前のエピソード――(iii) Legend of Extermination in Lakes or Swamps

(A) Kanegafuchi Pool in Jinguji

A bell is said to be sunk in Koufukuji Pool at the foot of Mt. Jingguji in Senboku County, Akita Prefecture, and it is also called Kanegafuchi Pool, but there is certainly something like a dragon palace at the bottom of this pool.

Once upon a time, when Lord Satake* was boating in this river, a bear-like hand appeared out of the water just as the boat came to this point and grabbed one of the matchlocks resting against the boat and retreated. He became very angry and gave a stern order to "someone to go to the bottom of the water and get back the gun that was just stolen," so when X, his vassal, respectfully jumped into the water, the bottom of the water gradually brightened. On the other side, it was gradually uphill. He went up there to find a mansion with a grand entrance. When he looked in, he saw that the stolen gun was properly placed on the stand. When he took the gun and was about to leave, an old man with a white beard and a fearful face came out from inside and asked scoldly, "Who is this!". When he gave a detailed translation, the old man heard it and said, "That would be some mistake. But if it is the lord's wish, I may give you that gun, but instead, I ask for you, so you must come back again, except I grant you a three-day reprieve. If you disobey my words, I will destroy your whole family and clan, not to mention your life. ". When X heard that, he was surprised, but he gave it up, saying that his luck had run out, and with all his consent, he got the gun and went home, got a vacation after telling the lord what he had just said, and then sank to the bottom of the water again and never appeared again. (Koho Yamakata)

matchlock（名）火縄銃

retreat（動）退く、撤退する

stern（形）厳しい

respectfully（副）恭しく、丁重に

reprieve（名）救済、猶予

(B) Fujimaki Pool

To the east of Kumano Hongu Shrine* in Kii Province, there is the Fujimaki Pool along the Kumano River, a tremendous pool with blue water swirling all the time. On the other side of it, on an exciting rock, there is an old Japanese umbrella-pine (Sciadopitys verticillata) tree with wisteria twining around its trunk from long ago. It has been passed down for a long time that if an impure person goes to this pool, the weather will suddenly change and countless snakes will come out of the pool and a great storm will break out and ravage the village.

tremendous（形）素晴らしい

swirl（動）渦巻く

Japanese umbrella-pine......コウヤマキ

wisteria（名）フジ

twine（動）絡まる

impure（形）汚れた、不純な

ravage（動）ひどく破壊する

Once upon a time, in the summer of a year, an old man named Ozaki X, a master flute player at a festival in the Hongu Shrine, came here, stood on a rock, and was playing a secret tune when a gust of wind blew and the flute fell out of his hand, into the pool. The flute gradually sank. The old man was so sorry to have his treasured flute taken that he jumped into the pool as if to continue. He saw that the pool was covered with green tatami mats and that Otohime, who was as beautiful as a flower, was weaving cloth. And beside it was a stone furnace.

furnace（名）かまど

The old man stayed for three days, although he didn't want to be treated well by Otohime. He was surprised when she saw him off to the top of the pool with the flute and returned with joy. He thought it would be three days, but three years had already passed. His family thought he had died because they didn't know where he was, so they held the funeral, and when he came back, he was in the middle of his third year of Buddhist rituals. It is uncouth for us to mention how delighted his family was.

uncouth（形）野暮な、ださい

Even now, when the water in the pool is clear, the stone furnace can be seen. (Kiyohiko Takasu in Hongu, Muro County, Kii Province)

(A)

*Lord Satake: The clan ruled the Akita domain during the Edo period.

(B)

*Kumano Hongu Shrine: A Shinto shrine located in Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture. Together with Kumano Hayatama Taisha Shrine and Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine, they constitute the Kumano Sanzan.