kwaidan-第7节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



priest；　you　have　no　fear　of　demons　or　evil　spirits；　and；　if　you　are　not

afraid　of　being　left　alone　with　the　body；　you　will　be　very　welcome　to　the

use　of　this　poor　house。　However；　I　must　tell　you　that　nobody；　except　a

priest；　would　dare　to　remain　here　tonight。〃





Muso　made　answer：





〃For　your　kind　intention　and　your　generous　hospitality　and　am　deeply

grateful。　But　I　am　sorry　that　you　did　not　tell　me　of　your　father's　death

when　I　came；　　for；　though　I　was　a　little　tired；　I　certainly　was　not　so

tired　that　I　should　have　found　difficulty　in　doing　my　duty　as　a　priest。　Had

you　told　me；　I　could　have　performed　the　service　before　your　departure。　As

it　is；　I　shall　perform　the　service　after　you　have　gone　away；　and　I　shall

stay　by　the　body　until　morning。　I　do　not　know　what　you　mean　by　your　words

about　the　danger　of　staying　here　alone；　but　I　am　not　afraid　ofghosts　or

demons：　therefore　please　to　feel　no　anxiety　on　my　account。〃





The　young　man　appeared　to　be　rejoiced　by　these　assurances；　and　expressed

his　gratitude　in　fitting　words。　Then　the　other　members　of　the　family；　and

the　folk　assembled　in　the　adjoining　room；　having　been　told　of　the　priest's

kind　promises；　came　to　thank　him；　after　which　the　master　of　the　house

said：





〃Now；　reverend　Sir；　much　as　we　regret　to　leave　you　alone；　we　must　bid　you

farewell。　By　the　rule　of　our　village；　none　of　us　can　stay　here　after

midnight。　We　beg；　kind　Sir；　that　you　will　take　every　care　of　your　honorable

body；　while　we　are　unable　to　attend　upon　you。　And　if　you　happen　to　hear　or

see　anything　strange　during　our　absence；　please　tell　us　of　the　matter　when

we　return　in　the　morning。〃







All　then　left　the　house；　except　the　priest；　who　went　to　the　room　where　the

dead　body　was　lying。　The　usual　offerings　had　been　set　before　the　corpse；

and　a　small　Buddhist　lamp　　tomyo　　was　burning。　The　priest　recited　the

service；　and　performed　the　funeral　ceremonies；　after　which　he　entered

into　meditation。　So　meditating　he　remained　through　several　silent　hours；

and　there　was　no　sound　in　the　deserted　village。　But；　when　the　hush　of　the

night　was　at　its　deepest；　there　noiselessly　entered　a　Shape；　vague　and

vast；　and　in　the　same　moment　Muso　found　himself　without　power　to　move　or

speak。　He　saw　that　Shape　lift　the　corpse；　as　with　hands；　devour　it；　more

quickly　than　a　cat　devours　a　rat；　beginning　at　the　head；　and　eating

everything：　the　hair　and　the　bones　and　even　the　shroud。　And　the　monstrous

Thing；　having　thus　consumed　the　body；　turned　to　the　offerings；　and　ate　them

also。　Then　it　went　away；　as　mysteriously　as　it　had　come。







When　the　villagers　returned　next　morning；　they　found　the　priest　awaiting

them　at　the　door　of　the　headman's　dwelling。　All　in　turn　saluted　him；　and

when　they　had　entered；　and　looked　about　the　room；　no　one　expressed　any

surprise　at　the　disappearance　of　the　dead　body　and　the　offerings。　But　the

master　of　the　house　said　to　Muso：





〃Reverent　Sir；　you　have　probably　seen　unpleasant　things　during　the　night：

all　of　us　were　anxious　about　you。　But　now　we　are　very　happy　to　find　you

alive　and　unharmed。　Gladly　we　would　have　stayed　with　you；　if　it　had　been

possible。　But　the　law　of　our　village；　as　I　told　you　last　evening；　obliges

us　to　quit　our　houses　after　a　death　has　taken　place；　and　to　leave　the

corpse　alone。　Whenever　this　law　has　been　broken；　heretofore；　some　great

misfortune　has　followed。　Whenever　it　is　obeyed；　we　find　that　the　corpse　and

the　offerings　disappear　during　our　absence。　Perhaps　you　have　seen　the

cause。〃





Then　Muso　told　of　the　dim　and　awful　Shape　that　had　entered　the

death…chamber　to　devour　the　body　and　the　offerings。　No　person　seemed　to　be

surprised　by　his　narration；　and　the　master　of　the　house　observed：





〃What　you　have　told　us；　reverend　Sir；　agrees　with　what　has　been　said　about

this　matter　from　ancient　time。〃





Muso　then　inquired：





〃Does　not　the　priest　on　the　hill　sometimes　perform　the　funeral　service　for

your　dead？〃





〃What　priest？〃　the　young　man　asked。





〃The　priest　who　yesterday　evening　directed　me　to　this　village；〃　answered

Muso。　〃I　called　at　his　anjitsu　on　the　hill　yonder。　He　refused　me　lodging；

but　told　me　the　way　here。〃





The　listeners　looked　at　each　other；　as　in　astonishment；　and；　after　a

moment　of　silence；　the　master　of　the　house　said：





〃Reverend　Sir；　there　is　no　priest　and　there　is　no　anjitsu　on　the　hill。　For

the　time　of　many　generations　there　has　not　been　any　resident…priest　in　this

neighborhood。〃





Muso　said　nothing　more　on　the　subject；　for　it　was　evident　that　his　kind

hosts　supposed　him　to　have　been　deluded　by　some　goblin。　But　after　having

bidden　them　farewell；　and　obtained　all　necessary　information　as　to　his

road；　he　determined　to　look　again　for　the　hermitage　on　the　hill；　and　so　to

ascertain　whether　he　had　really　been　deceived。　He　found　the　anjitsu　without

any　difficulty；　and；　this　time；　its　aged　occupant　invited　him　to　enter。

When　he　had　done　so；　the　hermit　humbly　bowed　down　before　him；　exclaiming：

〃Ah！　I　am　ashamed　！　　I　amvery　much　ashamed！　　I　am　exceedingly

ashamed！〃





〃You　need　not　be　ashamed　for　having　refused　me　shelter；〃　said　Muso。　〃you

directed　me　to　the　village　yonder；　where　I　was　very　kindly　treated；　and　I

thank　you　for　that　favor。





〃I　can　give　no　man　shelter；〃　the　recluse　made　answer；　　and　it　is　not　for

the　refusal　that　I　am　ashamed。　I　am　ashamed　only　that　you　should　have　seen

me　in　my　real　shape；　for　it　was　I　who　devoured　the　corpse　and　the

offerings　last　night　before　your　eyes。。。　Know；　reverend　Sir；　that　I　am　a

jikininki；　＇1＇　　an　eater　of　human　flesh。　Have　pity　upon　me；　and　suffer　me

to　confess　the　secret　fault　by　which　I　became　reduced　to　this　condition。





〃A　long；　long　time　ago；　I　was　a　priest　in　this　desolate　region。　There　was

no　other　priest　for　many　leagues　around。　So；　in　that　time；　the　bodies　of

the　mountain…folk　who　died　used　to　be　brought　here；　sometimes　from　great

distances；　in　order　that　I　might　repeat　over　them　the　holy　service。　But　I

repeated　the　service　and　performed　the　rites　only　as　a　matter　of　business；

　I　thought　only　of　the　food　and　the　clothes　that　my　sacred　profession

enabled　me　to　gain。　And　because　of　this　selfish　impiety　I　was　reborn；

immediately　after　my　death；　into　the　state　of　a　jikininki。　Since　then　I

have　been　obliged　to　feed　upon　the　corpses　of　the　people　who　die　in　this

district：　every　one　of　them　I　must　devour　in　the　way　that　you　saw　last

night。。。　Now；　reverend　Sir；　let　me　beseech　you　to　perform　a　Segaki…service

＇2＇　for　me：　help　me　by　your　prayers；　I　entreat　you；　so　that　I　may　be　soon

able　to　escape　from　this　horrible　state　of　existence〃。。。





No　sooner　had　the　hermit　uttered　this　petition　than　he　disappeared；　and

the　hermitage　also　disappeared　at　the　same　instant。　And　Muso　Kokushi　found

himself　kneeling　alone　in　the　high　grass；　beside　an　ancient　and　moss…grown

tomb　of　the　form　called　go…rin…ishi；　＇3＇　which　seemed　to　be　the　tomb　of　a

priest。





MUJINA







On　the　Akasaka　Road；　in　Tokyo；　there　is　a　slope　called　Kii…no…kuni…zaka；

which　means　the　Slope　of　the　Province　of　Kii。　I　do　not　know　why　it　is

called　the　Slope　of　the　Province　of　Kii。　On　one　side　of　this　slope　you　see

an　ancient　moat；　deep　and　very　wide；　with　high　green　banks　rising　up　to

some　place　of　gardens；　　and　on　the　other　side　of　the　road　extend　the　long

and　lofty　walls　of　an　imperial　palace。　Before　the　era　of　street…lamps　and

jinrikishas；　this　neighborhood　was　very　lonesome　after　dark；　and　belated

pedestrians　would　go　miles　out　of　their　way　rather　than　mount　the

Kii…no…kuni…zaka；　alone；　after　sunset。





All　because　of　a　Mujina　that　used　to　walk　there。　（1）







The　last　man　who　saw　the　Mujina　was　an　old　merchant　of　the　Kyobashi

quarter；　who　died　about　thirty　years　ago。　This　is　the　story；　as　he　told

it：





One　night；　at　a　late　hour；　he　was　hurrying　up　the　Kii…no…kuni…zaka；　when

he　perceived　a　woman　crouching　by　the　moat；　all　alone；　and　weeping

bitterly。　Fearing　that　she　intended　to　drown　herself；　he　stopped　to　offer

her　any　assistance　or　consolation　in　his　power。　She　appeared　to　be　a　slight

and　graceful　person；　handsomely　dressed；　and　her　hair　was　arranged　like

that　of　a　young　girl　of　good　family。　〃O…jochu；〃　＇1＇　he　exclaimed；

approaching　her；　〃O…jochu；　do　not　cry　like　that！。。。　Tell　me　what　the

trouble　is；　and　if　there　be　any　way　to　help　you；　I　shall　be　glad　to　help

you。〃　（He　really　meant　what　he　said；　for　he　was　a　very　kind　man。）　But　she

continued　to　weep；　hiding　her　face　from　him　with　one　of　her　long　sleeves。

〃O…jochu；〃　he　said　again；　as　gently　as　he　could；　〃please；　please　listen

to　me！。。。　This　is　no　place　for　a　young　lady　at　night！　Do　not　cry；　I　implore

you！　　only　tell　me　how　I　may　be　of　some　help　to　you！〃　Slowly　she　rose　up；

but　turned　her　back　to　him；　and　continued　to　moan　and　sob　behind　her

sleeve。　He　laid　his　hand　lightly　upon　her　shoulder；　and　pleaded：

〃O…joch