from Water Margin
Anonymous
Commentary by Chin Sheng-t’an (1610?–1661)
Now we’ll divide the story and tell of how Wu Sung, after he left Sung Chiang, put up at an inn that evening. The next morning he lit up the fire and had breakfast, and after settling the account he packed, carried his club [Club: the fifth time.] and set out again. He thought to himself, “I have heard much about the Opportune Rain, Sung Kung-ming,1 among men of rivers and lakes. It is really not false talk. To become a sworn brother with such a person is not in vain.” [Flowers in the mirror and the moon in water. An ordinary writer wouldn’t be able to paint such a picture. This is truly a piece of writing concocted out of thin air.]
After traveling on the road for a few days, Wu Sung came to the district of Yang-ku. There was still some distance to the district town. That day, toward noon, Wu Sung walked until he was both hungry and thirsty. He saw in the distance a wine-shop with a pennant sticking out in front of the door. On the pennant were written five characters: No Crossing After Three Bowls. [Extraordinary writing.] [Comments on upper margin: The next few chapters from here on all describe Wu Sung’s supernatural valor. The wine drinking here should be read as one section, the fight with the tiger as another.]
Wu Sung entered the wine-shop and sat down; leaning the club to the side [Club: the sixth time.], he called, “Shop owner, bring out your wine right away so I can drink.” [Wu Number Two was fond of wine all his life. From this very first sentence spoken by him, it is as though we can hear his voice and see his person.] Then we see the shop owner bring three bowls [Extraordinary writing.], a pair of chopsticks, and a plate of freshly cooked vegetables and set them out in front of Wu Sung. He then poured wine to fill one bowl to the brim. [The first bowl. In this, the first segment, the author describes the action bowl by bowl. In the second, third, and fourth segments, he writes segment by segment. In the fifth and sixth segments, he writes both at once.] Wu Sung took up the bowl and downed it at one gulp. “What potent wine!” he cried out. [We know what the wine is like.] “Shop owner, if you have anything that’s filling, I want to buy some to go with the wine.” [He calls for wine first and then meat. So we can understand which one is more important to him. I have heard that meat-eaters are despicable. As for wine, no person of an unconventional bent doesn’t like it.] “There is only cooked beef,” said the owner. “Bring me two or three catties2 of the best part to eat,” said Wu Sung.
The shop owner went inside to cut up two catties of cooked beef. Putting everything on a big platter, he brought it out and placed it before Wu Sung. At the same time he poured another bowl of wine. [The second bowl.] “Excellent wine,” said Wu Sung after finishing it. [Again he praises the wine. We know therefore it is good wine.] The shop owner again poured a bowl. [The third bowl.] After Wu Sung finished drinking the third bowl of wine, the shop owner never came out again. [Extraordinary writing.] Knocking on the table, Wu Sung cried out, “Shop owner, why aren’t you coming to pour more wine?” The owner replied, “If you want more meat, sir, I will bring some.” [The reply doesn’t match the question. Hilarious!] “I also want wine,” said Wu Sung, “and cut more meat too.” “I will cut the meat and bring it to you,” said the owner. “As for wine, I will not add any more.”
“What is the meaning of all this?” said Wu Sung, perplexed, and he proceeded to ask the shop owner, “Why don’t you want to sell wine to me?” “Sir,” said the owner, “surely you can see the pennant in front of the door. On it is clearly written ‘No Crossing After Three Bowls.’” “What do you mean by ‘No Crossing After Three Bowls’?” asked Wu Sung. “Although my wine is the rustic kind,” said the owner, “it is as tasty as the old brews. All the guests who come to my shop get drunk after three bowls and are not able to cross the mountain ridge ahead. Hence, we say ‘No Crossing After Three Bowls.’ Traveling guests who pass by here never ask for more after three bowls.” [Ordinary folks are not worth mentioning.]
Wu Sung laughed and said, “So that’s what you mean. I have had three bowls; how come I am not drunk?” “This wine of mine is called ‘Bottle Penetrating Fragrance’ [Good name.]. It is also known as ‘Fall Down Outside the Door’ [Good name.]. It tastes rich and mellow when you first sip it, but in a short while you will fall down.” “Don’t talk nonsense,” said Wu Sung. “It is not like I am not paying. Pour me three more bowls.”
Seeing that Wu Sung was not affected at all, the owner poured three more bowls. [The fourth bowl, fifth bowl, and sixth bowl.] “Truly fine wine,” said Wu Sung after finishing. [Again he praises the wine profusely. We know it is good wine.] “Shop owner, every time I finish one bowl I will give you money for it. So just keep pouring.” “Sir,” said the owner, “please don’t keep drinking. This wine will really make you drunk and there is no antidote for it.” “Stop your cursed talk,” said Wu Sung. “I’ll be able to smell it even if you put a narcotic in the wine.” Unable to gainsay him, the shop owner again poured three bowls in a row. [The seventh bowl, eighth bowl, and ninth bowl.]
“Bring me two more catties of meat,” Wu Sung demanded. [The author writes about Wu Sung’s capacity for food while writing about his drinking ability. All this is to show his valor.] After cutting two more catties of cooked beef, the owner again poured three bowls of wine. [The tenth bowl, eleventh bowl, and twelfth bowl.] His appetite now fully activated, Wu Sung kept asking for more. Fishing out some loose silver that he carried with him, he called, “Shop owner, come and look at my silver. Is it enough to pay for the wine and meat?” [The author switches to another way of writing. I cannot help roaring with laughter in reading this.] Taking a look, the owner said, “More than enough. You should get some change back.” [Marvelous thought and marvelous writing. We can see that the wine-shop owner doesn’t want to sell any more wine.] “I don’t want your change,” said Wu Sung. “Just keep the wine coming.” “Sir,” said the owner, “if you want more wine, there are only five or six bowls left. But I am afraid you cannot take any more.” “If you still have as many as five or six bowls,” Wu Sung demanded, “pour them all out for me.” “If a tall fellow like you falls down drunk,” said the owner, “who can prop you up?” [All of a sudden, as though out of nowhere, Wu Sung’s features are revealed through the eyes and mouth of the wine-shop owner. How can an ordinary writer describe this?] “I am no brave man if I need you to prop me up,” replied Wu Sung. But the owner refused to bring the wine out.
Agitated, Wu Sung said, “I am not drinking for nothing. Don’t get your old Daddy upset, or I will smash up everything in this room and turn your cursed shop upside down.” The owner said to himself, “This fellow is drunk. I’d better not provoke him.” He poured six more bowls for Wu Sung. [The thirteenth bowl, fourteenth bowl, fifteenth bowl, sixteenth bowl, seventeenth bowl, and eighteenth bowl.] Altogether Wu Sung drank eighteen bowls of wine. [A concluding sentence.]
Picking up his club, Wu Sung stood up [Club: the seventh time. Throughout this episode the author singles out the club for special description at every turn. His intention is to make the reader feel that when later on Wu Sung suddenly confronts the tiger he can rely on this thing completely without any fear. Who could anticipate that something unexpected is going to happen that would frighten the reader to death? Picking up his club—the first posture he assumes with the club.] [Comments on upper margin: In writing about the club, the author has Wu Sung assume countless postures.] and said, “I am not drunk.” Walking out the door, he laughed and said, “Who says ‘No Crossing After Three Bowls’?!” [Amusing.] Carrying his club, he walked away. [Club: the eighth time. Carrying his club—the second posture he assumes with the club.]
The wine-shop owner ran after him and called out, “Where are you going, sir?” [Extraordinary writing.] Wu Sung halted and asked, “What are you calling me for? I don’t owe you any wine money. Why do you beckon me?” [The author again creates waves.] “I mean well,” the owner called out. “Please come back to my house and see an official proclamation copied on a piece of paper.” [Extraordinary writing.] “What proclamation?” Wu Sung asked. “Nowadays,” said the owner, “there is a tiger with slanting eyes and a white forehead on the Ching-yang Ridge ahead. At night it comes out to harm people. It has already killed twenty or thirty big, stout fellows. The authorities now have given a deadline to the hunters to capture the tiger on pain of flogging. The proclamation is posted on every road near the ridge instructing passing travelers to cross the ridge in groups and during the hours from midmorning to mid-afternoon. They are not allowed to cross the ridge during hours immediately before and after. Single travelers especially must wait to form groups before they can cross. It’s going to be late afternoon pretty soon. Seeing you leave without asking people, I am afraid you might lose your life in vain. Why don’t you put up at my place for now? Tomorrow, when twenty or thirty people have gathered, you may cross the ridge together.”
Upon hearing this, Wu Sung laughed and said, “I am a resident of nearby Ch’ing-ho district. I must have crossed this Ching-yang Ridge at least ten or twenty times. Whoever has heard of a tiger? Don’t scare me with this cursed talk of yours. I am not afraid even if there is a tiger.” “I am trying to save you out of compassion,” said the wine-shop owner. “If you don’t believe me, come in and read the official proclamation.” “You are just making some cursed noise,” said Wu Sung. “Your old Daddy is not afraid even if there is really a tiger. You want me to put up at your place—could it be because you want to rob and kill me in the middle of the night and therefore scare me with this cursed tiger?” “Look, you,” said the owner. “I do this completely out of compassion and yet you think I harbor evil intentions. If you don’t believe me, just go as you please.” While saying this, he shook his head and went back into his shop. [The owner’s change of countenance is described as vividly as a painting.]
Wu Sung carried his club [Club: the ninth time. Carried his club—the third posture he assumes with the club.], and in big strides went toward the Ching-yang Ridge. After having gone about four or five tricents, he came to the foot of the ridge. There he saw a huge tree, the bark of which had been scraped away, so that there was a patch of white wood. On the white patch were written two columns of characters. Wu Sung could recognize quite a few characters, so when he raised his head to look, he saw there written: “Because of the tiger on the Ching-yang Ridge that has been inflicting harm on the people recently, if there are travelers passing, they should cross the ridge in groups and between the hours from mid-morning to mid-afternoon. Please do not endanger yourselves.” [Extraordinary writing.]
After having read the notice, Wu Sung laughed and said, “This is a trick played by the innkeeper to frighten the travelers so that they will stay in his inn. What cursed thing should I be afraid of?” Holding his club sideways [Club: the tenth time. Holding his club sideways—the fourth posture he assumes with the club.], he walked up the ridge.
At that time it was already late in the afternoon, and the red sun, like a wheel, was slowly rolling down the side of the mountain. [Frightening scenery.]
Wu Sung walked up the ridge heedlessly on the strength of the wine. In less than half a tricent, he came upon an abandoned shrine to the mountain spirit. [Extraordinary writing. Were it not for this shrine, there would be almost no place for pasting the proclamation.] Approaching the front of the shrine, he saw pasted on the door a proclamation with an official seal. When Wu Sung stopped to read, he saw there written: “A Proclamation from the district of Yang-ku: On Ching-yang Ridge, recently a tiger has taken the lives of people. At present, the heads of various villages as well as hunters have been given a deadline for capturing the tiger on pain of flogging. They have not yet succeeded. For this reason, if there are any passing travelers, they are instructed to cross the ridge in groups and during the hours from midmorning to mid-afternoon. No one is allowed to cross the ridge by himself, or at other times, lest he lose his life. Everyone should take note of this. Proclaimed on such a day in such a month of such a year in the reign period Cheng-ho.” [Extraordinary writing.]
After finishing the proclamation, Wu Sung began to realize that truly there was a tiger. He was about to turn around to go back to the wine-shop [With this sign of weakness, Wu Sung’s valor is brought out even more clearly. Otherwise, it would mean that things happened too suddenly, and Wu Sung simply could not avoid meeting the tiger, and that he was lucky to have escaped from the mouth of the tiger],3 when he thought to himself, “If I go back, I shall be ridiculed by him for not being a brave man. I will not turn back.” [Is it not extraordinary to stake one’s life for the sake of fame?] After debating with himself for a while, he said, “What cursed thing am I afraid of? Let me just go up and see what will happen.” [Wu Sung’s valor is vividly portrayed.]
As Wu Sung walked, the fumes of the wine rose up in his head. [See how methodically the author writes about drunkenness!] So he whisked away his felt hat to hang on his back [This is wintertime, but the author insists on describing the great heat felt by Wu Sung. Later when the tiger jumps at him, he is so scared as to shed cold sweat. A superb writer!], tucked the club underneath his arm [Club: the eleventh time. Tucked the club underneath his arm—the fifth posture he assumes with the club], and step by step went up the ridge. He turned his head around to look at the sun, and saw that it was gradually going down. [Frightening scenery. If I were there at that time, even if there were no tiger coming out, I would cry aloud.] This was right in the midst of the tenth month. The days were short and the nights long, and it grew dark very quickly. [This is the author’s own explanatory note.] Wu Sung mumbled to himself, “What tiger is there? People just scare themselves and dare not climb the hill.” [Again the author lets Wu Sung comfort himself.] After Wu Sung had walked for a while, the strength of the wine became apparent. [Drunk.] He began to feel scorchingly hot inside. [Hot.] With one hand carrying the club [Club: the twelfth time. Again he carries the club—the sixth posture he assumes with the club] and the other opening up his coat at the chest [A superb picture.], he stumbled and staggered, and blundered straight through a forest of tangled trees. [Frightening scenery. We know it is a forest for tigers.] He saw a high, smooth, bluish rock. [After having Wu Sung pass the tangled trees, the author might be expected to let the tiger jump out. Instead, he conjures up a piece of blue rock, and almost lets Wu Sung fall asleep on it. After having caused the reader to be worried to death, he then brings out the tiger. How incorrigible is the man of genius!] He leaned his club against the side of the rock [The club was leaned to the side—the seventh posture Wu Sung assumes with the club. Club: the thirteenth time.] and was just about to lay himself down upon the rock to sleep [The reader is frightened to death.], when there rose a violent gust of wind. After the gust of wind had passed, Wu Sung heard a great crash behind the tangled trees, and out leaped a tiger with slanting eyes and white forehead. [The tiger came out with force and power.] Seeing it, Wu Sung cried, “Ah-ya!” and rolled down from the blue rock. [With this sign of weakness, Wu Sung’s valor is brought out even more clearly. Otherwise, it would be like the story of Tzu-lu 4 told in a small village, extremely untrue to life.] Grasping the club in his hand [Club: the fourteenth time. Grasping the club—the eighth posture he assumes with the club.], he dodged to the side of the blue rock. [The first dodging. From here on the man becomes a superman and the tiger a live tiger. The reader must pay very close attention from paragraph to paragraph. I have often thought that there are places to see a painted tiger, but none to see a genuine one; one can see a genuine tiger that is dead, but not one that is living; a living tiger walking can probably be seen occasionally, but a living tiger battling with a man—there are never places to see such a thing. Now suddenly in an almost casual way, Nai-an 5 with his playful pen has painted a complete picture of a living tiger battling with a man. From now on those who want to see a tiger can all come to the Ching-yang Ridge in Water Margin to stare to their satisfaction. Moreover, they need not be frightened. What a great kindness Nai-an has rendered to his readers! It is said that Chao Sung-hsüeh 6 was fond of painting horses. In his latter years, his technique became even more penetrating. Whenever he wished to meditate on how to paint a new picture, he would loosen his clothes in a secluded room and crouch on the floor. He would learn first how to be a horse, and then order a brush. One day Lady Kuan 7 came upon him in this process, and Chao even appeared to be a horse. Now when Nai-an was writing this passage, could it be that he too had loosened his clothes, and while crouching on the ground, assumed the postures of a pounce, a kick, and a cut? 8 Su Tung-p’o in a poem on a painting of geese wrote:
When wild geese see the approach of a man,
They appear startled even before taking off.
From what hidden place have you observed them,
To catch this natural pose of theirs so oblivious of man?
I really don’t know where in his mind Nai-an obtained this method of painting a tiger eating a man. When I say that of all writers of the past three thousand years he alone is a genius, is this mere empty praise?]
The tiger was both hungry and thirsty. With just a light touch on the ground with its two front paws, it gathered itself and sprang through the air. [The tiger.] Wu Sung was frightened and the wine in him came out in a cold sweat. [Subtle and marvelous writing. As I was reading this under the lamp, the light seemed to shrink into the shape of a bean, and its color became green.]9 In less time than it takes to tell it, when Wu Sung saw that the tiger was coming down upon him, with one quick move he dodged behind it. [The man. The second dodging.] Now it is most difficult for a tiger to see someone behind its back. [In the midst of this turmoil the author takes time out to provide an explanatory note.] It therefore dug its front paws into the ground, and with one sweep lifted up its back and rear parts to kick. [The tiger.] With a single quick move Wu Sung dodged to one side. [The man. The third dodging.] Seeing that it could not kick Wu Sung, the tiger let out a tremendous roar which, like a thunderclap in the sky, shook the whole mountain ridge. It then erected its tail like an iron staff and slashed down. [The tiger.] But Wu Sung again dodged to one side. [The man. The fourth dodging.] Ordinarily when a tiger tries to seize a man, it does so only with a pounce, a kick, and a cut. If after these three maneuvers it cannot seize a man, half of its heart and temper desert it. [In the midst of this turmoil the author takes time out to provide an explanatory note. A genius, commanding a wide acquaintance with things, certainly does not speak falsely. However, there is no place to verify this statement of his. This passage brings all the previous action to an end. In what has gone above, Wu Sung only used the method of dodging four times. In what follows he will apply his strength.]
Unable to cut Wu Sung with its tail, the tiger roared again and swiftly circled round. [The tiger.] Seeing that the tiger had again turned, Wu Sung whirled his club with both hands [Whirled his club—the ninth posture he assumes with the club. Club: the fifteenth time.] and with all his strength brought it down from mid-air in one swift blow. [The man. After this blow, who would not think that the tiger will be done away with? And yet unexpected things are going to take place.] There was a crashing sound, and leaves and branches scattered down over his face. When he fixed his eyes to see, Wu Sung found that he had not hit the tiger [He had marshaled all his strength and yet he did not hit the tiger. What a hair-raising sentence!]; instead in his haste he had hit a withered tree. [In this turmoil the author again takes time out to provide this explanatory note.] The club broke in two, and he was only holding half of it in his hand. [Club: the sixteenth time. The author has been busy writing about the club for a long while. We all thought that Wu Sung could rely on it to strike the tiger, but all of a sudden it comes to nought here: we are absolutely stunned and hardly dare read on. After the club is broken, Wu Sung’s extraordinary power of fighting the tiger with his bare hands can be revealed. However, the reader is so frightened that his heart and liver have jumped out of his mouth.]
The tiger roared, its wrath fully aroused. Turning its body around, it again leaped toward Wu Sung. [The tiger.] Wu Sung again jumped away and retreated ten steps. [The man.] No sooner had he done so than the tiger planted its two forepaws right in front of him. [The tiger.] Seizing the opportunity, Wu Sung threw away the broken club [The club is gotten rid of. Club: the seventeenth time.], and with the same motion both his hands clutched the tiger’s spotted neck and pressed the head down. [The man.] The tiger in desperation attempted to struggle loose [The tiger.], but Wu Sung forced it down with all his strength, unwilling to relax his grip even for a moment. [The man.] Then he kicked the tiger’s face and eyes wildly. [Kicking with a foot—marvelous. For he cannot loosen his hands. Kicking the eyes—marvelous. For it would be hard to kick any other spot.] The tiger began to roar, and clawed up two heaps of yellow mud underneath its body, forming a mud pit. [The tiger. How did Nai-an know that the man who kicks at a tiger must kick its eyes, and that when a tiger is being kicked at, it will make a mud pit? All this is improbable writing, and yet the matter must be a certainty. How absolutely extraordinary! How absolutely marvelous!]10 Wu Sung pressed the tiger’s mouth straight into the pit. [The man.] Being so mauled by Wu Sung, the tiger became completely worn out. [The tiger.]
Wu Sung then used his left hand to grasp tightly the tiger’s spotted neck, and freeing the right hand, lifted up his hammerlike fist and bludgeoned the tiger with all his strength. [The man.] After fifty or seventy blows, blood began to gush out from the tiger’s eyes, mouth, nose, and ears. The tiger, unable to stir any more, could barely gasp for breath. [The tiger.] Wu Sung let go of the beast, and went among the pine trees in search of his broken club. Grasping the broken club in his hand and fearing lest the tiger was not yet dead, he struck it again. [Club: the eighteenth time. This is the last mention of the club.] Only after he saw the tiger’s breathing cease did he finally throw down the club. [The club ends here.] He then thought to himself, “I’ll just pick up the tiger and drag it down the ridge.” [His first thought is to take it away. Marvelous.] But when he tried to pull the tiger from its pool of blood with both his hands, he couldn’t! The truth was he had completely used up his strength, and all his limbs were weak and powerless. [With this sign of weakness his powers of a moment ago become even more evident. ]
Wu Sung returned to the blue rock and sat there for a while. [Wu Sung’s extreme weariness depicted here brings out more clearly through contrast his great prowess of a moment ago. The narrative comes back to the blue rock again. Absolutely marvelous!] He thought to himself, “It is getting dark. Suppose another tiger leaps out, how will I subdue it? I’d better get down the ridge somehow, and come back tomorrow morning to take care of the beast.” [The sentence is specially designed so as to make what follows appear surprising.] 11 He then found his felt hat by the side of the rock [With a cry “Ah-ya!” he rolled down from the blue rock. At that moment he was so frightened out of his wits that he hadn’t noticed where his hat had dropped. Penetrating writing.], went through the tangled trees [The author comes back to the tangled trees], and dragged himself down the ridge a step at a time.
Wu Sung had not traveled more than half a tricent when two tigers leaped out of the withered grass. [Extraordinary writing that will frighten people to death.] “Ah-ya!” he cried. “This is the end of me.” [Extraordinary writing that will frighten people to death.] But suddenly the two tigers stood upright in darkness. [Extraordinary writing that will frighten people to death.] When Wu Sung looked closely at them, he saw that they were none other than two people wrapped tightly in clothes sewn together from tiger skins. They each had a five-pronged pitchfork. [Extraordinary writing.] Seeing Wu Sung, they were startled and said, “You … you, have you eaten a crocodile’s heart, or a leopard’s gall, or a lion’s leg, that you are not afraid of anything? How dare you walk over the ridge alone in the darkness of the approaching night without any weapon? You … you, are you a man or a ghost?” [Although the fight with the tiger is over, the author comments on the event through the mouths of the hunters.] “Who are you two?” asked Wu Sung. “We are local hunters,” replied one of them. “What are you doing on the ridge?” asked Wu Sung. [These are words that will make people split their sides. I am on the ridge to kill the tiger, but what are you up here for? Absolutely marvelous!]
Greatly surprised, the two hunters said, “So you still don’t know. Nowadays, there is a huge tiger on the Ching-yang Ridge. It comes out every night to harm people. Even we hunters have lost seven or eight of our own. Countless passing travelers have been eaten by this beast. The district magistrate has instructed the village leaders and us hunters to capture it. But the evil beast is powerful and hard to get near. [We know therefore that a pounce, a kick, and a cut were unusual things.] Who dares approach it? Because of it we don’t know how many floggings we have received for our failures in our mission. Still we cannot capture it. Tonight is our turn again to try. We are here with a dozen or so villagers. Spring-bows and poisoned arrows are set up all over the place to await its arrival. We were waiting in ambush when we saw you nonchalantly [Four characters (in the original). Wu Sung’s valor is described unintentionally.] walking down the ridge. You gave us a start. But who are you? Have you seen the tiger?”
“I am from Ch’ing-ho district, surnamed Wu and number two among siblings. [In the midst of this turmoil the author fixes our attention on the case of Wu Sung’s going to see his elder brother. Therefore these four characters (‘number two among siblings’) are planted everywhere.] A while ago, I bumped into that tiger by the tangled trees up on the ridge and killed it by punching and kicking.” [His first recapitulation.] The two hunters looked stunned upon hearing this and said, “You are making it up!” “If you don’t believe me,” said Wu Sung, “look at the bloodstains on my clothes.” [Too bad he is wearing a red jacket.] “How did you kill it?” asked the two. Wu Sung repeated his story of killing the tiger. [His second recapitulation. Actually, it is something he is most proud of. Therefore he cannot help saying it over and over again. I too want to say it over and over again, but unfortunately there isn’t anything I have to say that is worth speaking about.]
Upon hearing this, the two hunters were both joyous and astonished. They called out to gather the ten villagers. The ten villagers, all carrying pitchforks, crossbows, knives, and spears, gathered around right away. “Why didn’t they come up the hill with you?” Wu Sung asked. “That beast was just too ferocious,” said the hunters. “How dared they come up?”
The dozen or so villagers now all stood in front. The two hunters asked Wu Sung to tell the crowd how he killed the tiger. [His third recapitulation. It is also marvelous that the hunters should ask Wu Number Two to speak. Even others felt proud, let alone Wu Sung himself.] None of the group believed it. “If you don’t believe me,” said Wu Sung, “come with me and see for yourselves.” They all carried steel and flint with them, so they struck fire and lit five or six torches. [Fine. Like a picture.] Tagging after Wu Sung [These four characters read like a picture.], they again ascended the ridge. Seeing that the tiger was dead there in a heap, they were all overjoyed. They dispatched someone ahead to report to the village leader and the responsible prominent family. Meanwhile five or six villagers tied up the tiger and carried it down the ridge.
Translated by John Wang
This famous and exciting episode involving a life-and-death struggle between man and beast is taken from Water Margin (Shui-hu chuan), one of the earliest Chinese novels written in the vernacular language. Greatly indebted to a rich oral tradition, the novel came into existence probably during the fourteenth century and is attributed variously to Shih Nai-an (late Yüan—early Ming) and Lo Kuan-chung (c. 1330–c. 1400). It celebrates the exploits of a band of a hundred and eight colorful, daredevil bandit-heroes who dare to rob the wealthy and powerful and fight against government troops. In this excerpt, the hero, Wu Sung, fights with the tiger in the days before he joined the band.
Most of the old editions of the novel were printed with comments made by later readers. Of all the running commentaries for the novel, the one by Chin Sheng-t’an is the most widely known. As can be seen in the episode here, Chin’s comments (italicized and enclosed in brackets) are lively and idiosyncratic, and at their best they enhance the reader’s appreciation of the dazzling narrative skill demonstrated by the author. The celebrated modern essayist Chou Tso-jen (1885–1967) put it best when he explained why he liked to read the novel together with Chin’s commentary: “Of all commentaries on fiction, Chin Sheng-t’an’s are of course the best…. When I read Water Margin, I pay equal attention to the main text and to the comments. It is like eating white fungus [pai mu-erh, a Chinese delicacy]; they taste even better eaten with soup.”
1. I.e., Sung Chiang.
2. A catty is equal to about 11/3 pounds.
3. Wu Sung, after hesitating, deliberately chose to confront the tiger rather than simply being forced to meet it. This shows his courage and valor.
4. One of Confucius’ disciples, known for his physical strength and impetuosity.
5. The putative author of the novel.
6. 1254–1322. A famous painter of the Yüan period whose given name was Meng-fu (see selection 61).
7. Chao’s wife.
8. As will soon be seen in the following narrative description, these are the three things the tiger did in its efforts to seize Wu Sung. Chin’s claim about Chao Meng-fu’s emulation of the horse and Shih Nai-an’s complete success in bringing to life Wu Sung’s fight with the tiger is what we today would call “empathy.”
9. A sure sign of the presence of a powerful ghost or spirit.
10. What Chin seems to mean here is that the account is more convincing because it departs from literal truth—an indication of Chin’s love of paradox. Or perhaps he is saying that, unlikely as it would be to invent or observe such details, they really must be true.
11. As we shall see shortly, Wu Sung runs into two hunters disguised as tigers when he is going down the ridge, which creates another moment of high suspense. What Chin means here is probably that when Wu Sung’s fear (the possibility of encountering another tiger) seemingly comes true later in the story, the surprise felt by the reader is even greater.