“The Peasant” is a highly allegorical story in Strange Tales from Liaozhai (Liaozhai Zhiyi). Through a tale of “long-standing enmity” spanning years between a peasant and a fox demon.
Story Summary
A peasant was tilling the land at the foot of a mountain, and his wife brought him food daily. She would leave the food in an earthenware pot by the field, but several times found it completely eaten. Suspecting a thief, the peasant hid and watched, discovering a fox stealing the food. Seizing the moment, he struck the fox fiercely with his hoe. The fox fled in panic, its head stuck in the pot, tumbling down the mountain in disarray before finally escaping.
Years later, the daughter of a wealthy family south of the mountain was possessed by a fox demon. All manner of exorcism rituals proved ineffective. The fox demon mocked, “Paper talismans, what can they do to me?” The girl tentatively asked, “With such profound powers, is there anyone you fear?” The demon replied, “I fear nothing, save that I remember ten years ago on North Mountain, while stealing food, I was nearly beaten to death by a man wearing a large bamboo hat and wielding a curved-handle farming tool. The terror lingers to this day.”
The girl told her father, who sought to hire the man from back then. The peasant was initially skeptical, but after repeated pleas from the wealthy family, he dressed as he had years before, entered the girl’s room holding his hoe, and shouted: “After you all these years! So you’ve been hiding here! Today, I will kill you!” As soon as he spoke, the fox demon inside screamed pitifully, begging for mercy. The peasant ordered it to leave immediately. The demon fled in terror and never troubled the family again.
Allegorical Analysis
True Authority Lies in Presence and Righteousness:
The peasant was an ordinary man, possessing no magical arts or spiritual powers, yet he intimidated the fox demon. This illustrates that true authority stems not from social status, but from one’s presence, inner righteousness, and capacity for action. The peasant’s courage in confronting evil directly, without fear, was the key to his victory.
Fear Stems from the Past:
The Power of Memory: Though the fox demon had cultivated its powers for years, it vividly remembered the peasant and still feared him. This reflects an innate psychological mechanism: fear often originates from past experiences. Pu Songling suggests that even seemingly powerful beings can be haunted by shadows from their past.
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