Long ago in Kyoto, the city's residents were deeply concerned by reports of a fearsome ogre said to haunt the Rashomon Gate at dusk and abduct anyone who passed by. The missing individuals were never found, leading to rumors that the ogre was a gruesome cannibal who not only killed the unfortunate victims but also consumed them. Consequently, the entire town and its surroundings were gripped by fear, and no one dared to venture near the Rashomon Gate after sunset.
At this time, there lived in Kyoto a general named Raiko, who had made himself famous for his brave deeds. Some time before, he had made the country ring with his name, for he had attacked Oeyama, where a band of ogres lived with their chief, who drank the blood of human beings instead of wine. He had routed them all and cut off the chief monster's head.
This brave warrior was always followed by a band of faithful knights. In this band, there were five knights of great valor. One evening, as the five knights sat at a feast, quaffing sake in their rice bowls and eating all kinds of fish—raw, stewed, and broiled—and toasting each other's healths and exploits, the first knight, Hōjō, said to the others:
"Have you all heard the rumor that every evening after sunset comes an ogre to the Gate of Rashomon, and that he seizes all who pass by?"
The second knight, Watanabe, answered him, saying:
"Do not talk such nonsense! All the ogres were killed by our chief, Raiko, at Oeyama! It cannot be true, because even if any ogres escaped that great killing, they would not dare to show themselves in this city, for they know that our brave master would at once attack them if he knew that any were still alive!"
"Then do you disbelieve what I say, and think that I am telling you a falsehood?"
"No, I do not think that you are telling a lie," said Watanabe; "but you have heard some old woman's story which is not worth believing."
"Then the best plan is to prove what I say, by going there yourself and finding out for yourself whether it is true or not," said Hōjō.
Watanabe, the second knight, could not bear the thought that his companion should believe he was afraid, so he answered quickly:
"Of course, I will go at once and find out for myself!"
So Watanabe at once got ready to go—he buckled on his long sword and put on a coat of armor, and tied on his large helmet. When he was ready to start, he said to the others:
"Give me something so that I can prove I have been there!"
Then one of the men got a roll of writing paper, his box of Indian ink and brushes, and the four comrades wrote their names on a piece of paper.
"I will take this," said Watanabe, "and put it on the Gate of Rashomon, so tomorrow morning will you all go and look at it? I may be able to catch an ogre or two by then!" And he mounted his horse and rode off gallantly.
It was a very dark night, and there was neither moon nor star to light Watanabe's way.To make the darkness worse, a storm came on; the rain fell heavily, and the wind howled like wolves in the mountains. Any ordinary man would have trembled at the thought of going outdoors, but Watanabe was a brave dauntless warrior, ss, and his honor and word were at stake, so he sped into the night, while his companions listened to the sound of his horse's hooves dying away in the distance, then shut the sliding shutters, and gathered around the charcoal fire, wondering what would happen—and whether their comrade would encounter one of those horrible oni.
At last, Watanabe reached the Gate of Rashomon, but peer as he might through the darkness, he could see no sign of an ogre.
"It is just as I thought," said Watanabe to himself; "there are certainly no ogres here; it is only an old woman's story. I will stick this paper on the gate so that the others can see I have been here when they come tomorrow, and then I will take my way home and laugh at them all."
He fastened the piece of paper, signed by all of his four companions, on the gate, and then turned his horse's head homeward.
As he did so, he became aware that someone was behind him, and at the same time, a voice called out to him to wait. Then his helmet was seized from behind. "Who are you?" said Watanabe fearlessly. He then put out his hand and groped around to find out who or what it was that held him by the helmet. As he did so, he touched something that felt like an arm—it was covered with hair and as big around as the trunk of a tree!
Watanabe knew at once that this was the arm of an ogre, so he drew his sword and cut at it fiercely.
There was a loud yell of pain, and then the ogre dashed in front of the warrior.
Watanabe's eyes grew large with wonder, for he saw that the ogre was taller than the great gate; his eyes were flashing like mirrors in the sunlight, and his huge mouth was wide open, and as the monster breathed, flames of fire shot out of its mouth.
The ogre thought to terrify his foe, but Watanabe never flinched. He attacked the ogre with all his strength, and thus they fought face to face for a long time. At last, the ogre, finding that he could neither frighten nor beat Watanabe, and that he might himself be beaten, took flight. But Watanabe, determined not to let the monster escape, spurred his horse and gave chase.
But though the knight rode very fast, the ogre ran faster, and to his disappointment, he found himself unable to overtake the monster, who was gradually lost to sight.
Watanabe returned to the gate where the fierce fight had taken place and dismounted. As he did so, he stumbled upon something lying on the ground.
Stooping to pick it up, he found that it was one of the ogre's huge arms, which he must have slashed off in the fight. His joy was great at having secured such a prize, for this was the best of all proofs of his adventure with the ogre. So he took it up carefully and carried it home as a trophy of his victory.
When he returned, he showed the arm to his comrades, who all called him the hero of their band and gave him a great feast. His wonderful deed was soon known throughout Kyoto, and people from far and near came to see the ogre's arm.
Watanabe now began to grow uneasy about how he should keep the arm safe, for he knew that the ogre to whom it belonged was still alive. He felt sure that one day, as soon as the ogre recovered from his fright, he would come to try to get his arm back. Watanabe therefore had a box made of the strongest wood and banded with iron. In this he placed the arm, and then he sealed the heavy lid, refusing to open it for anyone. He kept the box in his own room and guarded it himself, never letting it out of his sight.
Now one night he heard someone knocking at the porch, asking for admittance.
When the servant went to the door to see who it was, there was only an old woman, very respectable in appearance. On being asked who she was and what business was, ss, the old woman replied with a smile that she had been the master of the house's nurse when he was a little baby. If the master of the house were home, she begged to be allowed to see him.
The servant left the old woman at the door and went to tell his master that his old nurse had come to see him. Watanabe thought it strange that she should come at that time of night, but at the thought of his old nurse, who had been like a foster-mother to him and whom he had not seen for a long time, a very tender feeling arose for her in his heart. He ordered the servant to show her in.
The old woman was ushered into the room, and after the customary bows and greetings, she said:
"Master, the report of your brave fight with the ogre at the Gate of Rashomon is so widely known that even your poor old nurse has heard of it. Is it really true, what everyone says, that you cut off one of the ogre's arms? If you did, your deed is highly praiseworthy!"
"I was very disappointed," said Watanabe, "that I could not capture the monster, which was what I wished to do, instead of only cutting off an arm!"
"I am very proud to think," answered the old woman, "that my master was so brave as to dare to cut off an ogre's arm. There is nothing comparable to your courage. Before I die, it is the great wish of my life to see this arm," she added pleadingly.
"No," said Watanabe, "I am sorry, but I cannot grant your request."
"But why?" asked the old woman.
"Because," replied Watanabe, "ogres are very revengeful creatures, and if I open the box there is no telling but that the ogre may suddenly appear and take his arm back. I have had a box made on purpose with a very strong lid, and in this box I keep the ogre's arm secure; and I never show it to anyone, whatever happens."
"Your precaution is very reasonable," said the old woman. "But I am your old nurse, so surely you will not refuse to show ME the arm."I have only just heard of your brave act, and not being able to wait until morning, I came at once to ask you to show it to me. Watanabe was very troubled at the old woman's pleading, but he still persisted in refusing. Then the old woman said:
"Do you suspect me of being a spy sent by the ogre?"
"No, of course I do not suspect you of being the ogre's spy, for you are my old nurse," answered Watanabe.
"Then you cannot surely refuse to show me the arm any longer," entreated the old woman; "for it is the great wish of my heart to see, for once in my life, the arm of an ogre!"
Watanabe could not hold out in his refusal any longer, so he gave in at last, saying:
"Then I will show you the ogre's arm, since you so earnestly wish to see it. Come, follow me!" And he led the way to his own room, the old woman following.
When they were both in the room, Watanabe shut the door carefully, and then, going towards a big box which stood in a corner of the room, he took off the heavy lid. He then called to the old woman to come near and look in, for he never took the arm out of the box.
"What is it like? Let me have a good look," said the old nurse, with a joyful face.
She came nearer and nearer, as if she were afraid, until she stood right against the box. Suddenly she plunged her hand into the box and seized the arm, crying with a fearful voice that made the room shake:
"Oh, joy! I have got my arm back!"
And from an old woman, she was suddenly transformed into the towering figure of a frightful ogre!
Watanabe sprang back and was unable to move for a moment, so great was his astonishment; but recognizing the ogre who had attacked him at the Gate of Rashomon, he determined with his usual courage to put an end to it this time. He seized his sword, drew it from its sheath in a flash, and tried to cut the ogre down.
So quick was Watanabe that the creature narrowly escaped. But the ogre sprang to the ceiling, and bursting through the roof, disappeared into the mist and clouds.
In this way, the ogre escaped with its arm. The knight gnashed his teeth in disappointment, but that was all he could do. He waited patiently for another opportunity to dispatch the ogre. But the latter was afraid of Watanabe's great strength and daring, and never troubled Kyoto again. So once more, the people of the city were able to go out without fear, even at night, and Watanabe's of Watanabe have never been forgotten.
At this time, there lived in Kyoto a general named Raiko, who had made himself famous for his brave deeds. Some time before, he had made the country ring with his name, for he had attacked Oeyama, where a band of ogres lived with their chief, who drank the blood of human beings instead of wine. He had routed them all and cut off the chief monster's head.
This brave warrior was always followed by a band of faithful knights. In this band, there were five knights of great valor. One evening, as the five knights sat at a feast, quaffing sake in their rice bowls and eating all kinds of fish—raw, stewed, and broiled—and toasting each other's healths and exploits, the first knight, Hōjō, said to the others:
"Have you all heard the rumor that every evening after sunset comes an ogre to the Gate of Rashomon, and that he seizes all who pass by?"
The second knight, Watanabe, answered him, saying:
"Do not talk such nonsense! All the ogres were killed by our chief, Raiko, at Oeyama! It cannot be true, because even if any ogres escaped that great killing, they would not dare to show themselves in this city, for they know that our brave master would at once attack them if he knew that any were still alive!"
"Then do you disbelieve what I say, and think that I am telling you a falsehood?"
"No, I do not think that you are telling a lie," said Watanabe; "but you have heard some old woman's story which is not worth believing."
"Then the best plan is to prove what I say, by going there yourself and finding out for yourself whether it is true or not," said Hōjō.
Watanabe, the second knight, could not bear the thought that his companion should believe he was afraid, so he answered quickly:
"Of course, I will go at once and find out for myself!"
So Watanabe at once got ready to go—he buckled on his long sword and put on a coat of armor, and tied on his large helmet. When he was ready to start, he said to the others:
"Give me something so that I can prove I have been there!"
Then one of the men got a roll of writing paper, his box of Indian ink and brushes, and the four comrades wrote their names on a piece of paper.
"I will take this," said Watanabe, "and put it on the Gate of Rashomon, so tomorrow morning will you all go and look at it? I may be able to catch an ogre or two by then!" And he mounted his horse and rode off gallantly.
It was a very dark night, and there was neither moon nor star to light Watanabe's way.To make the darkness worse, a storm came on; the rain fell heavily, and the wind howled like wolves in the mountains. Any ordinary man would have trembled at the thought of going outdoors, but Watanabe was a brave dauntless warrior, ss, and his honor and word were at stake, so he sped into the night, while his companions listened to the sound of his horse's hooves dying away in the distance, then shut the sliding shutters, and gathered around the charcoal fire, wondering what would happen—and whether their comrade would encounter one of those horrible oni.
At last, Watanabe reached the Gate of Rashomon, but peer as he might through the darkness, he could see no sign of an ogre.
"It is just as I thought," said Watanabe to himself; "there are certainly no ogres here; it is only an old woman's story. I will stick this paper on the gate so that the others can see I have been here when they come tomorrow, and then I will take my way home and laugh at them all."
He fastened the piece of paper, signed by all of his four companions, on the gate, and then turned his horse's head homeward.
As he did so, he became aware that someone was behind him, and at the same time, a voice called out to him to wait. Then his helmet was seized from behind. "Who are you?" said Watanabe fearlessly. He then put out his hand and groped around to find out who or what it was that held him by the helmet. As he did so, he touched something that felt like an arm—it was covered with hair and as big around as the trunk of a tree!
Watanabe knew at once that this was the arm of an ogre, so he drew his sword and cut at it fiercely.
There was a loud yell of pain, and then the ogre dashed in front of the warrior.
Watanabe's eyes grew large with wonder, for he saw that the ogre was taller than the great gate; his eyes were flashing like mirrors in the sunlight, and his huge mouth was wide open, and as the monster breathed, flames of fire shot out of its mouth.
The ogre thought to terrify his foe, but Watanabe never flinched. He attacked the ogre with all his strength, and thus they fought face to face for a long time. At last, the ogre, finding that he could neither frighten nor beat Watanabe, and that he might himself be beaten, took flight. But Watanabe, determined not to let the monster escape, spurred his horse and gave chase.
But though the knight rode very fast, the ogre ran faster, and to his disappointment, he found himself unable to overtake the monster, who was gradually lost to sight.
Watanabe returned to the gate where the fierce fight had taken place and dismounted. As he did so, he stumbled upon something lying on the ground.
Stooping to pick it up, he found that it was one of the ogre's huge arms, which he must have slashed off in the fight. His joy was great at having secured such a prize, for this was the best of all proofs of his adventure with the ogre. So he took it up carefully and carried it home as a trophy of his victory.
When he returned, he showed the arm to his comrades, who all called him the hero of their band and gave him a great feast. His wonderful deed was soon known throughout Kyoto, and people from far and near came to see the ogre's arm.
Watanabe now began to grow uneasy about how he should keep the arm safe, for he knew that the ogre to whom it belonged was still alive. He felt sure that one day, as soon as the ogre recovered from his fright, he would come to try to get his arm back. Watanabe therefore had a box made of the strongest wood and banded with iron. In this he placed the arm, and then he sealed the heavy lid, refusing to open it for anyone. He kept the box in his own room and guarded it himself, never letting it out of his sight.
Now one night he heard someone knocking at the porch, asking for admittance.
When the servant went to the door to see who it was, there was only an old woman, very respectable in appearance. On being asked who she was and what business was, ss, the old woman replied with a smile that she had been the master of the house's nurse when he was a little baby. If the master of the house were home, she begged to be allowed to see him.
The servant left the old woman at the door and went to tell his master that his old nurse had come to see him. Watanabe thought it strange that she should come at that time of night, but at the thought of his old nurse, who had been like a foster-mother to him and whom he had not seen for a long time, a very tender feeling arose for her in his heart. He ordered the servant to show her in.
The old woman was ushered into the room, and after the customary bows and greetings, she said:
"Master, the report of your brave fight with the ogre at the Gate of Rashomon is so widely known that even your poor old nurse has heard of it. Is it really true, what everyone says, that you cut off one of the ogre's arms? If you did, your deed is highly praiseworthy!"
"I was very disappointed," said Watanabe, "that I could not capture the monster, which was what I wished to do, instead of only cutting off an arm!"
"I am very proud to think," answered the old woman, "that my master was so brave as to dare to cut off an ogre's arm. There is nothing comparable to your courage. Before I die, it is the great wish of my life to see this arm," she added pleadingly.
"No," said Watanabe, "I am sorry, but I cannot grant your request."
"But why?" asked the old woman.
"Because," replied Watanabe, "ogres are very revengeful creatures, and if I open the box there is no telling but that the ogre may suddenly appear and take his arm back. I have had a box made on purpose with a very strong lid, and in this box I keep the ogre's arm secure; and I never show it to anyone, whatever happens."
"Your precaution is very reasonable," said the old woman. "But I am your old nurse, so surely you will not refuse to show ME the arm."I have only just heard of your brave act, and not being able to wait until morning, I came at once to ask you to show it to me. Watanabe was very troubled at the old woman's pleading, but he still persisted in refusing. Then the old woman said:
"Do you suspect me of being a spy sent by the ogre?"
"No, of course I do not suspect you of being the ogre's spy, for you are my old nurse," answered Watanabe.
"Then you cannot surely refuse to show me the arm any longer," entreated the old woman; "for it is the great wish of my heart to see, for once in my life, the arm of an ogre!"
Watanabe could not hold out in his refusal any longer, so he gave in at last, saying:
"Then I will show you the ogre's arm, since you so earnestly wish to see it. Come, follow me!" And he led the way to his own room, the old woman following.
When they were both in the room, Watanabe shut the door carefully, and then, going towards a big box which stood in a corner of the room, he took off the heavy lid. He then called to the old woman to come near and look in, for he never took the arm out of the box.
"What is it like? Let me have a good look," said the old nurse, with a joyful face.
She came nearer and nearer, as if she were afraid, until she stood right against the box. Suddenly she plunged her hand into the box and seized the arm, crying with a fearful voice that made the room shake:
"Oh, joy! I have got my arm back!"
And from an old woman, she was suddenly transformed into the towering figure of a frightful ogre!
Watanabe sprang back and was unable to move for a moment, so great was his astonishment; but recognizing the ogre who had attacked him at the Gate of Rashomon, he determined with his usual courage to put an end to it this time. He seized his sword, drew it from its sheath in a flash, and tried to cut the ogre down.
So quick was Watanabe that the creature narrowly escaped. But the ogre sprang to the ceiling, and bursting through the roof, disappeared into the mist and clouds.
In this way, the ogre escaped with its arm. The knight gnashed his teeth in disappointment, but that was all he could do. He waited patiently for another opportunity to dispatch the ogre. But the latter was afraid of Watanabe's great strength and daring, and never troubled Kyoto again. So once more, the people of the city were able to go out without fear, even at night, and Watanabe's of Watanabe have never been forgotten.
0 comments Blogger 0 Facebook
Post a Comment
Click to see the code!
To insert emoticon you must added at least one space before the code.