kwaidan-第4部分

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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　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　al