Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 31, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 April 1875 — A Complicated Japanese Story. [ARTICLE]

A Complicated Japanese Story.

’The following curious story, says the Japan Gawtte, thoughaavoring of the impnAaUe, is vouched f°r • na,ive journal: Near KawagoyO, in Kumagaya Keto, lived an old couple, man and wife, who had worked hard for many years farming, and had put by 200 yen for a rainy day. One day during the course of last year the old man remarked to his better half that they were over sixty '‘years of age and must die soon, and asked what they should do with their earnings. Neither of them liked the idea of leaving the money they had earned by the sweat of their brows for other people to spend, so it was agreed that whenNme of them should die tlie survivor should place the money in the coffiin with the body, to pay the expenses of the journey of both to the otherworld, the one on demand, the other in advance. The husband was the first to succumb to the tyrant death, and was placed in his coffin, not with the 200 yen though, for the .old woman, with the failing of her sex, changed her mind and retained the money, thinking it would be far more sensible to spend it in procuring masses, requiems and offerings of flowers and perfumes for the departed. She therefore intrusted the money to a kocho of the village, with instructions to use it aS above stated. Blit this XocAo, tempted by the filthy lucre, ,-did not have masses sung, sacrifices offered, gtc., but kept the money, in the hope of the old lady following her husband. This, however, she flatly refused to do, ami continued sol>t;st and healthy pionth after month, until a short time ago, when the HocAo, weary of the delays of King Death, thought to assist the aged female in her journey toja better (or worse) world, and sent her, with touching inquiries as ;<> her health, a few tempting cakes, well dosed w ith poison. The old woman, after conveying her thanks to the ZwAo. offered the cakes to her “lamented” husband: that is, she placed them < n the >helf, for he also was “on the shelf,” and had been for. some time. Just '.hen a. ghost-like form appeared before—her, with face red as beet-root, body of size, a large, grotesque ornament, in the shape of a pair of horns, pi irndfng from his head; and a huge sword girt about his loins. Moreover, this- strange object was clothed in a priest’s coat.; and when he had remained sufficiently long for the old lady to recover from the alarm which the first sight of him created, he thus addressed her: “ 1 am Ycnma Daio (Judge j of criminals in the place of darkness.) You did not place the- 200 yen in the coffin oi your dead according to promise; wherefore he is distressed, and is suffering intensely on account of the extreme difficulty of his journey. I could not bear to hear his groans and muttered imprecations, so I have come to receive the money for him. Give it me quickly.’’ The .astonished woman. , after confessing that she had broken her promise, explained that -he had kept the money for sacrifices and offerings, adding that she would go immediately and bring the money; it was all in charge of the kocho. The Tenma, however, stopped her, saying: “I am the King of Hell, and have come here secretly and would not like the people of this world to see me. I must hide myself whilst I am waiting.” The woman, taking in the situation at a glance, put him in"a large box which had been kept at one time tor clothing, telling him that if he should feel hungry he would find some cakes on the shelf. She went to the and told what had taken place. AYcAo, being suspicious that it was some trick of the old worn an’s. said he would go back with her and see who this wonderful personage was and would then give her the money. On reaching home the woman pointed to the large box, which tocAo Opened, but started back in horror on seeing the Yenma Daio lying nearly dead, vomiting blood, his body being quite blue. The old wi nan ran to the shelf and found that ali the cakes were gone. Kocho cunfe.ssed..his guilt and received condign punishment,'and now comes the most probable part 6f the story. The victim of the poison was notYenma Daio but a wicked fellow in the neighborhood who knew the story of the 200 yen and had designs upon it. From this story two good morals may be deduced: Do not save your money too long, and do not covet that belonging to your neighbors.