Youliang, and for generations they have eaten the flesh of the alligator, while other clans dare not partake. A traveler from Jiangxi once obtained an alligator and tied it up in his boat. One day, when the boat was moored at the Qiantang River, the rope binding the alligator loosened slightly, and the creature suddenly leaped into the river. Instantly, waves surged violently, the merchant vessel tossed with the billows, and soon it sank.
Commentary
The Pig-Mother Dragon, which is the modern Yangtze alligator, was called the Tuo in ancient times. The "Discourses of the States" first recorded its existence, listing it alongside creatures like turtles and fish: "The Yuan, Tuo, fish, and turtles—all can transform, but humans alone cannot." Later, for reasons unknown, likely because the Pig-Mother Dragon resembled the legendary dragon in appearance, it became related to the dragon in name, being called the Pig-Mother Dragon, and thus acquired a certain mystical aura. The notion that it could "fly sideways," and that when it leaped into the river, "great waves arose, capsizing merchant boats," all bear the shadow of dragon lore. However, from the fact that it "often came along the riverbanks to prey on geese and ducks, and if hunters caught it, they would sell its meat in Chen and Ke," it is clear that the common people still understood its true nature and origins. The combination of "dragon" and "pig-mother" is a strange conceptual blend, reflecting the complex understanding of the common people in that era. This story is likely just Pu Songling's compilation of folk legends about the Yangtze alligator.