Ten Kiogen in English/Aunty's Saké

Nephew.—I am a man who lives in this neighborhood. I have an aunt beyond the mountain, who does business in selling saké every year. She is extraordinarily stingy and has never offered me a drink, when I have gone to see her. But, come! I’ll go to her today and beg for wine and drink. Now, let me go slowly! Well, there be many who are stingy in this world, but there’s none so stingy as my aunty. Surely she’ll treat me today, hewever. Here I am already. Oh, aunty, are you in?

Aunt.—Who is it?

Nephew.—I.

Aunt.—Who? Why! You have’nt been to see me for a long time. How is all with yon?

Nephew.—I have missed seeing you lately in one way or another. I am glad, however, to see you are as usual.

​Aunt.—As you see, there is nothing the matter with me.

Nephew.—Well, have you made saké this year?

Aunt.—Yes. I made it as usual, and it has turned out extraordinarily good, much to my satisfaction.

Nephew.—Why! Verily that’s good. Now, my only reason for calling on you today is to ask you to let me try to sell your wine, after seeing if it is good, in the large town of my birth, where drinking the honourable saké has become all the fashion lately.

Aunt.—Why! That’s a happy thing. I wish that you will become agent for my saké after seeing it.

Nephew.—Yes, I will sell it for you. Is it good wine? Or poor wine? I must take a taste of it anyhow. Pray, let me have just a taste of it.

Aunt.—That’s easy, but it’s quite unecessary for you to try its taste. You have only to say that it is good saké and to sell it.

Nephew.—However, I cannot know how good it is, without tasting it myself. Besides, in my village one man likes sweet wine, and another likes dry. So though I do not wish to drink particularly, pray, let me taste it.

​Aunt.—I will give sweet wine for one who likes it sweet. For one who likes it dry, I will give him the dry wine. And as I have not yet had an opening to sell, I cannot let you have the taste.

Nephew.—Well. You are so particular. To treat me is nothing but the opening to sell.

Aunt.—No. I do not look upon it as an opening to sell, when I am not given any money.

Nephew.—Now, can you not let me have a taste on any consideration?

Aunt.—No, I cannot.

Nephew.—Then, I do not care to drink. I must leave you now.

Aunt.—What! Are you going so soon?

Nephew.—Good-bye! Good-bye!

Aunt.—Thank you for calling.

Nephew.—Now, how’s that? Well, well she is the stingy one She did not treat me after all. What shall I do? I have an idea. Yes! I’ll do it, Say, are you in? Are you in?

Aunt.—Are you not gone yet?

Nephew.—I am just going. I came back to tell you something I intended to tell you and forgot.

​Aunt.—What is that?

Nephew.—Now, it is this. A terrible demon appeared in my native place lately, and we took to barring our back gates, and are watchful after nanatsu sagari (evening). I am told that the demon came this way crossing this mountain, As you are alone, you had better be watchful in the evening.

Aunt.—Why! That’s terrible. As I am alone in fact, I will be watchful closing the shop early in the evening.

Nephew.—That’s what I intended to tell you, and I had quite forgotten it. Therefore I returned. Now I will be going.

Aunt.—Are you going now?

Nephew.—Good-bye! Good-bye!

Aunt.—I’m glad you came.

Nephew.—Now! Well! That’s fine, that’s fine. I have deceived her well. My only reason for doing that is that I will drink her saké after terrifying her with this strange mask as she is a timid person.

Aunt.—Well, well, it is terrible. A while ago my nephew told me that the demon will appear in the ​evening. I will bar the back gate now, and be watchful.

Nephew.—(Sara-sara, hattari.)

Nephew.—Moshi, will you open? I entreat you.

Aunt.—I closed the shop some while ago. You must come tomorrow if yon want any thing.

Nephew.—I am one of the neighbors. Having a guest, I need the saké unexpectedly. Wont you open?

Aunt.—What do you say? One of the neighbors?

Nephew—Yes.

Aunt.—Well. I will open the door for you then. (Sara-sara, sara-sara.)

Nephw.—Now I’ll eat you up. (He chases her round and catches her at the first pine iree on the stage.)

Aunt.—Ah, spare me! spare me! (She escapes from him, and hids herself behind the first pine tree.)

Nephw.—Say, come here!

Aunt.—Yes.

Nephw.—You are a malicious one. You are alone here, being a woman, after evening. Doubtlessly you must be soldier-breeding. Now I’ll eat you up at one bite.

​Aunt.—Ah, I am not soldier-breeding. Pray, spare my life!

Nephw.—Do you wish to save your own life?

Aunt.—Yes, I wish to save my own life.

Nephw.—If you wish to save your own life, you have to listen to what this demon says to you.

Aunt.—I will listen to you whatever you say.

Nephw.—You are a stingy one to begin with.

Aunt.—No, I am not stingy.

Nephew.—I know it well. Have you not a nephew on the other side of mountain?

Aunt.—You know it well.

Nephew. —I understand that you never treat him with a cup of wine even when he calls on you from afar.

Aunt.—No, that’s not true. I always treat him whenever he comes round.

Nephew.—Oh! I know better than that. Hereafter, you make the wine cold in Summer, and make it hot in Winter, when he calls on you. And will you let him drink it? Or will you not?

Aunt.—I will let him drink.

Nephew—I’ll eat you up at one bite, if you say no. Now, I’ll eat you up.

​Aunt.—Ah, I’ll let him drink.

Nephew.—Wha ? You will let him drink?

Annt.—Yes.

Nephew.—Well, then, I spare your life. Now this demon too does not mind drinking a cup of wine.

Aunt.—Now.

Nephew.—I am going to your saké house and drink it now. Don’t look my way!

Aunt.—I will not look at you.

Nephew.—If you look at me, I’ll eat you up at one bite.

Aunt.—I will never look at you.

Nephew.—Don’t look!

Aunt.—I will not.

Nephew.—Don’t look!

Aunt.—I will not.

Nephew.—Now you looked at me. I’ll swallow you whole.

Annt.—Ah, I never looked at you.

Nephew.—I say that you are not to look at me.

Aunt.—I will not.

Nephew.—Don’t look. don’t look! (He steps to the front of the stage.) Don’t look at me! Gwarari, gwarari! Gwara, gwara! what lots of wine jars! ​She never treated me, though she has saké like this. Which jar shall I choose? Here is one whose lid is open. I’ll try it first. (He takes the lid off.) Well, well, what a delightful smell! Now, I’ll bring a dipper. Don’t look at me! If you look at me, I’ll eat you up. (He tries to terrify her. She is looking down.) Now, I,ll take up one cup. What is this? I had quite forgotten all about it. (He takes off his mask with one hand, and he puts it on again after drinking.) Ha, since this morning I have been wishing to drink, and now as I drank it impatiently I felt only a sensation of cold, but not any taste. Now, let me drink once more and feel its taste! (He drinks.) Don’t look at me! (He tries to terrify her, and drinks.) Ha, well, well, it is only right for my aunty to be proud of her saké. It is extraordinarily good wine, Shall I take one more up? This is too uncomfortable. I with to have a little more ease in drinking. Oh, now, now, I have an idea. (He turns his mask to right.) Don’t you look at me! If you look at me, I’ll eat you up at one bite. (He shakes his head, and knocks the floor hard with his feet, and tries to terrify her.) Ah, that’s it! ’Tis indeed good. Now, I’ll drink. But I feel my head ​rather too heavy. Shall I drink wine to make my head lighter? Oh, now, I know what to do. (He lays himself down to left, and raises up his right leg, and puts the mask on its knee.) Say, don’t you look this way! If you look, I’ll eat you up. (He knocks the floor hard with his feet.) Now, it is becoming quite comfortable. Now, then, I’ll drink once more. Ah, well, well, at each drink the wine grows far better. Now, I’ll drink again. Don’t look at me! If you look at me, I’ll eat you up at one bite. Well, I’ll drink, Aha, aha, this is good fun. Now, I’ll drink. Ah, it seems I have gos slightly drunk. Shall I rest for a while and drink? (He puts the cup for a pillow, and tries to terrify her while lying down.) Don’t look! If you look, I’ll eat you up at one bite. Now, I’ll eat you up. Don’ look! Don’t look at me! (He gets drunk, and sleeps.)

Aunt.—Alas, how terrible, how terrible! It wa true what my nephew told me some time ago. Now it is extraordinarily quiet. I wonder whether he is gone. Though it is fearful, I will go and look at him. (She comes to the front of the stage on tip-toe, and finds the mask.) Ah, pray, excuse me! I will ​not be stingy with saké. Take as much as you want, and leave here quick! Oh, pray, pray! Why don’t you say a word? I feel quite uncomfortable if you say no word. Oh, pray, pray! (She raises her head, and finds her nephew.) What! How indignant, you brute! I thought it was the demon. But he was nobody but my nephew What shall I do with you? Here, here! (She makes him awake.)

Nephew.—(In half a dream.) Now, I’ll eat you up. (He tries to terrify her with his feet.)

Aunt.—You still keep it up! Do you? What is this? (She takes up the mask.)

Nephew.—(He wakes up, and takes the wine cup for his mask, and puts it on his face.) Now, I’ll eat you up. (He tries to teriify her.)

Aunt.—What you eat me up? What a cruel trick you played me!

Nephew.—Ah, pardon me, pardon me! (He runs away totteringly.)

Aunt.—You rascal! Catch him for me! I’ll no let you go.