kwaidan-第4章

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felt　his　heart　leap　as　it　had　never　leaped　before。　So　strangely　did　she

resemble　O…Tei　that　he　pinched　himself　to　make　sure　that　he　was　not

dreaming。　As　she　went　and　came；　bringing　fire　and　food；　or　arranging　the

chamber　of　the　guest；　her　every　attitude　and　motion　revived　in　him　some

gracious　memory　of　the　girl　to　whom　he　had　been　pledged　in　his　youth。　He

spoke　to　her；　and　she　responded　in　a　soft；　clear　voice　of　which　the

sweetness　saddened　him　with　a　sadness　of　other　days。





Then；　in　great　wonder；　he　questioned　her；　saying：





〃Elder　Sister　（3）；　so　much　do　you　look　like　a　person　whom　I　knew　long　ago；

that　I　was　startled　when　you　first　entered　this　room。　Pardon　me；　therefore；

for　asking　what　is　your　native　place；　and　what　is　your　name？〃





Immediately；　and　in　the　unforgotten　voice　of　the　dead；　she　thus　made

answer：





〃My　name　is　O…Tei；　and　you　are　Nagao　Chosei　of　Echigo；　my　promised

husband。　Seventeen　years　ago；　I　died　in　Niigata：　then　you　made　in　writing　a

promise　to　marry　me　if　ever　I　could　come　back　to　this　world　in　the　body　of

a　woman；　　and　you　sealed　that　written　promise　with　your　seal；　and　put　it

in　the　butsudan；　beside　the　tablet　inscribed　with　my　name。　And　therefore　I

came　back。〃。。。





As　she　uttered　these　last　words；　she　fell　unconscious。







Nagao　married　her；　and　the　marriage　was　a　happy　one。　But　at　no　time

afterwards　could　she　remember　what　she　had　told　him　in　answer　to　his

question　at　Ikao：　neither　could　she　remember　anything　of　her　previous

existence。　The　recollection　of　the　former　birth；　mysteriously　kindled　in

the　moment　of　that　meeting；　had　again　become　obscured；　and　so　thereafter

remained。









UBAZAKURA







Three　hundred　years　ago；　in　the　village　called　Asamimura；　in　the　district

called　Onsengori；　in　the　province　of　Iyo；　there　lived　a　good　man　named

Tokubei。　This　Tokubei　was　the　richest　person　in　the　district；　and　the

muraosa；　or　headman；　of　the　village。　In　most　matters　he　was　fortunate；　but

he　reached　the　age　of　forty　without　knowing　the　happiness　of　becoming　a

father。　Therefore　he　and　his　wife；　in　the　affliction　of　their

childlessness；　addressed　many　prayers　to　the　divinity　Fudo　Myo　O；　who　had　a

famous　temple；　called　Saihoji；　in　Asamimura。





At　last　their　prayers　were　heard：　the　wife　of　Tokubei　gave　birth　to　a

daughter。　The　child　was　very　pretty；　and　she　received　the　name　of　Tsuyu。　As

the　mother's　milk　was　deficient；　a　milk…nurse；　called　O…Sode；　was　hired　for

the　little　one。





O…Tsuyu　grew　up　to　be　a　very　beautiful　girl；　but　at　the　age　of　fifteen　she

fell　sick；　and　the　doctors　thought　that　she　was　going　to　die。　In　that　time

the　nurse　O…Sode；　who　loved　O…Tsuyu　with　a　real　mother's　love；　went　to　the

temple　Saihoji；　and　fervently　prayed　to　Fudo…Sama　on　behalf　of　the　girl。

Every　day；　for　twenty…one　days；　she　went　to　the　temple　and　prayed；　and　at

the　end　of　that　time；　O…Tsuyu　suddenly　and　completely　recovered。





Then　there　was　great　rejoicing　in　the　house　of　Tokubei；　and　he　gave　a

feast　to　all　his　friends　in　celebration　of　the　happy　event。　But　on　the

night　of　the　feast　the　nurse　O…Sode　was　suddenly　taken　ill；　and　on　the

following　morning；　the　doctor；　who　had　been　summoned　to　attend　her；

announced　that　she　was　dying。





Then　the　family；　in　great　sorrow；　gathered　about　her　bed；　to　bid　her

farewell。　But　she　said　to　them：





〃It　is　time　that　I　should　tell　you　something　which　you　do　not　know。　My

prayer　has　been　heard。　I　besought　Fudo…Sama　that　I　might　be　permitted　to

die　in　the　place　of　O…Tsuyu；　and　this　great　favor　has　been　granted　me。

Therefore　you　must　not　grieve　about　my　death。。。　But　I　have　one　request　to

make。　I　promised　Fudo…Sama　that　I　would　have　a　cherry…tree　planted　in　the

garden　of　Saihoji；　for　a　thank…offering　and　a　commemoration。　Now　I　shall

not　be　able　myself　to　plant　the　tree　there：　so　I　must　beg　that　you　will

fulfill　that　vow　for　me。。。　Good…bye；　dear　friends；　and　remember　that　I　was

happy　to　die　for　O…Tsuyu's　sake。〃







After　the　funeral　of　O…Sode；　a　young　cherry…tree；　the　finest　that　could

be　found；　was　planted　in　the　garden　of　Saihoji　by　the　parents　of　O…Tsuyu。

The　tree　grew　and　flourished；　and　on　the　sixteenth　day　of　the　second　month

of　the　following　year；　the　anniversary　of　O…Sode's　death；　it　blossomed

in　a　wonderful　way。　So　it　continued　to　blossom　for　two　hundred　and

fifty…four　years；　always　upon　the　sixteenth　day　of　the　second　month；　

and　its　flowers；　pink　and　white；　were　like　the　nipples　of　a　woman's

breasts；　bedewed　with　milk。　And　the　people　called　it　Ubazakura；　the

Cherry…tree　of　the　Milk…Nurse。









DIPLOMACY







It　had　been　ordered　that　the　execution　should　take　place　in　the　garden　of

the　yashiki　（1）。　　So　the　man　was　taken　there；　and　made　to　kneel　down　in　a

wide　sanded　space　crossed　by　a　line　of　tobi…ishi；　or　stepping…stones；　such

as　you　may　still　see　in　Japanese　landscape…gardens。　His　arms　were　bound

behind　him。　Retainers　brought　water　in　buckets；　and　rice…bags　filled　with

pebbles；　and　they　packed　the　rice…bags　round　the　kneeling　man；　so　wedging

him　in　that　he　could　not　move。　The　master　came；　and　observed　the

arrangements。　He　found　them　satisfactory；　and　made　no　remarks。





Suddenly　the　condemned　man　cried　out　to　him：





〃Honored　Sir；　the　fault　for　which　I　have　been　doomed　I　did　not　wittingly

commit。　It　was　only　my　very　great　stupidity　which　caused　the　fault。　Having

been　born　stupid；　by　reason　of　my　Karma；　I　could　not　always　help　making

mistakes。　But　to　kill　a　man　for　being　stupid　is　wrong；　and　that　wrong

will　be　repaid。　So　surely　as　you　kill　me；　so　surely　shall　I　be　avenged；　

out　of　the　resentment　that　you　provoke　will　come　the　vengeance；　and　evil

will　be　rendered　for　evil。〃。。。





If　any　person　be　killed　while　feeling　strong　resentment；　the　ghost　of　that

person　will　be　able　to　take　vengeance　upon　the　killer。　This　the　samurai

knew。　He　replied　very　gently；　almost　caressingly：





〃We　shall　allow　you　to　frighten　us　as　much　as　you　please　　after　you　are

dead。　But　it　is　difficult　to　believe　that　you　mean　what　you　say。　Will　you

try　to　give　us　some　sign　of　your　great　resentment　　after　your　head　has

been　cut　off？〃





〃Assuredly　I　will；〃　answered　the　man。





〃Very　well；〃　said　the　samurai；　drawing　his　long　sword；　　〃I　am　now　going

to　cut　off　your　head。　Directly　in　front　of　you　there　is　a　stepping…stone。

After　your　head　has　been　cut　off；　try　to　bite　the　stepping…stone。　If　your

angry　ghost　can　help　you　to　do　that；　some　of　us　may　be　frightened。。。　Will

you　try　to　bite　the　stone？〃





〃I　will　bite　it！〃　cried　the　man；　in　great　anger；　〃I　will　bite　it！　　I

will　bite〃　





There　was　a　flash；　a　swish；　a　crunching　thud：　the　bound　body　bowed　over

the　rice　sacks；　two　long　blood…jets　pumping　from　the　shorn　neck；　　and

the　head　rolled　upon　the　sand。　Heavily　toward　the　stepping…stone　it　rolled：

then；　suddenly　bounding；　it　caught　the　upper　edge　of　the　stone　between　its

teeth；　clung　desperately　for　a　moment；　and　dropped　inert。







None　spoke；　but　the　retainers　stared　in　horror　at　their　master。　He　seemed

to　be　quite　unconcerned。　He　merely　held　out　his　sword　to　the　nearest

attendant；　who；　with　a　wooden　dipper；　poured　water　over　the　blade　from　haft

to　point；　and　then　carefully　wiped　the　steel　several　times　with　sheets　of

soft　paper。。。　And　thus　ended　the　ceremonial　part　of　the　incident。







For　months　thereafter；　the　retainers　and　the　domestics　lived　in　ceaseless

fear　of　ghostly　visitation。　None　of　them　doubted　that　the　promised

vengeance　would　come；　and　their　constant　terror　caused　them　to　hear　and　to

see　much　that　did　not　exist。　They　became　afraid　of　the　sound　of　the　wind　in

the　bamboos；　afraid　even　of　the　stirring　of　shadows　in　the　garden。　At

last；　after　taking　counsel　together；　they　decided　to　petition　their　master

to　have　a　Segaki…service　（2）　performed　on　behalf　of　the　vengeful　spirit。





〃Quite　unnecessary；〃　the　samurai　said；　when　his　chief　retainer　had　uttered

the　general　wish。。。　〃I　understand　that　the　desire　of　a　dying　man　for

revenge　may　be　a　cause　for　fear。　But　in　this　case　there　is　nothing　to

fear。〃





The　retainer　looked　at　his　master　beseechingly；　but　hesitated　to　ask　the

reason　of　the　alarming　confidence。





〃Oh；　the　reason　is　simple　enough；〃　declared　the　samurai；　divining　the

unspoken　doubt。　〃Only　the　very　last　intention　of　the　fellow　could　have　been

dangerous；　and　when　I　challenged　him　to　give　me　the　sign；　I　diverted　his

mind　from　the　desire　of　revenge。　He　died　with　the　set　purpose　of　biting　the

stepping…stone；　and　that　purpose　he　was　able　to　accomplish；　but　nothing

else。　All　the　rest　he　must　have　forgotten。。。　So　you　need　not　feel　any

further　anxiety　about　the　matter。〃





　And　indeed　the　dead　man　gave　no　more　trouble。　Nothing　at　all　happened。









OF　A　MIRROR　AND　A　BELL







Eight　centuries　ago；　the　priests　of　Mugenyama；　in　the　province　of　Totomi

（1）；　wanted　a　big　bell　for　their　temple；　and　they　asked　the　women　of　their

parish　to　help　them　by　contributing　old　bronze　mirrors　for　bell…metal。





＇Even　to…day；　in　the　courts　of　certain　Japanese　temples；　you　may　see　heaps

of　old　bronze　mirrors　contributed　for　such　a　purpose。　The　largest

collection　of　this　kind　that　I　ever　saw　was　in　the　court　of　a　temple　of　the

Jodo　sect；　at　Hakata；　in　Kyushu：　the　mirrors　had　been　given　for　the　making

of　a　bronze　statue　of　Amida；　thirty…three　feet　high。＇







There　was　at　that　time　a　young　woman；　a　farmer's　wife；　living　at

Mugenyama；　who　presented　her　mirror　to　the　temple；　to　be　used　for

bell…metal。　But　afterwards　she　much　regretted　her　mirror。　She　remembered

things　that　her　mother　had　told　her　about　it；　and　she　remembered　that　it

had　belonged；　not　only　to　her　mother　but　to　her　mother's　mother　and

grandmother；　and　she　remembered　some　happy　smiles　which　it　had　reflected。

Of　course；　if　she　could　have　offered　the　priests　a　certain　sum　of　money　in

place　of　the　mirror；　she　could　have　asked　them　to　give　back　her　heirloom。

But　she　had　not　the　money　necessary。　Whenever　she　went　to　the　temple；　she

saw　her　mirror　lying　in　the　court…yard；　behind　a　railing；　among　hundreds　of

other　mirrors　heaped　there　together。　She　knew　it　by　the　Sho…Chiku…Bai　in

relief　on　the　back　of　it；　those　three　fortunate　emblems　of　Pine；　Bamboo；

and　Plumflower；　which　delighted　her　baby…eyes　when　her　mother　first　showed

her　the　mirror。　She　longed　for　some　chance　to　steal　the　mirror；　and　hide

it；　that　she　might　thereafter　treasure　it　always。　　But　the　chance　did　not

come；　and　she　became　very　unhappy；　felt　as　if　she　had　foolishly　given

away　a　part　of　her　life。　She　thought　about　the　old　saying　that　a　mirror　is

the　Soul　of　a　Woman　　（a　saying　mystically　expressed；　by　the　Chinese

character　for　Soul；　upon　the　backs　of　many　bronze　mirrors）；　and　she

feared　that　it　was　true　in　weirder　ways　than　she　had　before　imagined