Page:Anthology of Japanese Literature.pdf/314

(He goes to the Waki’s Pillar.)

Tarō: He’s back! Now start weeping! (They weep.)

Master: Tarō kaja, Jirō kaja! Where are you? What is the matter here? Instead of being glad that I have returned they are both weeping. If something has happened, let me know at once.

Tarō: Jirō kaja, you tell the master.

Jirō: Tarō kaja, you tell the master.

Master: Whichever of you it is, tell me quickly.

Tarō: Well, then, this is what happened. I thought that it wouldn’t do for me to sleep while on such important duty, but I got sleepier and sleepier. To keep me awake I had a wrestling match with Jirō kaja. He is so strong that he knocked me over, and to keep from falling, I clutched at that kakemono, and ripped it as you can see.

Master: What a dreadful thing to happen! (He looks at the Waki’s Pillar in amazement.) How could you tear up a precious kakemono that way?

Tarō: Then he threw me back and spun me over the stand with the bowl on it, and the bowl was smashed to bits.

Master: What a dreadful thing! (He looks at the Facing Pillar in amazement.) You even smashed my precious bowl. What I am going to do?

Tarō: Knowing that you would soon return, we thought that we could not go on living, so we ate up the busu, hoping thus to die. Isn’t that so, Jirō kaja?

Jirō: Exactly.

Tarō (singing): One mouthful and still death did not come.

Jirō (singing): Two mouthfuls and still death did not come.

Tarō (singing): Three mouthfuls, four mouthfuls

Jirō (singing): Five mouthfuls

Tarō (singing): More than ten mouthfuls

(They get up and begin to dance.)