kwaidan- 第4部分

〃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　himself　obliged　to　yield　to　the　wishes　of　his　family；

and　to　accept　a　wife　of　his　father's　choosing。　After　his　marriage　he

continued　to　set　offerings　before　the　tablet　of　O…Tei；　and　he　never　failed

to　remember　her　with　affection。　But　by　degrees　her　image　became　dim　in　his

memory；　like　a　dream　that　is　hard　to　recall。　And　the　years　went　by。





During　those　years　many　misfortunes　came　upon　him。　He　lost　his　parents　by

death；　then　his　wife　and　his　only　child。　So　that　he　found　himself　alone

in　the　world。　He　abandoned　his　desolate　home；　and　set　out　upon　a　long

journey　in　the　hope　of　forgetting　his　sorrows。







One　day；　in　the　course　of　his　travels；　he　arrived　at　Ikao；　a

mountain…village　still　famed　for　its　thermal　springs；　and　for　the　beautiful

scenery　of　its　neighborhood。　In　the　village…inn　at　which　he　stopped；　a

young　girl　came　to　wait　upon　him；　and；　at　the　first　sight　of　her　face；　he

felt　his　heart　leap　as　it　had　never　leaped　before。　So　strangely　did　she

resemble　O…Tei　that　he　pinched　himself　to　make　sure　that　he　was　not

dreaming。　As　she　went　and　came；　bringing　fire　and　food；　or　arranging　the

chamber　of　the　guest；　her　every　attitude　and　motion　revived　in　him　some

gracious　memory　of　the　girl　to　whom　he　had　been　pledged　in　his　youth。　He

spoke　to　her；　and　she　responded　in　a　soft；　clear　voice　of　which　the

sweetness　saddened　him　with　a　sadness　of　other　days。





Then；　in　great　wonder；　he　questioned　her；　saying：





〃Elder　Sister　（3）；　so　much　do　you　look　like　a　person　whom　I　knew　long　ago；

that　I　was　startled　when　you　first　entered　this　room。　Pardon　me；　therefore；

for　asking　what　is　your　native　place；　and　what　is　your　name？〃





Immediately；　and　in　the　unforgotten　voice　of　the　dead；　she　thus　made

answer：





〃My　name　is　O…Tei；　and　you　are　Nagao　Chosei　of　Echigo；　my　promised

husband。　Seventeen　years　ago；　I　died　in　Niigata：　then　you　made　in　writing　a

promise　to　marry　me　if　ever　I　could　come　back　to　this　world　in　the　body　of

a　woman；　　and　you　sealed　that　written　promise　with　your　seal；　and　put　it

in　the　butsudan；　beside　the　tablet　inscribed　with　my　name。　And　therefore　I

came　back。〃。。。





As　she　uttered　these　last　words；　she　fell　unconscious。







Nagao　married　her；　and　the　marriage　was　a　happy　one。　But　at　no　time

afterwards　could　she　remember　what　she　had　told　him　in　answer　to　his

question　at　Ikao：　neither　could　she　remember　anything　of　her　previous

existence。　The　recollection　of　the　former　birth；　mysteriously　kindled　in

the　moment　of　that　meeting；　had　again　become　obscured；　and　so　thereafter

remained。









UBAZAKURA







Three　hundred　years　ago；　in　the　village　called　Asamimura；　in　the　district

called　Onsengori；　in　the　province　of　Iyo；　there　lived　a　good　man　named

Tokubei。　This　Tokubei　was　the　richest　person　in　the　district；　and　the

muraosa；　or　headman；　of　the　village。　In　most　matters　he　was　fortunate；　but

he　reached　the　age　of　forty　without　knowing　the　happiness　of　becoming　a

father。　Therefore　he　and　his　wife；　in　the　affliction　of　their

childlessness；　addressed　many　prayers　to　the　divinity　Fudo　Myo　O；　who　had　a

famous　temple；　called　Saihoji；　in　Asamimura。





At　last　their　prayers　were　heard：　the　wife　of　Tokubei　gave　birth　to　a

daughter。　The　child　was　very　pretty；　and　she　received　the　name　of　Tsuyu。　As

the　mother's　milk　was　deficient；　a　milk…nurse；　called　O…Sode；　was　hired　for

the　little　one。





O…Tsuyu　grew　up　to　be　a　very　beautiful　girl；　but　at　the　age　of　fifteen　she

fell　sick；　and　the　doctors　thought　that　she　was　going　to　die。　In　that　time

the　nurse　O…Sode；　who　loved　O…Tsuyu　with　a　real　mother's　love；　went　to　the

temple　Saihoji；　and　fervently　prayed　to　Fudo…Sama　on　behalf　of　the　girl。

Every　day；　for　twenty…one　days；　she　went　to　the　temple　and　prayed；　and　at

the　end　of　that　time；　O…Tsuyu　suddenly　and　completely　recovered。





Then　there　was　great　rejoicing　in　the　house　of　Tokubei；　and　he　gave　a

feast　to　all　his　friends　in　celebration　of　the　happy　event。　But　on　the

night　of　the　feast　the　nurse　O…Sode　was　suddenly　taken　ill；　and　on　the

following　morning；　the　doctor；　who　had　been　summoned　to　attend　her；

announced　that　she　was　dying。





Then　the　family；　in　great　sorrow；　gathered　about　her　bed；　to　bid　her

farewell。　But　she　said　to　them：





〃It　is　time　that　I　should　tell　you　something　which　you　do　not　know。　My

prayer　has　been　heard。　I　besought　Fudo…Sama　that　I　might　be　permitted　to

die　in　the　place　of　O…Tsuyu；　and　this　great　favor　has　been　granted　me。

Therefore　you　must　not　grieve　about　my　death。。。　But　I　have　one　request　to

make。　I　promised　Fudo…Sama　that　I　would　have　a　cherry…tree　planted　in　the

garden　of　Saihoji；　for　a　thank…offering　and　a　commemoration。　Now　I　shall

not　be　able　myself　to　plant　the　tree　there：　so　I　must　beg　that　you　will

fulfill　that　vow　for　me。。。　Good…bye；　dear　friends；　and　remember　that　I　was

happy　to　die　for　O…Tsuyu's　sake。〃







After　the　funeral　of　O…Sode；　a　young　cherry…tree；　the　finest　that　could

be　found；　was　planted　in　the　garden　of　Saihoji　by　the　parents　of　O…Tsuyu。

The　tree　grew　and　flourished；　and　on　the　sixteenth　day　of　the　second　month

of　the　following　year；　the　anniversary　of　O…Sode's　death；　it　blossomed

in　a　wonderful　way。　So　it　continued　to　blossom　for　two　hundred　and

fifty…four　years；　always　upon　the　sixteenth　day　of　the　second　month；　

and　its　flowers；　pink　and　white；　were　like　the　nipples　of　a　woman's

breasts；　bedewed　with　milk。　And　the　people　called　it　Ubazakura；　the

Cherry…tree　of　the　Milk…Nurse。









DIPLOMACY







It　had　been　ordered　that　the　execution　should　take　place　in　the　garden　of

the　yashiki　（1）。　　So　the　man　was　taken　there；　and　made　to　kneel　down　in　a

wide　sanded　space　crossed　by　a　line　of　tobi…ishi；　or　stepping…stones；　such

as　you　may　still　see　in　Japanese　landscape…gardens。　His　arms　were　bound

behind　him。　Retainers　brought　water　in　buckets；　and　rice…bags　filled　with

pebbles；　and　they　packed　the　rice…bags　round　the　kneeling　man；　so　wedging

him　in　that　he　could　not　move。　The　master　came；　and　observed　the

arrangements。　He　found　them　satisfactory；　and　made　no　remarks。





Suddenly　the　condemned　man　cried　out　to　him：





〃Honored　Sir；　the　fault　for　which　I　have　been　doomed　I　did　not　wittingly

commit。　It　was　only　my　very　great　stupidity　which　caused　the　fault。　Having

been　born　stupid；　by　reason　of　my　Karma；　I　could　not　always　help　making

mistakes。　But　to　kill　a　man　for　being　stupid　is　wrong；　and　that　wrong

will　be　repaid。　So　surely　as　you　kill　me；　so　surely　shall　I　be　avenged；　

out　of　the　resentment　that　you　provoke　will　come　the　vengeance；　and　evil

will　be　rendered　for　evil。〃。。。





If　any　person　be　killed　while　feeling　strong　resentment；　the　ghost　of　that

person　will　be　able　to　take　vengeance　upon　the　killer。　This　the　samurai

knew。　He　replied　very　gently；　almost　caressingly：





〃We　shall　allow　you　to　frighten　us　as　much　as　you　please　　after　you　are

dead。　But　it　is　difficult　to　believe　that　you　mean　what　you　say。　Will　you

try　to　give　us　some　sign　of　your　great　resentment　　after　your　head　has

been　cut　off？〃





〃Assuredly　I　will；〃　answered　the　man。





〃Very　well；〃　said　the　samurai；　drawing　his　long　sword；　　〃I　am　now　going

to　cut　off　your　head。　Directly　in　front　of　you　there　is　a　stepping…stone。

After　your　head　has　been　cut　off；　try　to　bite　the　stepping…stone。　If　your

angry　ghost　can　help　you　to　do　that；　some　of　us　may　be　frightened。。。　Will

you　try　to　bite　the　stone？〃





〃I　will　bite　it！〃　cried　the　man；　in　great　anger；　〃I　will　bite　it！　　I

will　bite〃　





There　was　a　flash；　a　swish；　a　crunching　thud：　the　bound　body　bowed　over

the　rice　sacks；　two　long　blood…jets　pumping　from　the　shorn　neck；　　and

the　head　rolled　upon　the　sand。　Heavily　toward　the　stepping…stone　it　rolled：

then；　suddenly　bounding；　it　caught　the　upper　edge