One day as the sun was setting, a priest came to the plain. He was a belated traveler, and his robe showed that he was a Buddhist5 pilgrim walking from shrine6 to shrine to pray for some blessing7 or to crave8 for forgiveness of sins. He had apparently9 lost his way, and as it was late he met no one who could show him the road or warn him of the haunted spot.
He had walked the whole day and was now tired and hungry, and the evenings were chilly10, for it was late autumn, and he began to be very anxious to find some house where he could obtain a night's lodging11. He found himself lost in the midst of the large plain, and looked about in vain for some sign of human habitation.
At last, after wandering about for some hours, he saw a clump12 of trees in the distance, and through the trees he caught sight of the glimmer13 of a single ray of light. He exclaimed with joy:
"Oh. surely that is some cottage where I can get a night's lodging!"
Keeping the light before his eyes he dragged his weary, aching feet as quickly as he could towards the spot, and soon came to a miserable-looking little cottage. As he drew near he saw that it was in a tumble-down condition, the bamboo fence was broken and weeds and grass pushed their way through the gaps. The paper screens which serve as windows and doors in Japan were full of holes, and the posts of the house were bent14 with age and seemed scarcely able to support the old thatched roof. The hut was open, and by the light of an old lantern an old woman sat industriously15 spinning.
The pilgrim called to her across the bamboo fence and said:
"O Baa San (old woman), good evening! I am a traveler! Please excuse me, but I have lost my way and do not know what to do, for I have nowhere to rest to-night. I beg you to be good enough to let me spend the night under your roof."
The old woman as soon as she heard herself spoken to stopped spinning, rose from her seat and approached the intruder.
"I am very sorry for you. You must indeed be distressed16 to have lost your way in such a lonely spot so late at night. Unfortunately I cannot put you up, for I have no bed to offer you, and no accommodation whatsoever17 for a guest in this poor place!"
"Oh, that does not matter," said the priest; "all I want is a shelter under some roof for the night, and if you will be good enough just to let me lie on the kitchen floor I shall be grateful. I am too tired to walk further to-night, so I hope you will not refuse me, otherwise I shall have to sleep out on the cold plain." And in this way he pressed the old woman to let him stay.
She seemed very reluctant, but at last she said:
"Very well, I will let you stay here. I can offer you a very poor welcome only, but come in now and I will make a fire, for the night is cold."
The pilgrim was only too glad to do as he was told. He took off his sandals and entered the hut. The old woman then brought some sticks of wood and lit the fire, and bade her guest draw near and warm himself.
"You must be hungry after your long tramp," said the old woman. "I will go and cook some supper for you." She then went to the kitchen to cook some rice.
After the priest had finished his supper the old woman sat down by the fire-place, and they talked together for a long time. The pilgrim thought to himself that he had been very lucky to come across such a kind, hospitable18 old woman. At last the wood gave out, and as the fire died slowly down he began to shiver with cold just as he had done when he arrived.
"I see you are cold," said the old woman; "I will go out and gather some wood, for we have used it all. You must stay and take care of the house while I am gone."
"No, no," said the pilgrim, "let me go instead, for you are old, and I cannot think of letting you go out to get wood for me this cold night!"
The old woman shook her head and said:
"You must stay quietly here, for you are my guest." Then she left him and went out.
In a minute she came back and said:
"You must sit where you are and not move, and whatever happens don't go near or look into the inner room. Now mind what I tell you!"
"If you tell me not to go near the back room, of course I won't," said the priest, rather bewildered.
The old woman then went out again, and the priest was left alone. The fire had died out, and the only light in the hut was that of a dim lantern. For the first time that night he began to feel that he was in a weird19 place, and the old woman's words, "Whatever you do don't peep into the back room," aroused his curiosity and his fear.
What hidden thing could be in that room that she did not wish him to see? For some time the remembrance of his promise to the old woman kept him still, but at last he could no longer resist his curiosity to peep into the forbidden place.
He got up and began to move slowly towards the back room. Then the thought that the old woman would be very angry with him if he disobeyed her made him come back to his place by the fireside.
As the minutes went slowly by and the old woman did not return, he began to feel more and more frightened, and to wonder what dreadful secret was in the room behind him. He must find out.
"She will not know that I have looked unless I tell her. I will just have a peep before she comes back," said the man to himself.
With these words he got up on his feet (for he had been sitting all this time in Japanese fashion with his feet under him) and stealthily crept towards the forbidden spot. With trembling hands he pushed back the sliding door and looked in. What he saw froze the blood in his veins21. The room was full of dead men's bones and the walls were splashed and the floor was covered with human blood. In one corner skull22 upon skull rose to the ceiling, in another was a heap of arm bones, in another a heap of leg bones. The sickening smell made him faint. He fell backwards23 with horror, and for some time lay in a heap with fright on the floor, a pitiful sight. He trembled all over and his teeth chattered24, and he could hardly crawl away from the dreadful spot.
"How horrible!" he cried out. "What awful den20 have I come to in my travels? May Buddha25 help me or I am lost. Is it possible that that kind old woman is really the cannibal goblin? When she comes back she will show herself in her true character and eat me up at one mouthful!"
With these words his strength came back to him and, snatching up his hat and staff, he rushed out of the house as fast as his legs could carry him. Out into the night he ran, his one thought to get as far as he could from the goblin's haunt. He had not gone far when he heard steps behind him and a voice crying: "Stop! stop!"
He ran on, redoubling his speed, pretending not to hear. As he ran he heard the steps behind him come nearer and nearer, and at last he recognized the old woman's voice which grew louder and louder as she came nearer.
"Stop! stop, you wicked man, why did you look into the forbidden room?"
The priest quite forgot how tired he was and his feet flew over the ground faster than ever. Fear gave him strength, for he knew that if the goblin caught him he would soon be one of her victims. With all his heart he repeated the prayer to Buddha:
"Namu Amida Butsu, Namu Amida Butsu."
And after him rushed the dreadful old hag, her hair flying in the wind, and her face changing with rage into the demon26 that she was. In her hand she carried a large blood-stained knife, and she still shrieked27 after him, "Stop! stop!"
At last, when the priest felt he could run no more, the dawn broke, and with the darkness of night the goblin vanished and he was safe. The priest now knew that he had met the Goblin of Adachigahara, the story of whom he had often heard but never believed to be true. He felt that he owed his wonderful escape to the protection of Buddha to whom he had prayed for help, so he took out his rosary and bowing his head as the sun rose he said his prayers and made his thanksgiving earnestly. He then set forward for another part of the country, only too glad to leave the haunted plain behind him.
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1
charcoal
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| n.炭，木炭，生物炭 | |
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2
lured
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| 吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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3
devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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dreaded
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| adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词) | |
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5
Buddhist
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| adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒 | |
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6
shrine
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| n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣 | |
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7
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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8
crave
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| vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求 | |
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9
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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10
chilly
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| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
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11
lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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12
clump
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| n.树丛，草丛；vi.用沉重的脚步行走 | |
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13
glimmer
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| v.发出闪烁的微光；n.微光，微弱的闪光 | |
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14
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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15
industriously
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16
distressed
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| 痛苦的 | |
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whatsoever
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| adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么 | |
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18
hospitable
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| adj.好客的；宽容的；有利的，适宜的 | |
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weird
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| adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的 | |
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den
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| n.兽穴；秘密地方；安静的小房间，私室 | |
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veins
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| n.纹理；矿脉( vein的名词复数 )；静脉；叶脉；纹理 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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24
chattered
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| （人）喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤 | |
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Buddha
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| n.佛；佛像；佛陀 | |
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26
demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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27
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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