Nori's blog----Novels, Poems, Essays, from Japan

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　１００

The culprit stood up quietly. Then he descended the hill with
the monk in the light of spring.

(End)

Written in Japanese and translated
into English by NISHIOKA Masanori
http://norinishioka.blog.co.uk/

http://nishiokamasanori.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/
(Original Japanese version is on this web-page.)

All Rights Reserved
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Thank you for reading.
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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　９９

“You bloomed here.”said the culprit, gazing the little
cherry flower.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　９８

The culprit kneeled quietly there. The culprit, then, touched
the stump of the mercilessly cut cherry tree with his hands.　
The cherry flower was waving in the wind quietly in front of
the culprit's hands put on the stump.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　９７

Wind came from somewhere. A bird's voice was heard
afar in the wind. The monk felt he and the culprit
have met spring at last.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　９６

It was a small cherry flower that bloomed on the stump.
The flower bloomed on a stump of an old cherry tree cut
by the lord and bloomed there as the only flower of the
stump. It looked like a wild flower and it was moving
in the breeze.
The culprit stopped in front of the stump at the sight
of the little flower on it.
The monk noticed the culprit stopped and also stopped
with the culprit. The monk gazed the culprit but the
culprit did not pay attention to his eyes. The culprit
was only seeing the flower that bloomed on the stump.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　９５

It was then. The culprit noticed there was a small white flower
blooming on a stump of a cut cherry tree beside him.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　９４

The culprit turned back. He saw the monk who watches him
gently there. The monk understood what the culprit wants
to say with his eyes towards him. The monk nodded faintly.
Then he turned back as the culprit suggested with his eyes
to leave this hill. The culprit followed the monk to go back
and began to leave there.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　９３

The culprit was beaten by the deep sense of defeat at this
reality. He had never experienced such sense of defeat in
the dungeon.
While he was imprisoned, he could imagine the scenery of
cherry blossoms on this hill in his dungeon. It was the
scenery that existed certainly out of the dungeon even if
he could not visit there and see it by himself. The culprit
could imagine the scenery from the cherry flower leafs
wind brought to his dungeon. However, when he witnessed
all those cherry trees were lost with his own eyes, the
culprit could not recall nor imagine the scenery any more.
The reality in front of the culprit was so cruel.
And the culprit was convinced his wife and children are
not in this world now at the reality the scenery of cherry
blossoms on this hill was lost. The merciless sight of
the hill was the very proof the culprit was defeated by
the lord.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　９２

“Was I dreaming?”wondered the culprit to himself.
“Wasn't it that I have been staying here actually?”
wondering to himself, the culprit looked around
the hill.
The culprit wondered he might be actually standing
in the cherry blossoms that are in full bloom as
they were on the day he was caught here. The culprit,
however, could not see such sight he imagined in
his mind around him. No scene of full bloomed cherry
blossoms wasthere. There was only the merciless scene
of the hill the culprit has seen just now of the hill.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　９１

The wind stopped. Then, the grass at his foot stopped to
wave. The culprit felt as if time has stopped on the hill.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　９０

The wind embraced the culprit silently. And the wind
made the withered grass at his foot wave quietly without
breaking the silence on the hill. The culprit gazed the
withered grass waving there without sound as if to see
a miracle.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　８９

Then, it blew silently around the culprit, as if to
respond to the culprit who ponders there.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　８８

The culprit kept watching the landscape silently and kept
pondering something.

(To be continued)

Written in Japanese and translated
into English by NISHIOKA Masanori
http://norinishioka.blog.co.uk/

http://nishiokamasanori.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/
(Original Japanese version is on this web-page.)

All Rights Reserved

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　８７

At the first glance, it looked nothing but a desolate winter
landscape.
Both fields and woods remained wintry with their view of
withered grass and branches without leafs in the faint light
of winter.
And the sight of a temple far away that has a roof of black
tiles gleaming black in the faint light was mysteriously
distinct among such landscape of wintry nature. It attracted
the eyes of the culprit who looks down the landscape from
the hill.　
The culprit, however, found cherry trees that began to bloom
white flowers on their branches among the wintry landscape
of this country.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　８６

The culprit gazed the landscape that has appeared in front
of him. The culprit was attracted by the landscape that
spread beneath the hill he was standing.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　８５

The monk followed the culprit. But he could not speak to
the culprit.　The monk could not ask the culprit where he
is going. Nor could he tell the culprit where to go or not
to go. The monk could just follow the culprit. That was the
only way for the monk to know where the culprit was going.
The culprit, then, encountered the landscape of this country
that spreads beyond the ridge of the hill he headed.　
The culprit stopped his walk when he reached the point he
can watch the fields beaneth the hill like a scroll of painting.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　８４

The culprit looked around the hill. Then he took a step
forward with his thin leg. He began to walk ahead slowly
from his place.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　８３

The culprit opened his eyes. Then he turned his eyes from
the blue sky above to the earth, where the culprit saw
the miserable scene of the numerous stumps of cherry trees
as he has seen. And the culprit certified he is there--
he is standing in the midst of the stumps as he was just
a moment ago. The culprit certified that the reality has
not changed there while he was looking up the blue sky.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　８２

The monk watched the culprit's back. And he prayed with his
hands clasped to his back silently.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　８１

　　　　　　　The sky was just blue and silent.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　８０

The culprit closed his eyes. He, then, looked up the
blue sky quietly with his eyes kept closed. The culprit
looked as if he was waiting for something to be heard
from the silent blue sky. But he could hear nothing
after all from the sky.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 ７９

Looking up the sky, the culprit shed tears for the first time.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　７８

From nowhere in the sky, one could hear birds' voice.
The quiet sky was just blue and endless.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　７７

The sky was silent. One could hear no sound there. Although
there was wind, there was nothing that makes sounds on the hill,
where the cherry trees were cut. The wind did not make any sound
and only passed over the stumps of cut cherry trees.
And there was no figure of a bird over the hill.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　 　　 　 　　　　　７６

　　　　　　 　The culprit gazed the white cloud.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
　　　　　 　　　　　　　 (To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　７５

The sky was clear. There was only a piece of white cloud
floating in the sky.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　７４

The culprit stopped in front of the miserable sight.
And he looked up the sky spreading over the sight.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　７３

It was the sight of the hill that lost its cherry trees.
The culprit and the monk witnessed a miserable sight
of the hill where the cherry trees, that used to be there
and covered the hill, were all cut and only stumps of
those cut cherry trees remain.

（To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　７２

At last, they arrived the top of the hill, where they
witnessed an unbelievable sight.　　　

(To be continued)

Written in Japanese and translated into
English by NISHIOKA Masanori
http://norinishioka.blog.co.uk/

Original Japanese version is on this
web-page.
http://nishiokamasanori.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/

All Rights Reserved

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　７１

The culprit climbed the hill step by step. Regardless of
the imprisonment in dungeon for nine years, the culprit
could climb the hill. It was due to the physical efforts
the culprit continued to maintain his physical abilities
even in the dungeon.
But he needed his stick to climb the hill. His walk was so
slow that one could hardly notice him being the same
person with the general of samurai he used to be.
The monk was deeply saddened by such figure of the culprit.
The monk was so deeply saddened that he had an illusion
as if his release from the dungeon yesterday had been a
tragedy. And the monk followed the culprit to climb the
top of the hill.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　７０

On the next day, the culprit left for the hill. The culprit
told the monk he wanted to go to the hill, where he had
been caught by the lord nine years ago in the hanami
banquet. And he left for the top of the hill with a stick,
though it has passed only a day after he got out of the
dungeon.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　６９

Thus, the culprit got out of his dungeon after
imprisonment of nine years.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　６８

When the culprit opened his eyes, the door of his
dungeon was opened.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　６７

The culprit closed his eyes. And he clasped his hands to pray
to the stone statue of jizou in front of his dungeon, while he
continued to sit on his knees in the dungeon.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　６６

“Our great lord has suddenly fallen ill and passed away
three days ago in the midst of hanami banquet.” said the
chief vassal. Then the chief vassal bowed deeply to the
culprit again and added that the lord's eldest son, who had
been exiled to the neighboring country, has now succeeded
this country, in his calm voice.
The culprit only listened such words the chief vassal told
him and did not say anything. The monk, biside the vassals
there, listened the same words as well, while he calmed his
upset mind.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　６５

The chief vassals who appeared in front of the culprit sat
on their knees on the ground in front of the dungeon.
And they put their hands on the ground to bow deeply to
the culprit in the dungeon. The culprit also sat on his
knees in the dungeon to reply their courtesy.　
Then one of those chief vassals who sat in the center
looked the culprit up and said “We haven't seen you for
a long time.” It was the chief vassal who killed the lord
in the hanami banquet three days ago. The culprit bowed
quietly to the vassal in his dyngeon.
“Our lord has passed away.”said the high vassal.
The monk doubted his ears with his words. The monk gazed
the back of the chief vassal with surprise. But the
culprit did not react tothe words and only continued
sitting on his knees in the dungeon.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　６４

Those who made the sound of footsteps shortly appeared with
the monk in front of the culprit's dungeon. Then they announced
a great news to the dungeon.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　６３

The culprit was making a hand-written copy of sutra as usual.
Then he noticed the sound of footsteps coming from the graveyard
toward his dungeon in the wind. He certainly heard it. The culprit
stopped writing sutra. And he strained his ears in wind to the
sound of footsteps coming toward his dungeon.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　６２

As the messenger had announced, the chief vassals of the
lord arrived the temple shortly after the noon. They bowed
courteously to the monk and asked the monk to allow their
visit to the culprit in the dungeon.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　６１

It was when the messenger appeared again guiding the chief
vassals riding on horses that the monk was convinced something
serious has happened in this country.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　６０

The monk suspected something unusual has happened in the
castle at the visit of the armor-clad messenger. However,
the messenger did not give any explanation to the monk
and other men of the temple. The messenger turned his horse
and returned to the castle without a word.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　５９

　
It was a messenger from the castle. The messenger, who was
in full armor, got off his horse at the temple's gate and asked
to see the monk. And when the monk appeared, the messenger
announced to the monk that the vassals will come to this temple
around noon. The monk wondered what happened, as he had not
known what had happened 3 days ago in the hanami banquet.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　５８

3 days later, an armor-clad messenger riding
on a horse visited the temple.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　５７

The lord fell down. He tried to stand up in his own blood
while women screamed in fright. But the lord could not stand
up any more.
The vassal said “Gomen!(Forgive me!)”to the lord and gave
the lord a finishing blow with his sword. It was as if those
vassals had determined to do so in case the lord had rejected
retirement.
The vassals stood up. They sorrounded the injured lord under
the cherry blossoms in full bloom and clasped their hands.
In the circle of their clasped hands, the lord died shortly.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　５６

The lord was enraged. He abused the chief vassal who urged him
to retire representing all his chief vassals. But the chief vassal
did not flinch at the lord's abuse. On contrary, the chief vassal,
sitting on his knees in front of the lord, criticized the lord's
various acts until then and urged him to retire again.　　　
The lord could not control his mind any more. He took his sword
and drew it. The lord attempted to kill the chief vassal, who is
sitting on his knees in front of him, with the sword.
It was then that another chief vassal of the lord, who was on the
other side of the lord, stood up. The vassal shouted “My lord!”
in a loud voice. He then drew his sword and struck a blow with the
sword on the lord from his front, at the moment the lord looked him
back.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　５５

One more year has passed. A drastic change has occurred in
this country, when cherry blossoms were in full bloom again
in new spring. It was that the chief vassals of the lord,
who attended the annual hanami banquet in the spring, suddenly
required the lord to retire from his position.
In the previous a few years, the lord has become even more
suspicious and doubted his vassals irrespective of persons.
And the lord tyrannized over his country while he drank a lot,
was doubtful of anybody around him, and listened to nobody,
to mislead his government. The chief vassals of the lord, who
were deeply concerned about such behaviors of the lord, required
the lord to retire suddenly in the hanami banquet, after
they had arranged their act against the lord.
Since the hill, where they used to hold their annual hanami
banquet, had lost its cherry trees by the fire the lord made,
the hanami banquet of the year was held near a pond, which
is far from the castle but surrounded by cherry trees.
The lord held his annual hanami banquet in the spring, as
usual year, taking his chief vassals there, to hold his banquet
of sake(liquor) and music.
But the lord was suddenly told to retire by all the chief
vassals who attended there, when the banquet was at its height,
at the moment the lord finished dancing sarugaku(Noh dance) there.

(To be continued)

Written in Japanese and translated
into English by NISHIOKA Masanori
http://norinishioka.blog.co.uk/

http://nishiokamasanori.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/
(Original Japanese version is on this web-page.)

All Rights Reserved.

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　　　　　　　　　　　５４

Thus, the spring of the year ended.

(To be continued)
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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　５３

And the culprit strained his ears to the sound of the wind.　
The culprit imagined the cherry blossoms in the country in
the sound and celebrated the spring of the year.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　５２

There was only soil in front of the culprit. The culprit
gazed the soil and recalled the days when the soil had
been covered with cherry flowers.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　５１

It was because flower leafs of sakura are not brought to
the dungeon now. As wind ceased to bring cherry flower
leafs here, spring seemed to be different with previous
springs this year.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　５０

One year has passed. Spring has come to the dungeon again.
But the spring seemed to differ from the spring until then.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　４９

Thus, spring of this year ended.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　４８

The culprit clasped his hands. And he prayed something in
his mind to the stone statue of jizou in front of the dungeon.
There were a few flower leafs of sakura still left at the foot
of the stone jizou.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　４７

The culprit recalled the lord's visit here a few days ago.
The culprit was aware that what is going on at the hill now
is the consequence of what happened here then, though he
stays in this dungeon and could not go to the hill to see
what is going on there.--He did not have to go there by
himself to see the sight with his own eyes.
The monk was amazed at the manner of the culprit.
The culprit sitting in the dungeon remained utterly calm
as usual morning regardless of the sounds of cutting trees
and the faint smoke that reaches here now. The culprit was
sitting in his dungeon with his calm expression on the
face as usual morning.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　４６

The monk heard the sounds from the hill in this morning and
made a young monk of the temple go to see what is going on at
the hill. According to his report, the hill was full of the lord's
vassals and their horses. And the lord's men were cutting cherry
trees and burning the cut cherry trees there.
The monk was terrified by the sight the young monk reported.
And the monk could hardly understand why the lord started
such act on the hill. But the culprit, who heard the words
of the monk, could understand why the lord made his men cut
the cherry trees on the hill and burnt them quite well.

(To be continued)

Written in Japanese and translated into
English by NISHIOKA Masanori

Original Japanese version is on this web-page.
http://nishiokamasanori.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/

All rights reserved

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　４５

The culprit closed his eyes. He meditated in his dungeon with
his eyes closed. Then he heard the sound of foot someone coming
through the graveyard towards his dungeon among the sounds from
the hill. The culprit recognised it is the foot sound of the monk.
But the culprit noticed the monk's foot sound differs from his
usual foot sound in its fastness. The culprit felt the anxiety of
the monk in the fast foot sound and opened his eyes to stare
the outside of the dungeon. Then he saw the monk who appeared
there breathing roughly after hurrying his walk and gazing the
culprit's face. The monk calmed his own breath and told the
culprit what the sound from the hill was.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　４４

The sounds became gradually clear. The sound of cutting trees
with axe and sound of trees fall could be heard by the culprit's
strained ears. Human voices and neighs of horses could be also
heard clearly now, though they were distant. And an amazing sound
was added to those sounds. It was the sound of fire. The sound of
burning fire could be heard among those sounds, though it was a
distant sound. Certainly, it was not his mishearing as the culprit
noticed faint smoke and smell of burnt cherry trees began to float
in his dungeon.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　４３

It seemed that the sound was coming from the hill. The sound
seemed to come from the hill where the lord holds his hanami
banquet every spring and the culprit was caught by the lord
during one of such banquets. Hearing the sound, the culprit
imagined what is going on at the hill now.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　４２

Cherry flowers have almost disappeared from the front of the
dungeon. Gazing the few cherry flower leafs on the ground,
the culprit strained his ears to the odd sound coming from afar.
Then, the culprit recognised the sound soon. It was a sound to
cut trees afar.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　４１

It was a quiet morning. There was no wind and the air was warmer
in the morning. The culprit was writing sutra on papers in the
dungeon as usual in the morning.
Suddenly, the culprit stopped writing with his brush in his hand.
He stopprd writing because he heard a certain sound afar.
The culprit concentrated and tried to recognise the sound.
As there was no wind, the culprit could hear the sound well.
The culprit, however, could not recognise what the sound is
at once, being in the dungeon.
Hearing the sounds carefully, one could hear human voices
and neighs of horses as well....“Hunting?”wondered the culprit.
No. it is not hunting, thought the culprit.
Even though those sounds are like them of hunting, one could
hear certain high sounds which one never hears in hunting.
“Battle?”wondered the culprit, who has experiences of
battles by himself. The culprit who knew war could tell it is
not a sound of war at once.
“What on earth is that sound?”wondered the culprit, gazing the
ground in front of his dungeon.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　４０

Thus, season of sakura(cherry blossoms) was going to end this
year. The culprit noticed sakura in the outer world of the
dungeon is over, seeing the flower leafs on the ground in front
of the dungeon has decreased.
The culprit regretted the end of sakura, as usual spring, while
he looked forward the sakura in the next year.
However, the horrifying event occurred, when everything seemed
same as usual spring.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　３９

Moderate weather continued for several days after the lord
visited the temple.
The wind continued to blow but rough wind like storm did not
blow any more. The chill in the morning also let up.
In the temple, the monk visited the dungeon in early morning
and talked with the culprit as usual. They, however, did not
talk about the lord's visit to them a few days ago. It was
as if such visit by the lord did not take place.
The culprit wrote sutra on papers to make hand-written
copy of sutra in the dungeon, as usual, or he spent time by
reading books. Nothing has changed in the way the culprit
spends his time after the lord's visit.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　３８

The sun set. After the lord came back, his men made fire as
light here and there on the hill, and the banquet of sake
and sarugaku(Noh dance) were continued under night cherry
till late.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　 　　　３７

There was a piece of evening cloud in the sky the lord looked
up. The little cloud was of color like a cherry flower and
floated in the blue sky in a shape like a cherry flower leaf.
The lord gazed the spring cloud reflecting the evening light
as if to see a flower leaf on water. The lord, then, finally
rode on his horse. He calmed his excited horse and looked
down the monk from the horse to say “Thanks for your treat.”
to thank him for the tea once more again. The monk deeply
bowed to the lord. Then the lord, who is a renowned horse
rider, said “Go!” to his horse and made a dash. He was
follwed by his escorts on their horses who chased their
master's white horse towards the hill where the hanami banquet
is being continued. They soon disappeared from the sight of
the monk. There remained the monk, other men of the temple,
and the two Deva Kings--the guardian gods of the temple gate
behind the lord.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　３６

The lord was silent. Being silent, the lord did not move. And he
was beginning to ponder something.
The monk found such reaction of the lord unexpecting.
The monk was perplexed that the lord responded in such way
to his answer. And the monk was worried that the lord
does not seem to leave here.
The monk only tried to say that the culprit has no pleasure.
The monk said the culprit's only treasure is cherry flower
leafs wind brings to the dungeon merely in this context.
However, the monk is now surprised that the lord is pondering
something in front of him after he heard the monk's answer.
The monk wondered which part of his answer triggered such
reaction of the lord and wondered what in the lord's mind is.
Then, a bird cried somewhere afar. Hearing the bird's voice,
the lord came to himself. The lord smiled and said “I see.”
in a low voice, while he looked up the sky with an evening
glow.

(To be continued)

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　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　３５

The monk continued
“Every spring, when cherry blossoms bloom, cherry flowers
are brought to the front of the dungeon by the wind.
He looks forward them as his utmost pleasure.”
The lord did not say any word.
“Maybe, those cherry flowers come from the hill, where
your highness holds hanami banquet. The cherry flowers
brought by the wind gather around the the dungeon.”
The monk continued his words without knowing the mind
of the lord.
“I think that is his only pleasure. It seems he has
no any other pleasure to me.”
The monk observed the lord's face when he finished
his words.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　３４

The lord stared at the monk. The monk reacted to the lord's
eyes automatically saying
“I think his pleasure is sakura(cherry blossoms).”
“sakura?”
The lord was puzzled. The monk was afraid of only one
thing. The monk feared that the lord might ban the culprit
to do hand-copying of sutras in his dungeon. From this fear,
the monk attempted to impress the lord as if the culprit is
not interested in hand-copying of sutras at all.
Then, the lord asked the monk.
“There isn't a cherry tree around the dungeon, is there?”
The monk, keeping his head below the lord's face, answered.
“You are right sir. But the wind brings fallen cherry
flowers from far places.　”
The lord showed a puzzled face, as if he was tricked by
a fox. But the lord was, then, reminded of the sight
the ground in front of the dungeon had been covered by
white cherry flower leafs, which he has just seen.　

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　３３

The lord continued looking the tea cup in his hands with the
humiliation. Meanwhile, the lord thought he must leave. The
lord left his tea cup aside him on the veranda and bowed to
the monk. The lord said “Thanks for this tea”and put his
straw sandals on to go to his horse.
The monk bowed deeply to the lord and thanked the lord for
his visiting his temple. The monk stood up and chased the
lord who walked to his horse. The lord, however, stopped
his walk when he stood by his horse. He stopped to ride his
horse and turned back to the monk.
The monk wondered what happened. Then the lord asked the
monk gently looking the eyes of the monk.
“Is he always doing like that?”
The monk was puzzled by this sudden question.
But the monk, bowing his head to the lord, replied
“Yes”to the lord.
The lord pondered without a word. The lord, holding
the rein of his horse, asked the monk
“Always?”
“Yes sir.”
The monk could not understand what the lord wanted to
know. But the lord ignored such reaction of the monk
and asked more.　
“What does he do in the dungeon?”
The monk, feeling palpitation, answered the lord.
“Well, he spends his time by writing Buddhism sutra
on papers to make copies, for example.”
The lord did not respond. He pondered for a short time
and asked the monk
“Is it his pleasure?”
The lord had no idea to ban anyone to write sutras on
papers, since the lord, who was very superstitious,
had been convinced he and his family would be punishied
by Buddha if he imposed such ban on anyone. But the
monk feared that the lord might be thinking to ban
the culprit to write sutras in his dungeon.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　３２

The lord could not read the culprit's mind. --How could the
culprit be so calm in front of me? And how could he have
such satisfied expression?--The lord was surprised by his
manner. The lord was surprised and shocked that the culprit
looked too diffirent from what he had imagined. And the lord
feared most that the culprit might have noticed such surprise
in his mind from his expression.--If the culprit did, what
did I come here for!?--The lord could not help but question
to himself.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　３１

The lord reached the main house of the temple, where the lord
sat on the veranda and asked a cup of green tea. Soon green tea
was served. The lord held the tea cup with his both hands and
drank the green tea slowly. Then the lord pondered something
without a word with the tea cup in his hands.
The monk sat on his knees on the same veranda aside the lord
and waited for the lord's words. But the lord remained silent.
This made the monk anxious again. The sun was going to set.
But the lord, sitting on the veranda, held the tea cup and
did not leave the temple.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　３０

The lord noticed that there is no cherry tree near the dungeon.
The lord noticed the soil in front of the dungeon, however,
is covered with lots of fallen cherry flower leafs. The lord
noticed this and wondered why.
The lord looked his back once more again. The culprit was
there. He was sitting on his knees in the dungeon and gazing
his front. The lord who saw it began to walk again. And he
never turned back again to see the culprit behind him.
However, while he walked towards the temple's main house,
the lord could not help but feel deep emotion of defeat and
regret his coming here today in his mind.

(To be continued)

Written in Japanese and translated into
English by NISHIOKA Masanori

http://norinishioka.blog.co.uk/

http://nishiokamasanori.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/
(Original Japanese version is on this web-page.)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　２９

The lord looked up the sky. He noticed that twilight is
spreading in the spring sky among the branches of trees.
Then the lord looked down slowly and gazed the culprit
in the dungeon once more. However, as the lord thought,
there was nothing diffirent in the manner of the culprit
while the loed was looking up the sky.
The lord was reminded of the hanami banquet being held
on the hill and thought he must return to the banquet.
The lord turned his back to the culprit. And then he
began to walk towards the opposite direction with the
dungeon, namely to the main hall of the temple without
words. The lord was made free from the tension at the
sight. It is over now--the monk thought. But the lord
suddenly stopped his walk there.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　２８

Then, the wind stopped and silence reigned around
the dungeon. The lord became aware it is useless
for him to stay here any more.
The lord was convinced this culprit would never
cry nor beg his forgiving even if he stayed here more.
Far from it, the lord feared that it might give the culprit
sense of victory if he continued confronting with this
culprit here. It was a situation the lord never imagined
when he arrived here.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　２７

The lord confronted the culprit who is sitting in the
dungeon.
It seemed that the culprit was gazing the lord's back
from there, while the lord was praying for the jizou
clasping his hands. The wind made the fallen flower
leafs of sakura at the lord's feet dance again.
But the lord was not distracted by the fallen flower
leafs now. The lord remained motionless to gaze the
culprit in the dungeon, while the culprit, sitting
on his knees on the ground in the dungeon, kept
gazing the lord in front of the dungeon.
The two, however, did not see their eyes each other.
They gazed their whole bodies each other and kept
their motionless posture there.
It seemed that the two might maintain their
motionless posture for ever there.
The monk observed them as if to observe a duel.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　２６

The lord came to himself. In the wind, the lord was reminded
of the reason he came here. The lord made up his mind.
He lowered his hands, which he clasped to pray for the jizou,
and turned slowly towards the culprit who was behind his
back.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　２５

The lord opened his eyes. He kept praying for the Jizou
with his opened eyes and clasped hands. Then, the lord
suddenly got alert to the existence of the culprit
buhind his back.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　 　　 　　２４

The lord took a look at his feet. Then he found a small
stone statue of Jizou(guardian of children in the world
of the dead and simultaneously a divinity worshipped by
many samurais in medeaval Japan in Buddhism) near his
feet.
The lord was moved by the loveliness of the stone
statue of Jizou. The lord closed his eyes and clasped
his hands for the stone Jizou. Then it blew again.
The wind that blew there brought the fallen flower
leafs of sakura somewhere away.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　２３

In the quietness in front of the dungeon, the lord had his
mind filled with sentiment of bliss. It was a sentiment
he never imagined nor expected to feel here when he arrived
here.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　２２

The lord had an illusion as if time has stopped in front
of the dungeon.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　２１

It blew again. But the wind, which blew now, was a, quiet,
gentle, wind. The fallen sakura flower leafs on the ground
moved only a little in the wind this time.

(To be continued)

Written in Japanese and translated into
English by NISHIOKA Masanori
http://norinishioka.blog.co.uk/

http://nishiokamasanori.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/
(Original Japanese version is on this web-page.)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　２０

It blew. The wind made the fallen flower leafs at the foot
of the lord dance on the ground.
The lord dropped his eyes on the flower leafs that
dance at his feet.
The lord noticed his foot was surrounded by such many
flower leafs of cherry blossoms. He was surprised
by the sight. But the wind stopped soon. The flower leafs
of sakura, that have danced at the foot of the lord just
now, has stopped their move. The ground in front of the
dungeon fell in deep silence. The lord could not recall
what he came here for.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　１９

The two met. But their eyes did not meet. What the lord,
who stood in front of the dungeon, watched was whole the
figure of the culprit. The lord wanted to certify the
man in the dungeon is the culprit he imprisoned, while
the lord thus avoided the eyes of the culprit. The lord
mistook the culprit sitting in the dungeon for the God
of Fire(Fudou-Myouou), at the first glance. But he was,
of course, not the God of Fire. It was without doubt
the sumurai he imprisoned in this dungeon 7 years ago.
The sumurai sitting in the dungeon has beard now, and
he was thinner than before. But he has not changed his
figure. The lord was surprised the samurai in the
dungeon has not changed his appearance greatly.
And the lord was puzzled to see the culprit in the
dungeon does not seem to be surprised by his sudden
visit and keeps sitting on his knees calmly in the
dungeon. The lord, however, could not allow himself
to express his puzzled feeling inside on his face,
for his pride as the lord.
The lord continued to stand in front of the dungeon,
without changing his expression on his face.
The lord continued to gaze the culprit, as if like
one who met a wild animal does not avoid his eyes from
the animal to confront it.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　１８

The lord watched the inside of the dungeon from his place.
He then tried to observe the facial expression of the culprit
after he certified the culprit is sitting on his knees in
the dungeon. However, as he was standing a little far from
the dungeon, he could not observe the expression of the
culprit sitting in the dungeon. Regardless of this distance
with the man in the dungeon, the lord felt their eyes meet.
And, due to this distance, the lord did not dare to advance
any more from his place. He stopped his walk there.
The lord, however, slowly advanced a few steps ahead,
when he got used to the atmosphere there and the eyes of
the culprit.
The monk, who continued to bow his head deeply in front of
the lord there, sensed the lord approaches to the dungeon
by the sounds of footsteps of the lord. The monk was, who
could not forecast what would happen now, prayed to Amida,
the Buddhism divinity, by chanting its name in his mind.

(To be continued)

Written in Jaoanese and translated into
English by NISHIOKA Masanori

http://nishiokamasanori.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/
(Original Japanese version is on this web-page)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　１７

The lord was led to the end of the graveyard, where
he saw the low cliff and the dungeon made in the cliff.
The lord remembered it is the dungeon the culprit is
imprisoned.
Then the monk, who drew ahead of the lord, suddenly
stopped his walk to let the lord go ahead. The monk
kept silence and stood aside the lord's way to bow
him deeply.
The lord nodded to the monk. And he continued his walk
only a few steps to stop his walk. The lord gazed the
dungeon in the cliff carefully from his place.
The lord did not advance to the dungeon yet.
The lord had his feet buried in the flower leafs of
sakura(cherry blossoms).

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　１６

The monk guided the lord to the dungeon.
The lord ordered his escort samurais to wait for him
in the temple's garden. Then he followed the monk
who guided him to the graveyard where the dungeon is
located. The monk could not guess what is on the
lord's mind. And the monk was worried what will
happen from now on. The monk, however, had no choice
but to guide the lord to the dungeon. The lord was
silent while he walked the path to the dungeon.
His silence made the monk more anxious. What on earth
made the lord say he wants to see the culprit now?
The monk suspected the answer is concealed in the
lord's silence.

When the monk and lord were approaching the dungeon,
the culprit noticed the sound of footsteps approaching
to him and sat on his knees in the dungeon.
The culprit wondered why the monk is coming to his
dungeon now in this hour. The culprit pricked his
ears and noticed the sound of footsteps is not only
of the monk. The culprit concentrated to listen the
sound of footsteps. And he wondered who the other is.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　１５

The monk was surprised to hear that the lord suddenly
visited his temple. The monk ordered all men in his
temple to see the lord while he felt anxiety in his
mind.
But the lord appeared in front of the monk, who
welcomed the lord by sitting on the ground and bowing
his face on the ground, in a cheerful manner.
The lord said “don't worry about me”
and even apologized the monk that he visited the temple
thus suddenly.
The lord, then, looked up an old cherry tree standing
aside the temple's big bell in the garden, and praised
the beauty of the cherry tree to the monk.
The monk, sitting on the ground on his knees and bowing
his face to the ground, listened the words of the lord
respectfully.
The monk thanked to the words of praise the lord spoke
about the cherry tree in his temple. The monk, however,
could not believe the lord came to his temple only to
see the cherry tree standing aside the bell.
As he wondered, the lord then stopped conversation.
And the lord said“Raise your face”to the monk,
who kept sitting on the ground and bowed to the
earth. The lord, then, said “By the way”to the
monk cheerfully. The monk, still sitting on his
knees on the ground, raised his face from the
ground and replied “Yes, sir.”Then the lord
watched the monk's face and asked the monk
“How is he doing?”. The lord was gazing the
monk's face from his front.

(To be continued)

Written in Japanese and translated into
English by NISHIOKA Masanori　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

http://nishiokamasanori.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/
(Original Japanese version is on this web-page.)

*

　　　　　　　　　 　 　　 　　　 　１４

The lord rode on his white horse. He then went down the hill
on with his horse. As the lord said he leaves the hanami
banquet for a while, all who were in the banquet wondered
why he leaves the banquet. But the lord said he just felt
like to ride on his horse. And he told everyone to keep
enjoying the hanami(cherry blossoms viewing) and said he
would come back soon. Then the lord started for the temple
where the culprit lives in the dungeon, with some samurais
as his guards.
The white horse the lord rode on ran under the full bloomed
sakura(cherry blossoms). The horse descended the gentle slope
and headed for the temple. while the lord ran on his horse
leading his vassals, those samurais on horses who escorted
the lord were totally unaware why the lord goes to the
temple. The escorts, being unaware why the lord goes to
the temple, could only hurry their horses to chase their
lord's white horse heading for the temple.
There were sun light streaming through the trees
on the slope they ran towards the temple. And there were
cherry flower leafs scattered on the slope they ran.
The lord and his escort samurais hurried the slope on
their horses to the temple. However, since the lord was
a renowned horse rider, he descended the slope much
faster than his escorts and ran far ahead from those
escorts riding horses.
Then, after his ride, the lord arrived the front of
the temple. The lord got off his horse there and stood
in front of the big gate with roof of the Buddhism
temple he visited after a long interval.
the lord looked around the gate. Nothing of the scene
has changed since he came to the temple last time.
The trees around the gate, the gate with roof irself,
and the pair of wooden statues of the Deva kings(Niou)
on both sides of the gate, have not changed at all there,
as if time has stopped at the gate.
the lord looked up the wooden statue of the Deva Kings,
that stand there as the guardians of the temple, and
gazed them for a while without a word.
Then, his vassal samurais, who were his escorts, arrived
there on their horses. The escorts delayed to their
master, to their shame, as the lord hurried his horse too
fast on the way. But the lord did not say anything about
their delay. Instead, the lord continued to stand in
front of the gate, and kept gazing the old wooden statues
of Niou(Deva Kings)--guardian of holy Busshism--without
saying a word.
then one of his vassals, who arrived there after the
lord as his escort, entered the territory of the temple.
He, then, announced the sudden visit of the lord to the
men in the temple in a loud voice. In response to the
voice of announcement by the samurai, some men of the
temple appeared to meet the visitors.
the lord ceased to gaze the old wooden statues of Niou
(Deva Kings) at last. And he walked into the territory
of the temple.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　１３

The lord had forgotten about the culprit. But he stopped his
walk now as he was suddenly reminded of the culprit, whom he
imprisoned in the dungeon of the temple 7 years ago.
The lord has not heard a report the cilprit died. Moreover,
he has heard that the culprit is alive in last spring.
The lord mocked the culprit when he heard it. But the lord
has not been reminded of the culprit even once in this one
year. Regardless of his such indifference, the lord was
reminded of the culprit now, and he wondered how he is
doing now. This wonder raised in his mind as if like a
cloud appears in the sky. The lord was surprised at
his own mind. And he turned back to look down the spring
field spreading beneath the hill. The landscape has not
changed at all since he observed here just before a moment.
But the lord felt something utterly diffirent in the
same landscape now. The lord was determined to ride on
his horse and to go to see the man in the dungeon at the
temple.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　１２

The lord left others present in the banquet and walked alone under
the cherry blossoms. And he stopped his walk under an old cherry
tree, when he reaches a gentle slope of the hill.
It was a wonderful viewpoint. The lord, who stopped his walk
there, was standing in front of a landscape of fields beaneth
the hill extending from the foot of the hill towards south.
It was a sight of winter fields and rice fields without
water of early spring. In the landscape, one could see
bamboo bushes and woods here and there. And one could
see farmers' houses of rice straw roofs here and there
in the landscape. And one could see cherry trees blooming
white flowers in many places in the landscape, which was
like an Indian-ink painting of nature, from the slope
the lord was standing.
The lord has stood here and observed the same sight of
spring fields. Seeing the same landscape, the lord
recalled he has held hanami(cherry blossoms viewing)
every spring on this hill. The lord, recalling his
hanami every spring, felt vain emotion in his mind
which was rather like solitude than nostalgia.
“A year has passed again.”thought the lord.
The lord mocked himself who thinks the same
every spring when he holds hanami(cherry blossoms
viewing) banquet on this hill, and kept gazing
the fields of early spring where cherry blossoms
were blooming here and there.
As he strained his ears, he could hear birds chirp
in many places in the bright field, even from the
slope of the hill. It was a bright chirp mimic of
singing, which one could not hear in winter. The
chirp of birds, however, sounded somehow uneasy,
though it was bright and like singing.
Hearing the birds' voice, the lord strained his ears
to hear a human voice somewhere. But the lord could not
hear a human voice. And he could not find a human figure
in the lanscape beneath the hill. All was bright and
sourrounded in light in the landscape. But the lanscape
lacked human atmosphere. The lord felt solitude at the
landscape. The lord felt like to come back to the banquet.
The hanami(cherry blossoms viewing) banquet was at its
pinnacle now. The lord thought he should dance sarugaku
(Noh play dance) in front of the guests once more again
and thought to drink more sake. Then he turned his back
to the field beneath the hill and began to return to
the hanami banquet.
It was at this moment the culprit, whom the lord made
his men catch in the hanami banquet 7 years ago, suddenly
flashed into his mind.

(To be continued)

http://nishiokamasanori.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/
(original japanese version is on this web-page.)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　１１

The lord went out for cherry blossoms in the spring too.
As in every spring, the lord planned to hold a banquet
under fully bloomed cherry blossoms on the hill near the
castle. He was to enjoy new spring with his vassals and
mistresses on the hill.
The cherry blossoms were in full bloom. The lord ordered
his men to prepare the place for cherry blossoms viewing
under cherry trees with luxurious foods and sake at the
spot of best view from the hill. The lord made it a rule
to occupy the place for the best sights at a corner of
the cherry forests on the hill and meke people do tea
ceremony, drink sake, and dance SARUGAKU(Noh plays), as
his annual pleasure in spring. The lord was going to do
the same this year too. He was going to pass a day of
spring by such banquet under cherry blossoms on the hill
with his vassals and mistresses. The sky was clear on
the day. Although it was windy, the chill that has
remained in the air until several days ago has gone
and the weather became best for hanami(cherry blossoms
viewing). The lord, happy with full bloomed sakura
on the hill, appeared on the hill with many vassals.
He welcomed the guests he invited to the hanami(cherry
blossoms viewing) on the hill, and treated the guests
with powder green tea he made by himself in as tea
ceremony. And he danced sarugaku(Noh play dance) in
front of the guests under the full cherry blossoms.
Thus, the lord was very happy. However, as he got
drunken very soon with sake in this banquet, he was
surprised he got old and mocked his aging by himself
in his mind.
While the banquet reached the pinnacle under sakura,
the lord stood up from his place quietly.
Being drunken with sake, he suddenly wanted to be
alone, leaving from others. The lord told his men
not to follow him. He left the circle of guests and
began to walk alone under full bloomed cherry blossoms.
His vassals, however, followed him regardless of his
words not to follow. So, the lord told his men not to
follow him once more again a little angrily. Then the
lord finally could be alone and walk under cherry
blossoms for a while.

(To be continued)

*

*

１０
　　　　　　　　　　　　

Among the scenes the culprit recalled in the dungeon was
the sight of a hill near the castle. It was a hill of
gentle slope, from where man could see a wonderful view.
And the whole hill was covered by old cherry trees.--
the hill was a wonderful viewpoint.
In spring, the hill is covered be fully bloomed cherry
trees. And one could see good view of cherry blossoms of
nearby lands blooming here and there around the castle
from the hill. So, it was a femous spot of picnics and
banquets under cherry blossoms in spring.
The culprit played running on the hill when he was a
child. And, when he became a father, he went picnic to
enjoy cherry blossoms to the hill in every spring with
his wife and children, and his late mother.
The hill was, however, the place where the lord held
luxurious banquet every spring with his vassals and
mistresses too. The lord made it a rule to go out of
his castle and go picnic to the hill with many vassals
and mistresses every spring, when the cherry blossoms
bloomed fully and held banquet. It was in this banquet
that the culprit, who participated in this annual banquet
as usual, was caught like a surprise play and imprisoned
in this dungeon.
The culprit could not help but feel a special sentiment
in his mind when he recalled his memories about the hill
in his dungeon due to this experience.
And, when the culprit saw the white flower leafs of
sakura brought to the his dungeon by the wind, the
culprit was aware many of those flower leafs must have
been brought from the hill, which is not quite far
from his dungeon. He, then, could not help but imagine
the scenes of the hill in the spring.

(To be continued)

*

*

9

The flower leafs of sakura danced in front of the culprit.
The white flower leafs of sakura rotated in a whirl as if to
say to the culprit “come here to play with us”.
The sunbeams through branches of trees above joined their
play. The wind, light through branches, cherry flower leafs,
played in front of the dungeon, as if they were three children,
from morning to sunset. The culprit observed the three play
there every day, without being bored.
The culprit, meanwhile, listened to the sounds of wind,
when trees afar made sounds like the sea, and imagined
the sights of far places those cherry flower leafs
came from in his mind.
The culprit learnt to love far memories. The surrounding
land around this Buddhism temple was the land where the
culprit was grown up. It is near the castle and there are
grounds of temples where he played with his brothers in
his childhood, or the place he practiced archery as a
young samurai. And, above all, the house where the culprit
lived as a vassal of the lord and grew his children up was
located near this dungeon.
To this culprit who was born and lived near the catle,
surrounding land of this Buddhism temple was full of
his memories. But the culprit had not felt landscapes
of this area so nostalgic until he was imprisoned in this
dungeon. The culprit, however, became to feel the landscapes
around the dungeon nostalgic. And it made him imagine the
landscapes.
When spring comes and spring brings cherry flower leafs
here, the culprit imagined the cherry trees those flower
leafs came from, and he imagined the sights of the nearby
land. And he listened the sounds of wind recalling the
sweet memories he had there.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　８

The weather was calm for several days after the day. The air was
still cool, but the chill was not that of winter any more. There
was wind. But such stormy wind as of the first did not come any
more. Instead, mild wind visited the culprit's dungeon every
day. The mild wind whispered at the treetops above the dungeon
to bless the new spring that has come. Above the treetops was the
blue sky. There were white clouds in the sky and the pieces of the
white clouds were ceaselessly floating from south to north. The
sky, however, never became cloudy. Fine weather continued for
several days.
the wind continued to bring cherry flowers. The wind, then, went
away somewhere after leaving those cherry flower leafs in front
of the culprit. The wind, that continued to bring cherry flower
leafs to the culprit every day, seemed to bring those cherry
flower leafs from somewhere afar. And it seemed to went back to
the far place after leaving the flower leafs in front of the
dungeon. The wind seemed to repeat it. And the flower leafs,
that were brought there by the wind, danced on the black soil,
at intervals, to be mixed with newly brought flower leafs.
Then the flower leafs there increased their number gradually.
Sometimes, there occurred very small whirlwinds. Flower leafs
became part of the whirl winds. They rotated in front of the
culprit and then stopped there. It was as if an invisible
child danced and played with fun in front of the culprit.
And the small whirlwinds occasionally entered the dungeon
of the culprit out of freak to lay flower leafs there.
The culprit became alone every morning after the monk left
the dungeon. He made it a rule to spend his time by reading
or hand-copying Buddhism sutras then, usually. However,
in every spring, when the ground in front of his dungeon is
covered by flower leafs of sakura(cherry blossoms), he did
not spend his time like that. Instesd, while the ground in
front of his dungeon is covered by cherry flower leafs for
several days in this season, he spent much of his time only
by looking the flower leafs on the ground in front of him.
And he spent his time listening the sounds of winds, that
occur occasionally, and gazing the shadows of trees that
move on the ground, in the spring days.
The culprit was happy, when tha ground in front of his dungeon
was covered by flower leafs of sakura.

(To be continued)

＊

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　７

As usual, the monk chanted a sutra in front of the Jizou.
Then he turned back quietly towards the dungeon with his Buddhist
rosary in his hand after he finished chanting the sutra. As usual,
behind the monk was the culprit sitting on his knees in the dun-
geon. He was praying for the Jizou with his clapsed hands and with
his closed eyes even after the monk finished chanting the sutra.
Seeing the culprit in the dungeon, the monk also closed his eyes
for a moment. Then the monk turned back and gazed the little Jizou.
There were some flower leafs of sakura(cherry blossoms), which were
brought there by wind, scattered in front of the Jizou carved on rock.
Those flower leafs looked like a decoration on the soil. It was as if
those flower leafs were dedicated for the Jizou by somebody.
Looking the flower leafs of sakura on the soil, the monk noticed
spring has come again and was pleased about it in his mind.
The monk was reminded of the morning he attempted to let the
culprit flee, but did not mention it to the culprit. Instead,
the monk clapsed his hands in his mind for the Jizou he carved
on rock in the spring, and prayed the culprits' two children
to bring flower leafs of sakura to their father here.
Then, it blew. The low cliff on which the dungeon is made has
a thick bush on its top. While those trees of the bush kept
green leaves in winter as well, the wind swayed the trees and
the trees made sounds mimic of the sea.
The sound of trees amazed the monk. He was amazed by the sound
because he thought wind had stopped, though it was a windy day
since the morning.　The sound occurred when the wind seemed to
have stopped. The sound of wind made the monk look upwards.
Then he found the branches of trees moving in the wind and the
blue sky above the net of fine branches of trees. And he saw
two pieces of white clouds, which looked like a pair of sagi
(snowy herons), changing their figures as if they are playing
in heaven, without sound, cross the sky from south to north.
Looking up the white clouds, the monk was surprised by the
height of the sky. Then the monk, standing on the bottom of
the sky, noticed flower leafs of sakura, which were at the
foot of the Jizou when he prayed for the dead children to
bring flower leafs to their father in dungeon, have been
already brought away by the wind and have disappeared from
the foot of the Jizou.

(To be continued)

*

＊

　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　６

　　To his mystery, there was an odd sentiment of pleasure
in the monk's mind about the culprit's choice. The monk
had odd pleasure that the culprit did not come out of
the dungeon in the morning since he doesn't know when.
Considering the monk's passion to release the culprit
at the risk of his own life, this sentiment in his mind
was surely odd sentiment. But this sentiment of hidden
pleasure was growing in the monk's mind gradually, as
time passed on, and the odd sentiment was getting a
natural sentiment in his mind. The sentiment was odd
enough to make an illusion as if the monk opened the
dungeon to certify the culprit would not run away from
the dungeon. The monk was moved that the culprit did not
come out of the dungeon regardless of the situation his
dungeon was opened. This deepened the monk's awe to the
culprit while the monk became proud he lives near this
culprit, as the result. This was very the reason the
monk feels secret pleasure about the culprit's choice
of not coming out of the dungeon and stayed near him.
The monk, since then, never urged the culprit to get out
of the dungeon again. It was nothing but an expression
of awe to the culprit the monk had. Instead, the monk
began to appear in front of the dungeon every day,
without a word, and sat there with his chisel to carve
a statue of Buddha on the natural rock in front of the
dungeon. Several months later, the rock became a statue
of Bussha--a Jizou, the guardian deity of children in the
world of the dead. Looking the newly carved Jizou, the
guardian deity of children in Buddhism, the culprit clas-
ped his hands in prayer, without a word, in his dungeon.
Obviously, it was a statue of Jizou the monk carved on
the rock for the culprit's two small children who were
killed by the lord. Since then, the culprit made it his
daily life to confront the statue of Jizou every morning
and evening, and chanted a prayer to Jizou in his dungeon.
It was obvious that the monk carved the statue of Jizou
and layed it in front of the dungeon to enable the culprit
to pray for his dead children in his dungeon, clasping his
hands in his dungeon against the Jizou in the outside of
the dungeon, after the monk was convinced that the culprit
has no intention to get out of his dungeon at all and he
would never pray for his children in the outside world of
the dungeon.
Looking the face of the Jizou, the culprit had an illusion
as if it is not his children killed by the lord but the
culprit himself, who continues to live in the dungeon,
that stays on the riverside of the river Styx. The culprit
wondered that his choice of staying in this dungeon and
not to get out of it, which was opend by the monk, might
resemble to an act of dead children who stay on the river-
side of the Styx and who, according to the Buddhism tale,
pile marbles on the riverside of the Styx have refuse
the mercy of Jizou, who save children in the world of the
dead, repeatedly.
The culprit continued to experience spring repeatedly
in the dungeon, with such thoughts. Then again, the wind
has brought cherry flowers(sakura) in front of the dungeon.

(To be continued)

*

*

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　５

The monk remembered the event in the morning as if it had
happened yesterday. In the morning, the monk, who is priest
of the temple, opened the wooden lattice door of the dunge-
on regardless he, the monk himself, would risk punishment if
he let the culprit escape from the dungeon. And the monk
was determined to commit suicide by sword in front of the
dungeon, where cherry flower leafs are scattered, after
he set the culprit free, for apology to the lord. But the
culprit did not come out of the dungeon. And he is still
in this dungeon. Why did the culprit not come out of the
dungeon? The culprit did not tell the monk the reason he
did not come out then and afterwards.
　　　 So, the monk could only guess the reason. And he thought
that the culprit did not dare to come out because the cul-
prit was worried what would happen to the monk, who is the
priest of this temple, in the beginning. The monk was conv-
inced that the culprit did not come out of the dungeon be-
cause it was evident the lord would persecute the monk if
the monk disobeyed the lord by releasing the culprit and
the culprit knew the monk is determined to kill himself.
The monk could not think of other reasons. And he was
moved by the clprit's heart. However, as time passed,
the monk reached to another thought. The monk wondered
if the culprit had other reasons when he did not come
out of the dungeon.
The culprit must have worried about the monk's fate,
of course. But it was not the only reason. The monk has
noticed it was not all of the reasons.
The monk wondered whether the culprit stayed in the
dungeon not because he worried about the monk's fate
but because he chose to live in the dungeon as his
own choice. In other words, the monk wondered that the
culprit might have chosen being in the dungeon not as his
unhappy, miserable, fate but as his spontaneous choice.
It was nothing but the culprit's defiance. The culprit did
not escape from the cruel fate the lord gave on him.
Far from it, the culprit chose the cruel fate by himself
and made the monk notice his choice of fight against the
lord by living in the dungeon.--the monk has noticed it.
However, enen though the monk has noticed such truth,
or even though spring has come again to remind him of
the morning, the monk never asked the culprit about
the morning he attempted to release the culprit, of cour-
se. Instead, the monk continued to come and go between
his temple and this dungeon in the graveyard every mor-
ning. And he reported the culprit that sakura(cherry
blossoms) began to bloom outside of his dungeon in
every spring, to share the pleasure with the culprit.

(To be continued)

*

　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　４

There were already quite many flower leafs of sakura
(cherry) brought there by wind in front of the dungeon.
As usual, the monk reached in front of the dungeon, in
the sunlight streaming through tree leaves, over those
flower leafs of sakura brought there by wind.
The culprit has been already aware the monk's visit
by the sound of his footsteps approaching to the dun-
geon before the monk appeared. And when the monk, who
is the priest of the Buddhism temple, appered in front
of his dungeon, the culprit sat with his legs folded
and bowed to the monk who visited him. Then, the monk
bowed to the culprit too. The monk, then, looked around
his foot in front of the dungeon and spoke to the culp-
rit in quiet voice.
“Cherry trees are beginning to bloom, aren't they?”
The cluprit nodded in his dungeon.
“It seems they began to bloom earlier than usual this year.”
The wind blew up when the monk said so. And the flower leafs
of sakura danced in the wind. The wind made sounds over them
and then went somewhere afar. Meanwhile, the culprit kept
sitting quietly in the dungeon and he seemed to have smiled
slightly. Looking his figure in the dungeon, the monk was
by chance reminded of what happened in front of this dunge-
on 6 years ago. It was what happened here in the spring of
1 year after the culprit was confined in this dungeon for
his false charge. Cherries around this temple had bloomed
earlier than usual in the spring as well. In one morning of
the spring of the early cherries, the monk, who had been
taking care of the culprit in the dungeon already for a
year by the order of the lord, pondered for a night hear-
ing the sound of wind announcing the arrival of spring,
and made up his mind at last. After he pondered through
the night, the monk visited the dungeon earlier than
usual in the morning. Then, when he certified a young
monk returned to the templ's house after he brought
the breakfast for the culprit to the dungeon, the
monk, who is the priest of the temple, opened the
lattice door of the dungeon and said to the culp-
rit “Now, come out”. It was very windy on the day
too like today. The monk said again to the culprit
who was sitting on his knees in the dungeon
“Now, why don't you come out?”.
The culprit, however, did not come out of his dun-
geon. Instead, he smiled without a word and bowed
deeply to the monk and then kept his eyes closed
as if to maditate there. Sakura(cherries) were in
full bloom out of his dungeon at the time. And the
flower leafs of cherries, which the wind had brou-
ght to the dungeon, kept dancing without end at
the foot of the monk.

(To be continued)