kwaidan-第8节

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

〃O…jochu！　　O…jochu！　　O…jochu！。。。　Listen　to　me；　just　for　one　little

moment！。。。　O…jochu！　　O…jochu！〃。。。　Then　that　O…jochu　turned　around；　and

dropped　her　sleeve；　and　stroked　her　face　with　her　hand；　　and　the　man　saw

that　she　had　no　eyes　or　nose　or　mouth；　and　he　screamed　and　ran　away。　（2）





Up　Kii…no…kuni…zaka　he　ran　and　ran；　and　all　was　black　and　empty　before

him。　On　and　on　he　ran；　never　daring　to　look　back；　and　at　last　he　saw　a

lantern；　so　far　away　that　it　looked　like　the　gleam　of　a　firefly；　and　he

made　for　it。　It　proved　to　be　only　the　lantern　of　an　itinerant　soba…seller；

＇2＇　who　had　set　down　his　stand　by　the　road…side；　but　any　light　and　any

human　companionship　was　good　after　that　experience；　and　he　flung　himself

down　at　the　feet　of　the　soba…seller；　crying　out；　〃Ah！　　aa！！　　aa！！！〃。。。





〃Kore！　kore！〃　（3）　roughly　exclaimed　the　soba…man。　〃Here！　what　is　the

matter　with　you？　Anybody　hurt　you？〃





〃No　　nobody　hurt　me；〃　panted　the　other；　〃only。。。　Ah！　　aa！〃





〃　Only　scared　you？〃　queried　the　peddler；　unsympathetically。　〃Robbers？〃





〃Not　robbers；　not　robbers；〃　gasped　the　terrified　man。。。　〃I　saw。。。　I　saw

a　woman　　by　the　moat；　　and　she　showed　me。。。　Ah！　I　cannot　tell　you　what

she　showed　me！〃。。。





〃He！　（4）　Was　it　anything　like　THIS　that　she　showed　you？〃　cried　the

soba…man；　stroking　his　own　face　which　therewith　became　like　unto　an

Egg。。。　And；　simultaneously；　the　light　went　out。









ROKURO…KUBI





Nearly　five　hundred　years　ago　there　was　a　samurai；　named　Isogai

Heidazaemon　Taketsura；　in　the　service　of　the　Lord　Kikuji；　of　Kyushu。　This

Isogai　had　inherited；　from　many　warlike　ancestors；　a　natural　aptitude　for

military　exercises；　and　extraordinary　strength。　While　yet　a　boy　he　had

surpassed　his　teachers　in　the　art　of　swordsmanship；　in　archery；　and　in　the

use　of　the　spear；　and　had　displayed　all　the　capacities　of　a　daring　and

skillful　soldier。　Afterwards；　in　the　time　of　the　Eikyo　＇1＇　war；　he　so

distinguished　himself　that　high　honors　were　bestowed　upon　him。　But　when　the

house　of　Kikuji　came　to　ruin；　Isogai　found　himself　without　a　master。　He

might　then　easily　have　obtained　service　under　another　daimyo；　but　as　he　had

never　sought　distinction　for　his　own　sake　alone；　and　as　his　heart　remained

true　to　his　former　lord；　he　preferred　to　give　up　the　world。　so　he　cut　off

his　hair；　and　became　a　traveling　priest；　taking　the　Buddhist　name　of

Kwairyo。





But　always；　under　the　koromo　＇2＇　of　the　priest；　Kwairyo　kept　warm　within

him　the　heart　of　the　samurai。　As　in　other　years　he　had　laughed　at　peril；　so

now　also　he　scorned　danger；　and　in　all　weathers　and　all　seasons　he

journeyed　to　preach　the　good　Law　in　places　where　no　other　priest　would　have

dared　to　go。　For　that　age　was　an　age　of　violence　and　disorder；　and　upon　the

highways　there　was　no　security　for　the　solitary　traveler；　even　if　he

happened　to　be　a　priest。







In　the　course　of　his　first　long　journey；　Kwairyo　had　occasion　to　visit　the

province　of　Kai。　（1）　One　evening；　as　he　was　traveling　through　the　mountains

of　that　province；　darkness　overcame　him　in　a　very　lonesome　district；

leagues　away　from　any　village。　So　he　resigned　himself　to　pass　the　night

under　the　stars；　and　having　found　a　suitable　grassy　spot；　by　the　roadside；

he　lay　down　there；　and　prepared　to　sleep。　He　had　always　welcomed

discomfort；　and　even　a　bare　rock　was　for　him　a　good　bed；　when　nothing

better　could　be　found；　and　the　root　of　a　pine…tree　an　excellent　pillow。　His

body　was　iron；　and　he　never　troubled　himself　about　dews　or　rain　or　frost　or

snow。





Scarcely　had　he　lain　down　when　a　man　came　along　the　road；　carrying　an　axe

and　a　great　bundle　of　chopped　wood。　This　woodcutter　halted　on　seeing

Kwairyo　lying　down；　and；　after　a　moment　of　silent　observation；　said　to　him

in　a　tone　of　great　surprise：





〃What　kind　of　a　man　can　you　be；　good　Sir；　that　you　dare　to　lie　down　alone

in　such　a　place　as　this？。。。　There　are　haunters　about　here；　many　of　them。

are　you　not　afraid　of　Hairy　Things？〃





〃My　friend；〃　cheerfully　answered　Kwairyo；　〃I　am　only　a　wandering　priest；

a　'Cloud…and…Water…Guest；'　as　folks　call　it：　Unsui…no…ryokaku。　（2）　And　I　am

not　in　the　least　afraid　of　Hairy　Things；　if　you　mean　goblin…foxes；　or

goblin…badgers；　or　any　creatures　of　that　kind。　　As　for　lonesome　places；　I

like　them：　they　are　suitable　for　meditation。　I　am　accustomed　to　sleeping　in

the　open　air：　and　I　have　learned　never　to　be　anxious　aboutmy　life。〃





〃You　must　be　indeed　a　brave　man；　Sir　Priest；〃　the　peasant　responded；　〃to

lie　down　here！　This　place　has　a　bad　name；　a　very　bad　name。　But；　as　the

proverb　has　it；　Kunshi　ayayuki　ni　chikayorazu　＇'The　superior　man　does　not

needlessly　expose　himself　to　peril'＇；　and　I　must　assure　you；　Sir；　that　it

is　very　dangerous　to　sleep　here。　Therefore；　although　my　house　is　only　a

wretched　thatched　hut；　let　me　beg　of　you　to　come　home　with　me　at　once。　In

the　way　of　food；　I　have　nothing　to　offer　you；　but　there　is　a　roof　at　least；

and　you　can　sleep　under　it　without　risk。〃





He　spoke　earnestly；　and　Kwairyo；　liking　the　kindly　tone　of　the　man；

accepted　this　modest　offer。　The　woodcutter　guided　him　along　a　narrow　path；

leading　up　from　the　main　road　through　mountain…forest。　　It　was　a　rough　and

dangerous　path；　sometimes　skirting　precipices；　sometimes　offering

nothing　but　a　network　of　slippery　roots　for　the　foot　to　rest　upon；

sometimes　winding　over　or　between　masses　of　jagged　rock。　But　at　last

Kwairyo　found　himself　upon　a　cleared　space　at　the　top　of　a　hill；　with　a

full　moon　shining　overhead；　and　he　saw　before　him　a　small　thatched　cottage；

cheerfully　lighted　from　within。　The　woodcutter　led　him　to　a　shed　at　the

back　of　the　house；　whither　water　had　been　conducted；　through　bamboo…pipes；

from　some　neighboring　stream；　and　the　two　men　washed　their　feet。　Beyond　the

shed　was　a　vegetable　garden；　and　a　grove　of　cedars　and　bamboos；　and　beyond

the　trees　appeared　the　glimmer　of　a　cascade；　pouring　from　some　loftier

height；　and　swaying　in　the　moonshine　like　a　long　white　robe。







As　Kwairyo　entered　the　cottage　with　his　guide；　he　perceived　four　persons

　men　and　women　　warming　their　hands　at　a　little　fire　kindled　in　the　ro

＇1＇　of　the　principle　apartment。　They　bowed　low　to　the　priest；　and　greeted

him　in　the　most　respectful　manner。　Kwairyo　wondered　that　persons　so　poor；

and　dwelling　in　such　a　solitude；　should　be　aware　of　the　polite　forms　of

greeting。　〃These　are　good　people；〃　he　thought　to　himself；　〃and　they　must

have　been　taught　by　some　one　well　acquainted　with　the　rules　of　propriety。〃

Then　turning　to　his　host；　the　aruji；　or　house…master；　as　the　others

called　him；　Kwairyo　said：





〃From　the　kindness　of　your　speech；　and　from　the　very　polite　welcome　given

me　by　your　household；　I　imagine　that　you　have　not　always　been　a　woodcutter。

Perhaps　you　formerly　belonged　to　one　of　the　upper　classes？〃





Smiling；　the　woodcutter　answered：





〃Sir；　you　are　not　mistaken。　Though　now　living　as　you　find　me；　I　was　once　a

person　of　some　distinction。　My　story　is　the　story　of　a　ruined　life　

ruined　by　my　own　fault。　I　used　to　be　in　the　service　of　a　daimyo；　and　my

rank　in　that　service　was　not　inconsiderable。　But　I　loved　women　and　wine　too

well；　and　under　the　influence　of　passion　I　acted　wickedly。　My　selfishness

brought　about　the　ruin　of　our　house；　and　caused　the　death　of　many　persons。

Retribution　followed　me；　and　I　long　remained　a　fugitive　in　the　land。　Now　I

often　pray　that　I　may　be　able　to　make　some　atonement　for　the　evil　which　I

did；　and　to　reestablish　the　ancestral　home。　But　I　fear　that　I　shall　never

find　any　way　of　so　doing。　Nevertheless；　I　try　to　overcome　the　karma　of　my

errors　by　sincere　repentance；　and　by　helping　as　afar　as　I　can；　those　who

are　unfortunate。〃





Kwairyo　was　pleased　by　this　announcement　of　good　resolve；　and　he　said　to

the　aruji：





〃My　friend；　I　have　had　occasion　to　observe　that　man；　prone　to　folly　in

their　youth；　may　in　after　years　become　very　earnest　in　right　living。　In　the

holy　sutras　it　is　written　that　those　strongest　in　wrong…doing　can　become；

by　power　of　good　resolve；　the　strongest　in　right…doing。　　I　do　not　doubt

that　you　have　a　good　heart；　and　I　hope　that　better　fortune　will　come　to

you。　To…night　I　shall　recite　the　sutras　for　your　sake；　and　pray　that　you

may　obtain　the　force　to　overcome　the　karma　of　any　past　errors。〃





With　these　assurances；　Kwairyo　bade　the　aruji　good…night；　and　his　host

showed　him　to　a　very　small　side…room；　where　a　bed　had　been　made　ready。　Then

all　went　to　sleep　except　the　priest；　who　began　to　read　the　sutras　by　the

light　of　a　paper　lantern。　Until　a　late　hour　he　continued　to　read　and　pray：

then　he　opened　a　little　window　in　his　little　sleeping…room；　to　take　a　last

look　at　the　landscape　before　lying　down。　　The　night　was　beautiful：　there

was　no　cloud　in　the　sky：　there　was　no　wind；　and　the　strong　moonlight　threw

down　sharp