The Love of a Silver Fox: Folk Tales from Seki CIty

by Darvin Babiuk

"Look," said the priest, pointing. "This word means 'nature.’ And this one means 'kingdom.' Here, surely you know this one. It says 'Mt. Asakura.'"

  "Chikurinji-sama, please forgive all these stupid questions," Tokuichi asked, "but what does it mean when you put it all together?"

  "Ah, you're not much of one for patience, are you?" laughed the priest and quoting an old Japanese proverb: "'The beggar who pleads too much receives nothing.' Ha, ha, ha." While he was teasing poor Tokuichi, he arranged the three leaves in the order that made up the letter.

  "Well, let's read it and see before our friend here explodes. 'Nature is my friend,' it says. 'Walking around the countryside like this, the entire kingdom has become my home. Even though I'm poor, it's interesting.'"

  "What kind of nonsense is that?" interrupted Tokuichi, folding his arms doubtfully and frowning.

  "Tokuichi," scolded the priest gently. "Do you mind if I finish? No? How kind of you. 'In order to enter the priesthood, I cut off my relations with my daughter Tomo before she married,' it says. 'Now she is living alone at the foot of Mt. Asakura. For Tomo's sake, I’m planning on coming home.' There's more, but that's basically it."

  "Where could such a letter have come from?" asked the old farmer Sakubei modestly.

  Chikurinji could see that everyone was wondering about this. "The letter mentions Ibuki so he'll probably come from somewhere around there. Maybe they still have the old haiku club."

  "Haiku club? What's that?" asked O-hana, exchanging glances with Tokuichi. They were sure young Chousuke wouldn't know.

  "It's a kind of meeting where crowds of people get together to drink rice wine, write haiku, and discuss them," answered the priest. "We've got one in Seki, too."

  "I know," bragged Tokuichi. "When he was young and running the sake shop here, Inen made a haiku that said something about his pant cuffs getting stained by the snow on the road and everyone thought it was wonderful.

  "I think I can remember parts of a few others," boasted Tokuichi, "but are they right, Chikurinji-sama?" he asked,

  Sodden heavy snow,

  Brushed off time after time,

  Still weighing me down

  and

  Feathery twilight,

  Water in the rice paddies,

  Shiny Milky Way."

  He tried quoting parts of a few others but found he couldn't go any further than a few lines. He was embarrassed for trying to show off and failing, but the priest was nodding his head and saying "Good, Good," so he was very satisfied.

  "Tomo, where's the tea!" Chikurinji-sama shouted once he was done. Now that he was here, it was only right to show him some hospitality.