Shank's Mare by Ikku Jippensha

Author:Ikku Jippensha [Jippensha, Ikku]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781462902033
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Published: 2011-09-13T04:30:00+00:00

'His Kyōto establishment is in Juzuya-machi, Rokujō,' said the landlord of the Fujiya.

'That's so," said Yaji. 'My father and mother are very anxious about me because I'm always climbing the mountain. I'm afraid I'm a bad lot.'

Then the maid called for the girls to come in and four or five of them came and bowed politely to the guests. 'Welcome all,' they said.

'Aha!' said Yaji. 'Very pretty.'

'Just pass them the sake cup,' said the Kyōto man.

'Ay, ay,' said Yaji. 'I'll give them one.'

He took a sake cup and handed it to the most beautiful of the girls with a smile.

'I say,' said Kita. 'I want to see the Drum Chamber.'

'You're always talking of the Drum Chamber,' said the Kyōto man. 'It's the Tambourine Chamber.'

'There's a guest from Edo in the Tambourine Chamber,' said the waitress.. 'He's got all the girls in there dancing and singing. Listen.'

From the Tambourine Chamber came the sound of samisen and of girls singing.

The mist is wafted by the breeze,

And far and near the shadows break,

While deep within the encircling trees

The moon's face floats upon the lake.

'They're having a dance in the other room,' said the Kyōto man. 'Let's do something too, —something out of the common.'

'All right,' said Yaji. 'I feel just ready to enjoy myself. I can't be bothered with the Kyōto talk any more. Yoi, yoi, yoi!'

'Tochin, tochin!' chimed in the Kyōto man.

Then from the back room there came another song:

All my love affair is known.

What care I? Play upon the samisen

A softer melody. Stay my tottering feet. To-night

I must haste to love's delight.

'Bravo! Bravo!' cried the Kyōto man. 'But where is my darling companion? What is your name? Ben? Oh, how thankful I am. I, Yotakurō Henguriya, living north of Naka-dachiuri, Sembon-dōri, Kyōto, respectfully and thankfully announce that I have for companion Ben of the Chizukaya of Furuichi in Seishū, as lovely and as charming as St. Benten. Come a little closer.'

He took her hand as he spoke and pulled her closer to him. He was a little drunk and had a habit when in that condition of repeating himself at length. The girl was the one to whom Yaji had presented the sake cup and who, he thought, would be his companion. Now that she was claimed by the Kyōto man he began to feel very jealous.

'Here, Master Kyōto,' he said, 'that girl's my companion.'

'What are you talking about?' said the Kyōto man. 'Here, waitress, what's your name?'

'My name is Kin,' said the girl.

'Then I, Yotakurō Henguriya, living north of Nakadachiuri in Sembon-dōri, Kyōto, call upon you, Kin, waitress at the Chizukaya at Furuichi, in Seishū, to say whether I did not a little while ago secretly engage Ben, as beautiful and charming as St. Benten, namely I, Yotakurō Henguriya, living north of Nakadachiuri...'

'That's enough, that's enough,' said Yaji. 'I don't care where you live. Tell me this. Didn't I first hand my sake cup to that girl?'

It is the custom in Edo, when one goes to such places, for the man to hand his sake cup to the girl he wishes to select.

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