238. Learning Gained on a Journey

Also, “Red dishes and bleeding”

A man makes mistakes in using all the words he learned on a journey. It is about a letter he wrote a doctor. Words vary in each region, but there is a version of this sort everywhere. A man falls from a tree and bleeds in each (Shuwan shu o shiki). It has been a humorous story since the days of Seisuishō.

Aomori: MK II 11 28, “Learning gained on a journey” (Tabi gakumon); Tsugaru m 91, “A chinkararin dose of medicine” (Kusuri ippuku chinkararin).

Iwate, Kamihei-gun: Kikimimi 499, “Kyoto and Osaka words” (Kamigata kotoba).

Shiwa-gun: Shiwa shū 122, “Red trays and red bowls” (Shuzen shuwan).

Niigata, Minamikanbara-gun: Kamuhara 19. Note No. 4.

Sado: Sado shū 196, “The dango and untokoshyo” (Dango to untokoshyo).

Ishikawa: Kaga 114, “The Ise shrimp and the torii at Inari” (Ise ebi to Inari o torii).

Nagano: Chiisagata 184, “Climbing a persimmon tree on his way to Kyoto” (Kaki no ki e jōkyō). The words for red bowl and shaking salt appear in this.

Shimoina-gun: Mukashibanashi 66, “A man from the country who went to Kyoto and Osaka” (Inaka mono ga kamigata e itta hanashi).

Yamanashi, Nishiyatsushiro-gun: Zoku Kai 415, 418, “The stupid son” (Baka musuko) and “New words” (Atarashii kotoba).

Mie, Iinami-gun: Nihon zenkoku 35, “Taira no rin.” The little errand boy strung together all kinds of words people taught him and sang them.

Hyōgo, Hikami-gun: TD X 11 61, “The pilgrimage of the persimmon tree” (Kaki no ki sankei).

Hiroshima: Geibi 133, “The messenger to the doctor” (Isha tsukai); Aki 203, “The foolish son” No. 3 (Oroka musuko).

Tokushima, Mima-gun: MK II 1 32, “The scholar’s letter” (Gakusha no fumi); Awa Iyayama 129, “Learning gained on a journey” (Tabi gakumon).

Fukuoka, Kurate-gun: Fukuoka 103, “What the student studied at Kyoto” (Gakusei jōkyō shite benkyōsu). The tale has been made over, but it uses shuwan.

Saga: TD XII 9 21, 22, “A fool” (Fuukemon san). An example of how something in Seisuishō survives to this day.

Ōita: Bungo kijin 171, “Learning gained on a journey” (Dōchū gakumon).

Kagoshima: Kikai 151, “Words from Yamato” (Yamato kotoba). Red things in this are hichirimen [red crepe] and not shuzen shuwan [red tray, red bowl]. This is probably newly introduced.

There is a story added to the Hirabayashi story. By this we can see they belong to the Seiganji style. They always have a letter to a doctor in them.

Further reference:

Ryūteiki (In Nihon zuihitsu taisei I 1 783).

239. Blundering Sōbee

An excitable man set out on a pilgrimage to Ise carrying his lunch, his sword at his side, and his sedge hat and straw sandals tied on firmly. He noticed people laughing at him as he went along. He discovered that he had a wooden pestle fastened to his side, his lunch was wrapped in his wife’s petticoat, the hat on his head was a bamboo basket, and his sandals and leggings were on wrong. There was no help for it. He opened his lunch box only to find he had his wife’s wooden pillow. He did nothing but blunder when he gave his offering at the shrine and when he went to the mochi shop. He arrived home in a terrible state, only to make the mistake of going into a neighbor’s house instead of his own.

Yamanashi, Nishiyatsushiro-gun

Iwate: Shiwa shu 57, “The flustered man from Senhoku-machi” (Senhoku-machi no tontegi).

Akita, Hiraga-gun, Asamai-machi: MK II 3 30, “Watahachi.” A man crawled into a straw bag and went to sleep. A thief picked it up and went off with it. He shaved the man’s head. The man was surprised when he woke up. He said, “Oh, my house has flown off.” When he rubbed his head, he said, “No, this isn’t me.”

Niigata, Minamikanbara-gun: Kamuhara 161, Note No. 59. About blundering Rokubei.

Nagano: Chiisagata 256, “The excitable man” (Awate mono).

Shimoina-gun: Mukashibanashi 23, 98, “Sosō Sōbee” and “Hyokosukabō.”

Yamanashi, Nishiyatsushiro-gun: Kai 74, “The excitable man” (Awate mono). Example. On page 77 of the same book there is a story in which somebody asks “Did you meet a furoshiki with a striped man on its back?”

This story seems to be a later invention, but it is heard everywhere. It may be the work of zatō.

Hyōgo, Akaho-gun: Techō 86, “Blundering Sōbee” (Sosō Sōbee).

Izumo (Shimane): Mr. Shimizu.

Ōita: Bungo kijin 255, “Excitable Kitchyomu” (Awate Kitchyomu).

Nagasaki: Shimabara 138, “Turning the long head” (Chōzu o mawasu hanashi).

240. A Slip of the Tongue

This could be considered a variation of humorous stories about elegant phrases.

Kazusa (Chiba): Nansō 99, “The greedy woman” (Yokufuka onna). “Where did the old furoshiki with fifty rolling eyes go carrying the striped old man on his back?” This and the like are improvised from memory. The one on 77 of Kai mukashibanashi shū is one such.

“The horse with miso on it” and “The horse dengaku.”

241. The Man Who Ate Brewer’s Grains

These tales have appeared endlessly since Seisuishō.

Ishikawa: Kaga 90, “Chōbei and his wife” (Chōbei fūfu). A friend asked a man who ate brewer’s grains how much he drank. He said 300 grains. He was laughed at. His wife told him what to say. The next time he said three go. He gave himself away by adding that he ate them toasted.

There is an example of a child saying that straw was bedding.

242. Part of the Song Left Over

A walking ballad singer who goes beyond his house because he has not finished. TD I 3 10, “The candle” (Rōsoku no hanashi). Kitchyomu went beyond his house with a candle in his hand in Bungo no kijin Kitchyomu san monogatari. In Tsuyushin karukuchi banashi 3 somebody told the man his house was there, but he said that if he went in, some of his song would be left over.

These may be made up, but many are stories about principal characters in humorous tales.

243. Tea-Chestnuts-Persimmons

The rhythm of the words is especially admired and the narrator was probably a professional. They gradually became moral tales. The following is such an example.

The helper at the store was sent to sell vinegar, chestnuts, persimmons, and tea. He was a chap who spoke very fast and ran the words together as he went along—sukkurikakicha. Nobody could make out what he was selling. He returned without selling anything. He was told to say each by itself. This time he called, “Vinegar is vinegar, by itself; chestnuts are chestnuts, by themselves; persimmons are...”

Fukushima Iwaki-gun: Iwaki 85, 163, “Tea-chestnuts-persimmons” (Chakurikaki).

Tochigi, Haga-gun: Shimotsuke 75, “The foolish shop boy” (Baka na bantō).

Ishikawa, Nomigun: MK II 8 37, “The stupid boy” (Bokoi kozō).

Etchū (Toyama): TD III 2 81, “Tea-chestnuts-persimmons” (Chakurikaki no hanashi).

Yamanashi, Nishiyatsushiro-gun: Zoku Kai 440, “Tea-chestnuts-persimmons” (Chakurikaki). Tea’s tea; chestnuts’ chestnuts; persimmons’ persimmons; bunbu. These are scattered all over the country, adjusted to local dialect, which makes it seem that somebody carried them around.

Nagano: Chiisagata 186, “Tea-chestnuts-persimmons” (Chakurikaki).

Kagawa, Shōdojima: Shōdojima.*

Fukuoka, Kurate-gun: Fukuoka 78, “Fast talk and slow talk” (Hayaguchi to osoguchi).

Munakata-gun: Fukuoka 202, “The stupid son” (Baka musuko); TD I 3 7, “Kitchyomu” (Kitchyomu no hanashi): TD I 11 87, “Shuju of Hinatayama” (Hinatayama Shūjū no hanashi) by Nakata Senpo. Twenty-five stories.

244. Sieves and Old Metal

Yamanashi, Nishiyatsushiro-gun: Zoku-Kai 444, “The tea peddler, the sieve peddler, and the old metal man” (Ochauri to furuiya to furuganeya). The tea peddler called, “New tea, new tea!” The sieve peddler called, “Furui, furui [sieves or it’s old].” They began to quarrel as they went along. The old metal buyer came along calling, “Furukane, furukane [old metal or it isn’t old].” So they finally decided to go along together, using his call, “Old metal, old metal [it isn’t old].”

The tale is carried all over the country, revising for dialect.

245. What the Boiling Kettle Said

“Batsu dialogue,” “Butsu stories,” or “Gutsu stories”

The boiling rice gruel seemed to say the name of the foolish boy. He sat by it all the time and answered it. Before and after that passage there is a part abut going to meet the priest at the temple, about burning his robes to fire the bath, and holding the butt of the wine bottle, and such additions.

Aomori, Hachinohe: MK II 11 28, “Gutsu” (Gutsu no hanashi).

Iwate, Isawa-gun: Kogane 127, “The boy and sushizuke” (Kozō to sushizuke).

Niigata, Minamikanbara-gun: Echigo Sanjo 121, “Gutsubata” (Gutsubata no hanashi).

Ishikawa: Kaga 14, 16, “The two brothers” (Kyōdai futari). Two stories.

Nagano: Kitaazumi 1 193. No title; Kitaazumi 2 148, “Gutsu” (Gutsu no hanashi).

Tochigi, Haga-gun: Shimotsuke 77, “Guzutarō.”

Hida (Gifu), Ono-gun, Niugawa-mura: Utsushibana 85, “The foolish girl” (Hakuchi no musume no ko). Here it is a foolish daughter.

Hiroshima: Aki 201, 153, “The foolish son” No. 2 (Oroka musuko) and “The priest and his novice” (Oshō to kozō).

Tokushima, Myōsai-gun: MK I 3 37, “Guzu.”

Mima-gun, Iyayama: MK II 1 29, “Butsu” (Butsu o hanashi).

Kōchi: TD V 12 74. No title. The first of 12 humorous stories.

Fukuoka, Kurate-gun: Fukuoka 195, “Butsu” (Butsu no hanashi).

Munakata-gun: Fukuoka 199, “Butsugata” (Butsugata no hanashi).

Kurume: Fukuoka 200, “Guzu” (Guzu no hanashi).

Nagasaki: Shimabara 141, “Buttsu and Gwatta” (Buttsu to Gwatta); Gotō 255 “Gutsu.”

Kagoshima: Kikai 143, “The foolish son” (Baka musuko). His name was Butsugata. In Kishū it is connected to the story of the former life of the cuckoo. We can also imagine that the kuwan-kuwan in the story of the priest and his novice came from this butsukata.

In the story of the priest and his novice told in the Kohama district of Fukui, the boy’s name was Gutsugarari. He heard the sound from the priest as he warmed wine in the night and got up because he thought he had been called. See Oshō to kozō 42.