Ten Kiogen in English/The Demon's Shell

Master:—I am one who lives in this neighborhood. I did not send him even a word for a long time now. I think I will send Taro to him as a messenger. Now I will call him and command him so. (Taro enters.) My reason for calling you is only to ask you to kindly see him for me as I did not send him any word for a long time.

Taro:—Very well.

Master:—Now go quickly.

Taro:—I understand.

Master:—Go.

Taro:—Well, what is this? I am commanded to go to him. Whenever he sent me as a messenger, he used to give me a cup of honourable saké. Why did he not give it to me today? I am pretty sure he has forgotten about it. I will go back, and try to remind him of it. Oh my lord, are you there?

Master:—Don’t you start yet?

​Taro:—I am going now. Why don’t you send him your honourable letter?

Master:—No, no, as I send you to him, I will not send him any letter, but you shall tell him as much as any letter might tell.

Taro:—Then will you not send him your honourable letter.

Master:—No, no.

Taro:—Now, then, I will start.

Master:—Go quickly.

Taro:—Well!

Master:—Go!

Taro:—Well, what is this? He didn’t think of it yet. What shall I do? Well, ’tis so, ’tis so. It would be nothing for me to go without a drink just once. Now, I will go for the honourable message But any man is glad to make a custom of such a thing. It would be hard for me, if it should become the custom. Let me go back once more, and try to say something which may remind him. I say, are you in? Are you there?

Master:—Who is it?

Taro:—I.

Master:—Don’t you start yet?

​Taro:—Well, I am going now. You used to say often that you had forgotten that and this, when I was gone. Nothing to forget today.

Master:—No, no. I have forgotten nothing today.

Taro:—Yes, yes, I fancy that you may have forgotten some thing. Think over it well.

Master:—No, no. I have forgotten nothing today. But, ha, ha! I did forget something.

Taro:—Look now. You have forgotten something.

Master:—You just wait there.

Taro:—Very well.

Master:—What is this? I couldn’t understand why Taro made a “little return” repeatedly. I used to give him a drink, whenever I sent him off for a message, but I forgot it today. Therefore it appears he made the “little return,” I think I will let him have it. Say, say, Taro, I have something for you.

Taro:—Why, what may it be?

Master:—I used to let you drink, but I had forgotten it. Drink a cup or two, and start.

Taro:—Why, was it that you said you had for​gotten?

Master:—Yes, yes.

Taro:—I thought that the thing you had forgotten must be something else. Never mind, if that is what you meant. Now I will go for the honourable message.

Master:—Ah, here, here, if you go without taking the saké which I used to let you drink, my heart would be uneasy. Honestly, you drink and start!

Taro:—But I feel rather embarassed to take up the cup today.

Master:—Well, what will it be?

Taro:—And it is this. I feel annoyed thinking that you might think that I made the “little return” purposely from wishing to take a drink, pretending to ask you whether you would give him your honourable letter, or whether you had not forgotten something.

Master:—What? Why should I think such a thing? Come now, drink and start.

Taro:—I will drink when I return, then.

Master:—No, no, by all means drink and start, since I always used to let you drink.

Taro:—Are you saying that I must drink and go by all means?

Master:—Yes, yes.

​Taro:—Then, shall I drink?

Master:—I have brought a large cup so that it need not take a long time. So, drink!

Taro:—Will you put the wine bottle this way?

Master:—No, no, let me pour the saké out into your cup!

Taro:—It would be too extraordinary. Well, pour it out.

Master:—Very good.

Taro:—Oh, that will be enough.

Master:—Indeed, there's enough.

Taro:—Now, then, I will drink.

Master:—That’s good. (Taro drinks five cups.) Had you enough?

Taro:—Oh, not any more.

Master:—Then, I will put the bottle away.

Taro:—Please, take it away quickly. Well, well, what a lovely lord he is! Three large cups! Five large cups (Laughter.)

Master:—Say, say, why don’t you start?

Taro:—Where to?

Master:—What is this? You ask where to? Why don’t you start for his place?

Taro:—To his place?

​Master:—Yes, yes.

Taro:—How could I forget that? Now I will I start. (He tumbles down.)

Master:—What is this? It appears he got drunk

Taro:—I never got drunk. But as I sat down for a long time, I got palsied. Will you kindly take my hand?

Master:—Very well, now get up!

Taro:—Now!

Master:—Ha, he got drunk.

Taro:—No, no, I never got drunk. Well, don’t you give me your honourable letter?

Master:—No, no, as I send you to him, I will not send him a letter.

Taro:—What, send no letter?

Master:—No, no.

Taro:—Well, then, I will tell him nicely.

Master:—You tell him nicely.

Taro:—Now, I will go.

Master:—Come back quickly.

Taro:—Very well.

Master:—Go.

Taro:—Ha, ha! (He laughs.) Well, well! He is a lovely lord. He gave me three large cups, no, ​five large cups, sending me for a messenger to his place. Did I get drunk? I will go singing a little. (He sings.) Yes, this ought to be always one road, but today appears to be two roads or three roads. I cannot go now. I will rest awhile. So!

Master:—I sent Taro away as a messenger to his place, but he got extraordinarily drunk. I feel uneasy. I will go after him, and see about it. I wish he may reach there safely. I feel uneasy. What is this? He is sleeping on the sidewalk. Well, well, he is a malicious fellow. What shall I do? Now, I have an idea. (He takes out a demons mask and puts it on Taro’s face.) When he wakes up, he will be frightened and 'crush his own liver.'

Taro:—Ha, how well I slept! Bring me hot water! Bring me tea! What is this? I thought that here was my home. Why, this is the middle of the road. How camel to sleep here? Ha, that's it, that's it. I was given some saké when I was sent away to his place, and I got drunk, and fell asleep here. Ha, I must have been sleeping with my head down, and so my head feels quite heavy. Now, I know ​that here abouts is a fine spring of water. I will go there, and wash my face, and drink the water. Well, well, how I did get drunk! How mindlessly I got drunk! Well, then, her eit is. I will drink the water. (He looks down into the water.) Ah, how sad, how sad, how sad! Pray, spare my life! On my lord's business I was sent to a certain place, and as I got drunk, I have been sleeping. Please, spare my life! Pray, why don't you say a wood? I am vexed that you don't say a word. Say just one word that you excuse me. Oh, pray! (He slowly raises his head toward the water, and instantly slips back.) Oh, oh, how fearful, how fearful! The solemn demon is in the spring water. Shall I go back quickly, and tell my lord about this? Since he is a careful man, he will ask me whether I did certify it by sure seeing. I cannot say that I did not. Though it is a fearful thing, I will make it sure. Ha, I pray that it will not jump out. (He approaches on tiptoe, and peeps in.) Ah, how sad, how sad! Pray, spare my life! Oh, pray, why don't you say a word? Oh, pray! Well, I cannot understand. I am sure there is a demon, But why doesn’t it jump out? I will see it once more. (He looks upon the water slowly, and ​frightened, draws back a little. He thinks it strange this time, seeing that it is his own face. He causes his sleeves, his one hand and then both his hands to be reflected in the water. Finding that it was nothing but his own shadow, he cries out and steps back.) Ah, ah, it was not the deman that I saw in the spring water, but my own face that strangely turned to a demon’s face. I had no thought of ill towards any person to this day, and why in the world was I turned a demon? Now, what must I do? Oh, well, well, if I remain standing here idly like this, the people will see me, and will beat me to death, saying the demon has appeared. Anyhow, my lord is my friend, and I will go to him, and entreat him to feed me for lifetime. Well, well, I cannot help it! Surely he will ‘crush his liver’ when he sees this face. Now, somehow I got back. I will tell him that I have returned, hiding my face. Ah, my lord, are you in? Taro has returned.

Master:—Yes, did Taro return? Taro, you got back, you got back?

Taro:—I have returned.

Master:—Yes, you got back.

Taro:—Just now I am returned.

​Master:—Ah, how fearful! Solemn demon had come! Go away quickly! Go away quickly.

Taro:—I say, I am no demon. This is your Taro.

Master:—Don't tell a story. I know not any demon Taro. Go away quickly!

Taro:—But it is not so. My face may be a demon, but my heart is your same Taro. Can't you hear my own voice? Please, keep me for my lifetime!

Master:—I do not want a demon’s service. Go away quickly!

Taro:—You may not keep me on the service I had till today, but I will serve as your child's nures.

Master:—How can you be my child's nurse, having such a face as that? Go away quickly!

Taro:—Then you will command me to be your gate-guard.

Master:—Nobody will be going and coming, if you guard the gate with such a face.

Taro:—I cannot help it. I will build a fire under your honourable pot.

Master:—No, no, I cannot keep a fellow with such a face. Go away quickly! There, be gone, be ​gone! (Toro cries.)

Taro:—Well, well, even a kind-hearted lord on whom I depended to, says such a thing, and treats me like that! Wherever I go, nobody will keep me. Oh, what must I do? Ah, well, well, I was turned like this, when I went anear the spring water. I will go there and drown myself, rather than to be beaten and killed by people. Well, well, I cannot help it! I did not think ill of any person, and why in the world did I turn to such a shape as this? Here is the spring water already. Now I will run in from this place. Now! (His mask drops.)

Master:—What?

Taro:—Here is the strangest thing.

Master:—What is that?

Taro:—Shall I show it to you?

Master:—Show it to me!

Taro:—Look! Here is the demon's shell.

Master:—What? Demon's shell?

Taro:—Yes.

Master:—Let me run off!

Taro:—No, I will not let you go, I will not let you go.