Hu Tian Village is located in what is now the Zhangdian District of Zibo, Shandong Province. It still exists today, known as Hu Tian. Many stories from Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio (Liaozhai Zhiyi) are set in Shandong, particularly in the author’s hometown. The level of detail in identifying the location down to the specific village suggests the story was based on a local rumor of the time.
The commentary style in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio often begins with the phrase “The Historian of the Strange says...” In this story, however, the commentary is directly appended to the tale, possibly due to its brevity. The statement, “‘The python refrained from harm because it was moved by virtue and righteousness.’ This is certainly true,” reflects Pu Songling’s personal belief. He not only saw it as true but also used his writing to advocate for the idea of being moved by “virtue and righteousness.”
Although this tale is not particularly remarkable, it served as inspiration for a longer story of brotherly love, Zhang Cheng, written later. In Zhang Cheng, however, the python is replaced by a tiger.
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