Original Text
A man surnamed Zhang happened to be traveling through a mountain stream valley when he heard an extremely shrill sound coming from a cliff above. Finding a path, he climbed up to investigate and saw a thick snake, as large around as a bowl, thrashing about in the bushes, its tail lashing against a willow tree and snapping the branches instantly. Observing the snake’s frantic contortions, it seemed as though something was restraining it, yet upon closer inspection he could see nothing at all, which deepened his suspicion. Gradually drawing near the snake, he discovered a mantis clinging to the top of its head, fiercely gouging the snake’s skull with its sharp forelegs, and no matter how the snake writhed, it could not shake the insect off. After a long while, the snake finally died. Looking at its forehead, the skin and flesh had been torn open.
Commentary
According to common sense, the disparity in strength between a mantis insect and a giant serpent reptile in combat is extremely vast. If the giant serpent wins, there is no suspense; but if the mantis prevails, it is unexpected and thus becomes a tale worth telling. To describe both sides head-on would not be impossible, but it would waste ink and be difficult to achieve cleverness. This passage selects an excellent entry point, first writing of a 'fierce and terrible sound,' then describing the 'giant serpent as thick as a bowl,' followed by the serpent's agonized struggles, using its immense destructive power—'striking the willow with its tail, causing the branches to snap'—to contrast the mantis's formidable grip, and finally revealing the mantis's might as it 'perches atop the head, seizing it with its blade-like pincers.' In Chinese martial arts, there is a saying of 'four ounces deflecting a thousand pounds,' and indeed, in literary description, there is a similar principle at work.