story about TENGU and HANAMATURI FESTIVAL dance
1
In old time, people believed that TENGU would have strange
power and would be mysterious as it was hard to foresee when and where he appeared. Thus, they wished him to stay away from their world.
In Toei Village area, there is a traditional festival called “HANAMATURI”, and people believed that you should not dance nor play the flute at the festival not to attract him and not to be taken away by him.
In the Village, there lived a man called KOUSAKU. He took care of others well and was said to be very reliable. He was also very fond of attending HANAMATURI and dancing there.
One day, he went into a mountain near Mt.MYOJIN to pick up some tree branches for his fireplace. He worked hard, collected bunch of branches full of his whole back and took the rest.
It was warm and there was little wind, so he began whistling and forgot the taboo.
Then he saw a trump of a tree and began hitting it with a tree branch like a drum. He got excited and began dancing.
While dancing, he felt somebody was behind. He turned back and observed a good looking person with a feather fan in his hand, sitting on a tree branch high on a tree.
To his surprise, he saw a big and long nose in the middle of his red face.
(to be continued)
訳文 中村邦子、太田美代子