kwaidan- 第5部分

then；　suddenly　bounding；　it　caught　the　upper　edge　of　the　stone　between　its

teeth；　clung　desperately　for　a　moment；　and　dropped　inert。







None　spoke；　but　the　retainers　stared　in　horror　at　their　master。　He　seemed

to　be　quite　unconcerned。　He　merely　held　out　his　sword　to　the　nearest

attendant；　who；　with　a　wooden　dipper；　poured　water　over　the　blade　from　haft

to　point；　and　then　carefully　wiped　the　steel　several　times　with　sheets　of

soft　paper。。。　And　thus　ended　the　ceremonial　part　of　the　incident。







For　months　thereafter；　the　retainers　and　the　domestics　lived　in　ceaseless

fear　of　ghostly　visitation。　None　of　them　doubted　that　the　promised

vengeance　would　come；　and　their　constant　terror　caused　them　to　hear　and　to

see　much　that　did　not　exist。　They　became　afraid　of　the　sound　of　the　wind　in

the　bamboos；　afraid　even　of　the　stirring　of　shadows　in　the　garden。　At

last；　after　taking　counsel　together；　they　decided　to　petition　their　master

to　have　a　Segaki…service　（2）　performed　on　behalf　of　the　vengeful　spirit。





〃Quite　unnecessary；〃　the　samurai　said；　when　his　chief　retainer　had　uttered

the　general　wish。。。　〃I　understand　that　the　desire　of　a　dying　man　for

revenge　may　be　a　cause　for　fear。　But　in　this　case　there　is　nothing　to

fear。〃





The　retainer　looked　at　his　master　beseechingly；　but　hesitated　to　ask　the

reason　of　the　alarming　confidence。





〃Oh；　the　reason　is　simple　enough；〃　declared　the　samurai；　divining　the

unspoken　doubt。　〃Only　the　very　last　intention　of　the　fellow　could　have　been

dangerous；　and　when　I　challenged　him　to　give　me　the　sign；　I　diverted　his

mind　from　the　desire　of　revenge。　He　died　with　the　set　purpose　of　biting　the

stepping…stone；　and　that　purpose　he　was　able　to　accomplish；　but　nothing

else。　All　the　rest　he　must　have　forgotten。。。　So　you　need　not　feel　any

further　anxiety　about　the　matter。〃





　And　indeed　the　dead　man　gave　no　more　trouble。　Nothing　at　all　happened。









OF　A　MIRROR　AND　A　BELL







Eight　centuries　ago；　the　priests　of　Mugenyama；　in　the　province　of　Totomi

（1）；　wanted　a　big　bell　for　their　temple；　and　they　asked　the　women　of　their

parish　to　help　them　by　contributing　old　bronze　mirrors　for　bell…metal。





＇Even　to…day；　in　the　courts　of　certain　Japanese　temples；　you　may　see　heaps

of　old　bronze　mirrors　contributed　for　such　a　purpose。　The　largest

collection　of　this　kind　that　I　ever　saw　was　in　the　court　of　a　temple　of　the

Jodo　sect；　at　Hakata；　in　Kyushu：　the　mirrors　had　been　given　for　the　making

of　a　bronze　statue　of　Amida；　thirty…three　feet　high。＇







There　was　at　that　time　a　young　woman；　a　farmer's　wife；　living　at

Mugenyama；　who　presented　her　mirror　to　the　temple；　to　be　used　for

bell…metal。　But　afterwards　she　much　regretted　her　mirror。　She　remembered

things　that　her　mother　had　told　her　about　it；　and　she　remembered　that　it

had　belonged；　not　only　to　her　mother　but　to　her　mother's　mother　and

grandmother；　and　she　remembered　some　happy　smiles　which　it　had　reflected。

Of　course；　if　she　could　have　offered　the　priests　a　certain　sum　of　money　in

place　of　the　mirror；　she　could　have　asked　them　to　give　back　her　heirloom。

But　she　had　not　the　money　necessary。　Whenever　she　went　to　the　temple；　she

saw　her　mirror　lying　in　the　court…yard；　behind　a　railing；　among　hundreds　of

other　mirrors　heaped　there　together。　She　knew　it　by　the　Sho…Chiku…Bai　in

relief　on　the　back　of　it；　those　three　fortunate　emblems　of　Pine；　Bamboo；

and　Plumflower；　which　delighted　her　baby…eyes　when　her　mother　first　showed

her　the　mirror。　She　longed　for　some　chance　to　steal　the　mirror；　and　hide

it；　that　she　might　thereafter　treasure　it　always。　　But　the　chance　did　not

come；　and　she　became　very　unhappy；　felt　as　if　she　had　foolishly　given

away　a　part　of　her　life。　She　thought　about　the　old　saying　that　a　mirror　is

the　Soul　of　a　Woman　　（a　saying　mystically　expressed；　by　the　Chinese

character　for　Soul；　upon　the　backs　of　many　bronze　mirrors）；　and　she

feared　that　it　was　true　in　weirder　ways　than　she　had　before　imagined。　But

she　could　not　dare　to　speak　of　her　pain　to　anybody。







Now；　when　all　the　mirrors　contributed　for　the　Mugenyama　bell　had　been　sent

to　the　foundry；　the　bell…founders　discovered　that　there　was　one　mirror

among　them　which　would　not　melt。　Again　and　again　they　tried　to　melt　it；　but

it　resisted　all　their　efforts。　Evidently　the　woman　who　had　given　that

mirror　to　the　temple　must　have　regretted　the　giving。　She　had　not　presented

her　offering　with　all　her　heart；　and　therefore　her　selfish　soul；　remaining

attached　to　the　mirror；　kept　it　hard　and　cold　in　the　midst　of　the　furnace。





Of　course　everybody　heard　of　the　matter；　and　everybody　soon　knew　whose

mirror　it　was　that　would　not　melt。　And　because　of　this　public　exposure　of

her　secret　fault；　the　poor　woman　became　very　much　ashamed　and　very　angry。

And　as　she　could　not　bear　the　shame；　she　drowned　herself；　after　having

written　a　farewell　letter　containing　these　words：







〃When　I　am　dead；　it　will　not　be　difficult　to　melt　the　mirror　and　to　cast

the　bell。　But；　to　the　person　who　breaks　that　bell　by　ringing　it；　great

wealth　will　be　given　by　the　ghost　of　me。〃







　You　must　know　that　the　last　wish　or　promise　of　anybody　who　dies　in

anger；　or　performs　suicide　in　anger；　is　generally　supposed　to　possess　a

supernatural　force。　After　the　dead　woman's　mirror　had　been　melted；　and　the

bell　had　been　successfully　cast；　people　remembered　the　words　of　that

letter。　They　felt　sure　that　the　spirit　of　the　writer　would　give　wealth　to

the　breaker　of　the　bell；　and；　as　soon　as　the　bell　had　been　suspended　in　the

court　of　the　temple；　they　went　in　multitude　to　ring　it。　With　all　their

might　and　main　they　swung　the　ringing…beam；　but　the　bell　proved　to　be　a

good　bell；　and　it　bravely　withstood　their　assaults。　Nevertheless；　the

people　were　not　easily　discouraged。　Day　after　day；　at　all　hours；　they

continued　to　ring　the　bell　furiously；　caring　nothing　whatever　for　the

protests　of　the　priests。　So　the　ringing　became　an　affliction；　and　the

priests　could　not　endure　it；　and　they　got　rid　of　the　bell　by　rolling　it

down　the　hill　into　a　swamp。　The　swamp　was　deep；　and　swallowed　it　up；　and

that　was　the　end　of　the　bell。　Only　its　legend　remains；　and　in　that　legend

it　is　called　the　Mugen…Kane；　or　Bell　of　Mugen。



*　　　　　*　　　　　*







Now　there　are　queer　old　Japanese　beliefs　in　the　magical　efficacy　of　a

certain　mental　operation　implied；　though　not　described；　by　the　verb

nazoraeru。　The　word　itself　cannot　be　adequately　rendered　by　any　English

word；　for　it　is　used　in　relation　to　many　kinds　of　mimetic　magic；　as　well　as

in　relation　to　the　performance　of　many　religious　acts　of　faith。　Common

meanings　of　nazoraeru；　according　to　dictionaries；　are　〃to　imitate；〃　〃to

compare；〃　〃to　liken；〃　but　the　esoteric　meaning　is　to　substitute；　in

imagination；　one　object　or　action　for　another；　so　as　to　bring　about　some

magical　or　miraculous　result。





For　example：　you　cannot　afford　to　build　a　Buddhist　temple；　but　you　can

easily　lay　a　pebble　before　the　image　of　the　Buddha；　with　the　same　pious

feeling　that　would　prompt　you　to　build　a　temple　if　you　were　rich　enough　to

build　one。　The　merit　of　so　offering　the　pebble　becomes　equal；　or　almost

equal；　to　the　merit　of　erecting　a　temple。。。　You　cannot　read　the　six

thousand　seven　hundred　and　seventy…one　volumes　of　the　Buddhist　texts；　but

you　can　make　a　revolving　library；　containing　them；　turn　round；　by　pushing

it　like　a　windlass。　and　if　you　push　with　an　earnest　wish　that　you　could

read　the　six　thousand　seven　hundred　and　seventy…one　volumes；　you　will

acquire　the　same　merit　has　the　reading　of　them　would　enable　you　to　gain。。。

So　much　will　perhaps　suffice　to　explain　the　religious　meanings　of

nazoraeru。





The　magical　meanings　could　not　all　be　explained　without　a　great　variety　of

examples；　but；　for　present　purposes；　the　following　will　serve。　If　you

should　make　a　little　man　of　straw；　for　the　same　reason　that　Sister　Helen

made　a　little　man　of　wax；　and　nail　it；　with　nails　not　less　than　five

inches　long；　to　some　tree　in　a　temple…grove　at　the　Hour　of　the　Ox　（2）；

and　if　the　person；　imaginatively　represented　by　that　little　straw　man；

should　die　thereafter　in　atrocious　agony；　that　would　illustrate　one

signification　of　nazoraeru。。。　Or；　let　us　suppose　that　a　robber　has　entered

your　house　during　the　night；　and　carried　away　your　valuables。　If　you　can

discover　the　footprints　of　that　robber　in　your　garden；　and　then　promptly

burn　a　very　large　moxa　on　each　of　them；　the　soles　of　the　feet　of　the　robber

will　become　inflamed；　and　will　allow　him　no　rest　until　he　returns；　of　his

own　accord；　to　put　himself　at　your　mercy。　That　is　another　kind　of　mimetic

magic　expressed　by　the　term　nazoraeru。　And　a　third　kind　is　illustrated　by

various　legends　of　the　Mugen…Kane。







After　the　bell　had　been　rolled　into　the　swamp；　there　was；　of　course；　no

more　chance　of　ringing　it　in　such　wise　as　to　break　it。　But　persons　who

regretted　this　loss　of　opportunity　would　strike　and　break　objects

imaginatively　substituted　for　the　bell；　thus　hoping　to　please　the　spirit

of　the　owner　of　the　mirror　that　had　made　so　much　trouble。　One　of　these

persons　was　a　woman　called　Umegae；　famed　in　Japanese　legend　because　of

her　relation　to　Kajiwara　Kagesue；　a　warrior　of　the　Heike　clan。　　While　the

pair　were　traveling　together；　Kajiwara　one　day　found　himself　in　great

straits　for　want　of　money；　and　Umegae；　remembering　the　tradition　of　the

Bell　of　Mugen；　took　a　basin　of　bronze；　and；　mentally　representing　it　to　be

the　bell；　beat　upon　it　until　she　broke　it；　crying　out；　at　the　same　time；

for　three　hundred　pieces　of　gold。　A　guest　of　the　inn　where　the　pair　were

stopping　made　inquiry　as　to　the　cause　of　the　banging　and　the　crying；　and；

on　learning　the　story　of　the　trouble；　actually　presented　Umegae　with　three

hundred　ryo　（3）　in　gold。　　Afterwards　a　song　was　made　about　Umegae's　basin

of　bronze；　and　that　song　is　sung　by　dancing　girls　ev