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Title:
“Huge Bird Carries a Man into the Air”
飛鳥牽人
Year: 1884 Volume: 6 Page Number: 33

Caption Translation: There is a stupa in north China which is over a thousand years old. One day, a flapping sound came from the roof, frightening the people. After a while, bricks started to fall down. Everyone was feeling uneasy yet no one dared to take a look at what was happening. One very bold person climbed up the spiral stairs to the roof, and on top of the staircase he saw a huge bird. He attempted to pull the bird down by grabbing its feet, but just then, the bird spread its wings and carried this man into the air. The man was swinging in the air as if he would fall at any moment. He didn’t know what to do except to hold onto the bird’s feet for dear life. The bird slowly descended because of the man’s weight and the man let go when he was close to the ground. By that time, he was several hundred feet from where he had started. All those who heard the news were struck dumb with astonishment.
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Translator: Hiang Tiying
Revised by Peter C. Perdue

Caption Text: 昔墨子作木鳶而能飛, 世皆驚為奇異, 不謂人心愈變而愈巧, 機械愈出而愈奇。 法京有楔器師亞打。 前者仰視飛鳥, 意有所感, 閉戶數年冥思極索, 匠心獨運, 製成械器。 凌空而起, 上出雲霄, 且能獨往獨來, 左之右之, 指揮如意, 大有列子御風而行之概, 是誠巧不可階矣。 他日乘此四出, 將見朝遊碧落, 暮宿蒼梧, 又何止朗吟飛過洞庭湖而已哉。

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illustrations from the 1898 edition of the
Dianshizhai huabao, generously provided by
the Sterling Memorial Library at Yale University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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“Huge Bird Carries a Man into the Air ” 飛鳥牽人 1884
 artist Zhou Muqiao (page 33)
 [dz_v06_034]

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