Shank's Mare

by Ikku Jippensha

  'All right,' said Kita. 'But I hope you'll applaud me. I must have a little encouragement. I'll tell you what. When I've finished a dance I'll just touch your head so that you can know when to applaud. Is that all right? Now I'm going to begin.'

  Then the girls in the next room began singing again:—

  No parting thought the twain, but three,

  Four, five days pass, and out to sea

  The waiting barque must sail again.

  Such partings in this world of pain!

  Kita, clapping his hands to the music, pretended that he was dancing. Then at the end he touched the shampooer's head with his foot.

  'Bravo! Bravo!' said the shampooer. 'Capital! Capital!'

  'Wasn't it good?' said Kita. 'Shall I dance again?'

  Then the girls began singing again and he went through the same performance:—

  With you I'll pull together

  Across the waves of life,

  A pillow for our rudder,

  Your true and loving wife.

  'Ha-ha-ha!' laughed Kita when they had finished. 'Wasn't it good?'

  Then the maid came in to ask if they would take a bath.

  'Have you finished, Yaji?' asked Kita. 'If so you'd better go to the bath, and as the shampooer has been so kind as to praise my dancing I'll let him rub me down for a bit.'

  Yaji accordingly went off to the bath and the shampooer began to rub Kita.

  'By the way, sir,' he asked, 'are you going to call a girl?'

  'No,' said Kita. 'I'd rather know something about those girls in the next room.'

  'They're blind singers who came to stop at the inn two or three days ago,' said the shampooer. 'They've got good voices, but I'd like you to hear mine.'

  'All right. Go on,' said Kita.

  'But I'd like you to applaud me so as to give me some encouragement,' said the shampooer, 'so please praise me when I've finished.'

  'All right, all right,' said Kita.

  'Then I'll begin,' said the shampooer.

  Thereupon he began to sing in a loud voice which made Kita's head ring:—

  Oh he's drunk, drunk, drunk,

  'Cause he's drunk such a lot.

  If he hadn't drunk so much

  He would not, not, not. . .

  Then he thrust his fingers into Kita's ears. 'This is the chap,' he chanted 'who was kicking me on the head. May the fool be eaten up with disease and never come to any good! May he be hung by the neck as he deserves!'

  Then he pulled his fingers out of Kita's ears and pretended that he was still singing the chorus,— 'Yatosanosé! Yatosanosé!'

  As he had stopped up Kita's ears, Kita was quite unconscious of all the bad things that the shampooer had said about him, and joined in the chorus,— 'Yanya! Yanya!'

  'Jaja janjan!' sang the shampooer, so loudly that Kita's head rang and he had to squeeze up his face. Nevertheless he cried 'Bravo! Bravo!' when the shampooer had finished.

  'Shall I sing you another?' asked the shampooer.

  'No thank you,' replied Kita. 'My head won't stand it.'

  'Ha-ha-ha!' laughed the shampooer. 'Wasn't that amusing?'

  Yaji, who had come back from the bath while the song was going on, had enjoyed Kita's torments. 'Sing us another,' he said to the shampooer.

  'I'm going to the bath,' said Kita. 'I've had enough shampooing.'

  He went off to the bath accordingly and the shampooer retired. Then the maid came in to spread the beds, and before Kita came back from the bath Yaji was in bed.

  'Are you asleep already?' asked Kita. 'By the way, did you see those girls sleeping in the next room. They're awfully pretty.'

  'But they're blind,' said Yaji.

  'Well, they're none the worse for that,' said Kita. 'Just when I came from the bath I found one of them wandering about trying to find the wash-bowl and I had a little talk with her. She's quite a nice girl.'

  'Which one's that?' asked Yaji. He crawled out of bed and went to peep through the crack in the door into the next room.

  'I see her,' he said. 'She looks quite nice from behind. I must see what I can do.'

  'No, no, that won't do,' said Kita. He drew the bedclothes over him, thinking in his heart all the time that he would himself crawl out afterwards. But as he lay there pretending to sleep, sleep overcame him and soon his snores echoed to the roof.

  All was now quiet in the next room; apparently the two blind girls had gone to sleep. Night deepened and soon the midnight bell sounded, whereupon Yaji got up, and after assuring himself that Kita was sound asleep, crawled to the door into the next room and opened it softly. Creeping in he saw that the two girls were sound asleep. Yaji had intended to slip into the arms of one girl as she lay asleep, but he found that, being blind, she had taken the precaution of keeping her bundle in bed with her and was clasping it tightly with both her hands. As the bundle was in the way, Yaji began carefully to remove it, but immediately she felt it being taken away the girl woke up, and seizing the bundle with one hand with the other caught hold of Yaji.

  'Thief! Thief!' she screamed. 'Landlord! Landlord!'

  At her screams, finding that he had missed his aim and thinking that it would be annoying to be found out, Yaji snatched himself from her grasp, darted back into his own room and jumping into his bed pretended to be sound asleep. Kita had also woke up and was laughing to himself over the affair.

  Meanwhile the landlord came rushing from the kitchen. 'What's the matter?' he cried. 'What's the matter?'

  'Somebody tried to take away my bundle that I was holding,' said the blind girl. 'Are the shutters open? Just look and see.'

  'No, no, everything's shut,' said the landlord.

  'Then where can the thief have come from?' said the girl.

  'Aha!' said the landlord. 'The door into the next room is open. Are you asleep, gentlemen?'

  'Ga! Ga!' snored Yaji.

  'Aha, there's something dropped here,' said the landlord. 'Why, it's a loin-cloth. Gentlemen, is this yours?'

  When he heard this Yaji realised that it must be his own loincloth. Softly raising his head he saw to his amusement that the loin-cloth was stretched out between the two rooms, from the pillow of the blind girl to his own pillow. While he was hesitating what to say, Kita, seeing a chance of teasing Yaji, jumped up.

  'What a noise you're making,' he said. 'Where's the loin-cloth that was dropped. Oh, that's it, is it? Why, Yaji, isn't that your loin-cloth?'

  'What a silly thing to say,' replied Yaji, giving Kita's bedgown a secret tug. The landlord, though outwardly he appeared satisfied, thought there was something strange in the affair.

  'It's as well to take care when you're travelling,' he said. 'Please be careful. I bid you good-night.'

  'I feel so nervous that I know I shan't be able to sleep,' said the blind girl. 'Please see that everything is shut.'

  'Good-night,' said the landlord.

  When the landlord had gone Yaji softly put out his hand and drew the loin-cloth into his bed, while Kitahachi murmured,

  A blind girl's love he sought to prove,

  For who is blind if 'tis not love.

  Now, as night deepened, they all sank to rest, but they had hardly had time to enjoy one pleasant dream before the dawn wind began to blow through the trees and the sound of the waves echoed through their pillows. Aroused by the ringing of the dawn bell they opened their eyes to find that it was daylight and that the crows were already cawing to each other and the horses whinnying. Then they heard the songs of the carriers:—

  Climbing the hill,

  Through shine and shower,

  Look how the clouds

  Over Suzuka lour.

  'Who's for the boat? Who's for the boat?' called a voice. Then the maid came to wake them and to tell them that the first boat was just about to start.

  'Shall I bring in your breakfast?' she asked.

  'Wake up, Kita,' said Yaji. Jumping up they washed and breakfasted and were just making preparations to start when the landlord
came in.

  'Are you ready, gentlemen?' he asked. 'I'll show you the way to the landing stage.'

  'That's very kind of you,' said Yaji. 'Come, Kita, let's go.'

  Having finished their preparations they started off to a chorus of farewells from the maids of the inn and the hope that they would stop there again on their return journey.

  'Thanks for your trouble,' said Yaji.

  At the landing stage the landlord called to the boatmen. 'Here are two passengers,' he cried. ' Please look after them.'

  'By-the-by, landlord,' said Yaji, 'you've forgotten to give me what you promised yesterday,—the bamboo tube, you know.'

  'That's so,' said the landlord, 'and I had it out all ready. I'll go and get it now.'

  He hastened off to get the tube and meanwhile the two travellers paid their fare of forty-five coppers each and went on board with their bundles. Then the landlord came back with the piece of bamboo.

  'I'll throw it to you,' he called.

  'Why, it's only a fire-blower,' said Kita.

  'It's for when I want to make water,' said Yaji. 'Thank you very much, landlord. I shall be all right with this. Ha-ha-ha!'

  Then the boat started with all the travellers feeling very adventurous, and the wind being favourable they sped over the waves like an arrow. The sea was calm and all the passengers were in great spirits, talking enough to dislocate their jaws and laughing so shrilly that it almost seemed as if they were quarrelling with each other. Yaji went to sleep, and was only awakened by a number of trading boats which came up to them.

  'Buy some sake,' cried the men in the boats. 'Try our broiled eels. How about some dumplings? Try our pickles.'

  'I've had a good sleep,' said Yaji. 'What a distance we've come. But I must relieve myself.'

  He took the bamboo tube which the landlord had given him for the purpose, but as the tube was exactly like a fire-blower and had a hole at each end, as fast as he made water into it at one end it came out at the other into the boat. Soon the passengers began to be astonished at the water in the boat.

  'What's this?' they cried. 'Everything's covered with water. Where's it coming from? Somebody must have upset a teapot. Dear, dear! My tobacco and paper have got all wet. What a nuisance! Why, surely somebody's been making water.'

  Their cries threw Yaji into confusion and he hurriedly hid the piece of bamboo.

  'What have you been doing, Yaji?' said Kita. 'If you want to make water you should go to the side of the boat so that it will fall into the water. You've made the boat all wet inside. How dirty!'

  'I was going to empty it into the water afterwards,' explained Yaji.

  'How disgusting!' said the passengers. 'Everything smells horribly. Here, boatman, haven't you got any more mats?'

  'What's that?' said the boatman. 'Somebody been making water? He's defiled the patron god of the boat. Be quick and dry it up.'

  'You haven't got any commonsense,' said Kita.

  'Look out, it's running out of the bamboo still,' cried the boatman. 'Throw it away.'

  'No, no, no,' said Yaji. 'I'll put it up here. We can use it as a fire-blower afterwards.'

  'What, when you've made it all dirty?' said Kita. 'Who would use it as a fire-blower now? Be quick and dry up the mess. How slow you are?'

  Yaji took no notice of Kita's teasing, but undid his loin-cloth and mopped up the mess, while Kita turned the mats over and put things straight.

  'There,' he said, 'that's all right now. You can all come and sit down.'

  'I hope you'll excuse me,' said Yaji dejectedly. 'I'm afraid I've disturbed you all.'

  The passengers laughed sarcastically but said nothing, and soon the boat arrived at the shore at Kuwana.

  'Here we are, here we are,' they all cried. 'The boat's got here safely in spite of its being defiled. Thank goodness for that.'

  So they all went on shore and indulged in sake in honour of their safe arrival.

  BOOK FIVE

  FIRST PART

  HUS Yajirobei and Kitahachi, having passed over the calm waves for seventeen miles, by the grace of heaven arrived safely at Kuwana amid great rejoicing. There they partook of the baked clams for which the place is famous, and having poured out sundry cups of sake, started on the road again. As they started they heard the travellers singing a popular song:—

  Send her a present of clams, lover mine,

  But oh! for the tortoise that lives at the shrine!

  'I'm on my way back, masters,' called a postboy. 'Won't your honours ride?'

  'No, no,' said Yaji.

  'I'll only charge you a hundred and fifty,' said the postboy.

  'No, no,' said Yaji.

  'What do you say to four coppers cash down?' asked Kita.

  'No, no,' said the postboy.

  'Hin-hin,' whinnied the horses.

  Then came the songs of the carriers,—

  Spread the sail and speed away,

  At Atsuta we wish to stay.

  What have you done with Hachibei?

  The horses ate him on the way.

  Dokkoi! Dokkoi!

  'I say, Yaji,' said Kita. 'Let's do something to amuse ourselves. Let's tie our baggage together so that one of us can carry it, and we'll pretend for half a day that one of us is the master and the other the servant.'

  'That would be amusing,' said Yaji. 'Let's do it. I'll be master first.'

  'All right,' said Kita. ' It's two o'clock now, so we'll go on till four. Of course we must treat each other as master and servant and not change over till the time's up.'

  'Of course,' said Yaji.

  They found a bamboo and tied their baggage on at either end so that Kita could carry it on his shoulder.

  'As you are older, you must be the master,' said Kita, 'and I'll play the part of the servant. You'll see what a good servant I make.'

  He shouldered the baggage and came on behind Yaji. 'Master,' he cried.

  'What is it?' said Yaji.

  'Fine weather to-day, master,' said Kita.

  'Yes,' said Yaji. 'The wind's gone down and it's warm.'

  'Yes, your honour,' said Kita.

  Thus as master and servant for the time being they went on talking. Soon they came to Ofukemura, which is noted for its baked clams. Here they saw all the travellers gathered round the braziers in the teahouses, baking the clams in the hot ashes.

  'Come in, come in,' cried the teahouse girls. 'Try our fine wine. Have a snack. Have a snack.'

  'Take a kago, master,' cried a carrier. 'I'll take you cheap for this stage.'

  'I don't want a kago,' said Yaji.

  'Get your master to ride,' said the carrier to Kita. 'I'm on my way back, so I'll take him cheap.'

  'My master likes to walk,' said Kita.

  'All the same I suppose he'll ride if it's cheap,' said the carrier.

  'I don't care about your making it cheap,' said Yaji. 'I'll ride if you make it dear.'

  'Well, then,' said the carrier. ' I'll make it dear and charge you three hundred coppers.'

  'No, no,' said Yaji. ' Can't you make it a little dearer than that?'

  'Well,' said the carrier, ' I'll charge you three hundred and fifty then.'

  'If you charge one thousand five hundred coppers I'll ride,' said Yaji.

  'Eh?' said the carrier. 'What extravagance! It'll spoil my business. I couldn't take such a price from you. I won't take more than four hundred coppers.'

  'That's too cheap,' said Yaji.

  'What are you talking about?' cried the carrier. 'That's not cheap. Look here, as a last offer I'll go as far as seven hundred coppers.'

  'Don't bother me,' said Yaji. 'I won't go below one thousand five hundred coppers.' 'Oh, dear!' said the carrier. ' Whatever shall I do? Won't you go a little below that?'

  'Never,' said Yaji.

  'What a strange thing for the kago-carrier to have to beat the customer down,' said the carrier. He turned to his mate. 'Shall we carry him for one thousand five hundred coppers, mate? Get in, sir.'

&
nbsp; 'You accept, then, do you?' said Yaji. 'Well, in return for my paying you dear you must give me a tip.'

  'Oh, yes,' said the carrier. 'We'll give you a tip.'

  'Then I'll draw one thousand four hundred and fifty coppers,' said Yaji, ' and you can have the remaining fifty. Do you agree to that?'

  'Oh, no,' said the carrier. 'That won't do.'

  'Then the bargain's off,' said Yaji. 'Ha-ha-ha!'

  'Master got the better of them there,' said Kita.

  Thus joking they reached Toda, which is also celebrated for its clams. Both sides of the road were filled with teahouses, their eaves nearly meeting, and the girls were all in the road calling to the travellers to come in.

  Going into a teahouse to take a rest, Yaji, as master, mounted on to the boards of the verandah, while Kita, as the servant, waited down below.

  'Kitahachi,' said Yaji. 'We'll have something to eat.'

  'Yes, your honour,' said Kita, and turning to the maid he ordered two meals.

  'Will you eat your rice with clams?' inquired the maid.

  'No, we'll eat it with chopsticks,' said Yaji cheerfully.

  'Ho-ho-ho!' laughed the maid. Then she put a handful of pine cones into a box-shaped oven and began to fan it.

  'Have you got any good sake?' asked Yaji. 'I don't like the bad stuff we usually get. And look here, we come from Edo, where we are used to all kinds of delicacies, and we can't eat the common stuff they give you on the road. Really, it's very painful travelling. Riding on a horse is dangerous and the kago gives you a crick in the back. They recommended me to try the inn kago and I found them so much better that now I can't ride in the ordinary ones. Kitahachi, I think we'll walk for a bit now, and if we find any good sandals we'll buy a pair. I can't walk in straw sandals any more. Look, my feet are all covered with chaps.'

  'So they are, your honour,' said Kita. ' That's because this is the first time your honour's worn straw sandals and your old chaps are coming out again.'

  'Don't talk nonsense,' said Yaji. ' It's because my feet are too soft and the strings of the sandals have eaten into them. But where are the clams?'

  'They're ready now,' said the maid. She brought them each a plateful.

  'Ah,' said Kita, ' that girl likes me. She's only brought you a little and look how she's piled them up for me. I feel like a starved devil going from rice bowl to rice bowl.'