kwaidan-第15章

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wedding　shall　now　be　celebrated　before　me。　The　guests　are　assembled；　the

gifts　are　ready。〃





At　a　signal　from　the　lord；　the　sliding…screens　concealing　a　further

apartment　were　pushed　open；　and　Tomotada　saw　there　many　dignitaries　of　the

court；　assembled　for　the　ceremony；　and　Aoyagi　awaiting　him　in　brides'

apparel。。。　Thus　was　she　given　back　to　him；　and　the　wedding　was　joyous　and

splendid；　and　precious　gifts　were　made　to　the　young　couple　by　the　prince；

and　by　the　members　of　his　household。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　*　　　　　　　　　　*　　　　　　　　　　*







For　five　happy　years；　after　that　wedding；　Tomotada　and　Aoyagi　dwelt

together。　But　one　morning　Aoyagi；　while　talking　with　her　husband　about　some

household　matter；　suddenly　uttered　a　great　cry　of　pain；　and　then　became

very　white　and　still。　After　a　few　moments　she　said；　in　a　feeble　voice：

〃Pardon　me　for　thus　rudely　crying　out　　but　the　paid　was　so　sudden！。。。　My

dear　husband；　our　union　must　have　been　brought　about　through　some

Karma…relation　in　a　former　state　of　existence；　and　that　happy　relation；　I

think；　will　bring　us　again　together　in　more　than　one　life　to　come。　But　for

this　present　existence　of　ours；　the　relation　is　now　ended；　we　are　about

to　be　separated。　Repeat　for　me；　I　beseech　you；　the　Nembutsu…prayer；

because　I　am　dying。〃





〃Oh！　what　strange　wild　fancies！〃　cried　the　startled　husband；　〃you　are

only　a　little　unwell；　my　dear　one！。。。　lie　down　for　a　while；　and　rest；　and

the　sickness　will　pass。〃。。。





〃No；　no！〃　she　responded　　〃I　am　dying！　　I　do　not　imagine　it；　I

know！。。。　And　it　were　needless　now；　my　dear　husband；　to　hide　the　truth　from

you　any　longer：　I　am　not　a　human　being。　The　soul　of　a　tree　is　my　soul；

the　heart　of　a　tree　is　my　heart；　the　sap　of　the　willow　is　my　life。　And

some　one；　at　this　cruel　moment；　is　cutting　down　my　tree；　that　is　why　I

must　die！。。。　Even　to　weep　were　now　beyond　my　strength！　quickly；　quickly

repeat　the　Nembutsu　for　me。。。　quickly！。。。　Ah！。。。







With　another　cry　of　pain　she　turned　aside　her　beautiful　head；　and　tried　to

hide　her　face　behind　her　sleeve。　But　almost　in　the　same　moment　her　whole

form　appeared　to　collapse　in　the　strangest　way；　and　to　sank　down；　down；

down　　level　with　the　floor。　Tomotada　had　spring　to　support　her；　but

there　was　nothing　to　support！　There　lay　on　the　matting　only　the　empty　robes

of　the　fair　creature　and　the　ornaments　that　she　had　worn　in　her　hair：　the

body　had　ceased　to　exist。。。







Tomotada　shaved　his　head；　took　the　Buddhist　vows；　and　became　an　itinerant

priest。　He　traveled　through　all　the　provinces　of　the　empire；　and；　at　holy

places　which　he　visited；　he　offered　up　prayers　for　the　soul　of　Aoyagi。

Reaching　Echizen；　in　the　course　of　his　pilgrimage；　he　sought　the　home　of

the　parents　of　his　beloved。　But　when　he　arrived　at　the　lonely　place　among

the　hills；　where　their　dwelling　had　been；　he　found　that　the　cottage　had

disappeared。　There　was　nothing　to　mark　even　the　spot　where　it　had　stood；

except　the　stumps　of　three　willows　　two　old　trees　and　one　young　tree　

that　had　been　cut　down　long　before　his　arrival。





Beside　the　stumps　of　those　willow…trees　he　erected　a　memorial　tomb；

inscribed　with　divers　holy　texts；　and　he　there　performed　many　Buddhist

services　on　behalf　of　the　spirits　of　Aoyagi　and　of　her　parents。









JIU…ROKU…ZAKURA





In　Wakegori；　a　district　of　the　province　of　Iyo　（1）；　there　is　a　very

ancient　and　famous　cherry…tree；　called　Jiu…roku…zakura；　or　〃the　Cherry…tree

of　the　Sixteenth　Day；〃　because　it　blooms　every　year　upon　the　sixteenth　day

of　the　first　month　（by　the　old　lunar　calendar）；　and　only　upon　that　day。

Thus　the　time　of　its　flowering　is　the　Period　of　Great　Cold；　though　the

natural　habit　of　a　cherry…tree　is　to　wait　for　the　spring　season　before

venturing　to　blossom。　But　the　Jiu…roku…zakura　blossoms　with　a　life　that　is

not　　or；　at　least；　that　was　not　originally　　its　own。　There　is　the　ghost

of　a　man　in　that　tree。







He　was　a　samurai　of　Iyo；　and　the　tree　grew　in　his　garden；　and　it　used　to

flower　at　the　usual　time；　that　is　to　say；　about　the　end　of　March　or　the

beginning　of　April。　He　had　played　under　that　tree　when　he　was　a　child；　and

his　parents　and　grandparents　and　ancestors　had　hung　to　its　blossoming

branches；　season　after　season　for　more　than　a　hundred　years；　bright　strips

of　colored　paper　inscribed　with　poems　of　praise。　He　himself　became　very

old；　outliving　all　his　children；　and　there　was　nothing　in　the　world　left

for　him　to　live　except　that　tree。　And　lo！　in　the　summer　of　a　certain　year；

the　tree　withered　and　died！





Exceedingly　the　old　man　sorrowed　for　his　tree。　Then　kind　neighbors　found

for　him　a　young　and　beautiful　cherry…tree；　and　planted　it　in　his　garden；

hoping　thus　to　comfort　him。　And　he　thanked　them；　and　pretended　to　be　glad。

But　really　his　heart　was　full　of　pain；　for　he　had　loved　the　old　tree　so

well　that　nothing　could　have　consoled　him　for　the　loss　of　it。





At　last　there　came　to　him　a　happy　thought：　he　remembered　a　way　by　which

the　perishing　tree　might　be　saved。　（It　was　the　sixteenth　day　of　the　first

month。）　Along　he　went　into　his　garden；　and　bowed　down　before　the　withered

tree；　and　spoke　to　it；　saying：　〃Now　deign；　I　beseech　you；　once　more　to

bloom；　because　I　am　going　to　die　in　your　stead。〃　（For　it　is　believed　that

one　can　really　give　away　one's　life　to　another　person；　or　to　a　creature　or

even　to　a　tree；　by　the　favor　of　the　gods；　and　thus　to　transfer　one's　life

is　expressed　by　the　term　migawari　ni　tatsu；　〃to　act　as　a　substitute。〃）　Then

under　that　tree　he　spread　a　white　cloth；　and　divers　coverings；　and　sat　down

upon　the　coverings；　and　performed　hara…kiri　after　the　fashion　of　a　samurai。

And　the　ghost　of　him　went　into　the　tree；　and　made　it　blossom　in　that　same

hour。





And　every　year　it　still　blooms　on　the　sixteenth　day　of　the　first　month；　in

the　season　of　snow。









THE　DREAM　OF　AKINOSUKE





In　the　district　called　Toichi　of　Yamato　Province；　（1）　there　used　to　live　a

goshi　named　Miyata　Akinosuke。。。　＇Here　I　must　tell　you　that　in　Japanese

feudal　times　there　was　a　privileged　class　of　soldier…farmers；

free…holders；　corresponding　to　the　class　of　yeomen　in　England；　and　these

were　called　goshi。＇





In　Akinosuke's　garden　there　was　a　great　and　ancient　cedar…tree；　under

which　he　was　wont　to　rest　on　sultry　days。　One　very　warm　afternoon　he　was

sitting　under　this　tree　with　two　of　his　friends；　fellow…goshi；　chatting　and

drinking　wine；　when　he　felt　all　of　a　sudden　very　drowsy；　so　drowsy　that

he　begged　his　friends　to　excuse　him　for　taking　a　nap　in　their　presence。

Then　he　lay　down　at　the　foot　of　the　tree；　and　dreamed　this　dream：





He　thought　that　as　he　was　lying　there　in　his　garden；　he　saw　a　procession；

like　the　train　of　some　great　daimyo　descending　a　hill　near　by；　and　that　he

got　up　to　look　at　it。　A　very　grand　procession　it　proved　to　be；　more

imposing　than　anything　of　the　kind　which　he　had　ever　seen　before；　and　it

was　advancing　toward　his　dwelling。　He　observed　in　the　van　of　it　a　number　of

young　men　richly　appareled；　who　were　drawing　a　great　lacquered

palace…carriage；　or　gosho…guruma；　hung　with　bright　blue　silk。　When　the

procession　arrived　within　a　short　distance　of　the　house　it　halted；　and　a

richly　dressed　man　　evidently　a　person　of　rank　　advanced　from　it；

approached　Akinosuke；　bowed　to　him　profoundly；　and　then　said：





〃Honored　Sir；　you　see　before　you　a　kerai　＇vassal＇　of　the　Kokuo　of　Tokoyo。

＇1＇　My　master；　the　King；　commands　me　to　greet　you　in　his　august　name；　and

to　place　myself　wholly　at　your　disposal。　He　also　bids　me　inform　you　that　he

augustly　desires　your　presence　at　the　palace。　Be　therefore　pleased

immediately　to　enter　this　honorable　carriage；　which　he　has　sent　for　your

conveyance。〃





Upon　hearing　these　words　Akinosuke　wanted　to　make　some　fitting　reply；　but

he　was　too　much　astonished　and　embarrassed　for　speech；　and　in　the　same

moment　his　will　seemed　to　melt　away　from　him；　so　that　he　could　only