The Price of Three Stories by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Parkhurst Brothers, Incorporated, Publishers

Now, it was Danjuro’s turn. Enma-sama asked Danjuro, “Did you do the world good while you were alive? Did you have children? Were you good to your parents?”

“Yes,” answered Danjuro.

Enma-sama looked into the Jo-hari mirror. He saw a scary-looking bandit robbing money from a traveler and killing him. “What? You were a bandit?”

Then, Enma-sama saw a beautiful woman in the mirror. She was cheating a man out of money. “What? You were cheating people?”

Then, Enma-sama saw an old beggar woman. Making a sad face, she was saying, “Please, Mister, pity me and give me some money.”

“What kind of job is this?” asked Enma-sama.

“Those are the parts I played. I was an actor. I played many parts to entertain other people. They enjoyed my play. I did the world good,” said Danjuro.

But Enma-sama didn’t know what a play was.

“You say ‘play’ but I don’t know what it is. I don’t know what an actor does. So, you have to show it to me here.”

Then Danjuro said, “But Enma-sama, I can’t show it here. It is said that a play is eighty percent costume and twenty percent makeup. I have no costume. I have no cosmetics. I can’t do it.”

“I see. You need a costume. All right, you can use my Enma regalia,” said Enma-sama.

“Oh, thank you. I’ll borrow it and do a play of Enma-sama,” said Danjuro.

Enma-sama took off his crown, sandals and clothing. He put on Danjuro’s thin white funeral kimono. Trembling with the chill, he watched Danjuro put on his own under-kimono, then his kimono, then his hakama pleated trousers, his crown, sandals.

Then, Danjuro held Enma-sama’s scepter. And he stood solemnly.

Yes, he was such a great actor. With the costume, he looked as solemn as Enma-sama. Adding to that, he had such a great voice. With that great voice, he said, “Red Oni and Blue Oni over there! Take this man to hell.”

He sounded more dignified than the real Enma-sama. The real Enma-sama was trembling in the thin white funeral kimono. Red Oni and Blue Oni grabbed him from both sides. He yelled, “I’m the real Enma. I am the real one!”

But Danjuro said, “Don’t let him yell. Drop him in, fast.”

Danjuro sounded so dignified that Red Oni and Blue Oni believed him easily. They dropped the real Enma-sama down to hell.

Since that time, it is Danjuro sitting in the Enma chair.

And I shouldn’t be saying this aloud, but Danjuro is from Fukushima. So, when you stand in front of him, you should whisper to him in Fukushima dialect, “Aren’t you Danjuro?”

He might do you a favor.

Oshimai

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