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SAIGYO HOSHI'S ROCK SOME
twelve miles south of Shodo shima (Shodo island) is the largish island
of Nao
or Naoshima, on the western side of the enchanting Inland Sea, which it
has
been my good fortune to cruise over at will, helped, instead of being
hindered,
by the Japanese Government, in consequence of the kindness of Sir
Ernest Satow.
Naoshima has but few inhabitants, not, I think, more than from sixty to
a
hundred; in the time of our story, about the year 1156, there were only
two, — Sobei
and his good wife O Yone. These lived alone at a beautiful little bay,
where
they had built a fishing-hut, and cultivated some three thousand tsubo
of land,
with the produce of which and an unlimited supply of fish they were
perfectly
happy, untroubled by the quarrels of the day, which were then
particularly
serious, it being the Hogen period, which, lasting from 1156 to 1160,
took its
name from what was known as the Hogen rebellion or (to put it
correctly)
revolution. It was during this exciting period that the ex-Emperor
Shutoku
(life, 1124-1141), who was suspected of leading the rebellion, was for
safety
banished by those in power to the island of Naoshima. Stranded,
marooned in little else than the clothes he stood in, he was in an
unenviable
plight. As far as he knew, the island was desolate. After his marooners
had
left him he strolled on the beach, wondering what next he should do.
Should he
take his life, or should he struggle to retain it? While pondering
these
questions night overcame Shutoku before he had thought of making a
shelter, and
he sat, in consequence, contemplating the past and listening to the sad
waves. Next
morning, as the sun rose above the horizon, the ex-Emperor began to
move. He
had resolved to live. He had not gone far along the beach when he found
marks
of feet upon the sand, and shortly afterwards, from across a little
rocky
promontory, he saw smoke ascending in the still air. Lightened in
heart, the
ex-Emperor stepped out, and after some twenty minutes of stiff climbing
came
down into the bay where stood the hut of Sobei and his wife. Marching
boldly
up, he told them who he was, and how he had been marooned and exiled,
and asked
them many questions. 'Sir,'
said Sobei, 'my wife and I are very humble people. We live in peace,
for there
are none to disturb us here, and we are passing through our lives very
happily.
To our humble fare you are truly welcome. Our cottage is small; but you
shall
have its shelter while we build another and a better for you, and at
all times
we shall be your servants.' The
ex-Emperor was pleased to hear these words of friendship, and became
one of the
family. He helped to build a lodge for himself. He helped the old
couple in
their fishing and agriculture, and became deeply attached to them. In
the autumn he fell ill, and was nursed through a dangerous fever, his
medicines
being made by O Yone from leaves, seaweeds, and other natural products
of the
island; and towards the spring he began to recover. In his
convalescence the
ex-Emperor went out one day to sit by the sea and admire the scenery,
and
became so absorbed in a flock of seagulls that were following a school
of
sardines that he failed to notice what was going on around him. When he
looked
up suddenly it was to find himself surrounded by no less than fourteen
knights
in armour. As soon
as these noticed that the ex-Emperor had seen them, one the eldest, a
grey-haired and benevolent-looking old man, stepped up to him, and,
bowing,
said: 'Oh,
my beloved Sovereign, at last I have found you! My name is Furuzuka
Iga, and
regretfully I am obliged to tell you that I am sent by the Mikado to
secure
your head. He fears while you live, even in banishment, for the peace
of the
country. Please enable me to take your head as speedily and as
painlessly as
possible. It is my misfortune to have to do it.' The
ex-Emperor seemed in no way surprised at this speech. Without a word,
he
arranged himself and stretched his neck to receive the blow from Iga's
sword. Iga,
touched by his manly conduct, began to weep, and exclaimed: 'Oh,
what a brave sovereign! what a samurai! How I grieve to be his
executioner!'
But his duty was plain: so he nerved himself and struck off the
ex-Emperor's
head with a single blow. As soon as the head fell upon the sand the other knights came up and respectfully placed the head in a silken bag and awaited orders from their chief. Furuzuka Iga cuts off the Head of the Ex-Emperor Shutoku, who is his own Son 'My
friends,' said Furuzuka Iga, 'go back to the boat and take the head of
Shutoku
to the Emperor. Tell him that his orders have been carried out, and
that he
need have no future fear. Go without me, for I remain here to weep over
the
deed which I have had to do.' The
knights were astonished; but they departed, and Iga gave way to grief. Soon
it came to pass that Sobei and his wife went to look for the
ex-Emperor, for
his absence had been long. They knew the spot where he loved to sit and
gaze at
the beautiful scenery. Thus it was that they found Iga weeping. 'What
is this?' they cried. 'What means this blood upon the sand? Who, sir,
may you
be, and where is our guest?' Iga
explained that he was an envoy from the Mikado, and that it had been
his
painful duty to kill the ex-Emperor. The
fury of Sobei and his wife knew no bounds. Instinctively they decided
that they
must both die after avenging the ex-Emperor by killing Iga. They
proceeded to attack
him with their knives — Sobei in front and his wife from behind. Iga
avoided them by his proficiency in jujitsu. In two seconds he had both
of them
by the wrists, and then said: 'Good
people, — for I know you to be such, — listen to my story. The
ex-Emperor who
has been in exile on this island for nearly a year, and whom you have
befriended and prevented from perishing from starvation and exposure,
is not
the real ex-Emperor, but my own son Furuzuka Taro!' Sobei
and his wife looked at him in bewilderment, and asked for an
explanation. 'Listen,
and I will tell you,' said Furuzuka Iga. 'As the result of the
revolution in
the Imperial Household, ex-Emperor Shutoku was taken for the enemy of
the
reigning Emperor, and was sentenced to exile on this island, which was
supposed
to be uninhabited, and is so for all but yourselves. The ex-Emperor
must have
died had you not been here to support him, and, though I am attached to
the
Imperial Court, I did not like one who had been my sovereign so to
perish. It was
my duty to bring the ex-Emperor here and maroon him. I marooned instead
my own
son, who was very much like him, and was glad to take the ex-Emperor's
place.
Unfortunately, the Mikado's mind became uneasy during the winter,
fearing that
so long as the ex-Emperor remained alive there might be further
trouble, and I
was again sent to Naoshima Island, this time to bring back the
ex-Emperor's
head. You know now what I have had to do. Was ever a father called upon
to
carry out so terrible a commission? Pity me; be not angered. You have
lost your
friend, and I my son; but the ex-Emperor still lives; moreover, he
knows of my
loyalty to him, and will be here shortly in secret and in disguise.
That is why
I have remained, and that is the whole of the story I have to tell; and
both of
you must know how deeply grateful I feel towards you both in your great
kindness to my son Taro.' The
poor samurai bowed to the ground, and the old couple, too simple to
know what
to do, remained silent, with tears of sorrow and of sympathy streaming
down
their faces. For
fully half an hour nothing was said. They remained weeping on the
blood-stained
beach, waiting for the tide to rise and wash away the marks; and they
might
have been longer had it not been that suddenly they heard the sweet
strains of
the biwa (a musical instrument of four strings, a lute) Then Iga arose
and,
drying his eyes, said, 'Here, my friends, comes the real ex-Emperor,
though in
disguise. He never goes anywhere without his lute, and he has signs and
signals
with me by certain airs he plays. He is asking now if it is safe to
come
forward, and if I give no answer it is safe. Listen, and see him
approach!' Sobei
and his wife had never listened to such soft and bewitching music
before, and,
hearts full of sorrow, they sat listening. Nearer and nearer the music
came,
until they saw coming along the beach a man in poor clothes, whom they
might
almost have mistaken for their dead friend, so like was he to him. When
he came nearer, Iga went up and bowed, and then led the stranger to the
fisherman and his wife, whom he made known, telling the ex-Emperor what
kindness they had shown his son Taro. The ex-Emperor was pleased, and
said that
he was deeply grateful and considered them as part of that faithful
body who
had worked to save his life. Just then a ship was seen to round the
point of
the bay. It was the ship in which Iga had arrived, the ship which had
borne
away his son's head. The ex-Emperor, followed by Iga, Sobei, and his
wife,
kneeled on the sand near the bloody stain, and prayed long for the
peace of the
spirit of Taro. Next
day the ex-Emperor announced his intention of remaining for the rest of
his
life on the island of Naoshima with Sobei and O Yone. Iga was taken to
the
mainland by Sobei, and found his way back to the capital. The
ex-Emperor, attended by the faithful old couple, lived for a year on
the
island. His time was passed in playing on the biwa and in praying for
the
spirit of Taro. At the end of the year he died from mournfulness. Sobei
and his
wife devoted all their spare time to building a small shrine to his
memory. It
is said to be standing to this day. In
the third year of Ninnan the famous but eccentric priest and poet,
Saigyo, who
was related to the Imperial family, spent seventeen days on the island,
praying
night and day. During this time he sat on the favourite rock of Taro
and the
ex-Emperor. The rock is still known as 'Saigyo iwa' (Saigyo's Rock). |