《六月雪》
故事来源:东汉(公元25年──公元220年)史书《汉书》
时间:古代
地点:中国的北方
主要人物:窦娥(年轻寡妇) 蔡婆(窦娥的婆婆) 窦天章(窦娥之父) 张驴儿(乡间恶棍)
楚州山阳县有一书生名叫窦天章,他饱读诗书,满腹才学。不幸妻子亡故,留下幼女窦娥,父女二人相依为命。寡妇蔡婆靠丈夫留下的产业,放债取息为生。窦天章曾向蔡婆借了二十两银子,一直无力偿还。眼看还要进京赶考,身边没有分文,无可奈何的窦天章只好把女儿送到蔡婆家中,给她做童养媳。蔡婆收下窦娥,送还借据,还赠窦天章一些银两以供路上花费。
窦天章离开楚州以后,便杳无音讯。春去秋来,几经寒暑,窦娥在蔡婆家已长大成人,她与蔡婆的儿子结婚不足三年就守了寡,从此婆媳二人相守度日。无赖张驴儿要娶窦娥为妻,遭到回绝,他以为蔡婆从中阻拦,便用毒药害她性命,不料害死了自己的亲生母亲。张驴儿以公堂见官相威胁,窦娥对官府抱有幻想,随张驴儿一起去见山阳县令。赃官不听窦娥申辩,严刑逼供,为使婆婆免遭酷刑,窦娥含冤招认,被判成死罪。
刑场上窦娥满腹忿怨,呼天抢地,临斩之前,她发下三桩誓愿以示自己的冤情:一是满腔热血将飞溅于高悬的白布,二是六月酷暑突降暴雪,三是山阳县内大旱三年。窦娥死后果然一一应验。
窦娥之父窦天章早已考中,位居高官,在查阅案卷时,发现女儿的冤情,经过重新审理,找到元凶张驴儿,当即斩首,还惩治了贪财受贿、滥用酷刑的赃官。
Snow in June
Origin: Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 AD) historical compilation, The Book of the HanTime:Ancient timePlace:Northern ChinaMain characters:Dou E (a young widow)Cai Po (Dou E's mother-in-law)Dou Tianzhang (Dou E's father)Zhang Lu'er (a local hoodlum)
In Shanyang County of the region of Chuzhou lives a scholar with a bellyful of learning named Dou Tianzhang. Unfortunately, his wife has died, leaving him and his young daughter Dou E with only each other to depend on. Widow Cai Po inherited her husband's estate when he died, and lives off the interest she makes from lending money. Dou Tianzhang once borrowed twenty taels of silver from her, and has never been able to repay the debt. The time comes when he must travel to the capital for the Imperial exams. Penniless and with no other options before him, he offers his daughter Dou E to Cai Po as a child bride for her son. Cai Po accepts, giving Dou Tianzhang back the receipt from his loan and several taels of silver for his expenses on the road.
Dou Tianzhang leave Chuzhou, and no further word is heard from him. Springs come and autumns go, and summer's heat and winter's cold. Dou E grows into a young woman in Cai Po's home, and her marriage with Cai Po's son is celebrated. But after only three years, Dou E is widowed, leaving her and her mother-in-law to care for each other and together go through life. Local hoodlum and lay-about Zhang Lu'er wants to take Dou E as his wife, but is met with refusal. Believing that Cai Po is standing in the way of his marriage, he tries to poison her, but inadvertently kills his own mother instead. Zhang Lu'er threatens to charge Dou E with killing his mother unless she agrees to marry him. Dou E, naively placing her trust in the government, goes with Zhang Lu'er to the head of Shanyang County to clear her name. But without giving her a chance to defend herself, this corrupt official tortures her to force her to confess that she killed Zhang Lu'er's mother. In order to prevent her mother-in-law from also being tortured, Dou E confesses to the false charge, and is sentenced to death.
Brought to the execution grounds, Dou E wrathfully calls upon Heaven and Earth to bear witness to her innocence. As she is about to be beheaded, she swears three oaths to prove that she has been wronged. First, she vows that her hot and innocent blood will splash upon the white cloth hanging high above her. Second, a terrible blizzard will descend during the heat of June. And third, Shanyang County will suffer three years of drought. After Dou E's death, all three of her vows come to pass.
Dou E's father has long since passed the Imperial examinations and been granted a high government post. One day while he is reviewing court cases, he discovers the record of the false accusation against his daughter and her unjust execution. He reopens the case, and during the course of his inquiry discovers that the true criminal is Zhang Lu'er. Zhang Lu'er is beheaded, and the corrupt official whom he bribed is punished for his misuse of office and torture of the innocent.