Shank's Mare

by Ikku Jippensha

  The pilgrim got very excited over the tale he poured forth and was evidently very proud of their success. Very soon they reached Taiunji, where the pilgrims stopped, while Yaji and Kita hastened on.

  The sun was now reaching the horizon and it would soon be twilight. They quickened their pace, but their feet were getting tired.

  'How slow you are, Yaji,' said Kita.

  'I'm awfully tired,' replied Yaji.

  'I'll tell you what,' said Kita. 'We stopped at a dreadful place last night, so I'll go on ahead to Akasaka and look for a good inn. As you're tired you can come on slowly behind and I'll send someone from the inn to meet you.'

  'That's a good idea,' said Yaji, 'but mind you pick out a good inn, —one where there's a nice girl.'

  'Trust me,' said Kita. Leaving Yaji he went on ahead.

  Yaji trudged on, but by the time he got to Goyu night had already fallen. The inn girls, with their faces painted up as though they were wearing masks, caught hold of his sleeves and tried to stop him, but he pulled himself away. At the end of the town he went into a small teahouse to take a short rest. The old woman who kept the teahouse welcomed him.

  'It's only a little way to Akasaka, isn't it?' he asked.

  'It's about a mile,' said the old woman. 'But if you're travelling alone you'd better stop here, as there's a wicked old fox lives in the pinewood you have to pass, and he's bewitched a lot of travellers.'

  'That's bad,' said Yaji, 'but I can't stop here. My mate's gone on ahead and he'll be waiting for me. I shall be all right.'

  He paid the old woman and started off again. When he left the teahouse it was already dark, and soon it got darker and darker and he began to feel nervous. Still he went on, though taking the precaution to rub some spittle on his eyebrows. Just then he heard the bark of a fox a long way off. 'There it's barking,' he thought. 'Come over here and show yourself, you beast. I'll soon beat you to death.' Keeping up his courage by these boasts he went on.

  Meanwhile Kitahachi had gone on ahead as fast as he could till he came to that very place. He also had been told that a wicked fox lived there, and becoming afraid that the fox would bewitch him, he determined to wait there for Yaji, so that they could go on together. He was sitting down by the side of the road enjoying a whiff of tobacco when Yaji came along.

  'Halloa, is that you Yaji?' he called.

  'Halloa!' replied Yaji. 'What are you doing here?'

  'I was going on ahead to arrange rooms at an inn,' said Kita, 'but I heard that a wicked old fox lived here, so I thought I would wait for you so that we could go on together.'

  Now Yaji had conceived the idea that the fox had changed itself into Kita for the purpose of deceiving him. 'Don't talk nonsense,' he said boldly. 'That's not the reason at all.'

  'What are you talking about?' asked Kita. 'I brought some rice cake as I thought we might get hungry. Have some?'

  'Hold your tongue,' said Yaji. 'Do you think I'm going to eat that filth?'

  'Ha-ha-ha!' laughed Kita. 'Don't you know me?'

  'Know you, indeed!' replied Yaji. 'You're just like Kita, —just his shape, you devil.' He struck Kita with his stick and made him howl.

  'Eh! Eh! That hurts,' yelled Kita. 'What are you doing?'

  'What am I doing? I'm going to beat you to death.' Catching Kita off his guard, Yaji then knocked him down and began to jump on him.

  'Oh, oh, oh!' roared Kita.

  'Well, if it hurts,' said Yaji, 'why don't you change into your proper form.'

  'What are you feeling my behind for?' roared Kita.

  'Put out your tail,' replied Yaji. 'If you don't, this is what I'll do.' He seized Kita's hands and twisting them behind his back tied them with a towel. Kita was so surprised that he let himself be tied up.

  'Now,' said Yaji, 'get up and walk.' Holding Kita behind he pushed him along till they came to Akasaka. As it was late there were no innkeepers in the road to greet the travellers and no girls waiting at the doors of the inns. Yaji wandered about in the hope that he would meet the inn servant that was to be sent to meet him.

  'Yaji,' pleaded Kita, 'do let me loose. Think how bad it would look if anyone was to see me.'

  'Shut up, you beast,' said Yaji. 'I wonder where the inn is?'

  'How could anybody take a room for us at an inn if I'm here?' asked Kita.

  'Will you still be talking, you beast?' said Yaji.

  Just then they met an inn servant. 'Are you gentlemen stopping at this stage?' he inquired.

  'Have you come to meet us?' asked Yaji.

  'Yes,' said the man.

  'There,' said Yaji. 'What do you think of that, you cheat?' Here he gave Kita a whack with his stick.

  'Ai!' yelled Kita. 'What are you doing?'

  'Have you any others with you?' inquired the man, looking surprised.

  'No, no,' said Yaji. 'I'm alone.'

  'Oh, then it's a mistake,' said the servant. 'I understand that the party I am to meet numbers ten.'

  He went off hurriedly. Then an innkeeper called to them from the front of his inn. 'Won't you stop at my house to night, gentlemen?' he asked, as he came running out and caught hold of them.

  'No, no,' said Yaji. 'My companion came on ahead and he must be here somewhere.'

  'That's me,' said Kita.

  'What an obstinate brute you are,' scolded Yaji. 'Put out your tail. Wait a bit. There's a dog. Here, doggie, doggie, go for him, go for him. Aha, the dog doesn't seem to mind. Perhaps he isn't a fox after all. Are you really Kita?'

  'Of course I am,' said Kita. 'I call it a cruel joke you have had with me.'

  'Ha-ha-ha!' laughed Yaji. 'Then we'll stop at your place after all,' he added, turning to the innkeeper. Feeling sorry for Kita he then untied him.

  'Please come in,' said the landlord. 'Here, bring some hot water. Is the room ready?'

  'What a time I've had,' groaned Kita as he washed his feet.

  The maid took their baggage and ushered them into a room.

  'I'm very sorry, Kita,' said Yaji. 'I really took you for a fox.'

  'You made a fool of me all right,' growled Kita. 'I feel quite sore.'

  'Ha-ha-ha!' laughed Yaji. But yet I don't know; he may be a fox after all. Somehow I've got a strange sort of feeling. Here, landlord, landlord. ' He commenced bawling for the landlord and clapping his hands.

  'Did you call, sir?' asked the landlord.

  'Look here, there's something strange about this,' said Yaji. 'Where am I?'

  'At Akasaka, sir,' replied the landlord.

  'Ha-ha-ha!' laughed Kita. 'What's the matter with you, Yaji?'

  'Are you still trying to bewitch me?' said Yaji, beginning to wet his eyebrows again. 'Landlord, isn't this a graveyard?'

  'Eh?' said the landlord. 'What did you say, sir?'

  'Ho-ho-ho!' laughed Kita. 'How funny you are.'

  Just then the maid came in from the kitchen. 'Will it please your honours to take a bath?' she inquired.

  'There, Yaji,' said Kita. 'You go and take a bath. It'll calm you down.'

  'I suppose you think you'll lead me into some dirty water, you beast,' replied Yaji. 'You don't catch me that way.'

  'No, no,' said the landlord. 'The bath is filled with pure spring water and is quite clean, your honour. Please try it.'

  The landlord went off to the kitchen and the maid brought in some tea. 'If you feel lonely,' she said, 'I'll call some courtesans.'

  'Fool!' said Yaji. 'Do you think you're going to catch me embracing a stone image?'

  'Ha-ha-ha!' laughed the girl. 'What strange things you say!'

  'Well, I'll go first then,' said Kita He went off to the bathroom and while he was gone the landlord came in again.

  'I've something to tell your honour,' he said. 'I'm having a little celebration in my house to-night and I should be glad if you would join us in a bottle of wine.' As he spoke a dish of savouries and a bottle of sake were brought in from the kitchen.

  'Oh, please don't take any trouble about us,' said Yaji. 'W
hat's the occasion?'

  'Well,' said the landlord. 'The truth is that my young nephew is going to get married to-night. We're just going to hold the marriage ceremony, so I'm afraid it'll be a bit noisy.'

  He went off busily to the kitchen just as Kita came back from the bath. ' What's that he said?' asked Kita.

  'There's a marriage ceremony here to-night,' said Yaji. 'I'm getting more bewitched every minute. I shan't go in any of your spring-water baths.'

  'Try and control yourself and don't be so nervous,' said Kita.

  'No, no,' said Yaji. 'You don't catch me off my guard. For all I know this food they've brought in may be dirt, although it looks so nice.'

  'Yes,' said Kita. 'I wouldn't touch it if I were you. Just look on while I eat. I won't be angry. Excuse me not standing on ceremony.' He helped himself to the sake and gulped it down.

  'It makes me feel quite bad to see you,' said Yaji, with a look of disgust on his face.

  'Don't be so nervous,' said Kita. 'Try a cup.'

  'No, no,' said Yaji. 'I know it's some filth, —horse's stale or something. Let's smell it. It smells all right. I can't stand this; I must have some.' He poured himself out a cup and drank it off.

  'Yes, it's sake all right,' he said, smacking his lips. 'What have they got to eat? I don't like the look of those eggs. I'll try a prawn. Yes, it's a prawn all right,' he added after he had munched it. Thus he began to eat and drink.

  Meanwhile there were sounds of preparation from the kitchen, where there was great bustle and confusion. It appeared that the wedding feast was already beginning. Now they could hear the sound of chanting: —

  On the four seas

  Still are the waves;

  The world is at peace.

  Soft blow the time winds,

  Rustling not the branches.

  In such an age

  Blessed are the very firs

  In that they meet

  To grow old together.

  'Yan-ya!' cried Kita joining in the chant.

  'What a noise!' said Yaji.

  'They can be as noisy as they like for me,' said Kita. 'Aren't you going to let go of that wine-cup? Just pass it over, will you? If you think it's horse's dung or stale I'll take the risk and drink it all myself. Ha-ha-ha!'

  'I really thought I was bewitched,' said Yaji, 'but now I know I wasn't. What a time I've had!'

  'It doesn't compare with me being tied up and beaten,' said Kita.

  Just then the supper was brought in, and as the door opened they could hear the sound of another chant: —

  Through ages unchanging,

  From generation to generation,

  Like pine tree and plum,

  May they flourish together;

  Like two tender seedlings

  May they grow both together,

  Till old age shall find them

  Still happily joined.

  Rejoice! Rejoice!

  He has taken a bride from the best in the land.

  Then followed the clapping of hands and the sound of talking and laughing. Soon the maid came in and asked whether she should spread the beds.

  'You might as well,' said Yaji.

  'Is the marriage ceremony over?' asked Kita. 'I suppose the bride is very beautiful.'

  'Yes,' said the maid. 'The bridegroom's a handsome fellow and the bride's very beautiful too. Unfortunately they have to sleep in the next room, where everybody will be able to hear their love-talk.'

  'What a nuisance!' said Yaji.

  'Awful!' said Kita.

  'Good rest,' said the maid.

  She went off, leaving them to get into bed, and soon they heard the sound of the door being opened in the next room. Apparently the bride and bridegroom were going to bed. Then they heard whispers and other movements, from which they judged it was not the first time that the couple had tasted the delights of love. The sounds kept Yaji and Kita from going to sleep.

  'This is awful,' said Yaji.

  'We've come to the wrong inn again,' said Kita. 'They don't mind us. How loving she is, the little beast.'

  'They've stopped talking,' said Yaji. 'Now's the time.' He crawled softly out of bed and listened to what they were doing. Then he stood up and peeped through the cracks in the sliding door. Kita also crawled out of bed.

  'I say, Yaji,' he whispered. 'Is the bride beautiful? Just let me have a peep.'

  'Don't make a noise,' said Yaji. 'It's the critical moment.'

  'Eh?' said Kita. 'Just let me look. Move away a little.'

  But Yaji was peeping through the crack like a man in a dream, and what with Kita shoving him and his own obstinacy, they managed between them to push the sliding door out of its grooves, and it fell suddenly forward into the next room with Yaji and Kita on top of it. This startled the newly married couple.

  'Oh, oh!' shouted the bridegroom. 'What's that? The door's fallen out of its grooves.' Jumping up he overturned the lamp and plunged the room into darkness. Yaji had already fled back into his own room and jumped into bed, but Kita was not quite so quick and got caught by the bridegroom.

  'Excuse me,' said Kita. 'I was going out to do something and mistook the door of my room. Really the maid is very careless putting the lamp in the middle of the floor. I'm sorry you tripped over it. But I really must go if you'd just leave loose of me.'

  'Such outrageous conduct!' said the bridegroom. 'Everything's covered with oil. Here, San, San, get up.'

  The maid came out of the kitchen with a lamp and put things to rights, and Kita, looking very foolish, put the door in its grooves again and went very dejectedly to bed. Then as the night deepened all was still in the inn save only for the snores of the travellers.

  SECOND PART

  EN thousand cocks were crowing and horses neighing bravely when Yaji and Kita woke up next morning. They ate their breakfast and quickly left Akasaka behind them, but just outside the town they caught up with three travellers who were going in the same direction. Apparently they were from Edo and, by their manner of speaking, three braves.

  'I say,' said one, 'wasn't it funny last night?'

  'What, about those fellows in the back room?' asked another. 'They were a couple of fools. Because there was a wedding at the inn they got envious, and in peeping through the cracks of the door they got so excited that they knocked the door over. They were the laughing stock of the place.'

  'And the way they apologised to the bridegroom,' said the third man. 'I wasn't able to sleep for all the row they made.'

  'And one of the rascals called the landlord earlier in the evening and asked him if the inn was a graveyard. He must have been cracked.'

  It appeared from their talk that these men must have stopped at the same inn as Yaji and Kita. Yaji grew hot as he heard their talk, and quickening his step he caught them up.

  'Look here, you three,' he said. 'I've been silent up to now, but I'd like to know why you call me a rascal.'

  'It hasn't anything to do with you,' said the first man. 'We were talking about our own affairs.'

  'Your own affairs, indeed,' said Yaji. 'Weren't you jawing about what happened at the inn? The person who made the door fall down, you said, was a rascal. That's me.'

  'Oh, you're the rascal, are you?' replied the brave.

  'Yes, I'm the rascal,' said Yaji.

  'Ha-ha-ha!' laughed the brave. 'Well, if you're the rascal that's why we called you a rascal. Ain't that all right?'

  'Look here, I won't stand any of your jokes,' said Yaji.

  'Oh, go and eat dung,' said the brave.

  'Eat dung?' said Yaji. 'That's easy. I'll eat it if you get it,' for he was so angry that he didn't know what he was saying.

  The traveller picked up a piece of dung on his stick and held it out to Yaji. 'There it is,' he cried. 'Eat it, eat it.'

  'No, no,' said Yaji. 'I don't like it.'

  'Don't like it?' said the brave. 'But you must like it.'

  Then the three men surrounded Yaji to make him eat it by force. Kita, who had been
looking on amused, now intervened.

  'Let him go,' he pleaded. 'It's much the same as if he'd eaten it, isn't it?'

  'Ha-ha-ha!' laughed the three braves. 'Well, we'll let him off at that.' With that they went off.

  Yaji tried to bottle up his anger, but he went on reviling them under his breath for a long time.

  After they had passed Fujigawa they came to a poor little teahouse by the side of the road.

  'I feel rather queer,' said Kita. 'Here, old lady,' he called to the teahouse keeper, 'have you got any hot water?'

  'I ain't got any hot water for drinking,' said the old woman, 'but I can give you some cold.'

  'I want to drink some medicine,' said Kita. 'Cold water's no use. Where's the convenience?'

  'What's the good of your asking where it is and wandering about the house like that?' asked Yaji. 'It's not on the mats. You'd better go round at the back.'

  'I sec, I see,' said Kita. 'It's at the end there.'

  He went round to the back and did his business, and looking about him afterwards, saw that a store-room had been turned into a house and that there was a girl of eighteen or nineteen alone there. Her hair was rather disordered, but she was a very pretty girl and she was alone.

  Kitahachi, with his usual impudence, walked in smiling. 'Sorry to trouble you,' he said, 'but could you let me have some water to rinse my hands.'

  While he was rinsing his hands the girl kept on giggling. 'What are you laughing at?' asked Kita. 'Do you live here alon? Isn't it dangerous?'

  He looked round and saw nobody but the girl. Thereupon he seated himself and pulled out his pipe and tobacco. 'What are you laughing at?' he asked again. 'Is there anything to laugh at? Well, then, come and laugh here.'

  He caught hold of her and pulled her down beside him, the girl making no objection, and Kita was just congratulating himself on his good fortune when a little boy came running by and saw them.