The Unrelenting Goose

久視年中,越州有祖錄事,不得名。早出,見擔鵝向市中者。鵝見錄事,頻顧而鳴。祖乃以錢贖之,至僧寺,令放為長生鵝,竟不肯入寺, 但走逐祖後。經坊歷市,稠人廣眾之處一步不放。祖收養之。左丞張錫 親見說也。

In the Jiushi reign era [700-701] in Yuezhou there was Zu Lushi, who was not well-known. He went out in the morning and saw someone carrying a goose to the market. The goose saw Lushi and repeatedly looked to him crying out. Zu then bought the bird with cash and went to the monastery where he had the goose released for long life. Unexpectedly, it was unwilling to go into the temple and just followed behind Zu. Passing through town and the market, it didn't lose a step in the crowded places. Zu adopted it. This was personally told by Zhang Xi 張錫, assistant director of the left.



Chaoye Qianzai 朝野僉載 by Zhang Zhuo 張鷟 (?658-730)