Ten Kiogen in English/The Demon's Mallet

Demon.—(He sings.) “Wear a hiding mino?^[1] Here is a hiding kasa.^[2] The little mallet would be a treasure.” I am a demon from the Horai^[3] Island. This is a happy age. As I hear that a Tatsu fair of Nippon is especially lively, I think that I will go there now, and buy what I want. (He sings.) “Oh, plenteous age, oh, plenteously wide road! What a brisk horse for my mind, what brisk feet of mine! Here I am arrived in Nippon which was hitherto known to me only by name.” Now I am arrived in Nippon already. I am extraordinarily tired as I came from far away. Let me rest here for a while.

First man.—Are you in there?

Second man.—Here I am.

First man.—Today we have a Tatsu fair. I think ​that I will go there and buy something if I find it good. What do you think?

Second man.—Verily that will be good.

First man.—Oh, well, you brought a sasae^[4] with you?

Second man.—However little it is, I brought it with me.

First man.—I will carry it for you.

Second man.—Will you come now?

First man.—Well, then, I come. Will you come, will you come?

Second man.—Very well.

First man.—It wouldn’t be pleasant even at the fair if we don’t drink.

Second man.—Yes, it is as you say. The fair will be pleasant if we drink.

First man.—We will run about, and buy things we desire.

Second man.—Very well, we will buy them.

Demon.—Kun, kun, kun! Oh, what a human smell! It appears that some human being is coming. I will make him a companion for fair going, if he be not disagreeable to speak to. Say, say, who is it ​that goes there?

First man.—Ha, somebody is calling.

Second man.—Indeed, somebody is calling.

First man.—Who is it that called me?

Demon.—Say, here I am.

First man.—Well, well, who is that? I hear the voice, but I see no form.

Second man.—Truly I don’t see where it is.

Demon.—Well, it reminds me. As I wear the mino and kasa, I am not seen to the eyes of Nipponese. I will take them off.

First man.—Well, well, what do you think? I am sure that I hear a voice before me. But isn’t it strange that I do not see its form?

Second man.—I think that a fox or badger must have been fooling us.

Demon.—Here, here, here am I.

First and second men.—Where are you?

Demon.—Right here.

First and second men.—Oh, fearful, oh, fearful! Pray, save our lives!

Demon.—Say, I am not a thing you should fear. I am only a demon from the Horai Island.

First man.—What is fearful, if it be not the demon!

​First and second men.—Pray, save our lives!

Demon.—Say, don’t worry so! The divine spirits have no wrong principles. I will not submit to anything unreasonable. Be friendly to me!

First and second Men.—We thought that you might eat us up in one mouthful.

Demon.—No, no, I am not such a demon who will eat such dirty people as you. Don’t worry!

First and second men.—Then, we are quite at ease.

Demon.—Well, where are you going?

First and second men.—We are from this neighborhood. Today we have a Tatsu fair. And we are going there.

Demon.—This demon has heard of it too, and has come here from the far-away Horai Island. You are good companions. Let us go together?

First and second man.—Yes, yes, we will follow after you.

Demon.—Now, now, one go first as a leader.

First man.—What is that? I hear his voice, but his form is not seen. Where is he?

Demon.—Here, here, here I am.

​First and second man.—Where is he? We cannot see him at all.

Demon.—Well, it reminds me. I will take off my mino and kasa again.

First man.—Well, well, this is strange.

Second man.—It is as you say, it is strange.

Demon.—Here, here, here I am.

First man.—Well, you are there? Why! Now you are seen, and now you disappear. It is a thing I cannot understand. What is it? I like to be told about it.

Demon.—It is quite right that you are wondering. Let me tell you about it. Here, here, this is the treasure called “hiding kasa.” And this is the treasure called “hiding mino.” They are treasures, as I will not be seen by any human eye under them.

First man.—Are they the famous hiding kasa and mino of which I have heard!

Demon.—Yes, yes, they are.

First man.—I have seen such are treasures by chance, which are foreign. There is nothing more thankful.

Demon.—So it should be.

First man.—And then, I hear also that there is a ​treasure called “Knocking-out little Mallet.”^[5] How does it look?

Demon.—I am questioned about the most serious thing. But I will tell you about it anyhow. That “knocking-out little mallet” is the thing by which you can knock out anything you desire. It is one of three treasures, and I never let it out of my hand, and I have it in my bosom.

First man.—Why, you should keep it so!

Demon.—I noticed long ago that you are carrying something in hand. What is it?

Second man.—It’s sasae.

Demon.—What might sasae be?

First man.—It is saké.

Demon.—What? Saké?

Second man.—Yes.

Demon.—Can’t you treat me with it?

Second man.—Why! Yes, we will give some to you as we too feel like drinking.

First man.—Well, then, open the sasae now.

Second man.—Very well.

First man.—Now let us sit down.

Demon.—Very well.

​Second man.—The sasae is opened. Let us give it to the Lord Demon first!

Demon.—You two begin first.

First man.—You begin first.

Demon.—Well, then, you take saké first and give me your cup, taking the place of master.

Second man.—That’s unexpected, but I will act so f you say.

First man.—I will serve out the wine.

Second man.—That’s unexpected. Now, then, let me present the cup to you.

Demon.—Well, well, give it to me.

Second man.—Just you take it.

Demon.—Now, then, I will drink. Oh, that’s enough.

First man.—You sing a little bit.

Second man.—Very well. (He sings) “The unchangeable friends are the treasures we bought at the fair.”

Demon.—Well, well, I feel deliciously cool.

First man.—Now, Lord Demon, let me serve you. Pray, repeat it.

Second man.—Now, now, you continue to drink.

Demon.—And you don’t drink?

​First man.—Now, you receive my cup.

Demon.—Then, shall I receive it?

Second man.—That’s right. (He sings.)

Demon.—This is delightful. I cannot take the wine at once. Let me put it down!

First man.—That will be good.

Demon.—I understand that in Nippon you amuse one’s mind by dancing at any occasion. Why don’t you dance?

Second man.—I am ignorant of such a thing.

Demon.—No, no, I don’t think so. I wish it by all means.

Second man.—Then, I will dance. Pray, sing for me.

First man.—Very well.

Demon.—Yanya, yanya, yanya! Since it is a Japanese dance, it is graceful. How delightful!

First man.—Now drink saké again, looking at it.

Demon.—Yes, I will drink, I will drink.

Second man.—Here it is.

Demon.—That’s enough. Now I will present this cup to you.

First man.—Give it to me. I will accept.

​Demon.—Take this to him.

Second man.—Very well.

Demon.—You too drink.

First man.—That’s enough. What do you think? What do you think that I wish to the Lord Demon for his standing shape, since I take up his cup?

Second man.—That will be very good.

First man.—Well, is it too much to ask you for your standing shape in dancing, since I take up your cup?

Demon.—I wish I could dance for you, but the dancing of Horai Island isn’t interesting.

First man.—Don’t be so humble! By all means I desire you to dance. It must be unusual.

Demon.—Then, I will dance!

First man.—That’s good.

First and Second man.—Yanya, yanya, yanya.

First man.—Well, well, how delightful!

Second man.—And how graceful!

Demon.—It is not so!

First man.—Now I will drink again.

Second man.—Now, now, drink!

​First man.—That’s enough. Now, I will present this to the Lord Demon.

Demon.—Wouldn’t it be better to have done with it?

First man.—I was given it by you a while ago Let me return it to you.

Demon.—Then, give it to me. This is a large cup. I will loose my mind if I take it.

Second man.—Just you drink it.

Demon.—That’s enough,

Demon.—I cannot drink it at once. Now, will you dance too?

First man.—Will you excuse me?

Demon.—There is a phrase: three gods are suited to each other. Pray, you dance by all means!

First man.—Then I will dance. Sing the song for me!

Second man.—Very well.

Demon.—Yanya, yanya, yanya! Every dance is equally splendid. How graceful! How delightful! As your dance was especially good, I will give to you this hiding kasa as a reward.

First man.—I thank you. That is what I desired

​Demon.—Here, here, I will give to you too this hiding mino for your dance.

Second man.—That is unexpected luck. I thank you.

Demon.—Let us be done with saké. I will drink up my cup.

First man.—Will you take a little more?

Demon.—Why, no, put the cup aside quick.

Second man.—Then, I will put it away.

Demon.—Now, now, we shall go to the Tatsu fair.

First and second men.—That will be good.

Demon.—I am extraordinarily drunk. Will you take my hand?

First man.—I will take your hand.

Secoud man.—I will take your hand too.

Demon.—Now, why, this road appears to me to be in seven or eight lines. (laughter.)

First and second men.—It should be so.

First man.—I got extraordinarily drunk.

Second man.—It is as you say.

Demon.—Why! How fearful!

First and second men.—What is it?

Demon.—From between the stone ware houses over there a hiiragi tree pushes out its branches to the road-side. Aha, fearful thing. (laughter.)

​First man.—Well, well, you are a coward. Don’t worry a bit since we are following after you.

Demon.—I am extraordinarily drunk. I cannot walk at all. Let me sleep here for a while!

First man.—Verily that will be good.

Demon.—Then, I will sleep a little.

First man.—I will tap your leg a little.

Second man.—I will rub your hand.

First man.—Oh, what do you say?

Second man.—ls it right?

First man.—Oh, say, say!

Second man.—What do you say?

First man.—Oh, say, come here.

Second man.—What is it?

First man.—Well, we had such a delightful time.

Second man.—So it is as you say.

First man.—And we got the unexpected treasures. There is nothing more happy than this.

Second man.—I think that I will hurry back home and let my wife and children see it and gladden them.

First man.—But wait!

Second man.—Why?

First man.—We are told that he keeps the Knock​ing-out Little Mallet in his bosom, since it is of great consequence being one of the three treasures. Why don’t we steal it from him?

Second man.—Verily that will be good. But it is quite dangerous to do it.

First man.—I go over there, and I will tap his legs. And you steal it at the right time.

Second man.—I understand that.

First man.—Don’t be stupid!

Second man.—I will not be stupid.

First man.—Oh, say, shall I tap your legs?

Second man.—Shall I rub your hands?

First man.—Oh, say, what do you say?

Second man.—Don’t you want it?

First man.—Oh, say, what do you say? Don’t you want it? Oh, say, oh, say!

Second man.—Oh, say, come here.

First man.—What is it?

Second man.—Look at this! I stole it after all.

First man.—Well, well, it’s splendid. Now, now, let me see it!

Second man.—Well, how glad I am! I will hurry back home and knock out what I wish by it.

First man.—Ah, here, just you wait!

​Second man.—What is it?

First man.—You give that mallet to me.

Second man.—No, no, that is what I stole. There is no reason why I must give it to you.

First man.—What! You are unreasonable. I spoke of it to you first. I will not give it to you. I must have it under any circumstances. Give it to me!

Second man.—No, no, I cannot hand the thing to you which I took on risk of my own life. Give it to me!

First man.—Give it to me under any circumstances

Second man.—No, give it to me!

First man.—Give it to me!

Second man.—Give it to me!

First and second men.—To me! To me! To me! What is that? Pray, pardon me!

Demon.—What you are doing, making such a noise? What is that? Isn’t it my Knocking-out Little Mallet?

First and second men.—We are sorry.

Demon.— Ah, you are unreasonable fellows. Nothing will come out from the mallet since you have such a wrong principle in heart. I will be a judge for both of you. Give that mallet to me!

​Second man.—Very well.

Demon.—Now, he will be displeased if I give it to you. And you will be displeased if I give it to him. Therefore I will keep the thing myself. But I will knock out from it the treasures which will make your descendants prosperous forever.

First and second men.—Ha, we are thankful.

Demon.—(He sings.) Now, he raised the Knocking-out Little Mallet to give treasures to them. He knocked it on and on. And lo, plenteous gold silver, gems, rice and money appeared, The two men were given them, and hurried home gladly. And the Demon carried the mallet on his shoulder and returned to the Horai Island.