Legends of Japan

by Hiroshi Naito

  "That's enough. Pick him up!" the master said. When the servant tried to pull up the fainted one, the priest suddenly rose to his feet neighing. And lo! He was now turned into a fine horse and shook his head several times, pawing the ground with his hoof. The other priests were astonished to see him. Then the servant put the bridle on him and led him away to the stable.

  "The host is a monster. We shall soon be turned into horses. What shall we do?" the two priests thought.

  The servant soon came back and resumed his peculiar work on the second priest, who was also turned into a horse and led away to the stable. Now, the third priest earnestly prayed to Buddha for help.

  When the servant came back again from the stable, the master told him to stop for a while and they retired to the next room for a rest. They bade the third one to stay where he was. The survivor now had to find some way to escape from the devil's house. The next moment, however, a big voice came saying, "You are staying where you are?" The priest immediately answered the voice. Again the voice said, "Go and see if the paddy fields behind the house are filled with water."

  The priest could not understand why the voice had asked such a queer question, but he immediately examined the fields. After some time he heard snores which were as loud as thunder.

  "Now is the time to escape. Oh, Hotoke-sama, please protect me from the monsters," he prayed. He stole cautiously out of the house and ran as fast as he could. After running for some time he saw a lighted house in the distance and went straight toward it.

  When he came near the house he found someone standing in front of it. He instinctively thought that the house might also be a monster's den. But as he tried to run away, someone suddenly called him. It was a woman.

  "Who are you?"

  "I am an itinerant priest. I have just come from an ogre's house where my friends were turned into horses," the priest said.

  The woman kindly showed him into her house and asked if the ogre had told him to examine the paddy fields. The priest was surprised at her question and replied yes. Then she told him that the ogre had intended to bury him alive in the fields. She added that the ogre was none other than her father, and she promised that she would be glad to help him escape from the danger. Then the woman advised him to seek shelter at her sister's and wrote a letter of introduction to her.

  With that, the priest visited her sister. But, before long, there was someone knocking on the door, and the woman told him to hide quickly in a closet. Then he heard a big voice telling her to open the door. The priest in the closet trembled with fear, for the door was soon opened and someone came into the house.

  "Did the bonze come here?"

  It was the ogre's voice. He talked with the woman for some time and then went away. She opened the closet and told the priest to run as far away as possible.

  "You are the only person to escape from the ogre. You are very lucky," the woman said.

  The priest, who deeply appreciated her kindness, immediately left for the human world.

  12. The dragon king's palace

  LONG, LONG AGO, in the capital, there lived a young samurai, whose name still remains unknown— probably because he was an insignificant samurai. This samurai was a pious man. On the eighteenth day of each month, which was the day of worshiping Kannon, he abstained from animal food and visited the Buddhist temples in the capital.

  One day when he was on his way to a temple on the eastern outskirts of the capital, he came across an old man carrying a cane. He saw a little snake hanging from the end of this man's cane, and the snake was moving its body.

  "Where are you going, old man?" asked the young samurai.

  "To the capital, sir," replied the old man.

  "Why are you carrying the snake?"

  "I have a particular reason."

  "Couldn't you set it free? Today is Kannon's day, so it is a sin to kill an animal on such a day."

  "Though I don't want to kill the snake, I have to do it to earn my living. I think Kannon-sama will forgive my sin."

  "What do you use the snake for?" asked the samurai.

  "I need the snake's grease in making maces. I make my living by selling maces."

  "Oh, I see. Then how about exchanging your snake for my outer kimono?"

  The old man gladly accepted the samurai's offer and they immediately exchanged their goods.

  As the young man was about to go, the old man told him that he had caught the snake in a pond a little way off. So the samurai at once went to the pond and released the snake in the water. Then he resumed his pilgrimage to the Buddhist temple. As he went some distance from the pond, he met a pretty girl about twelve years old.

  "Why is a girl at such a lonely place?" he wondered.

  "Hello!" she said. "I was waiting for you here."

  "For what?"

  "To say thank you. Because you saved my life. My parents also want to express their gratitude to you, so I am here to take you to them."

  The samurai now realized that the girl was the little snake he had saved. The girl at once led him back to the pond, where she asked him to wait for her for a time. And behold! Suddenly she vanished into the pond.

  But soon she reappeared and told him to close his eyes for a moment. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in front of the big gate of a magnificent castle. The girl immediately showed him into the castle, and he was surprised to see all rooms and halls studded with jewels. It was like a fairyland.

  Soon an old man of dignity, about seventy years of age, with a long white beard, appeared before him and showed him into the most gorgeous chamber, where he thanked the young man for his kindness in saving his daughter's life. He said that although he had always told her not to play in the pond, she would not heed his warning and at last was caught.

  The old man and his family entertained him handsomely with all kinds of delicacies. He said, "I am the Dragon King. I wish to present you with a treasure in return for your kindness." So saying, he took a piece of golden rice cake out of the treasure box. He divided it in two and gave one piece to the samurai. He said, "Whenever you need money, you break it and use a part of it. You will never be out of money."

  The samurai accepted his gift thankfully and bade farewell to the Dragon King. The girl accompanied him to the front gate and told him to close his eyes again. When he opened them, he found himself standing by the pond. She again thanked him and disappeared into the water.

  Back in the capital, he used the golden rice cake, which, though he broke it, soon attained its original size. Before long, he became a rich man.

  After his death, however, this treasure mysteriously vanished, so it was not handed down to posterity.

  13. The bishop's kick

  LONG, LONG AGO, there lived in Kyoto an old bishop named Kancho. He was the chief priest of Ninna-ji Temple. A man of noble origin, he was highly learned, virtuous, and also quite vigorous.

  Once Kancho had some parts of the temple structure repaired. Many men worked very hard every day on scaffoldings and ladders. Kancho sometimes went his rounds to inspect the work. One evening, after all the workers had gone home, he came out alone to the site. He walked around the place for a while, and when he was going back to his quarters, there suddenly stood in his way a man dressed in black with a black hood. As it was already dark, Kancho could not tell who this man was.

  "Who is this?" Kancho asked calmly. The strange man replied threateningly:

  "Heh! heh! As you see, I am a pauper. I want your fine kimono, and so I am here before your very eyes."

  He seemed to have a drawn sword behind his back. Kancho, however, was not surprised at all. Still very calm, he said, "So you are a pauper? Poor fellow! But don't you know how to beg for mercy? Such impoliteness! I shall have to mend your ways." No sooner had he uttered the words than he kicked the man with crushing force.

  The man had no time to express his surprise at Kancho's quick action and the next moment he disappeared up into the air. Kancho, wondering where
the man had gone, went back to his quarters, called together his acolytes, and told them the story. At that, the acolytes got excited and ran out to catch the shameless fellow, each armed with a club and a lantern. They searched for the robber all over the place, but in vain.

  "There he is!" one of them cried suddenly, pointing his finger upward. They all looked up, and lo! High up, on the top of the scaffoldings, was hanging something that looked like a human being. They all immediately ran up to the spot, and found the robber dangling from a bar there. He was insensible and had bruises on his body.

  The acolytes took him off the bar and angrily dragged him down to the ground. When hauled before the bishop, the robber was very humble.

  "You, black gentleman," addressed Kancho tenderly, "remember forever that your unwise attempt to assault me has made you smart for it! Be a good man from now on."

  With that, Kancho quickly took off his warm kimono and gave it to the robber. The acolytes watched amazed at all that their master did. The robber, gratefully received the kimono and disappeared into the darkness.

  This story of Kancho's mercy was handed down to posterity at Ninna-ji Temple. Those who later heard it were surprised at the bishop's great strength in having kicked a robber high up into the sky. They were sure that the robber, in falling, must have been caught by a bar of the scaffolding. It is said that the many vigorous priests of this temple in later days must surely be successors of Kancho.

  14. The long-nosed goblins

  LONG, LONG AGO, there was in China a bumptious tengu named Chira Eiju. A iengu is a red, long-nosed goblin who is possessed of magic powers. Although it looks like a human being, it has a pair of big wings on its back and can fly as freely as a bird. Japanese tengu were represented by Sojo-bo of Mt. Kurama, Taro-bo of Mt. Atago, and Jiro-bo of Mt. Hiei—all these mountains rising around Kyoto.

  Once Chira Eiju, flying over the seas and mountains, came to Japan to call on Jiro-bo of Mt. Hiei. When talking with Jiro-bo, Chira Eiju boasted, "In my country, there is no one who can beat my magic power. Even a great magician priest is no match for me." The Japanese call a braggart a tengu. Chira Eiju could indeed be called a perfect tengu. He triumphantly boasted of his supernatural power, wriggling his long nose.

  "Although I have often heard about you, I did not know that you are such a great tengu," said Jiro-bo admiringly.

  At that, Chira Eiju, feeling more proud, went on, "Such being what I am, Japanese magician priests are all beneath my notice. Well, my dear Jiro-bo, shall I show you the great power of my magic?"

  "Oh, yes, please."

  "All right. Come with me!"

  They immediately went out to the busiest path on the mountain. There, Chira Eiju meant to throw a spell over passers-by. Jiro-bo, being a well-known person in the mountains, hid himself behind a big tree and watched what the Chinese tengu was going to do.

  "Are you ready, dear Jiro-bo? Now watch me!" So saying, he quickly turned into the figure of an old Buddhist priest. In that shape, he meant to await the arrival of his victim. After a while, along came a high priest named Yokei.

  "Here he comes!" Jiro-bo cried at the sight of the priest, and intently watched what Ghira Eiju would do with him. He imagined the Chinese tengu would have the priest walk on his hands, or turn him into a frog or a worm. Second after second, time elapsed; but nothing happened to the priest. Priest Yokei just walked briskly away, looking as if nothing was the matter with him.

  Jiro-bo was not a little disappointed. "I say, dear Chira Eiju, what's wrong?" he asked, turning his head toward the Chinese goblin, and was surprised to see... no Chira Eiju there! "Hey, where are you?" When Jiro-bo looked in the distance by shading his eyes with his hand, he found the Chinese tengu hanging upside down from a tall tree in the valley.

  "My dear Chira Eiju, what are you doing down there?" yelled Jiro-bo.

  "O dear, dear! Whoever is that monk?"

  "He is a famous mountaineering ascetic named Yokei. Perhaps he is on his way to the Imperial Palace to offer a prayer," Jiro-bo replied. "I expected you would have that famous priest spin himself round and round like a top."

  Chira Eiju mumbled with a shudder, "Gosh! He beat me. When I saw him coming along, I rejoiced thinking 'Here comes my fellow!' But in a moment, his figure turned into a great flame and it came near me. I was almost burnt. He threw a spell of fire over me."

  "Well, don't be discouraged. Try again," Jiro-bo urged.

  Chira Eiju again turned himself into the figure of an old priest. Presently there came a high priest named Jinzen, riding on a palanquin, attended by a page with a cane in his hand.

  "Here he comes!"

  Chira Eiju had scarcely rejoiced at the arrival of his second prey, when the page turned to him and sharply shouted at him, "You rude fellow!"

  That was enough. Boastful Chira Eiju once again was blown off to a distance.

  "You were beaten again, dear Chira Eiju."

  "Yes, but what's the matter with me today," wondered the Chinese goblin, obstinately refusing to acknowledge his defeat.

  "Whoever was he? Pretending to be asleep on the palanquin, that bonze was secretly offering an exorcizing prayer. He even had a strong bodyguard, a follower of the Fire God. That's why I could not put a spell on them. I bet you I'll beat the next one."

  They did not wait long before a magnificent procession came along. It was a procession of Jikei, the archbishop of the Enryaku-ji temple atop Mt. Hiei.

  "Oh, here comes a big figure!" Jiro-bo, surprised at the procession of the most learned and virtuous priest in Japan, felt concerned for the unsuccessful Chinese goblin, when there suddenly appeared around Jikei's palanquin from no-one knew-where a group of five fierce lads.

  These lads, wielding a whip each, warned one another, "Watch out! There lurks a goblin around here. Don't let him hurt our master!" No sooner had they uttered the words than they tried to sight the goblin.

  Their action came so fast that Chira Eiju had no time to get away. All he did was to hover restlessly about. Soon he was caught by them, severely beaten, and blown off like a leaf in the wind.

  "Oh, that hurts! Help me!" he exclaimed.When Jiro-bo came to him, Chira Eiju grumbled: "That bonze offered a damn prayer. Those strong bodyguards! They are the Five Paladins of Buddha. They have broken my hucklebone. Oh! Oh!"

  So it was that Chira Eiju was beaten by three noted Japanese magician priests he once had thought meanly of.

  "What a deep disgrace you have brought upon your own head, after coming all the way from your country! But you were lucky, because your long nose, which is our symbol, was not snapped off," Jiro-bo laughingly said.

  It is told that a pair of tengu afterward appeared at a spa somewhere in Japan. We are sure they must have been Chira Eiju and Jiro-bo, who probably visited there for treatment.

  15. Bewitched by a boar

  IN THE NORTHWESTERN part of Kyoto, there rises a 3,050-foot mountain named Atagoyama. It is the highest mountain among those surrounding the city, and its name is often quoted in local school songs together with another famous mountain, Hieizan, and the Kamo River. From olden times, many faithfuls of the city used to climb up the mountain to pay their monthly visit to Atago Shrine on the top. This shrine is dedicated to the God of Fire Prevention.

  An interesting tale is still told about this mountain.

  Once upon a time, there lived on the top of Atagoyama an old priest who devoted all his life to the study of Buddhism. Every day he sat upright on a straw mat, with his eyes half-closed, and loudly recited the Lotus Sutra, hour after hour.

  Those who knew him believed that he was the holiest priest in the country. To tell the truth, he was just reciting it without understanding its meaning at all. "He might be a learned fool," a Japanese saying goes. At any rate, he was well content with his life on the mountain.

  At the foot of this mountain lived a pious old hunter who made his living by shooting deer or boar. As he was well acquainted with the priest, he would call on the latter with
some present and have a chat with him.

  One day the hunter came up to the priest's abode, bringing some fruit as a gift. The aged bonze, so very pleased with his visit, entertained him warmly, talking of one thing and another for hours. Toward the end of their pleasant conversation, the priest suddenly drew closer to the hunter and said in a low tone, "By the way, my good man, have you ever seen Buddha? These days I have the pleasure of seeing him at night. As you know, I have long devoted myself to the study of Buddhism, so I think my devotion has been rewarded at long last. When it grows dark outside, he appears at this poor cloister. What a majestic scene it is! I sincerely recommend that you stay here tonight and see him, too."

  Hearing this story, the hunter exclaimed with astonishment, "What! You say, Buddha makes his holy appearance here. Indeed, I can't believe it. Never! But if what you say is really true, I should like to see him, too."

  As recommended by the priest, he decided to stay at the cloister overnight to see the holy figure of Buddha. While waiting for the sunset, he was served supper. When left alone in the room after the meal, he called in a young priest who happened to pass by and asked him whether Buddha had really made his holy appearance there. The young priest replied that what the aged priest had told was true, and that even he himself had seen his holy figure several times. Despite this assurance, he was still doubtful that a common believer like himself could really see Buddha just as the well-trained priest did.

  In the meantime, the sun set in the west and it grew dark. In the room the hunter sat up face-to- face with the aged priest and was expecting the mysterious Buddha at any moment. It was not a moonlit night, and not a single star was seen in the sky. All was still and everything was wrapped in darkness. Every now and then, leaves rustled in the wind and tu-whoos were heard among the trees as the night wore on.