南陽宗定伯年輕時，有一天在朋友家喝酒，喝完酒要回家，已經是三更天了，走著走著定伯遇到一個長相很恐怖的鬼，定伯仗著酒膽問他：「你．．．你是誰?」鬼回答：「我是鬼，你又是誰?」定伯扮個鬼臉騙鬼說：「我也是鬼。」鬼問：「那你要去那裏？」定伯：「閰王要我去宛市。」鬼說：「我也是，那我們結伴一起去。」定伯不敢拒絕，只好跟在鬼的後面。
走了一段路，鬼提議說：「嘿，我們互相背對方走，好不好。」定伯說：「那你先背我」於是鬼就先背定伯，走著走著，鬼說：「你好重，難道你不是鬼。」定伯說：「我剛死，所以比較重。對了，兄弟我剛死不知道鬼怕什麼?」鬼說：「我們鬼最怕被人吐口水，會變成動物而且變不回來。」
這時已經到了河邊，鬼先走水面無聲，接著定伯過河，水聲隆隆叫，鬼又起疑說：「鬼過河是沒有聲音的，你一定不是鬼。」定伯說：「我剛死，不習慣過河。」
終於快到了宛市，定伯將鬼扛在頭上，鬼大叫：「放我下來，放我下來」定伯不肯，鬼一躍到地面，定伯趕忙對鬼吐口水，鬼變成了羊，定伯用腰帶將羊拴住，定伯將羊牽到市集，賣了羊得三串銅錢。所以當時人們便說：「定伯賣鬼，得千五百」。
本故事可說是人比鬼還可怕，你們覺得呢？為什麼鬼會變成羊而不是其他的動物？看看故事最早的來源《山海經》，你就會瞭解了。
There was a young man named Tsung Ding-bo who lived in Nanyang City. One day he got drunk at a friend’s house and prepared to go home. It was way past midnight. On his way home, Ding-bo met a scary-looking ghost and asked, “Who… are you?” “I am a ghost, and who are you?” “I am a ghost too.” “Where are you going?” “The King of Hell sent me to Wan City.” “I’m going there too, let us go together.” Ding-bo did not dare to say no, so, he followed behind the ghost.
The ghost said, “Let us take turns to carry each other.” “Very well. You can carry me first.” “You are heavy! Are you really a ghost?” “I just died, so I am heavier. Since I just died, could you teach me what ghosts are afraid of?” “We are afraid of being spat upon. We will turn into animals and not be able to change back.”
“Ghosts cross water silently, I am sure you are not a ghost!” “I just died, so I am not used to crossing water.” They finally reached Wan City. “Put me down! Put me down!” Ding-bo brought the goat to the market and sold it for three strings of copper coins. People sang, “Ding-bo sold a ghost for a thousand and five hundred copper coins!”
