Pathway to Japanese Literature

Eldest Son

Eldest Daughter Second Son Third Son (Sick Child)

A small house surrounded by a bamboo thicket at the foot of a hill. The mother was dressing the children in festival clothes.

The sound of fireworks echoed. The gentle, faint festival music of flutes and drums drifted in. “Don’t get them dirty,” said Mother. “These aren’t everyday clothes, so don’t lean against the earthen walls or play in the dirt.” “And don’t wipe your nose on your sleeves.” “Take a handkerchief from your pocket and blow properly.”

“This kimono’s all stiff and starchy.”

“It’s a proper festival kimono,” Mother said. “Can’t you smell how nice it is?” “Feels cool like mint,” said the Eldest Son. His heart felt strangely light. “I’m all jittery! Let’s hurry up and go already.” “Don’t shout—you’ll wake Yoshi-bō.” She adjusted a collar with hands that smelled of starch. “If he wakes now, he’ll badger us to take him along again.”

"Mom, Yoshi-bō's saying something," said the eldest daughter. "He's mumbling with his eyes closed." "Did he wake up?" "No." "He must have been dreaming." "What kind of dream do you think he had?" "Maybe where his illness is cured and he's flying a kite?" "Yoshi-bō always said he wanted to fly a kite." Eldest Son: "And he said he wanted to spin a top too."

Second Son: “Yesterday he told me he wanted to ride bamboo stilts.”

“Yoshi-bō wants to do everything we do,” said the eldest son. “For someone who’s sick... Mom.” “Yoshi-bō wants to do everything together with everyone,” replied Mother. “That’s right, Mom,” said the eldest daughter. “He says he wants to go to school too. When we asked if it was okay even with S-chan from the sake shop—the one who used to bully him—he said he still wanted to go even if S-chan was there. He said S-chan wouldn’t bully him anymore.”

“As if that would ever happen! Santarō bullies everyone,” said the Second Son. “We don’t bully because we’re classmates, but he’ll make anyone younger cry. He takes away hats and pushes them against the base of the embankment.”

"But you know," said the eldest daughter, "Yoshi-bō brought a pocket full of chestnuts to S-chan and apologized, saying 'Please don't bully me anymore,' I heard." "He really wants to go outside, doesn't he?" "Yes," said Mother. "He wants to play outside with everyone." "But he can't go because he's sick." "The illness has possessed this child, so I can't let him go." Why does illness possess such an innocent child? "Mom," said the eldest daughter, "Yoshi-bō has gotten so thin." "His hands are like wheat straw."

“His head’s about the size of Aya-chan’s rubber ball,” said the eldest son. “Yesterday he said he wanted to wear a hat,” said the second son. “So I took one down from the pillar and put it on him, and he started fidgeting around. It slipped right over his eyes and looked so silly.” “There now, Ta-chan’s all ready,” said Mother. “Next is Aya-chan. Which kimono would suit Aya-chan best?”

(She opened the chest of drawers.)

“I want the Chinese crepe one,” said Aya-chan. “Look—the one with camellia flowers.” “The camellia flower one?” Mother asked. “I wore this at Dad’s funeral, you know. I remember it clearly—right here on the shoulder, two camellia flowers were layered together.” She pulled at the fabric. “If you look like this, you can see them properly. Close enough to almost catch their scent.” Mother held up the garment. “Ah, this one. I wonder if it still fits.” The girl slipped into the stiff silk. “It’s a bit short now.” “No wonder—four years have passed since then.”

“This one,” said the Eldest Daughter. “I really like this kimono.” She pointed at the shoulder fabric. “See, Mom? There are flowers right here.” Her finger traced the embroidered pattern. “When we went to Dad’s grave during the funeral, I stood between all the uncles and aunts—then a white butterfly came fluttering down and landed on this very flower.” Her voice softened. “I was crying so much back then... when we lost Dad.” Mother motioned with her needle. “Come here.” She gathered excess fabric at the hemline. “I’ll let out the tucks for you.” A small object rolled across the tatami mat. “Oh—something dropped.” She squinted at the brown pellet. “Looks like mouse droppings.”

“Oh, how dreadful! That’s a whitening seed, Mom.” “How did something like that get in here?” “If you store whitening seeds away, they say your complexion becomes fair—everyone says so.”

“Oh my.” “And then you become beautiful, and everyone comes asking for you as a bride, they say.”

“What a foolish child,” Mother said. “That’s all lies, Mom,” said the Second Son. “Koi-chan’s older sister gathered a whole bunch before, but she hasn’t gotten any fairer at all. She’s still pitch black.” “Where do you get so many whitening seeds?” Mother asked. The Eldest Son answered, “They take them from the blind old man’s garden. When the old lady’s around, she chases them off with fire tongs, so the girls go collect them when she isn’t there.”

“Oh, that’s not how I did it,” said Aya-chan. “I received them from Miss Kin’s place.” “We’re not talking about you,” said her brother. “It’s about the other kids. So then, Mom, the old man’s blind, right? That’s why even when everyone takes the whitening seeds, he doesn’t notice and just says things like ‘Maybe a dog got into the garden.’” “I would never do such a thing, Mom.”

“You mustn’t do such things,” Mother said. “But do girls truly wish to become so pale?” (She laughed.) (Just then, the Second Son’s kimono fitting finished.) (Fireworks boomed.)

“Oh my, what a startle!”

“That’s huge! The one just now might’ve been two shaku.”

The ground rumbled; the front camellia flowers fell. Eldest Daughter: “I’m scared—fireworks and all.” “The pit of my stomach’s pounding—thump thump.” Second Son: “You’re such a coward.” “You’re like a sparrow.” “When I looked outside earlier, Mom, every time a firework exploded, the sparrows would startle and flee toward the back mountain.” “There’s not a single one left in the village now.” Eldest Son: “Let’s go.” “Mom, what about the allowance?”

Mother: Now, Ta-chan, Jirō-chan, Aya-chan. “Twenty sen each.” “Be careful not to drop it, okay?” “Don’t buy things like fireworks or other trivial stuff, or icy treats.” Second Son: Mom, there’s a hole in my shoes. Can I wear Yoshi-bō’s?

“You’ve already gone and put a hole in them? I just bought them the other day.”

“But there’s a hole now—I didn’t do anything!” “Don’t tell lies. You did some mischief, didn’t you? It’s written all over your face. When children tell lies, their faces turn red—you can tell right away. Now then, tell me what happened.”

Ken-chan’s the one who did wrong! (Bursts into tears)

“Crying won’t make me forgive you,” Mother said. “Now then, boys should always speak honestly and manfully.” “Ken-chan brought a lens and said anything black would burn, so he told me to try it...and I thought it was a lie...” Jirō sniffled. “There, you see?” Mother’s voice sharpened. “You do such things.” “But Ken-chan—” “That makes another mark against you.” She knelt until their eyes met. “Not only did you misbehave, but you shifted blame onto others—two wrongs now. Such a child...” Her throat tightened before she forced out the practiced line: “...is no longer my own.”

Say you're sorry, Jirō-chan. Second Son: Mom, I'm sorry. Mother: You mustn’t do such things from now on. “Our household isn’t wealthy, you know.” “In a poor household, everyone must take good care of things.” Eldest Son: We'll be late—let's go already. “Everyone’s already gone to the shrine.” Mother: Can you even fit into Yoshi-bō’s shoes?

“Yeah.” “Then go ahead and wear those.”

Eldest Daughter: Oh, Yoshi-bō opened his eyes.

(Everyone looked toward the sick child.) (Silence) Third Son: "Big brothers, where are you going?"

(The mother silently motioned with her eyes for the children going to the festival to come along quietly.) Mother: "Big Brothers have to go because there's a ceremony at school." "You're tellin' a lie." "That's not a lie, you know. From noon, there's going to be a talk by the principal, you know." "Mom, you're tellin' a lie. I can tell just by lookin' at your face!"

“Oh my, this child.” “I know.” “Big brothers are goin’ to the festival.” “See? Told you so.”

“I just had a dream.” “There was this monkey handler from last year’s festival—I met him right in the middle of the rapeseed field.” “Last year there was only one monkey, remember?” “But this year, there’s that same monkey and a baby one too—two of them now.” “When I picked some rapeseed flowers and threw them over, the big monkey caught them real neat-like, then split ’em in half for the little one and they both gobbled them right up.”

“Oh, that sounds lovely.” “Big brothers will be back soon, so Yoshi-bō, let’s wait at home with me.”

Third Son: “No way!” “I’m goin’ too!”

“You mustn’t say such things,” Mother said. “You mustn’t get up. The doctor told you, didn’t he? You have to stay still or your illness won’t get better.” “No way!” he said. “I want to see. The monkey shows and plays.” “When your illness gets better,” Mother said, “I’ll take you to town and show you a movie. So today let’s wait quietly with Mom, okay? Instead, I’ll have your sister bring back something nice for you. Yoshi-bō, what would you like?”

“Shall I buy you a picture book?” “No way! You’re stupid, Sis!”

Mother: “You mustn’t throw such a fit.” “You’ll make your stomach hurt again.” “Now, let’s be good and act grown-up.”

“Let’s go already.”

(Started putting on shoes.) “Ah! Jirō-chan’s wearing my shoes!” “No way! No way!” “Stupid! Stupid!” “Listen, Yoshi-bō—I’ll get you something even better.” “No way! No way!” “Jirō, you idiot!” “Mom, you idiot!” “You’re all idiots!” “You mustn’t make such a racket.” “Look—your forehead’s dripping with sweat.” “Your face has gone pale.” “Jirō-chan, wear your own shoes today.”

“But Yoshi-bō won’t last much longer anyway, will he?” “Jirō! You idiot! Jirō!” “Even you’re saying such things now? Everyone’s ganging up to bully Mom.” “Fine then—if you keep bullying Mom like this, I’ll get wrinkles faster, turn into an old woman, and die.” “Then I’ll wear my own.” “Let’s go, Bro.”

“Don’t go to dangerous places.” “Don’t go near the fireworks or drunkards.” “And come back before it gets dark.”

The eldest son and second son nodded.

“Alright then, Yoshi-bō, I’ll bring back something nice for you, so wait here for me.”

“No way!” “Are you going too?” “Sis, don’t go!”

The eldest daughter hesitated at the doorway.

The eldest son and second son left.

With a gesture, the mother commanded the eldest daughter to go.

The eldest daughter left. Then, as the sick child shouted again—"No! Sis don't go!"—his mother hesitated. Mother gestured urgently for her to go. Finally, the eldest daughter vanished from sight.

The sick child suddenly began to cry.

“Come on now, don’t cry, Yoshi-bō. Sis will be back soon. You’re a good child, so you’ll listen to Mom. Now be good and go to sleep. The festival music will come this way before long, you know? There now, Yoshi-bō—the flutes and drums you love will come.” “That’s a lie! The festival music won’t come anywhere near here. It goes as far as the salt merchant’s place and turns right back. I know—I followed it last year.”

“Oh, is that so?” “But if it comes as far as the salt merchant’s place, we’ll hear the festival music clearly enough, isn’t that good?” “The great drum will go boom-boom against the house’s shoji screens.” “There now.” “Mom.”

Mother: “What is it?” Third Son: “Let me wear festival clothes too.” Mother: “But you’re not going to the festival.” “I want to wear festival clothes too! Big Brother and everyone else got theirs.” Mother: “Is that so. Then I’ll let you wear them too.” (Mother takes out a festival garment from the chest of drawers.) “That’s not the one. I wore that when I started school.”

“Oh dear, Mommy’s being forgetful,” Mother said. “Then this one, right?”

Third Son: Yeah. (The mother helped him change into it.) Third Son: Mom. Mother: What is it? "You're staring so intently." Third Son: Is it true that children become adults? Mother: "It's true, I'm telling you. Everyone keeps growing bigger and becomes adults, you see." Third Son: "That’s strange..." Mother: "There's nothing strange about it. Yoshi-bō, Big Brother, Sis and the others—you’ll all become adults, you see."

Third Son: “When will that be?”

Mother: “That’s still fifteen, even twenty years away.” Third Son: “How many sleeps?” Mother: “Well now, you’ll sleep thousands upon thousands of times, I suppose.”

Third Son: “Mom, were you an adult from the start?” Mother: “Even Mom was once a child too, you know. There were times when I was like your big sister, and times when I was a much smaller baby.”

Third Son: “When would that be?”

“That was long ago.” “Hmm.” “That’s strange...” “Mommy, weren’t you an adult from the start?” “That’s not true at all.” “Every mommy starts out as a baby, then becomes a child, then becomes a young lady, then gets married, then has children, and then becomes a mommy.” (Looking at his own arm) “I wonder if I can become an adult.” “I won’t become an adult.” “That’s just how I feel.”

“You can become one.” “Before long, you’ll grow big and strong.”

(The eldest daughter entered silently and stood in the doorway.)

Mother: Oh, Aya-chan, you didn’t go?

(The eldest daughter nodded.)

Mother: “Did you forget something?”

(The eldest daughter shook her head.) Mother: "What's the matter?" Her eyes widened as if startled. "I came back from below the bell tower."

“Come over here.” “Don’t just stand there in the doorway.” “My, what’s wrong? You’re all out of breath.” “Why did you come back from the bell tower?”

“I don’t know why.” “I don’t know why, but I ran back.” “When I got to the bell tower area, I suddenly wanted to come back.” “You’re such an odd child.” “So you’re not going to the festival anymore?” (The girl nodded.) “You went all the way there—there was no need to come back.” “From there, isn’t the shrine just ahead?” “I don’t know anything about ‘could have gone later’.”

“It’s fine, Mom.” “Well then, don’t just stand there—come over here.” (To the sick child) “You need to take your medicine now, Yoshi-bō—is it still warm?” “Oh, it’s already empty.” “Well then, I’ll go get your medicine now, so Yoshi-bō dear will play with your sister.”

(The eldest daughter approached and sat by Yoshi-bō’s pillow. Mother got ready. Third Son: “Mom, you should take the shortcut.”)

“The shortcut... you mean?” Mother asked. “You know a shortcut to the doctor’s house?” “If you go between the house with the well pulley and the blind old man’s house,” Yoshi-bō explained, “there’s a hole in the cedar fence. Crawl through there and you’ll come out behind the doctor’s place.” His small voice grew urgent. “When you duck under the fence, watch your head—you’ll smack right into the gutter hanging from their shed.”

“What a surprising child you are,” said Mother. “Did you crawl through places like that to play? I could never get through such a narrow spot.” “But it’s much faster if you go that way,” insisted Yoshi-bō. “You can’t use that path anymore,” Aya-chan corrected. “They’ve built a thorn hedge between the house with the well pulley and the blind old man’s place. You haven’t seen it in so long, Yoshi-bō dear—that’s why you didn’t know.” “Well then, I’ll be going,” Mother announced.

Third Son: “Mom, if that old man who sold cotton candy last year is at the corner by the doctor’s house, buy me some, okay?” Mother: “Cotton candy...?” Third Son: “It’s sugar made fluffy like cotton.” Mother: “You mustn’t eat such things. I’ll buy eggs and simmer them nicely for you instead.” (The sick child’s strength began waning here.) Third Son: “I’m always eating eggs! Don’t want ’em!”

“Well then, I’ll ask the doctor. If he says it’s all right for you to eat, I’ll buy some.” (The mother left through the back door.) (Fireworks boomed.)

“That firework just now—it must’ve been a flag one,” said Yoshi-bō. “Should I go check?” Aya-chan asked. She stepped out onto the veranda and looked up at the sky. “Oh, it really was a flag one,” she reported. “They’re flowing north beneath the clouds… Ah, now they’re near the mountain behind the school.” Her voice softened. “Someone was waving at the flag from the mountaintop… Now they’ve vanished.”

“Who’s up on the mountain?”

“I don’t know who it was.”

Third Son: “Wasn’t that the teacher?” Eldest Daughter: “I couldn’t possibly see something like that.” Third Son: “Useless—those eyes of yours.”

(The girl sat by the pillow.) Third Son: “I wonder how far the flag will fly.” Eldest Daughter: “It’ll surely land in Yata Village.”

“If it doesn’t fall in Yata Village and keeps flying onward, where do you think it’ll go?” “I don’t know about things like that.” “It’ll go to some black sea.” “You think so?”

“You’re no good at all，Sis.” “You don't know anything at all.” “I do know! I do too!” “You don’t know.”

(Silence. A skylark began singing very nearby.) Third Son: "Bring me the chick we got from Kuni-chan’s place." Eldest Daughter: "What are you going to do? I already fed it while you were sleeping." Third Son: "Bring it here." "What’ll you do with it if I bring it? If the older brothers find out, they’ll take it away." Third Son: "The older brothers went to the festival—idiots."

(The girl exited through the back door and immediately returned carrying a cardboard box.) Third Son: “Take it out of the box and put it on my hand.”

“No, you mustn’t do that. It’s still weak—if you hold it, it’ll die.” “Then let it die.” “No. I’m the one who got it from the uncle at Kuni-chan’s place. This chick.” “But you said we should take care of it together—you said that to me, didn’t you, Sis?” “......” “I want to put it on my hand and see.” “That’s a lie.”

Third Son: What? As if I’d lie! “The uncle at Kuni-chan’s place and I are good friends, you know.”

“No,” said the Eldest Daughter. “It’s a lie.” “I only told that lie because I wanted to make you happy, Yoshi-bō.” “The truth is—he only gave it to me.” “What’re you saying—Sis is a liar!” retorted the Third Son. “Then I’ll kill it!”

“No! No!” “Give it here! Give it here already!” “Yoshi-bō dear, no—don’t make that face.” “Give it here already! Sis, you idiot! Ayako! You idiot! Give it here already!” (The girl, having exhausted her strategies, took the chick out of the box and handed it to the sick child.) “Please—don’t kill it… Oh no, don’t squeeze it like that… It’s scared—its legs are trembling… Let go… Yoshi-bō dear… Let go already, Yoshi-bō dear…”

“I can feel its trembling through my hand,” said the Third Son. “So light.” “Poor thing,” said the Eldest Daughter. “Its legs are thrashing. If you keep holding it like that, it’ll die from fright.” (The sick child kept gently holding the chick, gazing at it for a long time.) (The girl relaxed.)

“Its feathers are soft, aren’t they?”

The sick child silently returned the chick. The girl put it back in the box and left through the back door.

The sound of festival music approached. From within the gentle breeze, cherry blossom petals fell beside the sick child. The sick child remained motionless.

The girl entered.

“Will the festival music come this way?” asked the Eldest Daughter. “It only comes as far as the salt merchant’s place,” replied the Third Son. “It’ll turn back from there.” “That drum—it’s O-Kin-chan’s big brother playing it,” said the Eldest Daughter. “They say it’s his first time this year.” (The festival music stopped.)

“Oh, it’s already reached the front of the salt merchant’s place.” “They’ll rest under that shii tree there.”

Third Son: ........

Eldest Daughter: (growing anxious) "I wonder if Mother hasn't come back yet." "Yoshi-bō dear, aren't you sleepy?" "A bit of wind has picked up." "Should I close the shoji?" Third Son: "No need to close them." (From this point onward, the sick child's voice grew markedly weaker.)

“But I feel kind of cold. The back thicket is rustling.”

(The festival music began again and gradually grew distant.) Eldest Daughter: “Oh, they’re already heading back.”

(Silence)

Yoshi-bō dear.

(Silence)

“Yoshi-bō dear.” “I can still hear it, dear.” “Yes, I can still hear it. Soon when they turn the corner at the earthen-walled house, it’ll be gone. See? It’s gone now, isn’t it.” “I can still hear it.” “But it’s only as loud as a mosquito now.” (Silence)

“It’s gone completely now,” said the Eldest Daughter. “This time, it must be going to the other end of the village.” “I can still hear it,” said the Third Son. “The flute sound must still be lingering in your ears,” said the Eldest Daughter. “I can still hear it,” said the Third Son.

(Silence) "What are you staring at my face like that for?" "No, Yoshi-bō dear." "We played that flower-hiding game together before, didn't we, Sis?" "When was that?"

“I did it before I got sick. Didn’t we cover them with shells and hide them under the soil?”

“Oh, right,” said the eldest daughter. “When you hid them back then, Yoshi-bō dear, I searched everywhere but couldn’t find them at all.” Her voice carried the weight of years-old frustration softened by affection. “And then you fell ill that very evening, so that was the end of our game.” She leaned closer, strands of hair catching the dimming light. “Where did you hide them?” “Under the kumquat tree out back,” he whispered, his breath stirring the stale air between them. “Oh Yoshi-bō dear, that’s cheating!” Her laugh came out sharper than intended, edged with the panic she’d carried since sunset. “We’d agreed anything beyond the fence was forbidden territory, hadn’t we? That’s cheating and you know it.” The repeated accusation hung like windchimes in the sudden stillness.

“I wonder if they’re still there.”

“No one would look there anyway,” said the Eldest Daughter. “Should I go check?” (The girl exited through the back door. Before long, she returned carrying the shells.) “I found them,” she said. “Go wash them at the fence.”

“Were there any flowers?” “They’d withered.” “Had they?” “They’ve withered—they’ve been through winter.”

Third Son: “In the lunch compartment of my bag—there’s another shell. Bring it here.” (The girl searched for it and brought it back.) Third Son: “Try fitting them together. Do they fit?” Eldest Daughter: “They fit perfectly. Look—just like pressing your palms together.” (She handed them to the sick child.) Third Son: “I wonder if it still makes a sound.”

(He put it to his mouth and blew weakly.) (It made no sound.) Eldest Daughter: "It must have chipped somewhere while buried in the earth." Third Son: "It makes a sound." "...When I listen closely... it fills up... There's wind sounds and flute sounds... So many sounds..." "They're fading away somewhere far off." "That's not true." "You can't hear anything." (The sick child listened intently, shell still in his mouth.) (Pause) Third Son: "Sis... I feel lighter." "Ah, I'll fly away too." "Together with the wind sounds and flute sounds... Mom... Ah, I'm flying away too..."

“What are you saying, Yoshi-bō dear? Where are you looking?” “I’ll flow away with the petals and flute sounds.”

(The girl, suddenly seized by terror, stands up.) Third Son: “Mom…”

Eldest Daughter: (Shouts) “Yoshi-bō dear!” “Mom!” “I’ll go call Mom.” “Yoshi-bō dear, wait!” (The girl dashes away through the back door.) Third Son (weakly): “Mom… I’ll fly away… Yoshi-bō and the birds together.”

(Pause)

(The thicket rustled.)

Third Son (even weaker): “Mom… I’m so far away…” The thicket rustled even louder.

Cherry blossom petals fell from within the wind.

Upon the sick child and beside him.

—CURTAIN—