kwaidan-第10节

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priest；　I　long　followed　the　profession　of　arms；　and　in　those　days　I　never

feared　man　or　devil。　My　name　then　was　Isogai　Heidazaemon　Taketsura　of

Kyushu：　there　may　be　some　among　you　who　remember　it。〃





At　the　mention　of　that　name；　a　murmur　of　admiration　filled　the

court…room。；　for　there　were　many　present　who　remembered　it。　And　Kwairyo

immediately　found　himself　among　friends　instead　of　judges；　　friends

anxious　to　prove　their　admiration　by　fraternal　kindness。　With　honor　they

escorted　him　to　the　residence　of　the　daimyo；　who　welcomed　him；　and　feasted

him；　and　made　him　a　handsome　present　before　allowing　him　to　depart。　When

Kwairyo　left　Suwa；　he　was　as　happy　as　any　priest　is　permitted　to　be　in　this

transitory　world。　As　for　the　head；　he　took　it　with　him；　　jocosely

insisting　that　he　intended　it　for　a　miyage。







And　now　it　only　remains　to　tell　what　became　of　the　head。







A　day　or　two　after　leaving　Suwa；　Kwairyo　met　with　a　robber；　who　stopped

him　in　a　lonesome　place；　and　bade　him　strip。　Kwairyo　at　once　removed　his

koromo；　and　offered　it　to　the　robber；　who　then　first　perceived　what　was

hanging　to　the　sleeve。　Though　brave；　the　highwayman　was　startled：　he

dropped　the　garment；　and　sprang　back。　Then　he　cried　out：　〃You！　　what

kind　of　a　priest　are　you？　Why；　you　are　a　worse　man　than　I　am！　It　is　true

that　I　have　killed　people；　but　I　never　walked　about　with　anybody's　head

fastened　to　my　sleeve。。。　Well；　Sir　priest；　I　suppose　we　are　of　the　same

calling；　and　I　must　say　that　I　admire　you！。。。　Now　that　head　would　be　of　use

to　me：　I　could　frighten　people　with　it。　Will　you　sell　it？　You　can　have　my

robe　in　exchange　for　your　koromo；　and　I　will　give　you　five　ryo　for　the

head。〃





Kwairyo　answered：





〃I　shall　let　you　have　the　head　and　the　robe　if　you　insist；　but　I　must　tell

you　that　this　is　not　the　head　of　a　man。　It　is　a　goblin's　head。　So；　if　you

buy　it；　and　have　any　trouble　in　consequence；　please　to　remember　that　you

were　not　deceived　by　me。〃





〃What　a　nice　priest　you　are！〃　exclaimed　the　robber。　〃You　kill　men；　and

jest　about　it！。。。　But　I　am　really　in　earnest。　Here　is　my　robe；　and　here　is

the　money；　and　let　me　have　the　head。。。　What　is　the　use　of　joking？〃





〃Take　the　thing；〃　said　Kwairyo。　〃I　was　not　joking。　The　only　joke　　if

there　be　any　joke　at　all　　is　that　you　are　fool　enough　to　pay　good　money

for　a　goblin's　head。〃　And　Kwairyo；　loudly　laughing；　went　upon　his　way。







Thus　the　robber　got　the　head　and　the　koromo；　and　for　some　time　he　played

goblin…priest　upon　the　highways。　But；　reaching　the　neighborhood　of　Suwa；　he

there　leaned　the　true　story　of　the　head；　and　he　then　became　afraid　that　the

spirit　of　the　Rokuro…Kubi　might　give　him　trouble。　So　he　made　up　his　mind　to

take　back　the　head　to　the　place　from　which　it　had　come；　and　to　bury　it　with

its　body。　He　found　his　way　to　the　lonely　cottage　in　the　mountains　of　Kai；

but　nobody　was　there；　and　he　could　not　discover　the　body。　Therefore　he

buried　the　head　by　itself；　in　the　grove　behind　the　cottage；　and　he　had　a

tombstone　set　up　over　the　grave；　and　he　caused　a　Segaki…service　to　be

performed　on　behalf　of　the　spirit　of　the　Rokuro…Kubi。　And　that　tombstone　

known　as　the　Tombstone　of　the　Rokuro…Kubi　　may　be　seen　（at　least　so　the

Japanese　story…teller　declares）　even　unto　this　day。









A　DEAD　SECRET





A　long　time　ago；　in　the　province　of　Tamba　（1）；　there　lived　a　rich　merchant

named　Inamuraya　Gensuke。　He　had　a　daughter　called　O…Sono。　As　she　was　very

clever　and　pretty；　he　thought　it　would　be　a　pity　to　let　her　grow　up　with

only　such　teaching　as　the　country…teachers　could　give　her：　so　he　sent　her；

in　care　of　some　trusty　attendants；　to　Kyoto；　that　she　might　be　trained　in

the　polite　accomplishments　taught　to　the　ladies　of　the　capital。　After　she

had　thus　been　educated；　she　was　married　to　a　friend　of　her　father's　family

　a　merchant　named　Nagaraya；　and　she　lived　happily　with　him　for　nearly

four　years。　They　had　one　child；　　a　But　O…Sono　fell　ill　and　died；　in　the

fourth　year　after　her　marriage。





On　the　night　after　the　funeral　of　O…Sono；　her　little　son　said　that　his

mamma　had　come　back；　and　was　in　the　room　upstairs。　She　had　smiled　at　him；

but　would　not　talk　to　him：　so　he　became　afraid；　and　ran　away。　Then　some　of

the　family　went　upstairs　to　the　room　which　had　been　O…Sono's；　and　they　were

startled　to　see；　by　the　light　of　a　small　lamp　which　had　been　kindled　before

a　shrine　in　that　room；　the　figure　of　the　dead　mother。　She　appeared　as　if

standing　in　front　of　a　tansu；　or　chest　of　drawers；　that　still　contained　her

ornaments　and　her　wearing…apparel。　Her　head　and　shoulders　could　be　very

distinctly　seen；　but　from　the　waist　downwards　the　figure　thinned　into

invisibility；　it　was　like　an　imperfect　reflection　of　her；　and　transparent

as　a　shadow　on　water。





Then　the　folk　were　afraid；　and　left　the　room。　Below　they　consulted

together；　and　the　mother　of　O…Sono's　husband　said：　〃A　woman　is　fond　of　her

small　things；　and　O…Sono　was　much　attached　to　her　belongings。　Perhaps　she

has　come　back　to　look　at　them。　Many　dead　persons　will　do　that；　　unless

the　things　be　given　to　the　parish…temple。　If　we　present　O…Sono's　robes　and

girdles　to　the　temple；　her　spirit　will　probably　find　rest。〃





I　was　agreed　that　this　should　be　done　as　soon　as　possible。　So　on　the

following　morning　the　drawers　were　emptied；　and　all　of　O…Sono's　ornaments

and　dresses　were　taken　to　the　temple。　But　she　came　back　the　next　night；　and

looked　at　the　tansu　as　before。　And　she　came　back　also　on　the　night

following；　and　the　night　after　that；　and　every　night；　　and　the　house

became　a　house　of　fear。







The　mother　of　O…Sono's　husband　then　went　to　the　parish…temple；　and　told

the　chief　priest　all　that　had　happened；　and　asked　for　ghostly　counsel。　The

temple　was　a　Zen　temple；　and　the　head…priest　was　a　learned　old　man；　known

as　Daigen　Osho。　He　said：　〃There　must　be　something　about　which　she　is

anxious；　in　or　near　that　tansu。〃　　〃But　we　emptied　all　the　drawers；〃

replied　the　woman；　　〃there　is　nothing　in　the　tansu。〃　　〃Well；〃　said

Daigen　Osho；　〃to…night　I　shall　go　to　your　house；　and　keep　watch　in　that

room；　and　see　what　can　be　done。　You　must　give　orders　that　no　person　shall

enter　the　room　while　I　am　watching；　unless　I　call。〃







After　sundown；　Daigen　Osho　went　to　the　house；　and　found　the　room　made

ready　for　him。　He　remained　there　alone；　reading　the　sutras；　and　nothing

appeared　until　after　the　Hour　of　the　Rat。　＇1＇　　Then　the　figure　of　O…Sono

suddenly　outlined　itself　in　front　of　the　tansu。　Her　face　had　a　wistful

look；　and　she　kept　her　eyes　fixed　upon　the　tansu。





The　priest　uttered　the　holy　formula　prescribed　in　such　cases；　and　then；

addressing　the　figure　by　the　kaimyo　＇2＇　of　O…Sono；　said：　　〃I　have　come

here　in　order　to　help　you。　Perhaps　in　that　tansu　there　is　something　about

which　you　have　reason　to　feel　anxious。　Shall　I　try　to　find　it　for　you？〃　The

shadow　appeared　to　give　assent　by　a　slight　motion　of　the　head；　and　the

priest；　rising；　opened　the　top　drawer。　It　was　empty。　Successively　he　opened

the　second；　the　third；　and　the　fourth　drawer；　　he　searched　carefully

behind　them　and　beneath　them；　he　carefully　examined　the　interior　of　the

chest。　He　found　nothing。　But　the　figure　remained　gazing　as　wistfully　as

before。　〃What　can　she　want？〃　thought　the　priest。　Suddenly　it　occurred　to

him　that　there　might　be　something　hidden　under　the　paper　with　which　the

drawers　were　lined。　He　removed　the　lining　of　the　first　drawer：　nothing！

He　removed　the　lining　of　the　second　and　third　drawers：　still　nothing。　But

under　the　lining　of　the　lowermost　drawer　he　found　　a　letter。　〃Is　this　the

thing　about　which　you　have　been　troubled？〃　he　asked。　The　shadow　of　the

woman　turned　toward　him；　　her　faint　gaze　fixed　upon　the　letter。　〃Shall　I

burn　it　for　you？〃　he　asked。　She　bowed　before　him。　〃It　shall　be　burned　in

the　temple　this　very　morning；〃　he　promised；　〃and　no　one　shall　read　it；

except　myself。〃　The　figure　smiled　and　vanished。







Dawn　was　breaking　as　the　priest　descended　the　stairs；　to　find　the　family

waiting　anxiously　below。　〃Do　not　be　anxious；〃　he　said　to　them：　〃She　will

not　appear　again。〃　And　she　never　did。





The　letter　was　burned。　It　was　a　love…letter　written　to　O…Sono　in　the　time

of　her　studies　at　Kyoto。　But　the　priest　alone　knew　what　was　in　it；　and　the

secret　died　with　him。









YUKI…ONNA





In　a　village　of　Musashi　Province　（1）；　there　lived　two　woodcutters：　Mosaku

and　Minokichi。　At　the　time　of　which　I　am　speaking；　Mosaku　was　an　old　man；

and　Minokichi；　his　apprentice；　was　a　lad　of　eighteen　years。　Every　day　they

went　together　to　a　forest　situated　about　five　miles　from　their　village。　On

the　way　to　that　forest　there　is　a　wide　river　to　cross；　and　there　is　a

ferry…boat。　Several　times　a　bridge　was　built　where　the　ferry　is；　but　the

bridge　was　each　time　carried　away　by　a　flood。　No　common　bridge　can　resist

the　current　there　when　the　river　rises。