kwaidan-第4章

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off！　Great　as　the　pain　was；　he　gave　no　cry。　The　heavy　footfalls　receded

along　the　verandah；　descended　into　the　garden；　passed　out　to　the

roadway；　ceased。　From　either　side　of　his　head；　the　blind　man　felt　a　thick

warm　trickling；　but　he　dared　not　lift　his　hands。。。







Before　sunrise　the　priest　came　back。　He　hastened　at　once　to　the　verandah

in　the　rear；　stepped　and　slipped　upon　something　clammy；　and　uttered　a　cry

of　horror；　　for　he　say；　by　the　light　of　his　lantern；　that　the　clamminess

was　blood。　But　he　perceived　Hoichi　sitting　there；　in　the　attitude　of

meditation　　with　the　blood　still　oozing　from　his　wounds。





〃My　poor　Hoichi！〃　cried　the　startled　priest；　〃what　is　this？。。。　You　have

been　hurt？





At　the　sound　of　his　friend's　voice；　the　blind　man　felt　safe。　He　burst　out

sobbing；　and　tearfully　told　his　adventure　of　the　night。





〃Poor；　poor　Hoichi！〃　the　priest　exclaimed；　〃all　my　fault！　　my　very

grievous　fault！。。。　Everywhere　upon　your　body　the　holy　texts　had　been

written　　except　upon　your　ears！　I　trusted　my　acolyte　to　do　that　part　of

the　work；　and　it　was　very；　very　wrong　of　me　not　to　have　made　sure　that　he

had　done　it！。。。　Well；　the　matter　cannot　now　be　helped；　　we　can　only　try

to　heal　your　hurts　as　soon　as　possible。。。　Cheer　up；　friend！　　the　danger

is　now　well　over。　You　will　never　again　be　troubled　by　those　visitors。〃







With　the　aid　of　a　good　doctor；　Hoichi　soon　recovered　from　his　injuries。

The　story　of　his　strange　adventure　spread　far　and　wide；　and　soon　made　him

famous。　Many　noble　persons　went　to　Akamagaseki　to　hear　him　recite；　and

large　presents　of　money　were　given　to　him；　so　that　he　became　a　wealthy

man。。。　But　from　the　time　of　his　adventure；　he　was　known　only　by　the

appellation　of　Mimi…nashi…Hoichi：　〃Hoichi…the…Earless。〃









OSHIDORI





There　was　a　falconer　and　hunter；　named　Sonjo；　who　lived　in　the　district

called　Tamura…no…Go；　of　the　province　of　Mutsu。　One　day　he　went　out　hunting；

and　could　not　find　any　game。　But　on　his　way　home；　at　a　place　called

Akanuma；　he　perceived　a　pair　of　oshidori　＇1＇　（mandarin…ducks）；　swimming

together　in　a　river　that　he　was　about　to　cross。　to　kill　oshidori　is　not

good；　but　Sonjo　happened　to　be　very　hungry；　and　he　shot　at　the　pair。　His

arrow　pierced　the　male：　the　female　escaped　into　the　rushes　of　the　further

shore；　and　disappeared。　Sonjo　took　the　dead　bird　home；　and　cooked　it。





That　night　he　dreamed　a　dreary　dream。　It　seemed　to　him　that　a　beautiful

woman　came　into　his　room；　and　stood　by　his　pillow；　and　began　to　weep。　So

bitterly　did　she　weep　that　Sonjo　felt　as　if　his　heart　were　being　torn　out

while　he　listened。　And　the　woman　cried　to　him：　〃Why；　oh！　why　did　you　kill

him？　　of　what　wrong　was　he　guilty？。。。　At　Akanuma　we　were　so　happy

together；　and　you　killed　him！。。。　What　harm　did　he　ever　do　you？　Do　you

even　know　what　you　have　done？　　oh！　do　you　know　what　a　cruel；　what　a

wicked　thing　you　have　done？。。。　Me　too　you　have　killed；　for　I　will　not

live　without　my　husband！。。。　Only　to　tell　you　this　I　came。〃。。。　Then　again

she　wept　aloud；　so　bitterly　that　the　voice　of　her　crying　pierced　into　the

marrow　of　the　listener's　bones；　　and　she　sobbed　out　the　words　of　this

poem：



　　　　　Hi　kurureba

Sasoeshi　mono　wo　

　　　　　Akanuma　no

Makomo　no　kure　no

Hitori…ne　zo　uki！



（〃At　the　coming　of　twilight　I　invited　him　to　return　with　me　！　Now　to

sleep　alone　in　the　shadow　of　the　rushes　of　Akanuma　　ah！　what　misery

unspeakable！〃）　＇2＇



And　after　having　uttered　these　verses　she　exclaimed：　〃Ah；　you　do　not　know

　you　cannot　know　what　you　have　done！　But　to…morrow；　when　you　go　to

Akanuma；　you　will　see；　you　will　see。。。〃　So　saying；　and　weeping　very

piteously；　she　went　away。





When　Sonjo　awoke　in　the　morning；　this　dream　remained　so　vivid　in　his　mind

that　he　was　greatly　troubled。　He　remembered　the　words：　〃But　to…morrow；

when　you　go　to　Akanuma；　you　will　see；　you　will　see。〃　And　he　resolved　to

go　there　at　once；　that　he　might　learn　whether　his　dream　was　anything　more

than　a　dream。





So　he　went　to　Akanuma；　and　there；　when　he　came　to　the　river…bank；　he　saw

the　female　oshidori　swimming　alone。　In　the　same　moment　the　bird　perceived

Sonjo；　but；　instead　of　trying　to　escape；　she　swam　straight　towards　him；

looking　at　him　the　while　in　a　strange　fixed　way。　Then；　with　her　beak；　she

suddenly　tore　open　her　own　body；　and　died　before　the　hunter's　eyes。。。







Sonjo　shaved　his　head；　and　became　a　priest。









THE　STORY　OF　O…TEI







A　long　time　ago；　in　the　town　of　Niigata；　in　the　province　of　Echizen；　there

lived　a　man　called　Nagao　Chosei。





Nagao　was　the　son　of　a　physician；　and　was　educated　for　his　father's

profession。　At　an　early　age　he　had　been　betrothed　to　a　girl　called　O…Tei；

the　daughter　of　one　of　his　father's　friends；　and　both　families　had　agreed

that　the　wedding　should　take　place　as　soon　as　Nagao　had　finished　his

studies。　But　the　health　of　O…Tei　proved　to　be　weak；　and　in　her　fifteenth

year　she　was　attacked　by　a　fatal　consumption。　When　she　became　aware　that

she　must　die；　she　sent　for　Nagao　to　bid　him　farewell。





As　he　knelt　at　her　bedside；　she　said　to　him：





〃Nagao…Sama；　（1）　my　betrothed；　we　were　promised　to　each　other　from　the

time　of　our　childhood；　and　we　were　to　have　been　married　at　the　end　of　this

year。　But　now　I　am　goingto　die；　　the　gods　know　what　is　best　for　us。　If　I

were　able　to　live　for　some　years　longer；　I　could　only　continue　to　be　a

cause　of　trouble　and　grief　for　others。　With　this　frail　body；　I　could　not　be

a　good　wife；　and　therefore　even　to　wish　to　live；　for　your　sake；　would　be　a

very　selfish　wish。　I　am　quite　resigned　to　die；　and　I　want　you　to　promise

that　you　will　not　grieve。。。　Besides；　I　want　to　tell　you　that　I　think　we

shall　meet　again。〃。。。





〃Indeed　we　shall　meet　again；〃　Nagao　answered　earnestly。　〃And　in　that　Pure

Land　（2）　there　will　be　no　pain　of　separation。〃





〃Nay；　nay！〃　she　responded　softly；　〃I　meant　not　the　Pure　Land。　I　believe

that　we　are　destined　to　meet　again　in　this　world；　although　I　shall　be

buried　to…morrow。〃





Nagao　looked　at　her　wonderingly；　and　saw　her　smile　at　his　wonder。　She

continued；　in　her　gentle；　dreamy　voice；





〃Yes；　I　mean　in　this　world；　in　your　own　present　life；　Nagao…Sama。。。

Providing；　indeed；　that　you　wish　it。　Only；　for　this　thing　to　happen；　I　must

again　be　born　a　girl；　and　grow　up　to　womanhood。　So　you　would　have　to　wait。

Fifteen　　sixteen　years：　that　is　a　long　time。。。　But；　my　promised　husband；

you　are　now　only　nineteen　years　old。〃。。。





Eager　to　soothe　her　dying　moments；　he　answered　tenderly：





〃To　wait　for　you；　my　betrothed；　were　no　less　a　joy　than　a　duty。　We　are

pledged　to　each　other　for　the　time　of　seven　existences。〃





〃But　you　doubt？〃　she　questioned；　watching　his　face。





〃My　dear　one；〃　he　answered；　〃I　doubt　whether　I　should　be　able　to　know　you

in　another　body；　under　another　name；　unless　you　can　tell　me　of　a　sign　or

token。〃





〃That　I　cannot　do；〃　she　said。　〃Only　the　Gods　and　the　Buddhas　know　how　and

where　we　shall　meet。　But　I　am　sure　　very；　very　sure　　that；　if　you　be

not　unwilling　to　receive　me；　I　shall　be　able　to　come　back　to　you。。。

Remember　these　words　of　mine。〃。。。





She　ceased　to　speak；　and　her　eyes　closed。　She　was　dead。



*　　　　　*　　　　　*







Nagao　had　been　sincerely　attached　to　O…Tei；　and　his　grief　was　deep。　He　had

a　mortuary　tablet　made；　inscribed　with　her　zokumyo；　＇1＇　and　he　placed　the

tablet　in　his　butsudan；　＇2＇　and　every　day　set　offerings　before　it。　He

thought　a　great　deal　about　the　strange　things　that　O…Tei　had　said　to　him

just　before　her　death；　and；　in　the　hope　of　pleasing　her　spirit；　he　wrote　a

solemn　promise　to　wed　her　if　she　could　ever　return　to　him　in　another　body。

This　written　promise　he　sealed　with　his　seal；　and　placed　in　the　butsudan

beside　the　mortuary　tablet　of　O…Tei。







Nevertheless；　as　Nagao　was　an　only　son；　it　was　necessary　that　he　should

marry。　He　soon　found