鹊登枝

这一年，西凉县又恰逢十五花灯之夜。苏家十六岁的小女儿苏锦因耐不住寂寞，偷偷带着侍女从后门溜到了花灯街。两人疯玩了好几个时辰，才顺着柳堤往回走。

柳堤上挂满了花灯，亮如白昼。突然，有个瘦削的中年人提着一盏花灯迎面走来。那花灯跟其他的花灯不一样，似一个鸟笼，开片是四个布景，画着鹊登枝的四个跳跃姿势，若把花灯转起来，那只登枝的鹊便犹似活了在笼中跳跃不停。古怪的是，那柳枝做成的花灯骨架因留有孔隙，花灯一转起来，风吹过孔隙，便发出了清脆的鸟叫声。

苏锦看得着迷，侍女压低声音说：“小姐，你觉得那只鸟像府上的金翅不？”

金翅是苏家养的一只异鸟，它全身羽毛金翠，只有鸟嘴是红色的。六年前，苏员外捐资西凉县，建了一个民心工程。西凉天台山下的道庵慧永师太见苏员外之女苏锦是个哑女，便赠给她此鸟，教授她学舌之法，就是每日学鸟儿鸣啾之态，之后必可开口说话。果不其然，不久苏锦便会说话了。

正当两人全神贯注地观赏鸟笼花灯时，不料有个莽撞之人，略带酒意地撞向苏锦，顺手摘走了她头上的玉钗。等苏锦发现时，那人已没了踪影。苏锦无奈，只能自认倒霉。倒是那提灯笼的中年人，对苏锦说道：“都怪在下的灯笼造得太过诡异，吸引了小姐的注意力，害小姐丢失了玉钗。”

苏锦料不到提灯人竟说出这番话来，忙摆袖道：“贼手难防，怎能算到你头上？不过，你的灯笼确实精绝。”那人道：“小姐若是喜欢，在下便把这灯赠你吧。”说完，他把灯递给了苏锦，便往贼逃的方向追去了。

因为苏员外容不得下人摆弄灯笼，所以从小到大，苏家没有挂过半个灯笼，苏锦也只能每年十五这天偷偷去赏灯。这次她得了这个奇怪的花灯，自是舍不得丢掉，于是把灯笼偷偷带回了家。

不料，苏锦的灯笼被金翅鸟看到了，它顿时鸣叫起来，鸟声引来了苏员外。当苏员外看到那个灯笼时，脸立刻变成酱紫色，指着那个灯笼道：“快扔掉它！谁叫你把灯笼提回来的？”

这次，苏锦却任性了，她一直不明白苏员外为什么这么忌讳灯笼，便嘟着嘴说：“爹，整个西凉县都沉浸在花灯的海洋里，只有苏家死气沉沉的。花灯自古就有，为什么不能挂在家里呢？况且这灯多透亮，造得多巧啊。”

苏员外提过灯笼，手抖着说：“想不到，他还是来了。”

原来，苏员外年轻的时候跟拜把子兄弟栾三在洛阳开了间灯笼铺。而最拿得出手的灯笼，便是用人皮做成的灯笼。用人皮当灯笼的罩皮，灯笼发出的暖光才如此透亮。他们专门抬高价格，只把人皮灯笼卖给那些豪门官绅。

而一旦接下人皮灯笼订单，他和栾三就要去偷挖死人的坟穴，盗取刚下葬的死人皮，然后用特制的药水浸泡后，做灯笼的罩皮。

有一年，有一个姓宫的官员，他家里的宫老太太很喜欢这种暖白色的灯笼，便一下子订了一百盏。量这么多，苏员外可发愁了。谁知过了不久，有伙强盗在伏龙山下劫杀了一队商旅，尸横遍野。面对这幕惨景，苏员外跟栾三没有悲天悯人之心，而是利益熏心，抢在官府到来之前剥下死人皮，偷偷运回灯笼铺做成了百盏灯笼。没人知道，宫府挂满的灯笼是用血腥的人皮制成的。

不料，宫府这些灯笼在七月中旬无故自燃，把整个宫府烧得面目全非。苏员外得到消息后，收拾金银细软自个儿逃命了，留下栾三做了替死鬼。苏员外从此隐姓埋名，决不碰灯笼，连苏家也禁止挂灯笼。

可是这几年来，苏员外老是半夜三更被恶梦惊醒，梦里是惨死的栾三向他索命。由于经常做这样的恶梦，苏员外瘦成了皮包骨。

如今，看这灯笼制作的手法，怕是栾三没有死，来向他讨公道来了。

第二天清晨，管家来报，外头有個瘦削的中年男子，指名道姓要见苏锦。苏员外让管家把人带进来，当来人出现在苏员外的面前时，他一眼就认出此人正是栾三。

栾三道：“阔别多年，听闻苏兄在西凉可是个大善人啊！”

苏员外尴尬地说道：“那是西凉百姓抬举。”

这时，栾三从袖中掏出一样东西，说：“物归原主，昨晚栾某的灯笼吸引了令千金，害得令千金丢失了此玉钗。还好，栾某把它从毛贼手上重新取回了。”

苏锦闻声，从卷帘门出来，接过玉钗道了一声谢，便站在一旁，好奇地盯着这个赠灯笼的中年人。

栾三道：“听闻苏家养有一只金翅异鸟，叫声清脆，可替人治伤。”苏员外讪笑道：“那是道庵的造化，跟一只鸟有何干系？不知栾弟此番来此，是为报前仇旧恨，还是为了看鸟？”

栾三摆手道：“苏兄折煞栾某，你我早已改邪归正，此番来西凉县恰遇花灯节，顿觉手痒，便做了盏灯笼。不过你放心，那盏灯笼用的不是人皮，而是西凉县自产的天竹的竹膜。用此物仿人皮，亦可达到以假乱真的地步。”

然后，栾三又黯然神伤道：“人皮极阴，造下的孽，岂能在这世偿还完。昔日在宫府放火的真凶找到，我才得以逃脱死罪，可人皮一案，活罪难逃，便在狱中呆了几年。出狱后，在下娶得贤妻，也真是报应，唯独生下的女儿，生来就长满痘斑，让人不忍目睹。我听闻金翅鸟之异，可否借来一用？”

苏员外忙道：“锦儿，去提鸟笼过来。”不一会儿，苏锦提来鸟笼。栾三见金翅在笼中跳来跳去，他取出一支笛子吹起来，笛声如浪涛起伏，竟让金翅鸟安静了下来。

在笛声中，一位娇小的娘子牵着一个十来岁的女孩走了进来。那女孩痘斑满面，丑陋不堪。

栾三再次吹响笛子，金翅鸟在笛声里安静极了。当栾三的女儿把一张红痘脸凑近鸟笼时，那鸟竟把鸟嘴伸出笼外，啄起小女孩脸上的红痘。也是怪事，当鸟嘴一啄，小女孩脸上的红痘顷刻间就消散了，看得苏员外目瞪口呆！

事毕，栾三再三向苏员外道谢才告辞。看着三人走出苏家，苏员外竟如坠梦中，原先一直设想的恶梦之境被击碎了。

而苏家巷外，苏锦挥手向栾三一家道别。原来，苏锦不忍苏员外夜夜恶梦，当她得知父亲的恶梦之源后，便千方百计地找到苏员外当年的合伙兄弟栾三，恳请他来演了这一出戏。其实栾三之女脸上哪有长痘，倒是栾三不做灯笼后醉心于驯鸟，他的笛声方有如此神力，让金翅鸟听他摆布，完成了这一出戏。

Introduce:This year, cool county just meets again on the west the night of 15 festive lantern. Home Su because young daughter Su Jin of 16 years old is unable to bear loneliness, taking lady-in-waiting to sneak away from back door secretly festive lantern street. Two people are mad played several time, just turn back down Liu Di. Hang on Liu Di full festive lantern, be like,shine daytime. Abrupt, a gaunt middleaged person is carrying a festive lantern to go head on. That festive lantern follows other festive lantern different, be like a birdcage, leave piece it is 4 setting, drawing magpie to ascend 4 bouncing poses of the branch, if turn festive lantern,rise, the magpie that ascends a branch only then still is like lived to be in basket in bouncing and ceaseless. Eccentric is, the festive lantern framework of that sallow make it has small opening because of staying, festive lantern turns rise, wind has blown hole, gave out ringing birdcall. Su Jin looks infatuatedly, lady-in-waiting depress voice says: "Young lady, the Jin Chi that you feel that bird resembles you home not? " the bird of a different that Jin Chi is Su Jiayang, gold of feather of its whole body is emerald green, only beak is gules. 6 years ago, revive member outside county of Xi Liang contributing money, built project of a common feelings of people. The path hut Hui Yongshi that hill of cool weather station issues on the west too see revive member the female Su Jin outside is dumb female, send her this bird, teach the law of her parrotry, it is daily learn bird to cry the condition of Jiu, conversation can start to talk surely later. Just as one would expect, before long Su Jin can talk. When just when two people are preoccupied,the ground views and admire birdcage festive lantern, have an obtrusive person unexpectedly, take ground of a tipsy feeling to bump into Xiang Sujin slightly, conveniently picked the Yu Chai on her head. When waiting for Su Jin to discover, that person already did not have sign. Su Jin is helpless, avowed and can hapless. Carry the middleaged person of the lantern then however, to Su Jin say: "The lantern that falling quite is built too too weird, drew the young lady's attention, killed a young lady to lose Yu Chai. " Su Jin makings does not speak this word to come unexpectedly to lantern person, the busy path that place sleeve: "Wicked hand is prevented hard, can you calculate your head to go up how? Nevertheless, your lantern really essence of life absolutely. " that is humane: "If the young lady likes, falling to give you this light. " say, he handed Su Jin the lamp, the direction that escapes toward the thief is chased after. Because revive member outside the look does not get a servent to move back and forth lantern, arrive as a child so big, home Su had not hanged half lantern, su Jin also can annual admire the lamp this days 15 secretly. This she got this strange festive lantern, naturally is hated to part with desertion, brought back the lantern secretly then. Unexpectedly, su Jin's lantern was seen by redpoll, it bleats immediately rise, bird sound was drawn revive member outside. When revive member outside when seeing that lantern, the face turns dark reddish purple into color immediately, pointing to that lantern path: "Fast refuse it! Who calls you to carry the lantern? " this, su Jin is capricious however, she is unidentified all the time common perilla member outside why so abstain from lantern, tooting the mouth says: