“The Yanagita Kunio Guide to the Japanese Folk Tale”
13. Humorous Stories:
Exaggerations
202. An Exaggeration
The seed of an orange a man swallowed sprouted in his stomach and grew out of his head. When the fruit ripened, children came to pick the fruit. They were such a nuisance that he pulled the tree up. It left a big hole into which rain fell and made a pond. Then the children were a nuisance because they came to fish. The man could not endure them any longer and threw himself into the pond and drowned.
The tale in Nihon dōwa shū 574 resembles this.
Iwate: Shiwa shū 44, 109, “The horse with soft hoofs” (Tago uma) and “The persimmon tree on his head” (Atama no kaki no ki). All these were created by zatō. Kikimimi 512, “The persimmon on his forehead” (Hitai no kaki no ki).
Isawa-gun: Isawa.* A tree grew on the forehead of Gorō from Asagi. The latter part began to be told in the Meiji era.
Akita: Ugo 316. No title. When a man jumped from a high pagoda onto a furoshiki held by novices, they bumped their heads and fire came out of their eyes. That set a tree beside them on fire. That was the hinoki a pun on [fire and tree]. The tale goes on into catching sparrows in this region. Refer to that.
Nagano: Chiisagata 282, “The pox” (Kasa no byōki). The bird that a man swallowed fluttered around in his stomach and made him feel bad. He asked a bird catcher to get it. He went in and got it, but he left his sedge hat [kasa] inside. That is how pox [kasa] started.
Hyōgo, Kinosaki-gun: MK II 9 35, “Fūraibō.” He was carried away by birds and fell onto Ginzan in Ikuno. He bored a hole through to the yard of an umbrella maker in Osaka. While he was delivering a big umbrella to a certain temple, a big wind came up. It blew him to the roof of Zenkōji in Shinano. When he jumped down, fire came from his eyes and set fire to the temple, burning it completely.
Nagasaki: (Old) Iki 171, “Chōja from a straw” (Warashibe chōja). When the blind old woman tasted the miso, it was so salty that she leaped up and regained her sight.
Kagoshima: Kikai 154, “The tree on the head” (Atama no ki). Example. In tales of exaggeration about unhappiness, there is “Unlucky Sanoya” (Sanoya no fuun).
Further reference:
Kyōdo kenkyū II 4 225.
Nihon dōwa hyōgoku shū, ge 562.
At present tales of exaggeration in most places are usually obscene. Formerly they were of a harmless variety. The following are the names by which they are known: ōguchi, the term around Takatō, Shinshū; ōbanashi, the term only for obscene stories in some regions; ōmono, at Yanai, Suō, for those who amuse themselves with obscene language; ōmono iu, at Iwami about using obscene words; ogatari at Antōjō, Mogami-gun, Yamagata for sex stories told in an abundance in mountain huts, and haeanasu, at Ishinomaki for nonsense stories among which are obscene ones.
203. The Cucumbers in the Sky
Aomori, Hachinohe: MK II 10 20, “The cucumbers in the sky” (Tenjō kyūri). Perhaps this is a variation of the story of the wife from the Sky World, but the gourd sprouted in the corner of the hearth and reached the sky. It is cloe to the story about the man and his dog connected with Tanabata. There is evidence that exaggerations have been developed from episodes in a genuine folk tale.
Kagoshima: Koshiki 108, “The Milky Way” (Ama-no-kawa).
204. The Bean Story
A secondary humorous story. It seems to be found especially in the Tōhoku region.
Aomori: Tsugaru k 25. No title; Tsugaru m 61, “The old man who went down a rat hole” (Nezumi ana sa haitta jiisa no hanashi).
Iwate: Kunohe 484, “Sending bean flour flying” (Kinako o tobashita hanashi). A single bean is found (a point of exaggeration of the first type). It is toasted and pounded and is finally put into the old man’s loin cloth. It is sent flying when he breaks wind. This is derived from “Jizō Jōdo,” but some such are found in hayamonogatari or exaggerations; Shiwa shū 26, “One bean” (Mameko hitotsu). This is close to a hayamonogatari and it is amusing because it is told like one. On 114 of the same book, “The old man’s little hakama” (Jii na no kobakama). Also, Esashi-gun mukashibanashi 51, in which the rhythm of the hayamonogatari is lost. Kikimimi sōshi 200, “The bean story” (Mameko banashi) in which “Jizō Jōdo” and “Rat sutra” are combined; also 564, “The old man and the old woman and the bean flour” (Jii baba to kinako). More than half of the Kakunodate tales are similar.
Akita, Senhoku-gun: Ugo 154. No title. It is an amusing sort resembling a hayamonogatari. Ugo 217, A brief outline. This variation is also an exaggeration. A big bean was picked up on the dirt floor and planted. It reached the sky, etc. Dai-ni 70, “The big bean picked up and given to a rat” (Mameko hirotte nezumiko ni keda hanashi).
Niigata: Sado shū 103, “An exaggeration” (Ōbanashi). There is no doubt about this being performed by a zatō.
205. Rat Sutra
A pious old woman went to a temple to learn a sutra. The priest sat before the altar, his eyes closed, but he could not think of a thing. He happened to open his eyes and see a rat come out cautiously above the altar. He intoned, “On-choro-choro [you go cautiously].” The rat crouched when it heard a voice. The priest intoned, “Sora fukudanda [there you crouch].” Then the rat started to run away. The priest said, “Nigeyō tatte nigashiwasendo [Even if you want to, you can’t run away].” In order not to forget this precious sutra, the old woman repeated it over and over all the way home. That night a thief broke in and was moving cautiously around in the work room. The old woman had made such an effort that she was talking in her sleep. “There you go cautiously”—The thief hid in the shadow of the vat. She continued, “There you crouch”—He thought he was in real danger for his life and started to run away. Then the voice, “Even if you want to, you can’t run away”—At that the thief tore off at full speed. That is why sutras are precious things to know.
Aomori, Hachinohe: MK II 11 24, “Rat sutra” (Nezumi kyō). Three brothers are taught the sutra.
Akita, Senhoku-gun: MK I 10 13, “Suddenly turning into a novice” (Niwaka kozō). A lad who had lost his way -was asked by a pious old woman if he knew a sutra. He got her to let him stay the night and put words about a rat he was watching into a sutra and chased off a thief.
Yamagata, Higashitagawa-gun: MK I 11 32, “Buying a future life” (Goshō kau hanashi). An old man and old woman learned the sutra. Even the sound of the bell, kenu, is in the phrase “Nanmaida—kenu.”
Niigata, Nakakanbara-gun: MK II 2 47, “The old man who bought a future life” (Goshō kai jii san).
Gifu, Yoshiki-gun: Hidabito V 8 20, “Rat sutra” (Nezumi kyō).
Tottori: Inpaku dōwa 79, “Sorori-sorori Namu-Amida.” This is chanted as he watched a frog.
Okayama, Mitsu-gun: MK I 7 36, “The sutra and the thief” (Kyōmon to dorobō). A traveler asked to stay over night and offered to teach his host a sutra. He taught him a rat sutra; Mitsu 89, “The sutra and the thief” (Kyōmon to dorobō).
Fukuoka, Kurate-gun: Fukuoka 73, “The merit of the devout old man” (Shinjin no kudoku).
Ōita, Hayami-gun: MK I 12 44, “Rat sutra” (Nezumi kyō). Example. The title is usual in Kyūshū.
Kumamoto, Amakusajima: MK I 11 45, “Rat sutra” (Nezumi kyō).
Ashikita-gun: MK I 9 46, “Rat sutra” (Nezumi kyō). This “Rat sutra” is found all over the country and is usually told by blind narrators. It can be considered the feat of an imposter.
206. The Origin of the Room
An old woman was delighted because she had taken such a nice bride for her son, but after four or five days the bride began to grow pale. Finally, she lost all her energy. This worried the old woman and she asked the reason. The bride said it was because she was trying to keep from breaking wind. When she was told there was no reason for that, she was relieved and let one go. It was such a violent breeze that it blew the old woman up to the ceiling and scraped the skin off her scalp. When her son came home, the old woman talked it over with him. They decided to send the bride back to her village. When the girl got as far as the edge of the village, she saw children milling around trying to reach persimmons on a tree. She broke wind for them and the persimmons showered down and scattered like a flock of sparrows. As she continued on her way, she came to a river where a boat-load of rice was stuck midstream. The boatmen could not budge it. She said, “I can work it loose with a blast when I break wind.” The men said they would give her the load of rice if she could. This time she let a terrific one go and got the rice as agreed. The bride took the rice back to the old woman’s house and asked to be allowed to stay. The old woman and her son thought she was a great treasure and kept her. They built a special place where she could go to avoid danger when she was about to break wind. This is how heya [a little house in the yard, now a room, or a place to break wind] originated.
This is one group of stories about breaking wind developed from “The old bamboo cutter,” one of the plots of humorous tales.
Aomori: Tsugaru m 116, “The bride who broke wind” (Yome no he no hanashi).
Hachinohe: MK II 11 25, “The bride” (Hanayomego).
Iwate: Rōō 246, “The origin of the room” (Heya no okori). This resembles the Minamikanbara version, but it is arranged better. It could not have been accomplished except by a professional.
Shiwa-gun: Shiwa shū 92, “The bride who broke wind” (Heppiri yomego). It is told in detail, but the play on words about the origin of the room is not present. Nōmin 10, “The bride who broke wind” (Heppiri yomego no hanashi); Kikimimi 573, “The bride who broke wind” No. 1 (Heppiri yome).
Kunohe-gun: Kunohe 577, “The bride who broke wind” (Heppiri yome).
Miyagi, Momoo-gun: Kyōdo den 2 120, “The bride who broke wind” (Heppiri yome).
Tochigi: Haga 1 2, “Seven folk tales” No. 3 (Mukashibanashi nanatsu); Shimotsuke 91, “Breaking wind” (Hōhi dan).
Niigata, Minamikanbara-gun: Kamuhara 138, “The girl who broke wind” (Hekkoki anesa). Example. The persimmons and the boatload of rice are both in the old way. On 147 of the same book is another story, “Who is it?” (Dare da).
Nagano, Shimoina-gun: Mukashibanashi 112, “The bride who broke wind” (Hehiri yome). This is only the first half and has nothing about knocking pears down.
Yamanashi: Kai 154, “The bride who broke wind” (Heppiri yome). There is a shout to hurry and close the place the wind comes from.
Okayama, Mitsu-gun: MK I 11 35, 42, “The bride who broke wind” (Hehiri yome). The same title for both and no conclusion about the room.
Hiroshima: Aki 216, 219, “The old woman who broke wind” (Hekoki baba) and “The bride who broke wind” (Hehiri yome). The bride in the first tale was blown to the ceiling. The second tale is the usual one about the bride breaking wind.
Nagasaki: Shimabara 276, “Imitating the cat” (Neko no mane). In the last part. The Sawata stories of Kyūshū end with the part about being blown to the ceiling. A senbei peddler comes along at the end in some stories. There is a play on words hea geta in the district of Morioka.
207. “Who Is It”
An old man was hired by the head of a neighboring village to scare off robbers because it sounded like dare-ka dare-ka [who is it, who is it] when he broke wind. When a robber started into a place one night, he was surprised to hear dare-ka dare-ka, but presently he realized what it was. He put a plug in to stop the noise. He felt quite safe after that and started off with a 100 ryō box, but stumbled on the plug. It broke loose and a huge dare-ka dare-ka dare-ka broke out. The thief became completely unnerved and threw the box away as he ran off. The old man received a big reward.
Iwate, Waga-gun, Kurosawajiri-machi: Kikimimi 571, “The guard who broke wind” (Heppiri bannin).
Yamanashi: Zoku Kai 369, “The art of breaking wind” (He gei).
Hiroshima: Aki 221, “Who is it” (Dare da). Example.
Mitsuki-gun: Geibi 76. A note. This is found in many places as an anecdote about an old man who broke wind. He is hired to look after things while the family goes to Kyoto to visit temples and the like. It can be considered as starting from “The old bamboo cutter.”
208. Stories about Breaking Wind
“The origin of the Room” and “Who is it” are included.
An old man’s stomach bloated because he ate mochi made from buckwheat and oats. He went to sleep with a stopper in, but the pressure blew it out. It killed a wild goose for him.
Aomori: Tekkiri 242, “The old man who broke wind” (Hetare jiji). Example.
Yamaguchi, Ōshima: Suō Ōshima 81, “A contest in breaking wind” (He kurabe). There is a story about a match in breaking wind. It resembles tales about strong men. The house was twisted with one blast and straightened up with another. An ax was blown off and it struck the other contestant as he was leaving. The story about swallowing the bird was probably an old humorous story.
209. Rokubei Who Had Occult Sight
There once was a jealous husband who had the habit when he came home of saying, “You, there, I saw what went on. So and so came today, didn’t he?” And he was usually right. His wife would say the fortune telling sticks were liars. It happened that ten 1000-ryō boxes were stolen from the castle in Sendai. No matter how much the matter was investigated, nothing was learned. A rumor was heard about the fortune teller Rokubei, and a sedan chair was sent to meet him and bring him there. Since there was no help for it, the man took courage and went along. When they stopped at the border of the region, the head samurai had the place cleared and then addressed Rokubei. He said, “Now, Fortune Teller, if you go ahead, you will probably locate the money boxes, but it is not likely that I can keep my head. I have a request to make of you. Let me keep one box and you can have one, but do not tell that I took them. If you do not agree, I’ll take your life right here and now.” The man turned pale and agreed. He asked, “Then where are the money boxes?” He was told they were behind the moat of the castle. After he reached Sendai, he set up his fortune sticks. He said, “Two boxes were carried off by a great bandit to the west, but the others are buried. Hurry and dig them up.” (The night before, he and the samurai had hurriedly dug up the two boxes.) Workmen were called, and, sure enough, the eight boxes were there. The feudal lord was delighted. He gave one of them to Rokubei as a reward, so he went home with two. His wife said, “I did not realize what a skillful man you were.” After that they lived together as a happy pair.
Iwate, Kamihei-gun: Kikimimi 135, “The fake fortune teller” (Nise hakke). Example. Getting the extra box of money as thanks was probably made up. Rōō 174, “Rokubei who had occult sight” (Mitōshi Rokubei). It resembles “Famous for scenting” closely. There are such stories of confessions by thieves. In this one there is nothing about guessing the fire.
Tottori, Hino-gun: Inpaku dōwa 37, “The boy who told fortunes” (Hakke no kozō). He was only fooling when he laid out fortune sticks, but he was sent for advice. He escaped into the mountains from the sedan chair sent for him. He overheard the secret of thieves.
Kagoshima: Koshiki 176, “The fake fortune teller” No. 1 (Nise hakke). Nabeya Shichibei found the golden jar that had been stolen from the palace. This is in the same group as “Seven enemies in one stroke.” In Japanese tales it frequently goes with “Famous for scenting.” This also seems quite old.
210. Famous for Scenting
The sailor called Magojiee was a very poor man. Before he set out to sea, he said to his wife, “I am coming home on the 15th Day of New Year, so set fire to our house and burn it down on that day.” When the boat left the harbor and started back, Magojiee climbed onto the roof of his boat and declared, “It smells as though my house was burning up.” His captain said that was a silly thing to say. They made a wager. If the house had burned, the captain would give him his house and everything. When the boat reached the shore, Magojiee’s wife came weeping false tears and said their house had burned down. The captain’s house was taken from him. The fame of this spread. Somebody came from the feudal lord of Satsuma to confer with Magojiee about the sword he had lost in battle. He worried and did not know what to do. He made sweet wine and offered it to the kami. He drank half of it and fell asleep. The priest there came out and said, “Somebody has drunk half of the wine. It’s probably a prank of the fox at Shiroyama. He’s the one who took the sword, but if I say so, suspicion will fall upon me. I must remain silent about it.” The result was the Magojiee could return the sword, but he begged the feudal lord not to ask him to scent things out any more.
This can be said to have come from success stories.
Iwate: Shiwa shū 18, “Famous for scenting” (Hanakiki). A man saw his wife hide red bean mochi and wine while he looked on from the roof beam of the stable. He pretended to scent it and became famous. He was asked by the chōja to scent the cause of his daughter’s illness. When somebody came to meet him, he told his wife to set fire to their house at about the time he should arrive there so he could have a good excuse to leave. He spent that night praying to Aomori Gongen. In a revelation he learned that the girl’s illness was due to a spell cast by a snake and a frog.
That it was not a chance discovery is probably made up. There are stories in the West about scenting out food. Most of them are tied to stories about secret lovers.
Fukui, Sakai-gun: Nanetsu IV 25, “The tengu’s multiplication” (Tengu no kakezan). He said he learned how to multiply from a tengu in the mountains. He guessed where his wife hid something and was asked by the feudal lord for help. The way he climbed into the rafters to hide and watch his wife is like “The wife without a mouth.”
Hyōgo, Taki-gun: Minzokugaku II 12 34, “Jotarō” (Jotarō no hanashi).
Shimane, Suchi-gun: TD III 1 19, “Smelling fire in a distant country” (Engoku ni kaji o kagu). About Niemon of Izumi. His wife helped him.
Hiroshima, Saeki-gun: Geibi 55, “Rokubei who smelled things” (Hanakiki Rokubei). An old woman who peddled cotton and a housewife were enjoying eating things she had been cooking. Somebody threw cotton thread into the cow shed stealthily. Later he scented it out for the housewife. He was called Hana-gami [Nose God]. Another tale resembles the one about Niemon of Izumo. The start is like the example, but he was asked by a yardage peddler to scent out where the hair ornament was that the maid had stolen. He overheard a lame fox later. Aki, 135, “Famous for scenting” (Hanakiki). She scented ohagi and became famous.
Tokushima: Awa Iyayama 1, “Famous for using a weather vane” (Kasami no meijin).
Kagoshima: Koshiki 178, “The fake fortune teller” No. 2 (Nise hakke). Example.
Okierabu: Okinoerabu 81, “The child who had occult sight” (Mitōshi dōji). The beginning is a little different, but he learned about where the king’s treasure was from the talk of a lame monkey and scented it out. That resembles the story in Hiroshima. He performed a feat without planning it. This continues with “The gun shaped like the character for he.”
211. The Lucky New Samurai
Hachibei of Uekiya found the corpse of a samurai in the mountains. He changed clothes with it and suddenly turned into a samurai. He was challenged in a contest, he aimed at things at random the night before and hit a thief. When he fell from his horse during the contest, he happened to land upon a pheasant’s nest and caught the bird by hand. He fainted when he went to destroy a demon, but the demon ate Hachibei’s parched flour and choked to death. When Hachibei came to, he found that he had succeeded very well. He exhibited many feats of courage.
Iwate: Shiwa shū 51, “Itonaga Shōji of Harima-no-kuni” (Harima-no-kuni no Itonaga Shōji). When three young men were going to marry, they were given horses to ride. One cried, “Kowai [I’m afraid],” but his father-in-law thought he was singing while riding and praised him as a fine man.
Niigata, Minamikanbara-gun: Kamuhara 212. Note No. 88. It is close to the Iki story even to the poison medicine.
Tokushima: Awa Iyayama 16, “A piece of rope” (Hitosuji no nawa).
Fukuoka, Kurate-gun: Fukuoka 76, “Hachibei of Uekiyama” (Uekiyama Hachibei). Example. There is a Kitchomu story, too, about destroying a big snake with wheat flour.
Ōita, Hayami-gun: MK I 12 “Killing a snake with oat flour” (Mugiko de hebi taiji shita hanashi). A man who was considered a fool destroyed a snake and was promoted to be a samurai.
Nagasaki: (Old) Iki 218, “Kichigorō who sold grey mullet” (Borauri Kichigorō). The feudal lord promoted him step by step because of brave deeds done by chance. Shimabara 91, “The exploit of Sannen Nebōtarō” (Sannen Nebōtarō no tegara). Sannen Nebōtarō escaped to Satsuma and performed an exploit. No part about seeking marriage. It is strange that he went to Satsuma. An example in Chihō sōdan.
Kagoshima, Kawabe-gun, Kushi: (No source). A man went to Kushi-gō and falsely claimed to be Kamakura Gongorō. He performed many brave deeds there by chance and displayed bravery. In Kagoshima they call him Kamakura Gongorō for some reason. The tale is close to “The brave tailor” [Killing seven of the enemy with one stroke].
The tendency to attach all sorts of episodes to amusing tales is probably a device to prolong them, as in “Rat sutra” and “Who is it?” or in the story of how a gambler frightened off thieves by chance. He called himself Kamakura Gongorō and performed many brave deeds by chance. Refer to “The lucky new samurai.” He was fooled into buying a mask of Hannya [God of Wisdom], frightened another gambler away, and got possession of his gold, thus becoming a chōja, (Tsugaru mugashiko 35). There are many such stories. “Seven enemies at one stroke” by Grimm belongs to this group. A story of a chance brave deed is also in “The three sons-in-law.” Refer to the discussion of Huet and the folk tale in Mukashibanashi kenkyū II 6 12.
212. Catching Sparrows
To catch a lot of sparrows, gather fresh camellia leaves early in the morning and scatter them around. Put a little wine dregs on each and leave them. Sparrows will come and eat the dregs. They will get drunk and go to sleep there. In the meantime, the sun will come out and wilt the leaves. They will curl up and wrap around the sparrows. Then sweep them into a straw sack.
Akita: Ugo 57, 279. Notations. Making a nose look like a walnut to catch little birds.
Nagasaki: Shimabara 300, “Catching lots of sparrows” (Suzume o takusan toru hanashi). Example. Also, to catch a lot of pigeons, tie a string onto a bean. A pigeon will eat it and the bean will come out in the droppings. Another pigeon will eat it, and so on until you have them all on a string like a rosary.
Ōita: Bungo kijin 82, “Catching sparrows” (Suzume tori). Catching little birds with wine dregs, persimmon leaves, and acorns. On page 87 of the same book it tells how to see a play for nothing. There is also a method of painting a hand and holding it out for sparrows to light upon, but camellia leaves and a dipper painted black may be considered earlier versions.
213. The Lucky Hunter
When the little son of a poor man became seven years old, the father had to give a celebration for putting a loin cloth onto him. He went into the mountains and shot a badger. While it was thrashing around in pain from the bullet, it dug up a lot of wild yams. The man shot a wild duck and it fell into the water. When the man went in after it, his divided skirt filled with fish. He carried everything home on his back and was able to prepare a great celebration.
This story is also in “The aged bridegroom” of the Mikawa flower festival. It may also accompany “The three sons-in-law.”
Iwate: Shiwa shū 12, 5, “Seventeen potatoes” (Nagaimo jūnana hon). The son-in-law who married the oldest daughter had good luck. All kinds of things, one after the other, came to hand. “Kōta of Furukawa” (Furukawa no Kōta). He caught a lot of wild ducks at Kitakamigawa and tied them to his loin cloth. They flew off with him and dropped him onto the Daibutsu temple at Nara. When he jumped down, he burrowed into the ground. From there it becomes the story of “Gengorō’s trip to the sky.” Isawa*; Nihon dōwa 153, “The lucky hunter” (Kofuku na ryōshi). The form is rather broken. It says it is a story from Bingo, but this is doubtful.
Fukushima, Iwaki-gun: Iwaki 74, “A rabbit, wild yams, and chestnuts” (Usagi to yamaimo to kuri).
Miyagi, Momoo-gun: Kyōdo den 3 119, “The foolish son” (Baka musuko).
Tochigi, Haga-gun: Shimotsuke 87, “A group of short tales” No. 6 (Kobanashi shū).
Chiba, Chōsei-gun, Shigehara-machi: Nansō 99, “The lucky hunter” (Ma no yoi ryōshi); Nihon den 209, “The lucky hunter” (Ma no yoi ryōshi); Techō 89, “The lucky hunter” (Mano yoi ryōshi). He got good game one after another. When he took wild ducks alive, they flew off with him to the top of a pagoda. When he jumped down, fire flashed from his eyes and burned the pagoda to the ground.
Gifu, Yoshiki-gun: Hidabito V 6 8, “The lucky hunter” (Ma no yoi ryōshi). This is close to “The persimmon growing from the forehead.”
Yamanashi: Zoku Kai 367, “The great catch” (Sesshō ō atari). He held the gun unsteadily as he fired and the bullets scattered like little birds. He shot all thirteen wild ducks. This is like “The he shaped gun.”
Aichi, Kitashidara-gun: Aichi 366, “Shinza, the liar” (Usokoki Shinza). In this it begins with, “Once I...” but in the Hanamatsuri it is “When the old man went as a bridegroom.”
Tokushima: Awa Iyayama 113, “The lucky hunter” (Ma no yoi sesshō nin).
Fukuoka, Kurate-gun: Fukuoka 80, “A story ending in a word play” (Otoshi banashi). After he caught wild ducks by hand, they carried him to the pagoda of Tennōji. When he jumped down, his teeth were broken off and he became hanashi [toothless or story].
Yame-gun: Fukuoka 159, “The lucky hunter” (Ma no yoi ryōshi no hanashi).
Munakata-gun: Fukuoka 212, “The hunter and the loin cloth celebration” (Ryōshi to heko iwai). Example.
Ōita, Kitaamabe-gun: MK I 4 40, “When Tōto went hunting” (Tōta san no ryō).
Naori-gun: Naori 115, “The great hunt” (Tairyō); TD I 3 7, “Kitchyomu” (Kitchyomu dan); Jinbun I 1 143, “A story from Awa-no-kuni” (Awa-no-kuni no hanashi); Bungo kijin 187, “The lucky hunter” (Un no yoi ryōshi no hanashi). This is quite close to the Hikoshichi story of Kuma, but there is no part about flying off in the sky.
Kumamoto, Kuma-gun: MK I 2 39, “When Yazaemon caught a spotted eel” (Yazaemon no madara unagi tori), “Lucky Magozaemon” (Shia-wase Magozaemon), “The otter” (Kawauso), “The old man who caught birds” (Tori tori jii), and such.
Further reference:
Nihon dōwa hōgyoku shū, ge (1921 ed.) 513. It is called “Gonbei, the wild duck catcher,” but the names Awa and Bingo do not appear.
Kenshō kokin shū, chū, maki 9. Note No. 9. In the part about “Watanohara no Yasojima.”
214. Gengorō’s Trip to the Sky
Gengorō was sent by his mother to buy eggplant shoots. He paid 100 mon for a single plant, the price set by the old man selling it. He told Gengorō that it was worth it even if it was costly because a single plant would bear hundreds and thousands of eggplants. He planted it in his garden and cultivated it carefully. The plant grew taller and taller until he had to look up to see the top. Lovely purple flowers hung like a cloud on it. Then presently the eggplants formed. When the 7th Day of the Seventh Month came, his mother wanted some eggplants to offer for the Tanabata festival. She asked her son to pick some. He leaned a ladder against the eggplant tree and climbed into it. He climbed and climbed until he reached the Sky. A splendid palace was there. He found a white-haired old man in a beautiful room. The man said, “Thanks to you I am enjoying eggplants every day. Since you have come this far, please stay a while.” He called his two lovely girls out and they entertained the young man in many ways. He sat back and enjoyed the feast. The old man was Raijin [Thunder God]. In the evening he wore a tiger skin around his loins. When it was time for evening showers, he invited the young man to go along with him to help. The girls on either side urged him, too, so he accepted the job of making rain. He ran along after the old man who beat the drums and the girls who flashed lightning with mirrors. In the lower world the Tanabata festival was being celebrated at the Chinju shrines. When the rain started, there was great confusion. Presently they came over the young man’s village. He thought he would have a little sport with his friends. He asked the old man to beat his drums loudly and the girls to flash their mirrors. The young man had a big laugh over the excitement of his friends. He happened to look at the girls. They were working so hard that their clothes came open and exposed their white legs. He stepped off the cloud and fell down, down to the lower world. There he was impaled on a mulberry branch. The girls above lamented his fate but there was nothing they could do for him. The Thunder God saw how they felt and said, “I am sorry for the young man. I’ll never let a bolt of thunder fall again around a mulberry tree.” That is why people fasten mulberry branches under the eaves of their homes when it thunders.
Iwate: Rōō 143, “The cooper’s trip to the sky” (Okeya no shōten); Kikimimi 474, “Helping Raijin” (Raijin no tetsudai).
Esashi-gun: Esashi 33, 96, “The young man who climbed to the Sky to be the son-in-law of Raijin” (Tenjō ni nobotte Raijin no muko to narō to shita musuko no hanashi). Example; “A teakettle lid that flew” (Chagama no futa ga tonda to iu hanashi). A lazy young man who worked for Inazusawa Chōja. The first story belongs to the “Hachikoku Yama” group of tales.
Akita, Kazuno-gun: MK I 3 27, “The mischievous boy” (Itazura kozō).
Nagano: Kitaazumi 2 152. No title. The story starts from one about one bean, but it does not go into the Hachikoku Yama theme. The Kakunodate version goes into the bean story.
Tokushima Miyoshi-gun: MK II 9 39, “The flower city” (Hana no miyako). It is like “Sannen Netarō,” but it has something of “A trip to the Sky.”
Nagasaki, Minamitakaku-gun: Shimabara 113, 46, “Gengorō’s trip to the Sky” (Gengorō to ten nobori) and “The wife from the Sky World” (Tennin nyōbō). In the latter story, the wife from the Sky World told her husband to bury 1000 red cows and to plant squash above them that would reach the Sky. He lacked one cow of enough, so he could not quite reach the Sky. His wife pulled him up. After that there is the episode of making it rain and his falling. There is a version about 999 pairs of straw sandals. That is the ending of the story about the wife from the Sky World on Amami Ōshima.
Ōita, Hayami-gun: MK II 1 44, “Gengorō” (Gengorō no hanashi). Once there was a man named Gengorō who climbed to the Sky and became the helper of Thunder God. He was told to follow him and scatter water with bamboo grass. While he went along sprinkling water, he came over his own village. Since sprinkling with the bamboo grass was slow, he decided to pour it from the jar. He not only poured a lot, he missed his footing and fell from the cloud. His field was flooded and turned into Lake Biwa. Gengorō turned into a fish.
This may have come from the story about the wife from the Sky World. One wonders why the name Gengorō was used. If it is considered the name of the narrator, there might be some influence from Ōmi in the title.
Further reference:
Huet, 180. A story about climbing a bean to the sky.
215. The Shrimp and the Big Bird
Long ago there was a huge bird. Everybody praised him because he was so big. He became proud. He set out on a pleasure trip to various countries. He got tired flying over the sea and settled onto a pile that was sticking up out of the water. A voice said, “Who is that on my whisker?” It came from an Ise shrimp. When the shrimp heard about the big bird, he said, “There is not likely to be anyone as big as I.” He set out on a pleasure trip, too. Along the way he got tired and went into a cave to rest. A voice said, “Who is that in my nostril?” When he looked closely, he saw it was the snout of a great fish. It sneezed and blew the shrimp to a cliff. When the shrimp struck the cliff, his back was bent. That is why one should not be proud of himself.
There has been an interest in a story explaining beginnings.
Aomori: Tekkiri 311, “The proud owl” (Ohho no jiman).
Niigata, Minamiuonuma-gun: MK I 10 39, “The stork, the shrimp, and the turtle” (Kōnotori to ebi to kame).
Nagano: Kitaazumi 2 179, “The origin of hachijō” (Hachijō no yurai). They say the hachijō, the long white paper strip tied to the New Year pine, is there because a great bird comes from Tenjiku to catch men.
Yamanashi: Kai 71, “Seeing the world” (Sekai kenbutsu).
Shizuoka: Shizuoka 447, “Why the shrimp’s back is bent” (Ebi no koshi ga magatta wake).
Okayama, Mitsu-gun: MK I 9 29, 30, “Why the shrimp’s back is bent” (Ebi no koshi ga magatta wake) and “Comparing sizes” (Ōkii kurabe). Two stories with the latter title.
Yamaguchi, Suō Ōshima: Kōshō 8 9, “Why the shrimp’s back is bent” (Ebi no koshi no magatta wake).
Tokushima: Awa Iyayama 86, “Why the shrimp’s back is curved” (Ebi no koshi wa naze marui).
Ehime, Kitauwa-gun MK II 3 34, “Why the Ise shrimp’s back is bent” (Ise ebi no koshi wa naze magatta ka). Example.
Fukuoka, Kiku-gun: Fukuoka 162, “The crow’s trip around the world” (Karasu no sekai kaikoku). A crow, a shrimp, and a stingaree.
Ōita, Kitaamabe-gun: MK I 3 41, “The stork, the shrimp, and the whale” (Kōnotori to ebi to kujira).
Nagasaki: Shimabara 126, “The hawk, the shrimp, and the clam” (Taka to ebi to hamaguri).
Kumamoto, Ashikata-gun: MK I 7 47, “The confusion of the catfish” (Namazu sōdō). The reason that the scars are on the sea slug is to help the catfish is probably wrong.
Kagoshima: Koshiki 202, “The greatest in the sea world” (Umi no sekai ichi).
Kyoto, Hieizan: Nihon den 120, “The big frog” (Ōgaeru). The big frog at Mt. Hiei is perhaps because the shrimp is sure to come out, due to the translation, or it may have been blown out of a nostril to explain the conclusion that its back is bent.
Further reference:
Ikkyū banashi, chū 16
Chōsen mintan shū 302. This has some similarity.
216. Matching Strength
There may have been an original form, but now it is only handed down among tales of exaggeration. One example is the following.
A strong man called Daikoku went from Japan to China to match strength with Dairikibō. Dairikibō’s wife came out and said her husband was away, but she invited Daikoku to come in and rest. She picked up a six foot square fire box and set it down by him and left the room. Daikoku was astonished at the woman’s strength and wondered what was in store for him when Dairikibō returned. He ran off in a hurry. When Dairikibō returned presently he heard the story from his wife. He went outside to look, but could see not trace of Daikoku. He did not intend to let him get away. He called forth a cloud to ride and reached the seashore in a single leap, Daikoku had boarded a boat and was headed for Japan. Dairikibō reached out with a long metal hook and started to pull the boat back, but Daikoku cut it with a file and escaped. He barely managed to reach Japan and begged for help at the temple of a certain village. The priest there told him to climb into the bucket of the well to hide. While he was there, Dairikibō arrived, riding on the wind, and began to look everywhere for him. He looked into the well and saw Daikoku’s reflection below in the water. He shouted, “So, you’re hiding in a place like that!” He jumped in with a splash. Daikoku promptly leaped out of the bucket. He broke the stone wall into bits and tossed the rocks into the well. Dairikibō could no longer get out. He was so humilated that even now he occasionally gives his body a shake, causing an earthquake. Daikoku was saved by the priest, and he remained and served the temple for the rest of his life as thanks. That is how the present name daikoku [priest’s wife]originated.
Aomori: Tsugaru k 6. No title. This is about Daikoku of Japan and Doyō of India.
Iwate: Shiwa 42, “Dairikibō who turned into an earthquake” (Jishin ni natta Dairikibō). Example.
Kamihei-gun: Kikimimi 146, “Ikiai of Nambu and Bunpai of Akita” (Nambu no Ikiai to Akita no Bunpai). They both died. It says nothing about fleeing for home. It is changed into an anecdote.
Fukui, Sakai-gun: MK I 1 31, “Koppai and Nyūdō” (Koppai to Nyūdō).
Ishikawa: Kaga 117, “The young challenger” (Nobori no musuko). Somebody came to match strength with the son, but he was so surprised at the old father’s strength that he ran home.
Nomi-gun: Nomi 928, “Fujinuki Kinai.”
Yamanashi, Nishiyatsushiro-gun: Zoku Kai, 246, 249, “Niō and Gaō” (Niō to Gaō) and “Niō and Aō” (Niō to Aō). In the first, the wife had great strength. In the second, the strength was in answer to prayers. There was no contest.
Tochigi, Haga-gun: Shimotsuke 59, “Kankurō and Doyōtarō” (Kankurō to Doyōtarō).
Shizuoka, Ibara-gun: Shizuoka 448, “Niō of Nishiyamadera” (Nishiyamadera no Niō).
Wakayama: Muro 54, “Osodagawa” (Osodagawa no hanashi). A strong man came from Awa to match strength, but he was chased home. Perhaps the part about being chased belongs to another group.
Fukuoka, Miyako-gun: Fukuoka 206, “Fudōmyōō and Seimen Kongo” (Fudōmyōō to Seimon Kongo). A little invented, perhaps.
Nagasaki: Shimabara 128, “Niō and Gama” (Niō to Gama).
Kagoshima: Kikai 129, “Rikiō” (Rikiō no hanashi).
Okinawa: Irō 81, No. 103. No title.
Further reference:
Shimabara hantō minwa shū 284. “A contest in breaking wind” (Hehiri kurabe).
217. Fooling Each Other
Fukuoka, Miyako-gun: Fukuoka 124, “Kichigo” (Kichigo banashi). Kichi-go of Nakatsu and Kichigo of Kokura fool each other.
Nagasaki: Shimabara 222, “A revenge contest” (Adauchi kyōsō). Two tales. This turns into a rakugo, a popular entertainment even now. The one that was fooled tricked the wife of the other man into becoming a nun.
218. Matching Tricks
Once upon a time three robbers called Sankaku of Kyoto, Sankaku of Echigo, and Sankaku of Edo broke into a wealthy man’s house. Before they could steal anything, the three were caught by young men working there. They begged to be set free because they had only barely entered and had stolen nothing, but the young men said there was no point in letting them off. The three then said they would like to exhibit some entertaining tricks in order to be set free. The master of the house agreed to that. They borrowed a bamboo pole and set it up in the yard. Sankaku of Kyoto turned into a kite and perched on its tip. Then Sankaku of Echigo turned into a rat, and Sankaku of Edo turned into a bean. The rat picked up the bean and scrambled to the top of the pole with the bean in his mouth. The kite picked up the rat with its beak and flew off somewhere.
Aomori, Hachinohe: MK II 10 18, “Using magic” (Mahō tsukai).
Iwate: Shiwa shū 146, “The young man who became a horse” (Uma ni natta wakamono).
Niigata, Minamikanbara-gun: Kamuhara 148, “The three robbers” (Sannin dorobō). Example.
Nagasaki: Shimabara 183, “Domo Kōmo” (Domo to kōmo). Domo and Kōmo were two doctors who cut off each other’s head and fastened it on. Then they tried pulling heads together. Shimabara 129, “The kite and the rat” (Tonbi to nezumi).
Kagoshima, Kikaijima: Shima II 492, “Tōzai’s magic” (Tōzai no mahō). Matching strength. This shows the relationship between stories about matching ages and those about brothers. They are not well developed in Japan. Those told at present are either translations or they are some that began as humorous tales.
Further reference:
Clouston I 413. The Western example in detail. The tale from Kikaijima and others must be regarded as fragments.
219. Dōmo, Kōmo
These may be humorous stories about matching tricks.
This is about two doctors, Domo and Kōmo, comparing cures. First they compared drawing out blisters. Next it was ointment to stick heads back on that had been cut off. Finally they matched strength by pulling each other’s head. Both heads came off, and that is why we say domo, kōmo when nothing can be done about it.
Iwate, Kamihei-gun: Rōō 113, “The two gamblers” (Futari no bakuchi uchi).
Niigata, Minamiuonuma-gun: MK I 10 39, “Dōmo to Kōmo; Minamikanbara 186, “Dōmo, Kōmo” (Dōmo to Kōmo).
Yamanashi, Nishiyatsushiro-gun: Zoku Kai 362, “Dōmo, Kōmo” (Dōmo to Kōmo).
Fukuoka, Chikujōgun: Fukuoka 228, “Dōmo, Kōmo” (Dōmo to Kōmo). Example.
220. Matching Boasts
When a man famous for boasting came to challenge another, he was so surprised at the son’s skill that he withdrew. This comes from stories about matching tricks and matching strength. It may also be considered as exaggeration.
Aomori, Hachinohe: MK II 11 26, “The boaster’s child” (Horafuki no ko).
Iwate Shiwa-gun: Shiwa 215, “Matching boasts” (Tempo kurabe).
Kamihei-gun: Kikimimi 498, “Boasts” (Tempo).
Esashi-gun: Kikimimi 116, “Eijikotarō.” The baby of a famous boaster in Japan was left in its basket to look after things alone. He made such a big boast that the boaster who had come from China to challenge his father gave up and went away. His mother was so afraid of him that she set him adrift in a stream. He took the Life Needle which was at his house and succeeded in life with it.
Fukushima, Iwaki-gun: Iwaki 82, 162, “Matching boasts” (Tempo kurabe).
Akita, Kakunodate: Ugo 121. A note.
Niigata, Minamiuonuma-gun: MK I 10 39, “A boast” (Tempo katari).
Minamikanbara-gun: Kamuhara 77, “Comparing boasts” (Tempo shiai).
Sado: Sado shū 178, “The liar” (Uso tsuki). At the end it turns into “Yakushi in the straw bag.”
Ishikawa: Kaga 116, “Matching boasts” (Tempo kurabe). Feudal lords of Owari, Nanbu, and Kishū compare boasts.
Fukuoka, Miyako-gun: Fukuoka 123, 124, “The two Kichigo” (Kichigo futari) and “Kichigo” (Kichigo no hanashi). The first half of the first tale is about the son’s boast.
Kurate-gun: Fukuoka 85, “Blundering in a boast” (Taigen no shikujiri). Perhaps it is borrowed from the story about the baby looking after things alone because it is about a father and his child.
Asakura-gun: Fukuoka 113, “The impudent child” (Daitan naru kodomo). A fragment.
Nagasaki: Shimabara 285, “Ubachibukurin.” This is like is like “Hakura-kuten.” (Old) Iki 182, “Benkei, a famous man killer” (Benkei wa hitokiri no meijin). It is gradually turned into the form of an anecdote.
Kagoshima: Kikai 153, “Wagering” (Kuchikake). The first part is a series of back talk. In the latter half, the child boasted so much that everyone was astonished and ran away. Adding to a song or adding to back talk is some kind of a contest. Perhaps the word hanashi began from the sport with words, capping the one heard with another. Koshiki 187, “A boast” (Ōba banashi).
Further reference:
Susuharai, Rakugo 879. A man with a long sword. His wife came to meet him.
Kamuhara yatan 102, “Boasts” (Tempō monogatari).
Huet 143.
221. Matching Exaggerations
Also, “The lie’s skin”
This is one form of boasting contests. “What will you do with its hide?” “Put it on that big drum” “What will you put on the other side?” “I’ll use the skin of that lie.” This sort of exchange.
Fukushima, Iwaki-gun: Iwaki 85, “The big radish” (Ōki na daikon no hanashi).
Niigata, Minamikanbara-gun: Kamuhara 157, “The cow’s entrails” (Gyūchō). A house 40 ri square was built, but the ceiling was so high that five or six holes were left for geese to fly through. They wanted to put a roof on, but they could not raise it—and the like.
Ishikawa: Kaga 116, “Matching boasts” (Tempo kurabe). They spread a huge horse hide over a big orange tree to make an enormous drum. When they beat it with a long radish, it sounded tem-po, tem-po. This form seems rather good.
Nagano, Shimoina-gun: Mukashibanashi 62, “Proud of his region” (Okuni jiman). People from Ise, Mino, and Mikawa boasted of big trees, big cow hides, and the length of sweet potato vines. The man from Ōtsu said they used big trees and cow hides to make big drums. They fastened the drums with the long sweet potato vines.
That sweet potato vines were used makes the tale seem very old.
Hiroshima: Aki 247, “Exaggerations” (Ōke na hanashi). The one on 251 is about three monkeys trying to see which knew the oldest thing. It is plainly an adaptation from a priest’s sermon.
Fukuoka, Chikujō-gun: Fukuoka 221, “The three travelers” (Sannin no tabibito). In this the drum was made with the hide of a big cat.
Kagoshima: Kikai 136, “The boasts of three men” (Sannin no hora).
222. Matching Long Lives
Okayama: Mitsu 118, “Matching big things” (Ōkii kurabe).
Nagasaki: Shimabara 28, “When the monkeys gathered chestnuts” (Saru no kuri hiroi). Three monkeys saw one chestnut. The one that was the oldest could have it.
223. Lies
These have developed much as exaggerations, turning out to be a dream at the end of an absurd tale. They are probably older than tales with word plays. Climbing the Sky, Urashima, and such also have some with this ending. The following is a good example.
Iwate, Kamihei-gun: Kikimimi 110, “Extracting oil” (Abura tori). This is exactly the same form as “Kōketsu Palace.” A man ran into the house of an old woman to escape. He hid in the straw sack above the fire shelf. When the man thought his pursuer had found him and was about to drag him down to be ground up, it proved to be a dream.
This sort of imagination occurs only in Tōhoku.
224. Matching Laziness
Iwate: Shiwa 70, “The lazy men” (Sekkoki otoko). One man thought it was too much of a bother to take his lunch off his shoulder and one thought it was too burdensome to tie his sedge hat under his chin. He kept his mouth open and his chin down to hold the strings.
Iwasa-gun: Kikimimi 497, “The lazy man” (Kabane yami).
Nagano, Shimoina-gun: Mukashibanashi 45, “The lazy men” (Zokunashi otoko). Exactly the same tale as the one in Shiwa.
Yamanashi, Nishiyatsushiro-gun: Zoku Kai 433, “The two lazy men” (Futari no zukunashi).
Fukuoka, Kurume: Fukuoka 156, “Lazy men meeting” (Bushō no deai). The lunch and the strings on the sedge hat.
Further reference:
“Shima no machi” Anei 5 (1776). (In Kinsei bungei sōsho 6.) The story is here.
225. The Silence Match
Ishikawa: Kaga 141, “Three pears” (Mittsu no nashi) and “Wanting pears” (Nashi hoshiya). The one who did not speak until morning would get the pears. Even when the thief broke in, they kept silence.
Aichi, Nagoya: Oshō 89, “The silence” (Mugon no waza no hanashi).
Aki (Hiroshima): Nihon zenkoku 270, “The couple that liked mochi” (Mochizuki no fūfu). A married couple who liked mochi decided that the one who did not speak would get it.
Further reference:
Chōsen mintan shū 226.
Mukashibanashi kenkyū I 9 17.
Shasekishū IV 1 o. The silent senior priest.
Clouston II 15.
226. A Treasure Match by Two Chōja
These are probably derived tales.
Yamanashi, Nishiyatsushiro-gun: Kai 284, “Comparing treasures” (Takara kurabe). One chōja had seven storehouses crammed with treasure. The poor man had seven sons to show.
Nagasaki, Ikinoshima: Dai-ichi 85, “Yuriwaka Daijin.”
Kagoshima, Kikaijima: Shima II 424, “Child treasures” (Kodakara).
227. Matching Stinginess
Yamanashi, Nishiyatsushiro-gun: Kai 246, 172, “Medicine for numbness” (Shibire no kusuri) and “Food robber” (Meshi nusubito). It says the fish were food robbers.
Chikugo (Fukuoka), Mii-gun, Miyanojin-mura: Hanashi II 4 97, “The free medicine” (Tada no kusuri).
228. Squirming through Questions and Answers
This would be a source for rakugo now, but it likely has a history.
Yamanashi, Nishiyatsushiro-gun: Kai 266, “The priest and his novice” (Oshō to kozō). An ignorant priest and his novice. The clever novice vanquished a visiting priest who came to examine his priest. Zoku Kai 311, 315, “The deaf mute dialogue” (Oshi mondō) and “Squirming through questions and answers” (Konyaku mondō).
Nagasaki: Shimabara 207, “Suddenly becoming a priest” (Niwaka oshō). There are two tales. Stories based upon interesting use of words could be compared internationally. They can not be understood without broad knowledge. Some seem to have been made up, but there seems to have been an earlier form.
Further reference:
Mukashibanashi kenkyū I 9 17, China.
Minakata zuihitsu 232-233.
Chosen mintan shū 228, App. 37.
229. The Sandals Three Feet Long
These stories are told everywhere. Perhaps they were made up by preaching priests.
Ishikawa: Kaga 67, “The old woman who didn’t work” (Shigoto sezu baba). The bride dozed while she spun flax. The old woman was so cross when she saw it that she did not notice her skirt was scorching. Tarō and Jirō who were weaving sandals enjoyed watching her. Their attention was distracted and they made sandals three feet long.
Saitama, Kitaadachi-gun: Kawagoe 120, “A whole family of fools” (Ikka no baka zoroi).
Okayama: Okayama rekishi II 2 14, “A family’s bad habits” (Kuse o motsu uchi).
Hiroshima: Geibi 208, “Akirebō”
Yamaguchi, Suō Ōshima: Suō Ōshima 92, “An absent-minded old man and an absent-minded old woman.” (Ukkari jii to ukkari baba). It only says that the two were staring at each other, but no story develops. This is humor of a sort, but it needs practice to do it well.
Further reference:
Nihon dōwa shū 6, 8, “The absent-minded boy and the absentminded girl” (Ukkari otoko to ukkari onna). This may be from an old story book. The idea may have been taken from “The yellow sparrow” or “The praying mantis.”
In Bungo (Hiroshima), Jinseki-gun they say “sandals without ears.”
230. Three Crying Together
An illiterate old woman and an illiterate samurai. A peddler of parching pans comes along and they all weep together.
Okayama: TD VI 8 73, “Three crying together” (Sannin naki); Mitsu 7, “Three crying together” (Sannin naki).
231. The Doctor and the Sedan Chair
There was a doctor who wanted to be able to ride in a sedan chair. When he got his wish, people along the way mistook him for a corpse, a lunatic, and a sick man. He was unable to enjoy it.
Yamanashi, Nishiyatsushiro-gun: Kai 278, “The sedan chair” (Tōmaru kago). A doctor who insisted upon having a sedan chair sent for him, whatever the kind, got a round Chinese one, the kind used to transport criminals. People passing said, “That must be a dangerous criminal they are carrying.” From inside, the doctor shouted angrily, “I’m not a criminal.” Next, people said he must be insane. He stuck his head out angrily and glared as he shouted, “See how full of spirit I am.” People said that he certainly was far gone. They decided to get out of his way while they could. They ran off. The doctor decided to remain silent. He fastened his curtains securely and made no sound. Then he heard people say there must be a dead man there. The doctor decided never again to get into a sedan chair.
This form is found in rakugo, also. It becomes interesting as parts are added.
Further reference:
Tsurezuregusa. The high-priced priest, Horiike.
Zoku kyūō dōwa 1, jō (Izumi 76). About a preaching priest and a sedan chair.
232. The Three Derelicts
There were three friends, a man with blear eyes, one with his head covered with scabs, and one covered with lice. The blear-eyed man was always rubbing his eyes, the one with scabs was always scratching his head, and the lousy man was always shrugging his shoulders and twisting his back. They were laughed at. They talked things over and decided to give up their bad traits once and for all. They sat by the fire warming themselves. They could endure matters at first, but gradually it was difficult. The one with lice could not stand it any longer. He said, “Look, over on that mountain the deer are trailing along like this,” and he shook his whole body and scratched the places that itched with his clothes. The blear-eyed man said, “That’s right, they are. Before they run away, I’ll take my bow and aim, and if they start off, I’ll draw like this.” He repeatedly pretended to draw a bow and each time he pulled his hand across his eyes. The one with scabs scratched his head and said, “You fellows would feel bad if those deer ran away.”
Aomori: Tsugaru m 32, “Blear-eyes, Scurvy and Louse-bitten” (Meku-sare, Gambe, to Shiramitagare no hanashi).
Iwate, kamihei-gun: Kikimimi 490, “Blear-eyes, Scabby, and Louse-bitten” (Mekusare Shirakumo, Shiramitakari). Example.
Fukushima, Iwaki-gun: Iwaki 75, 160, “The three derelicts” (Sannin katawa).
Hiroshima, Takata-gun: Geibi 190, “The three derelicts” No. 1 (Sannin katawa). There are stories about three men, Blear-eyes, Snotty-nose, and Cripple and one about Mechyahichi, Hanahichi, and Dekimonohichi.
Kagawa, Shishijima: Sanuki SS 132, “The three derelicts” (Sannin katawa). These, too, are stories with gestures. Before they became rakugo, they were told with gestures by zatō.
Further reference:
Kyōgen sanbyakuban shū 378. The rakugo seems to be this with some changes.
233. Wagering on Stopping Bad Habits
Nagano, Kamiina-gun: A report by Mr. Ariga. The story about the three men with bad habits comes close to “The three derelicts.” There is also one with two men with bad habits.
Ōita: Bungo kijin 123, “Changing heads” (Kubi no torikae). A man’s fault was always to say, “There ain’t no such thing.” He was told all sorts of things to make him say it.
Further reference:
Seisuishō 5 2040, “I’ll give you 100 kan for this advice.” An example of not using the character for hi [fire]. Examples of rakugo where the word drink or worthless is avoided.
234. The Child with a Long Name
A child with a long name fell into a well. He drowned while his name was being called.
Aomori, Hachinohe: MK II 11 27, “The child with a long name” (Nagai na no kodomo).
Iwate: Shiwa shū 113, “The child with a long name” (Nagai namae no kodomo).
Morioka: Kyōdo ken IV 9 54, “A long name” (Nagai namae no hanashi).
Kamihei-gun: Kikimimi 502, “The long name” (Nagai namae). Two stories.
Tōno: Jinbun I 1 153, “Failing by giving a long name” (Nagai na o tsukete shippai shita hanashi).
Yamagata, Higashitagawa-gun: MK I 8 46; 10 35, “The long name” No. 1 (Nagai namae no hanashi). Both with the same title.
Niigata, Minamikanbara-gun: Kamuhara 103, “The child with a long name” (Nagai na no ko).
Toyama: Kyōdo ken IV 5 56, “The long name” (Nagai na). Also in Kaga. Giving a short name to a stepchild at the same time.
Nagano: Kyōdo ken II 4 23, “A man given a long name” (Nagai na tsukerareta hito). A stepmother gave a long name for meanness, but the feudal lord was attracted especially by it and the boy made a success in life.
Minamiazumi-gun, Yamato-mura: Nihon kayō II 461, “Things sung to children by the kotatsu” (Nyūji o kotatsu no atetsutsu utau mono). It is a nursery song.
Shimoina-gun: Mukashibanashi 89, “The long name” (Nagai namae).
Yamanashi, Nishiyatsushiro-gun: Zoku Kai 434, “The long name” (Nagai namae). For some reason, it is about the child of a well digger.
Tochigi, Haga-gun: Shimotsuke 73, “Medetaya, Ureshiya.”
Gifu, Yoshiki-gun: Hidabito V 8 21, “The child with a long name” (Nagai na no ko).
Shimane, Ōchi-gun: Dai-ichi 72, “The child with a long name” (Nagai na no ko).
Hiroshima: Aki 234, 235, “The long name” Nos. 1 and 2 (Nagai na). Both are stories about falling into a well. In the second story there were three children named Ureshi, Medetaya, and Arigataya [Joy, Felicitude, Thanks]. This is probably a variation.
Okayama: Mitsu 35, 86, “The child with a long name” Nos. 1 and 2 (Nagai namae no kodomo). Both with the same title.
Fukuoka, Kiku-gun: Fukuoka 176, “Hikikinokosuke.”
Nagasaki: Shimabara 303, “The long name” (Nagai namae); (New) Iki 161, “Long name, short life” (Chōmei no tanmei).
Kagoshima: Koshiki 186, “The child with a long name” (Nagai na no ko).
Further reference:
Tsuchi no iro V 4.
Nihon dōwa shū 181.
Shumi no densetsu 392.
Shasekishū 9 7 u. Humorous stories with long names are already found here. However, nothing is said about falling into a well.
These tales are from monogatari. It would be profitable to compare these words as well as those in stories about breaking wind. People in old days had a better relish for the sound of words.
235. How the Mole Chose a Son-in-Law
Humorous stories from those about taking a son-in-law. They are in the form of animal stories, but they are really stories about cleverness, exaggerations, and skill with words.
Fukushima Iwaki-gun: Iwaki 183, “When the rat became a bride” (Nezumi no yomeiri).
Niigata, Minamikanbara-gun: Kamuhara 20, “The mole’s bride” (Mogura no yome san); MK II 1 37, “The mole’s bride” (Moguramochi no yome san).
Nagano, Shimoina-gun: Mukashibanashi 42, “When the rat married” (Nezumi yomeiri).
Kazusa (Chiba): Nihon zenkoku 91, “The stone mason” (Ishikiri shokunin). A stone mason goes back to being a stone mason once more.
Yamaguchi, Suō Ōshima: Suō Oshima 89, “The cat’s name” (Neko no na). Naming a cat.
Fukuoka, Miyako-gun: Fukuoka 216, “The white mole” (Shiroi mogura no hanashi). A white mole chose a son-in-law.
Further reference:
Nihon dōwa no shin kenkyū 340, Nakata Senpo.
Shasekishū 88 20 u. It is exactly the same as the Shimoina-gun story.
Shingaku meijisen 259. From Kazai Yōdo 6.
Riyōshū. “The song for Jizō mai” (Jizō mai no uta). Iwate prefecture.
Rakugo zenshū 765.
236. Kahei’s Hoe
A farmer named Kahei got angry when a crow called, “Kahei, Kahei!” But he noticed that he had forgotten his hoe. Then the crow called, “Ahō, ahō [fool, fool].”
Niigata, Minamikanbara-gun: MK I 2 24, “Is it a baby?” (Akago da ka). A humorous tale about a pigeon, a crow, and a sparrow.
Ishikawa: Kaga 100, “Dōmo, Kōmo.” When the boy was sent to buy soy sauce, the crows called, “Go go kara, kara [empty five-go bottle].” He got angry and threw his bottle at them. He cried, “It holds one sho [ten go]!”
Nagano, Shimoina-gun: Mukashibanashi 21, 31, 45, “When Kahei forgot his hoe” (Kuwa o wasureta Kahei no hanashi). Example. It is a humorous tale but probably very old. “Widow Okyūsa” (Goke no Okyūsa). A conversation between the widow Okyūsa and a frog. “Naked Jūbei” (Hadaka Jūbei). A story about a gambler and a frog.
Yamanashi, Nishiyatsushiro-gun: Kai 11, “Kaemon’s rooster” (Kaemon no niwatori). This is a humorous story centered upon the rooster’s voice. However, it would be hard to think of such a story if there were not animal stories close to it or one like the closing part of the Urikohime story.
There was a woodcutter who liked to shoot. He used to set his saw down and spend his time going around with his gun. His rooster would call, “Oteppo, oteppo [gun, gun],” and tell on him. His old mother and his wife scolded him, so he chased the rooster around. The rooster got angry and called the old mother, “Baba, baba, baba [Granny, Granny, Granny],” and it called the wife, “Kaen kaka Kaen kaka [Kaen’s wife, Kaen’s wife].” They all got mad at the rooster and chased it around the house. They caught it and as they strangled it, it cried, “Kobiki [sawyer],” and died.
Tochigi, Haga-gun: Shimotsuke 89, “A group of short tales” No. 11 (Kobanashi shū).
Fukuoka, Munakata-gun: Fukuoka 36, “The salt peddler and the crow” (Shiouri to karasu).
Asakura-gun: Fukuoka 112, “Matching wits” (Chie kurabe). This is about a fish peddler with a crow, a pigeon, and a bulbul. The crow called, “Kao, kao [let’s buy, let’s buy].” The pigeon called, “Gorokko [five or six pieces].” The bulbul called, “Hiirota, hiirota [picked it up, picked it up],” as it flew off.
It is close to stories about dividing things that are picked up or bathing stories.
Nagasaki: Shimabara 282, “Going out to sell greens” (Na o uri ni yuku hanashi). A foolish son-in-law was mocked by a crow. This could be an old children’s story.
237. The Uneasy Old Man
Nagano, Kamiina-gun: A report by Mr. Ariga. Ill omens were heard while a man planted sweet potatoes, beans, and long radishes,
Tochigi, Haga-gun: Shimotsuke 8, “The uneasy old man” (Kinikake jii san). He thought he heard somebody say, “Habakari sama [I’m sorry or only leaves].” He took it as a word of caution and gave up planting long radishes. [While planting seeds, words having a cheerful meaning should used.]
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