xī pō gōng cháng qiǎng rén shào píng guǐ cí yuē wú yǒu, zé yuē" gū wàng yán zhī". hàn yì wén zhì yún:" xiǎo shuō jiā zhě liú, gài chū yú bài guān, jiē tán xiàng yǔ dào tīng tú shuō zhě zhī suǒ wéi yě." yóu shì yán zhī, hé bì yǐn jīng jù diǎn ér zì xǔ wèi guǐ zhī dǒng hú zāi? wú wén zhū: tiān yǒu guǐ xīng dì yǒu guǐ guó nán hǎi xiǎo yú shān zhōng yǒu guǐ mǔ lú chōng yǒu guǐ qī, shēng guǐ zi lǚ lǎn zài lí qiū qí guǐ hàn shū jì lí tíng yuān guǐ ér chǐ guō zhī cháo tūn è guǐ sān qiān, yè tūn bā bǎi, yǐ guǐ wèi fàn, zé jiào zhōng jìn shì zhī dàn guǐ yóu shén. rán huò zhě zào wú wéi yǒu, diǎn ér bù diǎn. ruò nǎi" sān nián fá guǐ", zé jiàn yú shū" yī chē zài guǐ", zé xiáng yú yì" xīn guǐ dà, gù guǐ xiǎo", zé zhe yú chūn qiū. qǐ zhī hán chāng lí zhī sòng qióng guǐ, luó yǒu zhī lù jiàn yé yú guǐ, jiè tí fā huī, yī wèi dǎo guǐ ér yǐ zāi? jīn guò lù rén wù yǐ jiē tán xiàng yǔ, jì qí dào tīng tú shuō, míng zhī yuē hé diǎn qí yán zé guǐ huà yě, qí rén zé guǐ míng yě, qí shì shí zé bù lí hū kāi guǐ xīn, bàn guǐ liǎn, huái guǐ tāi, diào guǐ huǒ, qiǎng guǐ fàn, dīng guǐ mén, zuò guǐ xì, dā guǐ péng, shàng guǐ dāng, dēng guǐ lù, zhēn kě chēng yī bù yí gè guǐ yǐ. cǐ bù diǎn ér diǎn zhě yě. wú zhǐ kǒng dú shì biān zhě yí xīn shēng guǐ, huò rù jiē guǐ kē lù yún. tài píng kè rén tí.
昔坡公尝强人劭平鬼;辞曰无有,则曰"姑妄言之"。汉《艺文志》云:"小说家者流,盖出于稗官,街谈巷语道听途说者之所为也。"由是言之,何必引经据典而自诩为鬼之董狐哉?吾闻诸:天有鬼星;地有鬼国;南海小虞山中有鬼母;卢充有鬼妻,生鬼子;《吕览》载黎邱奇鬼;《汉书》记嫠亭冤鬼;而尺郭之朝吞恶鬼三千,夜吞八百,以鬼为饭,则较钟进士之啖鬼尤甚。然或者造无为有,典而不典。若乃"三年伐鬼",则见于《书》;"一车载鬼",则详于《易》;"新鬼大,故鬼小",则著于《春秋》。岂知韩昌黎之送穷鬼,罗友之路见揶揄鬼,借题发挥,一味捣鬼而已哉?今过路人务以街谈巷语,记其道听途说,名之曰《何典》;其言则鬼话也,其人则鬼名也,其事实则不离乎开鬼心,扮鬼脸,怀鬼胎,钓鬼火,抢鬼饭,钉鬼门,做鬼戏,搭鬼棚,上鬼当,登鬼箓,真可称一步一个鬼矣。此不典而典者也。吾只恐读是编者疑心生鬼,或入街鬼窠路云。太平客人题。