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Tales of Old Japan

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<h2>PREFACE</h2> In the Introduction to the story of the Forty-seven Rônins, I have said almost as much as is needful by way of preface to my stories. Those of my readers who are most capable of pointing out the many shortcomings and faults of my work, will also be the most indulgent towards me; for any one who has been in Japan, and studied Japanese, knows the great difficulties by which the learner is beset. For the illustrations, at least, I feel that I need make no apology. Drawn, in the first instance, by one Ôdaké, an artist in my employ, they were cut on wood by a famous wood-engraver at Yedo, and are therefore genuine specimens of Japanese art. Messrs. Dalziel, on examining the wood blocks, pointed out to me, as an interesting fact, that the lines are cut with the grain of the wood, after the manner of Albert Dürer and some of the old German masters,—a process which has been abandoned by modern European wood-engravers. It will be noticed that very little allusion is made in these Tales to the Emperor and his Court. Although I searched diligently, I was able to find no story in which they played a conspicuous part. Another class to which no allusion is made is that of the Gôshi. The Gôshi are a kind of yeomen, or bonnet-lairds, as they would be called over the border, living on their own land, and owning no allegiance to any feudal lord. Their rank is inferior to that of the Samurai, or men of the military class, between whom and the peasantry they hold a middle place. Like the Samurai, they wear two swords, and are in many cases prosperous and wealthy men claiming a descent more ancient than that of many of the feudal Princes. A large number of them are enrolled among the Emperor's body-guard; and these have played a conspicuous part in the recent political changes in Japan, as the most conservative and anti-foreign element in the nation. With these exceptions, I think that all classes are fairly represented in my stories. The feudal system has passed away like a dissolving view before the eyes of those who have lived in Japan during the last few years. But when they arrived there it was in full force, and there is not an incident narrated in the following pages, however strange it may appear to Europeans, for the possibility and probability of which those most competent to judge will not vouch. Nor, as many a recent event can prove, have heroism, chivalry, and devotion gone out of the land altogether. We may deplore and inveigh against the Yamato Damashi, or Spirit of Old Japan, which still breathes in the soul of the Samurai, but we cannot withhold our admiration from the self-sacrifices which men will still make for the love of their country. The first two of the Tales have already appeared in the Fortnightly Review, and two of the Sermons, with a portion of the Appendix on the subject of the Hara-Kiri, in the pages of the Cornhill Magazine. I have to thank the editors of those periodicals for permission to reprint them here. LONDON, January 7, 1871. <hr class="full" /> <h2>CONTENTS</h2> <div> LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS1 THE FORTY-SEVEN RÔNINS 1 THE LOVES OF GOMPACHI AND KOMURASAKI 20 KAZUMA'S REVENGE 38 A STORY OF THE OTOKODATÉ OF YEDO 54 THE WONDERFUL ADVENTURES OF FUNAKOSHI JIUYÉMON 91 THE ETA MAIDEN AND THE HATAMOTO 115 FAIRY TALES 133 THE TONGUE-CUT SPARROW 135 THE ACCOMPLISHED AND LUCKY TEA-KETTLE 138 THE CRACKLING MOUNTAIN 141 THE STORY OF THE OLD MAN WHO MADE WITHERED TREES TO BLOSSOM 145 THE BATTLE OF THE APE AND THE CRAB 149 THE ADVENTURES OF LITTLE PEACHLING 152 THE FOXES' WEDDING 155 THE HISTORY OF SAKATA KINTOKI 158 THE ELVES AND THE ENVIOUS NEIGHBOUR 160 THE GHOST OF SAKURA 161 HOW TAJIMA SHUMÉ WAS TORMENTED BY A DEVIL OF HIS OWN CREATION 192 CONCERNING CERTAIN SUPERSTITIONS 197 THE VAMPIRE CAT OF NABÉSHIMA 200 THE STORY OF THE FAITHFUL CAT 207 HOW A MAN WAS BEWITCHED AND HAD HIS HEAD SHAVED BY THE FOXES 209 THE GRATEFUL FOXES 213 THE BADGER'S MONEY 220 THE PRINCE AND THE BADGER 224 JAPANESE SERMONS 227 THE SERMONS OF KIU-Ô, VOL. I. SERMON I. 235 THE SERMONS OF KIU-Ô, VOL. I. SERMON II. 244 THE SERMONS OF KIU-Ô, VOL. I. SERMON III. 253 APPENDICES:— AN ACCOUNT OF THE HARA-KIRI 263 THE MARRIAGE CEREMONY 288 ON THE BIRTH AND REARING OF CHILDREN 296 FUNERAL RITES 301 </div> <hr /> <h2>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> THE RÔNINS INVITE RÔTSUKÉ NO SUKÉ TO PERFORM HARA-KIRI THE WELL IN WHICH THE HEAD WAS WASHED THE SATSUMA MAN INSULTS OISHI KURANOSUKÉ THE TOMBS OF THE RÔNINS THE TOMB OF THE SHIYOKU GOMPACHI AWAKENED BY THE MAIDEN IN THE ROBBERS' DEN FORGING THE SWORD MATAGORÔ KILLS YUKIYÉ THE DEATH OF DANYÉMON TRICKS OF SWORDSMANSHIP AT ASAKUSA THE DEATH OF CHÔBEI OF BANDZUIN FUNAKOSHI JIUYÉMON ON BOARD THE PIRATE SHIP JIUYÉMON PUNISHES HIS WIFE AND THE WRESTLER FUNAKOSHI JIUYÉMON AND THE GOBLINS "GOKUMON" CHAMPION WRESTLER A WRESTLING MATCH GENZABURÔ'S MEETING WITH THE ETA MAIDEN THE TONGUE-CUT SPARROW THE TONGUE-CUT SPARROW (2) THE ACCOMPLISHED AND LUCKY TEA-KETTLE THE ACCOMPLISHED AND LUCKY TEA-KETTLE (2) THE HARE AND THE BADGER THE HARE AND THE BADGER (2) THE OLD MAN WHO CAUSED WITHERED TREES TO FLOWER THE OLD MAN WHO CAUSED WITHERED TREES TO FLOWER (2) THE APE AND THE CRAB THE APE AND THE CRAB (2) LITTLE PEACHLING LITTLE PEACHLING (2) THE FOXES' WEDDING THE FOXES' WEDDING (2) THE DEPUTATION OF PEASANTS AT THEIR LORD'S GATE THE GHOST OF SAKURA SÔGORÔ THRUSTING THE PETITION INTO THE SHOGUN'S LITTER THE CAT OF NABÉSHIMA THE FEAST OF INARI SAMA A JAPANESE SERMON <hr class="full" /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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