Japanese Legend Collection

(ii) Legend of Old Woman Pond

(A) Memorial Service Using Pebbles

About 200 meters south of the castle ruins in Kawagoe, Musashi Province, there is a small stream called the Yona River that flows through the center of Musashino Plain to the east.

A long time ago, the daughter of a peasant who lived around here fell in love with Matsudaira Yamatonokami's retainer when he was engaged in falconry and married him at the age of 16. The relationship between the husband and wife was good, but the relationship between the daughter-in-law and the mother-in-law was bad. One day, when she accidentally broke a treasured bowl, she finally divorced and returned her home. It was in this pool of the river that she threw herself into it. The name Yona River is derived from her name, Oyone.

falconry（名）鷹狩

The river is now narrow and shallow, but the locals say there is so much depth that they cannot find the bottom. When the village girls pass by, they pick up a pebble and throw it inside to comfort her spirit. Throwing a stone while saying "Oyone-san" creates strange ripples and bubbles float from the bottom. When the stone reaches the bottom, you can hear a sorrowful reply from the bottom of the water, like a cute little girl or children saying "Yes."

shallow（形）浅い

ripple（名）さざなみ

sorrowful（形）悲しそうな

Note: There are many legends in Kawagoe. There is a deep moat in the south corner of the grounds of Kitain Temple. There used to be a dragon living here, who hated the sound of the bells so much that it asked the priest who lived there not to ring the bell. Then, by some mistake, the temple bell rang. The dragon got very angry and went up to heaven. It seems that the ringing of bells is still prohibited at Kitain Temple. To the northeast of the temple is a tree called a cedar of Myojo (Venus). There is also a well called the Well of Kirifuri (falling fog), which originates from a famous legend but is abbreviated here. (Tatsuyo Uemura in Kawagoe, Musashi Province)

moat（名）堀

abbreviate（動）省略する

(B) Oman's Well

Oman's Well is in Sochi Pass near Yoshii, Nakadori Village, Kariwa County, Echigo Province. If you stand beside it and call it 'Oman, Oman,' there will always be small waves on the surface of the water. No matter how many other names are called, no waves appear. It is said that a warrior once killed Oman, his lawful wife, according to the words of his concubine, and abandoned her body in this well. (Toshinori Nakanishi)

lawful wife......正妻