Shank's Mare

  As it was now getting late they lit the lamp, and Yaji was just about to begin his supper when a samurai, about fifty years of age, in travelling dress, appeared at the door.

  'Excuse my intrusion,' he cried,'but does Yajirobei of Fuchū in Suruga live here?'

  'This is his residence,' said Futsu. 'May I ask where you come from?'

  'Aha!' said the samurai. 'I have a little business with him.'

  The samurai forthwith led in a young woman of about thirty. Yajirobei started at him in astonishment from where he sat.

  'What, Hyōtazaemon?'he said. 'Why have you come to the capital with your young sister?'

  'Why have I come?' asked the samurai. 'Truly not for pleasure. I have come to bring this young sister of mine to you. Perhaps you won't understand unless I explain to you. When you were in the country you seduced my young sister Tako, and although I was very angry when I heard of it, yet as she is my sister I thought I must get her married. As she says that she won't marry anybody else but you, although I think it is very regretable, I have restrained my own feelings and have brought her here in order that you may be married. For this reason I would ask you to receive her kindly. Come, bring out the wine and the cups and let us get it over quickly.'

  'Dear, dear!' said Futsu. '1 don't know who you are, but I suppose it's the usual thing everywhere for men to deceive women by promising to remain true to them for two or three lives. It seems to me to be very foolish to have come all the way from Suruga to marry this man on a promise like that. For myself it can't be helped, but look at his dark skin and his three-cornered eyes, and his large mouth, and his hairy body. He's covered with lice too, and his legs are all spotty. Then he's got such a foul breath when he's asleep.'

  'Here, here! ' said Yaji. 'You mustn't talk about your master like that.'

  'He-he-he! ' laughed Futsu. 'Then he's a terrible man for women. Even if they've only got one eye and have lost part of their nose he'll run after him. He's intimate with a fair number of them but he's not very popular among them, and I never heard of anyone running after him except you. Besides if he brings two or three wives into this house the landlord will say the floor won't stand the weight and he'll turn us out. You'd better take her away before anybody knows anything about it.'

  'Eh?' said the samurai. 'This servant appears to think she has the right to chatter about everything. Who is she?'

  'I?' said Futsu. 'Why, of course, I am his wife.'

  'His wife?' cried the samurai. 'Impossible! Here, Yajirobei, have you got a wife? Ah! Then there's no help for it. I must tie you up and take you back with me.'

  With that he pulled a piece of rope out of his bosom and stood up.

  'What?' cried Yaji excitedly. 'Tie me up? What right have you got to tie me up? Is it any reason you should tie me up because I've got a wife? It's outrageous. I'm not to be frightened by those two fish-cutters you've got stuck in your sash.'

  'Ha!' said the samurai. 'You talk very big. Now just listen to this. It is by command of the Council of Ministers that I have brought my young sister to the capital. Rikinda Yokosuka, an official, wished to marry her, and as it was an advantageous offer I immediately agreed, and went so far as to exchange wedding presents with him. Then I heard that as my sister had plighted her troth to you she refused to marry anyone else. Judge of my astonishment! There was nothing to be done but to send a messenger to Rikinda to tell him that my sister had been seduced by a man named Yajirobei, quite without my knowledge, and that, as I had accepted the wedding presents and my sister would only marry the man of her choice, there was nothing to be done in reparation of the insult but to cut off her head and send it to him. He replied that my sister's head was of no use to him, but that, as he had informed all his relatives and friends that he was going to marry my sister and had been put to shame, he was forced to challenge me to a duel. He therefore asked me to meet him in the bed of the Abe river the following evening to decide the matter. But before I could accept the challenge as a proper solution of the difficulty the Council of Ministers sent for both of us and warned us that it would be disloyal to our Lord, on whose bounty we had lived for so many years, to fight a duel on a personal matter. As I had not known that my sister's affections were engaged when I arranged to marry her to Rikinda, therefore, the Council decided, he had not been wronged ; and as the marriage had nor taken place there was no loss of honour to either of us. The Council therefore told us to show our loyalty to our Lord by laying aside all feelings of hatred. I was also ordered to take the girl to Edo and marry her to the man of her choice, as it was a virtuous resolve on her part to marry only him. I received their commands gratefully and brought her here, but as you have a wife already there is nothing for my sister to do but to bear her disappointment and go back again. But can Hyōtazaemon, the samurai, return to his country thus shamed? Never. If you marry my sister, well and good; if not you must be tied up and taken back and everything explained to the Council. Unless you are handed over to Rikinda the honour of Hyōtazaemon will be tarnished. Come, allow yourself to be tied up or otherwise I must use force.'

  'Ah!' said Yaji,'now I understand the position. But it seems to me that your conduct is presumptuous. Do you suppose I would put away my patient, long-suffering wife to marry your sister? Not even if you cut me into little bits and salted me. Do with me what you will, it can't be helped.'

  Thus saying he put his hands behind his back and the samurai had already begun to tie him up when Futsu threw herself at his feet.

  'Stop, stop,' she cried. 'I understand the position now and I see that you are right. It would be a grief to me for you to bind up my husband and put him to shame all the way back to his native country, where, moreover, his life might be endangered, and although I appreciate very much his vow that do what you may he will never desert his patient, long-suffering wife, I want to ask him to let me go. If he was intimate with your sister in Suruga, then it was before he knew me, and what you say is quite right. If he will not let me go, rather than he should fall into your hands I will die.'

  With that, weeping the while, she went into the kitchen and got the kitchen knife. But while she was whirling it about preparatory to stabbing herself Yaji got hold of her.

  'Here,' he said. 'What are you doing? Be quiet, you fool.'

  'No, no,' she cried. 'Let me go or I will . . .'

  'Well, well,' said Yaji. 'If you're so set on it it can't be helped. You'd better take a little holiday and go to your father's. I never dreamt I should have to get rid of my dear wife. It's all my fault that we've got to part.'

  So saying Yajirobei, feeling sorry for his wife, took her aside and cajoled and consoled her with promises of seeing her again. Then he got out the writing-box and wrote the three and a half lines of divorce and gave it to her. Poor people have no trouble in gathering their things together, and she had only her comb-box and a bundle to carry as she sadly left the house with the tears rolling down her cheeks.

  Directly she had gone the samurai cast aside the two swords he was wearing.

  'There,' he said. 'Now I can get rid of those heavy things. What do you think of that, Yaji? Didn't I play my part well?'

  'I was astonished at your Suruga dialect,' replied Yaji. 'You were the country samurai to the life. I'm sure any country pawnbroker's widow would have taken you for a hundred samurai. What a pity you are only Imoshichi, the street hawker. Then Tako, too, she did wonderfully as the country maiden. You'd never have thought she was an attendant at an archery ground. Well, my plan to get the old girl out of the house has been quite successful, thanks to you two. I was tired of the old thing in any case, and then I must have fifteen ryō immediately, and Imoshichi has fortunately shown me how I can get it. There's an old grandfather who's been up to tricks with the maidservant and has altered her shape. So before his daughter and her husband found out he dismissed the girl openly, but privately arranged that she should stop at the house of the person who had recommended her till he had found someone who would take her and th
e baby too, with the sum of fifteen ryō thrown in as a dowry. This just suited me but the difficulty was that I had a wife already. Still, I thought to myself, if I can only get hold of that fifteen ryō I don't mind if the girl has a devil in her womb, and as I was thoroughly tired of my old wife I arranged this little trick and got you to come and help me carry it out, which you really did very cleverly. But I say, how about the dowry? Will it come at once? What do you think?'

  'Of course, of course,' said Imoshichi. 'You said you wanted the money at once and as the baby is likely to be born any minute the sooner the better. I've arranged that she shall come here quietly this evening in a kago. You must get a little sake or something. Have you got any in the house?'

  'Eh, eh?' said Yaji. 'Will she come this evening? That's early. If I'd only known I'd have gone to the barber's and had my hair done. At any rate I'll go and have a shave.'

  'Here, here!' said Imoshichi. 'Where do you suppose you'd find a barber's shop open at this time of night? Instead of doing that you'd much better get out the sake. What are you fidgetting about for now?'

  'Nothing, nothing,' said Yaji. 'I thought I'd just cut my nails.'

  'Nonsense,' said Imoshichi. 'Don't worry about such trifles.'

  'I wasn't going to cut them all,' said Yaji. 'Just two of them

  'Ha-ha-ha!' laughed Imoshichi. 'Get out with your foolishness. You make me laugh.'

  They cleared away the supper things, kindled the charcoal in the brazier, and got the sake bottle out of the cupboard. Then, as it would have been strange to receive the bride with white faces, they had just sat down, nose to nose, to have a drink, when they heard the clash of the bearers' sticks at the entrance.

  'Halloa!' said Imoshichi. 'It seems as if she had come.'

  Jumping up he opened the door.

  'This is the place,' he cried. 'Thanks for your trouble, my men. Here's something for you to have a drink with.'

  Thus quickly dismissing the kago bearers with what small change he happened to have on him, he led the woman they had brought into the house.

  'There, the bride's come,' he cried. 'Where's the saké cup?'

  'It's really very kind of you,' said Yaji.

  'There, Mrs. Tsubo, sit down there,' went on Imoshichi. 'Drink a cup and then pass it to your husband. Fill it up, Tako. Now I ought to sing, " On the four seas there is peace," but I don't know how to sing odes. I'll come to-morrow and give you a ballad.'

  While they were passing the sake cup backwards and forwards it began to grow late.

  'I'm afraid I must go now, Mr. Imoshichi,' said Tako.

  'Yes, yes,' said Imoshichi. 'We mustn't incommode you any longer. Well, Mrs. Tsubo, I wish you good night. I hope I shall have the pleasure of seeing you again in the morning.'

  Thus saying farewell he went out with Tako. Yaji, pretending that he was going to see them off, went as far as the entrance with them.

  'I say, Imoshichi,' he whispered,'nothing's been said about the money. What shall I do?'

  'You leave that to me,' said Imoshichi. 'I asked her just as she was getting out of the kago and she said the old chap would send it to-morrow at noon. There won't be any mistake, I guarantee. Don't worry, but just enjoy yourself this evening.'

  Slapping Yaji on the back he went off, and Yaji shut the door.

  'It's cold to-night,' he said. 'Would you like something to eat?'

  'No, thank you,' said Tsubo.

  'Well then, shall we go to bed?' asked Yaji.

  Shall I get out the bedding?' asked Tsubo.

  'No, I'll do it,' said Yaji.

  He was getting the torn bedding and the bedclothes out of the cupboard when there came a knock at the door,—ton-ton-ton-ton.

  'Who can it be at this time of night?' thought Yaji. ' Suppose it's my wife,—suppose she's smelt a rat and come back to make a row. Or perhaps it's her father come to make a complaint. It would be a bother if I were found out.'

  He called softly to his wife.

  'Here,' he said. ' It's a bit awkward, but in this tenement it's the regular thing when a bride comes to live here for the young men to come and play jokes on her. I wonder how they found out you'd come. But it's them right enough. In your present condition perhaps I'd better tell them you haven't come, eh? What do you think?'

  'Dear, dear!' said Tsubo. 'I don't want to see anybody, especially if they're going to play jokes.'

  'Then you'd better hide,' said Yaji. 'You can't go upstairs because there isn't any. Let's see. Oh, I know. It's rather a tight fit but it's only for a little time.'

  It was a trunk which fortunately still remained to Yaji out of all the things he had sold. Opening the lid he got Tsubo to get in and then shut it up again. Then he went and opened the door. What was his surprise when Kitahachi came panting in.

  'Eh? Kitahachi?' cried Yaji. 'What is it you want at this hour?'

  'I couldn't rest,' said Kita. 'It's about that fifteen ryō I asked you for the other day. They're going to have a stock-taking to-morrow and unless I can fill up that hole I've made in the cash by to-morrow morning it's all up with me. I shall be like the priest who preached for a hundred days and then spoilt it all by breaking wind. You said you had a plan for getting it and I've been waiting patiently, but I never heard from you and I got so anxious that at last I crept out of bed and came to ask. You will be able to get that money, won't you?'

  'Of course I shall,' said Yaji. 'You'll have it by noon to-morrow certain. I'm a man of my word, and however humbly I live, when I say I'll get ten or fifteen ryō or some such trifling sum as that, I do it. There won't be any mistake. You may be certain of that.'

  'Thank you, thank you,' said Kita. ' I'll pay you back a hundredfold. As I told you the other day the head clerk is dead and the master's going the same road, and when I get the widow in my hands I shall be the master. I'm like the villain in a play. This time there shall be no mistake. It's very very secret, but I'm just on the point of winning her and now is a very important time. If I fail to get that fifteen ryō I shan't be able to get a thing. So ao try and get it.'

  'I'm not thinking of you only,' said Yaji. 'I'm thinking of myself too. It's for our mutual advantage that I should get it, and I tell you that at noon to-morrow you'll see those fifteen ryō all laid out edge to edge ready for you.'

  Just then Tsubo pushed up the lid of the box and called to them.

  'Oh, oh!' she cried. 'Help me. I have such a pain that I'm afraid the baby's going to be born. Oh, oh! '

  Her groans greatly alarmed Yaji.

  'Eh?' he said. 'What on earth am I to do? Here, Kitahachi, have you ever helped a woman in childbirth?'

  'What an absurd thing to ask,' replied Kita. 'When did your wife get in the family way? I never heard anything about it. You'd better wake up the woman next door.'

  'No, no,' said Yaji. 'We mustn't let them know. It's a secret. Do you think you could heat somt Water?'

  'I can do that right enough,' said Kita. 'But why do you keep your wife in that small box? Here, I'll help her out.'

  He took hold of Tsubo's hands and pulled her out of the box, whereupon she looked at him in surprise.

  'Oh!' she cried, embracing him,'is it you? Oh, how glad I am! Did you get anxious about me now my time's so near and come to ask how I was?'

  Kita's startled expression aroused Yaji's suspicions.

  'Here, Kita,' he said,'is this woman your friend?'

  'Yes, yes,' said Tsubo. 'I was a servant in the same house with Kitahachi and he persuaded me against my will to go with him till I got like I am now and had to leave. My father is so strict that he wouldn't take me home again, and so Kitahachi took me under his protection and put me in lodgings. Then he proposed that he should give me a dowry of fifteen ryō and find me another husband. I didn't want to leave him, especially in my present condition, but he told me it was for my good so I reluctantly agreed and came here against my will as a bride.'

  She told her story half crying with the pain. Yaji's anger broke out.

&nb
sp; 'Eh!' he cried. 'Then you never took fifteen ryo of your master's, and you never had to pay it back, and you were never in debt, and the fifteen ryō was to enable you to marry this woman off to another man?'

  'That's it,' said Kita.

  'Get out with you,' cried Yaji. 'You rascal, you've put me in an awful position.'

  'What position have I put you in?' asked Kita. 'If it's the money, you needn't borrow that now, you know. That will be all right.'

  'All right?' stormed Yaji. 'What do you mean by all right? Haven't I kicked out my wife in order to get that money, so that now I shall have to sleep alone?'

  'Well, haven't I given you a young wife in her place?' said Kita. 'What have you got to grumble about in that?'

  'Don't talk nonsense,' said Yaji. ' Who'd look twice at a woman with a face like that? You abominable rogue! '

  Then his face became black with anger and unable to control himself any longer he seized hold of Kita and commenced to beat him. Kita also, losing his temper, returned the blows.

  Meanwhile Tsubo was in the pangs of child-birth and was continually groaning. But her groans were unheard by Yaji and Kita, who, through the heat of their anger, were quite lost to their surroundings.

  Soon the dawn began to break, and Imoshichi, the matchmaker, on the way to buy his day's supplies, called at the house. He was surprised to hear the sound of something being beaten, intermingled with the groans of a woman. He tried the door, but it was fast ; he knocked, but no one came. Finally he burst the door open and went in.

  'Ah!' cried Yaji, immediately he saw him,' it's Imoshichi. Here's the rascal who plotted against me. Here's the man who deceived me. But I won't stand it. It's unbearable.'