kwaidan-第9节

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

down　sharp　black　shadows　of　foliage；　and　glittered　on　the　dews　of　the

garden。　Shrillings　of　crickets　and　bell…insects　（3）　made　a　musical　tumult；

and　the　sound　of　the　neighboring　cascade　deepened　with　the　night。　Kwairyo

felt　thirsty　as　he　listened　to　the　noise　of　the　water；　and；　remembering　the

bamboo　aqueduct　at　the　rear　of　the　house；　he　thought　that　he　could　go　there

and　get　a　drink　without　disturbing　the　sleeping　household。　Very　gently　he

pushed　apart　the　sliding…screens　that　separated　his　room　from　the　main

apartment；　and　he　saw；　by　the　light　of　the　lantern；　five　recumbent　bodies

　without　heads！





For　one　instant　he　stood　bewildered；　imagining　a　crime。　But　in　another

moment　he　perceived　that　there　was　no　blood；　and　that　the　headless　necks

did　not　look　as　if　they　had　been　cut。　Then　he　thought　to　himself：　〃Either

this　is　an　illusion　made　by　goblins；　or　I　have　been　lured　into　the　dwelling

of　a　Rokuro…Kubi。。。　（4）　In　the　book　Soshinki　（5）　it　is　written　that　if　one

find　the　body　of　a　Rokuro…Kubi　without　its　head；　and　remove　the　body　to

another　place；　the　head　will　never　be　able　to　join　itself　again　to　the

neck。　And　the　book　further　says　that　when　the　head　comes　back　and　finds

that　its　body　has　been　moved；　it　will　strike　itself　upon　the　floor　three

times；　bounding　like　a　ball；　and　will　pant　as　in　great　fear；　and

presently　die。　Now；　if　these　be　Rokuro…Kubi；　they　mean　me　no　good；　so　I

shall　be　justified　in　following　the　instructions　of　the　book。〃。。。





He　seized　the　body　of　the　aruji　by　the　feet；　pulled　it　to　the　window；　and

pushed　it　out。　Then　he　went　to　the　back…door；　which　he　found　barred；　and　he

surmised　that　the　heads　had　made　their　exit　through　the　smoke…hole　in　the

roof；　which　had　been　left　open。　Gently　unbarring　the　door；　he　made　his　way

to　the　garden；　and　proceeded　with　all　possible　caution　to　the　grove　beyond

it。　He　heard　voices　talking　in　the　grove；　and　he　went　in　the　direction　of

the　voices；　stealing　from　shadow　to　shadow；　until　he　reached　a　good

hiding…place。　Then；　from　behind　a　trunk；　he　caught　sight　of　the　heads；

all　five　of　them；　flitting　about；　and　chatting　as　they　flitted。　They　were

eating　worms　and　insects　which　they　found　on　the　ground　or　among　the　trees。

Presently　the　head　of　the　aruji　stopped　eating　and　said：





〃Ah；　that　traveling　priest　who　came　to…night！　how　fat　all　his　body　is！

When　we　shall　have　eaten　him；　our　bellies　will　be　well　filled。。。　I　was

foolish　to　talk　to　him　as　I　did；　it　only　set　him　to　reciting　the　sutras

on　behalf　of　my　soul！　To　go　near　him　while　he　is　reciting　would　be

difficult；　and　we　cannot　touch　him　so　long　as　he　is　praying。　But　as　it　is

now　nearly　morning；　perhaps　he　has　gone　to　sleep。。。　Some　one　of　you　go　to

the　house　and　see　what　the　fellow　is　doing。〃





Another　head　　the　head　of　a　young　woman　　immediately　rose　up　and

flitted　to　the　house；　lightly　as　a　bat。　After　a　few　minutes　it　came　back；

and　cried　out　huskily；　in　a　tone　of　great　alarm：





〃That　traveling　priest　is　not　in　the　house；　he　is　gone！　But　that　is　not

the　worst　of　the　matter。　He　has　taken　the　body　of　our　aruji；　and　I　do　not

know　where　he　has　put　it。〃





At　this　announcement　the　head　of　the　aruji　　distinctly　visible　in　the

moonlight　　assumed　a　frightful　aspect：　its　eyes　opened　monstrously；　its

hair　stood　up　bristling；　and　its　teeth　gnashed。　Then　a　cry　burst　from　its

lips；　and　　weeping　tears　of　rage　　it　exclaimed：





〃Since　my　body　has　been　moved；　to　rejoin　it　is　not　possible！　Then　I　must

die！。。。　And　all　through　the　work　of　that　priest！　Before　I　die　I　will　get　at

that　priest！　　I　will　tear　him！　　I　will　devour　him！。。。　AND　THERE　HE　IS

　behind　that　tree！　　hiding　behind　that　tree！　　See　him　！　　the　fat

coward！〃。。。





In　the　same　moment　the　head　of　the　aruji；　followed　by　the　other　four

heads；　sprang　at　Kwairyo。　But　the　strong　priest　had　already　armed　himself

by　plucking　up　a　young　tree；　and　with　that　tree　he　struck　the　heads　as　they

came；　knocking　them　from　him　with　tremendous　blows。　Four　of　them　fled

away。　But　the　head　of　the　aruji；　though　battered　again　and　again；

desperately　continued　to　bound　at　the　priest；　and　at　last　caught　him　by　the

left　sleeve　of　his　robe。　Kwairyo；　however；　as　quickly　gripped　the　head　by

its　topknot；　and　repeatedly　struck　it。　It　did　not　release　its　hold；　but　it

uttered　a　long　moan；　and　thereafter　ceased　to　struggle。　It　was　dead。　But

its　teeth　still　held　the　sleeve；　and；　for　all　his　great　strength；　Kwairyo

could　not　force　open　the　jaws。





With　the　head　still　hanging　to　his　sleeve　he　went　back　to　the　house；　and

there　caught　sight　of　the　other　four　Rokuro…Kubi　squatting　together；　with

their　bruised　and　bleeding　heads　reunited　to　their　bodies。　But　when　they

perceived　him　at　the　back…door　all　screamed；　〃The　priest！　the　priest！〃　

and　fled；　through　the　other　doorway；　out　into　the　woods。





Eastward　the　sky　was　brightening；　day　was　about　to　dawn；　and　Kwairyo　knew

that　the　power　of　the　goblins　was　limited　to　the　hours　of　darkness。　He

looked　at　the　head　clinging　to　his　sleeve；　its　face　all　fouled　with　blood

and　foam　and　clay；　and　he　laughed　aloud　as　he　thought　to　himself：　〃What　a

miyage！　＇4＇　　the　head　of　a　goblin！〃　After　which　he　gathered　together　his

few　belongings；　and　leisurely　descended　the　mountain　to　continue　his

journey。





Right　on　he　journeyed；　until　he　came　to　Suwa　in　Shinano；　（6）　and　into　the

main　street　of　Suwa　he　solemnly　strode；　with　the　head　dangling　at　his

elbow。　Then　woman　fainted；　and　children　screamed　and　ran　away；　and　there

was　a　great　crowding　and　clamoring　until　the　torite　（as　the　police　in　those

days　were　called）　seized　the　priest；　and　took　him　to　jail。　For　they

supposed　the　head　to　be　the　head　of　a　murdered　man　who；　in　the　moment　of

being　killed；　had　caught　the　murderer's　sleeve　in　his　teeth。　As　the

Kwairyo；　he　only　smiled　and　said　nothing　when　they　questioned　him。　So；

after　having　passed　a　night　in　prison；　he　was　brought　before　the

magistrates　of　the　district。　Then　he　was　ordered　to　explain　how　he；　a

priest；　had　been　found　with　the　head　of　a　man　fastened　to　his　sleeve；　and

why　he　had　dared　thus　shamelessly　to　parade　his　crime　in　the　sight　of

people。





Kwairyo　laughed　long　and　loudly　at　these　questions；　and　then　he　said：　





〃Sirs；　I　did　not　fasten　the　head　to　my　sleeve：　it　fastened　itself　there　

much　against　my　will。　And　I　have　not　committed　any　crime。　For　this　is　not

the　head　of　a　man；　it　is　the　head　of　a　goblin；　　and；　if　I　caused　the

death　of　the　goblin；　I　did　not　do　so　by　any　shedding　of　blood；　but　simply

by　taking　the　precautions　necessary　to　assure　my　own　safety。〃。。。　And　he

proceeded　to　relate　the　whole　of　the　adventure；　　bursting　into　another

hearty　laugh　as　he　told　of　his　encounter　with　the　five　heads。





But　the　magistrates　did　not　laugh。　They　judged　him　to　be　a　hardened

criminal；　and　his　story　an　insult　to　their　intelligence。　Therefore；　without

further　questioning；　they　decided　to　order　his　immediate　execution；　　all

of　them　except　one；　a　very　old　man。　This　aged　officer　had　made　no　remark

during　the　trial；　but；　after　having　heard　the　opinion　of　his　colleagues；　he

rose　up；　and　said：　





〃Let　us　first　examine　the　head　carefully；　for　this；　I　think；　has　not　yet

been　done。　If　the　priest　has　spoken　truth；　the　head　itself　should　bear

witness　for　him。。。　Bring　the　head　here！〃





So　the　head；　still　holding　in　its　teeth　the　koromo　that　had　been　stripped

from　Kwairyo's　shoulders；　was　put　before　the　judges。　The　old　man　turned　it

round　and　round；　carefully　examined　it；　and　discovered；　on　the　nape　of　its

neck；　several　strange　red　characters。　He　called　the　attention　of　his

colleagues　to　these；　and　also　bad　them　observe　that　the　edges　of　the　neck

nowhere　presented　the　appearance　of　having　been　cut　by　any　weapon。　On　the

contrary；　the　line　of　leverance　was　smooth　as　the　line　at　which　a　falling

leaf　detaches　itself　from　the　stem。。。　Then　said　the　elder：　





〃I　am　quite　sure　that　the　priest　told　us　nothing　but　the　truth。　This　is

the　head　of　a　Rokuro…Kubi。　In　the　book　Nan…ho…i…butsu…shi　it　is　written

that　certain　red　characters　can　always　be　found　upon　the　nape　of　the　neck

of　a　real　Rokuro…Kubi。　There　are　the　characters：　you　can　see　for　yourselves

that　they　have　not　been　painted。　Moreover；　it　is　well　known　that　such

goblins　have　been　dwelling　in　the　mountains　of　the　province　of　Kai　from

very　ancient　time。。。　But　you；　Sir；〃　he　exclaimed；　turning　to　Kwairyo；　

〃what　sort　of　sturdy　priest　may　you　be？　Certainly　you　have　given　proof　of　a

courage　that　few　priests　possess；　and　you　have　the　air　of　a　soldier　rather

than　a　priest。　Perhaps　you　once　belonged　to　the　samurai…class？〃





〃You　have　guessed　rightly；　Sir；〃　Kwairyo　responded。　〃Before　becoming　a

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