Pathway to Japanese Literature

Eldest Son Eldest Daughter

Second Son Third Son (Sick Child) A small house was surrounded by a bamboo thicket at the foot of a hill.

The mother was dressing the children in their festive clothing. The sound of fireworks. Flute and drum - a slow, faint festival music. “Don’t you go getting it dirty.” “This isn’t your everyday kimono, so don’t go leaning against dirt walls or playing in the mud.” “And don’t go wiping your nose on your sleeves.” “Take out a handkerchief from your pocket and blow your nose properly.”

“This kimono’s so stiff,” said the eldest son. “It’s a nice kimono,” replied Mother. “Can’t you smell how fresh it is?” “It’s minty cool,” he remarked. I feel lighter somehow—like my heart’s floating.” He bounced on his toes. “Come on, let’s hurry!” Mother hushed him. “Don’t shout—you’ll wake Yoshio. If he opens those eyes, he’ll beg to come along again.” The eldest daughter tilted her head toward the sickroom. “Mom... Yoshio’s mumbling.” “With his eyes still closed,” she added, voice dropping to a whisper. “Like he’s talking through a dream.”

“Did he wake up?” “No.” “He must have had some kind of dream.” “What kind of dream do you think he had?” “Maybe he’s dreaming his illness has healed and he’s flying a kite?” “Yoshio was always saying he wanted to fly a kite.”

“And then he was saying he wants to spin a top too.” “Yesterday he told me he wanted to ride bamboo stilts.” “Everything we do, Yoshio wants to do too.” “Even though he’s sick.” “Mom.” “Yoshio wants to do everything together with everyone.”

“That’s right, Mom. He says he wants to go to school too,” said the eldest daughter. “When I asked if it’d be okay even with Satchan from the liquor store—the one who used to bully him—he said he still wanted to go. He told me Satchan wouldn’t bully him anymore.” “As if!” retorted the second son. “Satchan bullies everyone. He doesn’t pick on us ’cause we’re classmates, but he’ll hassle any younger kid. Snatching hats, shoving them against embankments—that’s his style.”

“But you know,” said the eldest daughter, “Yoshi-bō filled his pockets with chestnuts and apologized to Satchan, saying ‘Please don’t bully me anymore.’” “Yoshi-bō really wants to go outside, doesn’t he?” “Yes, he wants to play outside with everyone.” “But he can’t go because he’s sick.” “The illness has possessed this child, and I can’t let him go.” “Why does illness have to possess such an innocent child?”

“Mom, Yoshi-bō has gotten quite thin, hasn’t he?” “His hands are like straw, aren’t they?” “His head’s about the size of Ayako’s rubber ball.” “Yesterday he said he wanted to wear a hat, so I took one down from the pillar and put it on him. He kept grinning from ear to ear.” “It covered all the way down to his eyes—it was so funny!” “There now, Ta-chan’s all set.” “Next is Ayako.” “Which kimono would you like, Ayako?”

She opened the chest of drawers.

“I want the Kara chirimen one,” said the eldest daughter. “Look—the one with camellia flowers.” “The one with camellia flowers?” asked her mother. “I wore this at Dad’s funeral. I remember it clearly—right here on the shoulder, two camellia flowers overlapped. If you do it like this, you can see them properly.” She brought the fabric close enough to catch the floral scent. “Ah, this one,” murmured her mother. “I wonder if it can still be worn.” (Dressing the girl) “It’s a bit short.” “It’s no wonder—four years have passed since then.”

“This one.” “I really like this kimono.” “See, Mom? There are flowers here on the shoulder, aren’t there?” “At the funeral when we went to the grave, I was standing among my uncles and aunts when a white butterfly fluttered over and landed right here on this flower on my shoulder.” “Back then when Dad died, I was so sad I cried.”

“Come over here,” said Mother. “I’ll let down the hem for you.” “Oh my, something fell out.” “Something like mouse droppings.” “Oh, how awful!” said the Eldest Daughter. “Those are face-whitening seeds, Mom.” “Why were those things inside?” “If you store away face-whitening seeds like this,” said the Eldest Daughter, “they say your complexion will become fair.” “Oh my.” “And then you become beautiful,” she continued, “and they say everyone will come to ask for your hand in marriage.”

“What a foolish child!” said Mother. “That’s all lies, Mom,” said the second son. “Koi-chan’s older sister gathered a whole bunch from someone before, but she hasn’t gotten any fairer at all. She’s still dark-skinned as ever.” “Where do you get so many face-whitening seeds?” “They take them from the blind old man’s garden,” said the eldest son. “When the old woman’s around, she chases them off with fire tongs, so the girls go steal them when she’s not there.”

“Oh, that’s not how I did it,” said the eldest daughter. “I received them from Kin-chan’s place.” “I’m not talking about Ayako,” said the eldest son. “I’m talking about the other kids. So then, Mom, since the old man is blind, even when everyone takes the face-whitening seeds, they don’t notice and just say, ‘Maybe a dog got into the garden,’ you see?”

“I’ve never done anything like that, Mom.” “You mustn’t do things like that.” “But do girls really want to become so fair-skinned?” (She laughs)

(At this time, the second son’s dressing was also completed)

(The sound of fireworks rang out) "Oh my, that startled me!"

“Whoa, that’s huge! The one just now might’ve been two shaku!” “The ground rumbled! The camellia flowers out front fell down.” “I’m scared of fireworks.” “My heart’s pounding right here in the pit of my stomach.” “Scaredy-cat.” “You’re just like a sparrow.” “When I looked outside earlier, Mom, every time a firework exploded, the sparrows would startle and fly off toward the back mountain.” “There’s not a single one left in the village now.”

“Come on, let’s go.” “Mom, what about our allowance?”

“Come now, Ta-chan, Jirō-chan, Aya-chan.” “Twenty sen each.” “Take care not to drop them.” “Don’t go buying fireworks or any such nonsense—and no ice treats either.” “Mom, my shoes have holes. Can I wear Yoshi-bō’s?” “You’ve already worn holes in them? They were just bought the other day!”

"But the hole just opened up! I don't know anything about it!" "Don't lie! You did something naughty, didn't you? It's written all over your face. When children lie, their faces turn red—anyone can see it. Now tell me properly what happened." "It's Ken-chan's fault!" (bursts into tears) "I won't forgive you even if you cry! A proper boy speaks honestly and owns up like a man."

“Ken-chan brought a lens and said that if something’s black, it’ll burn anything, so he told me to try it. So I thought he was lying…” “There, you see?” said Mother. “You’re the one who does such things.”

But Ken-chan was…

“There—another one.” “You did something wrong and then tried pinning the blame on someone else—two bad deeds at once.” “A child like that isn’t my child anymore.” “Say you’re sorry! Apologize properly, Jirō.” “Mom… I’m sorry.” “You mustn’t ever do such things again.” “We aren’t a wealthy family, you know.” “In a poor household, everyone must take good care of their belongings.”

“We’ll be late—let’s go already.” “Everyone’s already gone to the shrine.”

“Yoshi-bō’s shoes—can you even get your feet into them?”

"Yeah." "Then go ahead and wear those." "Ah—Yoshi-bō had opened his eyes."

Everyone looked toward the sick child.

(Silence)

“Big brothers, where’re you going?”

(Mother silently motioned with her eyes for the children heading to the festival to come over.) “Your big brothers have to go because there’s a ceremony at school.” “You’re lying.”

“I’m not lying.” “Starting this afternoon, there’s going to be a talk by the principal.” “Mom, you’re lying.” “When I look at your face, I can tell.” “Oh, you...”

“I know.” “Big brothers are going to the festival.” “Right? That’s how it is.” “I just had a dream.” “The monkey trainer from last year’s festival—I met him right in the middle of the rapeseed field.” “Last year, there was only one monkey, remember?” “This year, there’s that monkey and a baby monkey—two of them now.” “When I plucked some rapeseed flowers and threw them, the big monkey caught them really skillfully, then tore them in half for the little one, who chomped them right up.”

“Yes, that does sound nice,” Mother said. “Your brothers will be back soon, so let’s wait here at home together with Mom, Yoshi-bō.” “No!” he cried. “I’m going too!” “You mustn’t say such things,” she chided. “And you mustn’t get up. Don’t you remember what the doctor told you? If you don’t stay still, your illness won’t get better.” “No!” he insisted. “I want to see them—the monkey trainer and the plays.”

“Once you’re better, I’ll take you into town to see a movie, so let’s wait here quietly with Mom today.” “Instead, I’ll have Sis bring you something nice.” “What would you like, Yoshi-bō?” “Should I get you a picture book?” “No! Stupid Sis!” “You mustn’t throw such a fit.” “You’ll make your stomach ache again.” “Let’s be good now, all right?”

“Let’s go already,” said Second Son. (He started putting on the shoes.)

Third Son: “Ah—Jirō-chan is wearing my shoes.” “No! No!” “Stupid! Stupid!”

“Listen, Yoshi-bō—I’ll get you something even better instead.” “No! No!” “Jirō, you idiot!” “Stupid Mom!” “Everyone’s stupid!” “You mustn’t make such a fuss.” “Look how much sweat’s breaking out on your forehead.” “Your face has gone pale.” “Jirō-chan, wear your own shoes today.” “But Yoshi-bō won’t be wearing them anymore anyway.”

“Jirō, idiot! Jirō, idiot!” “You’re saying such things too now?” “Everyone’s ganging up to pick on Mom.” “Fine then. If you keep picking on Mom like this, I’ll get wrinkles faster, turn into an old woman, and die.”

“In that case, I’ll wear my own,” said Jirō. “Let’s go, Bro.” “Don’t go anywhere dangerous,” warned Mother. “Stay away from fireworks and drunkards.” “And come home before dark.”

“Uh-huh,” said the Eldest Son and Second Son. “Well then,Yoshi-bō,” said the Eldest Daughter,“I’ll bring you something nice.So wait here for me.” “No!” said Third Son.“Sis—you’re going too?”“Don’t go,Sis!”

Eldest Daughter hesitated at the doorway.

The Eldest Son and Second Son left.

The mother gestured for her to go, commanding the eldest daughter. The eldest daughter left. Then, the sick child shouted again, “No! Sis, don’t go!” making her hesitate.

The mother gestured urgently for her to go.

Finally, the eldest daughter vanished from sight.

The sick child suddenly started crying. “There now, don’t cry, Yoshi-bō,” said Mother. “Big Sister will come back soon.” “You’re a good child, so you’ll listen to Mom.” “Come on, let’s be good and go to sleep now.” “The festival music will come around here soon.” “There now, Yoshi-bō—the flutes and drums you love will come here.”

“That’s a lie!” cried the third son. “The festival music won’t come all the way here! They go as far as the Shioyas’ place and turn right back around. I know because I followed them last year.” “Oh?” said his mother. “But if they reach the Shioyas’ place, you’ll hear the music just fine, won’t you? The great drum’s boom-boom will shake our shoji screens.” She forced a smile. “That should do.”

“Mama.”

“What is it?” “Let me wear the festival kimono too.” “But you’re not going to the festival, are you?” “I wanna wear my festival kimono too. All my Bros put theirs on.” “I see. Then I’ll get Yoshi-bō dressed in his too.” (The mother took out a set of festive clothing from the chest of drawers.)

"That's not the one." "That's what I wore when I first started school, I tell you."

Mother: “Oh my, I’ve gotten so forgetful, haven’t I? Then this must be the one.” Third Son: “Uh-huh.” (Mother helped him change into it.)

Third Son: “Mom.” Mother: “What is it?” “Don’t stare so intently.” Third Son: “Is it really true that kids become grown-ups?”

Mother: “It’s true, really.” “Everyone keeps growing bigger and becomes adults.” Third Son: “That’s strange...” Mother: “There’s nothing strange about it.” “Yoshi-bō—you and your big brothers and sisters will all become adults.” Third Son: “When will that happen?”

“It’s still fifteen or twenty years off yet.” “How many sleeps will that take?” “Oh, thousands upon thousands of sleeps, Yoshi-bō.”

Third Son: “Mom, were you a grown-up from the very start?” Mother: “Mom was once a child too, you know. There were times when I was like Big Sister and times when I was an even smaller baby.” Third Son: “When was that?”

Mother: “That was long ago, you know.” Third Son: “Hmm.” “That’s strange...” “Mommy, weren’t you a grown-up from the start?” Mother: “Of course not.” “Every mommy starts as a baby first—then becomes a child, then a young lady, then gets married, then has babies herself—that’s how everyone becomes a mommy.” Third Son: (looking at his arm) I wonder if I can become a grown-up. I won’t become a grown-up. That’s how it feels.

Mother: “You can become one.” “In time, you’ll grow big and strong.”

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

“Oh, Ayako, didn’t you go?”

(Eldest Daughter nodded.)

“Did you forget something?”

(Eldest Daughter shook her head.) Mother: "What's wrong?" Her eyes widened as if startled. Eldest Daughter: "I came back from under the Bell Tower."

“Come here.” “Don’t just stand there in the doorway.” “My, what’s the matter? You’re all out of breath like that.” “Why did you come back from the Bell Tower?”

“I don’t know why,” said the eldest daughter. “I don’t know why, but I ran back.” “When I got to the Bell Tower, I suddenly wanted to come back.” “You’re such a strange child,” said her mother. “So you’re not going to the festival anymore?”

(The girl nodded.) Mother: “You went all the way there—there was no need to come back.” “The shrine’s just ahead from there now, isn’t it?” “If you wanted to go later, you should’ve done that from the start—I won’t have any of it!”

“It’s fine, Mother.” “Well then, don’t just stand there—come over here.” “Yoshi-bō needs to take his medicine now. I wonder if it’s still warm.” “Oh dear—it’s already gone.” “All right then, I’ll go get your medicine, so you play with Big Sister here.”

(The eldest daughter came up and sat by Yoshi-bō’s pillow.) (Mother prepared.) Third Son: “Mom, you should take the shortcut.” Mother: “What shortcut?” “Do you know the shortcut to the doctor’s house?” Third Son: “If you go through between the house with the well pulley and the blind old man’s house, there’s a hole in the cedar fence, right? If you crawl through there, you’ll come out behind the doctor’s house.” “When you crawl through the fence, if you don’t watch your head, you’ll hit the gutter hanging down from the shed.”

“What a rascal you are,” said Mother. “Were you crawling through places like that to play? I can’t get through spots like that.” “It’s much faster if you go that way,” said the Third Son. “You can’t get through there anymore,” said the Eldest Daughter. “They’ve put up a trifoliate orange fence between the house with the well pulley and the blind old man’s place. Yoshi-bō-chan hasn’t seen it in so long that he doesn’t know.”

Mother: “Well then, I’ll be going now.” Third Son: “Mom, if the cotton candy man from last year is selling at the corner by the doctor’s house, buy some for me.” Mother: “Cotton candy?” Third Son: “It’s sugar made fluffy like cotton.” Mother: “You mustn’t eat those things. I’ll buy some eggs and make them nice and tasty for you.”

(The sick child's strength began to wane from this point onward.) Third Son: "Eggs? I eat those all the time! I don't want that!" Mother: "Then I'll ask the doctor—if he says it's all right for you to eat them, I'll buy some."

(The mother exited through the back door)

(The sound of fireworks.) Third Son: “That firework just now—it must have been the flag type.”

“Shall I go check?” (The eldest daughter stepped out onto the veranda and gazed up at the sky.) “Oh—it really was a flag.” “Beneath the clouds... drifting northward... Right now—it’s around the mountain behind the school.” “Oh! At the mountain peak—someone was waving toward the flag... Now they’ve disappeared.” “Who’s on top of the mountain?” “I don’t know who it is.”

Third Son: “Isn’t it the teacher?” Eldest Daughter: “I can’t even see that far.” Third Son: “Your eyes aren’t any good, Big Sister.”

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

“If it doesn’t fall in Yata Village and keeps flying farther and farther, where would it go?” “How should I know about things like that?” “It’ll go to some black sea.”

“Is that so?” “You’re hopeless, Big Sister. You don’t know anything at all.”

“I do know, you know.”

“You don’t know anything.”

(Silence. A skylark began singing nearby.) Third Son: “Bring the chick we got from Kuni-chan’s place.” Eldest Daughter: “What are you going to do? While Yoshi-bō-chan was sleeping, I already fed it.” Third Son: “Bring it here.”

“What’re you gonna do with it if I bring it?” “If the older brothers find out, they’ll snatch it away.” “The brothers went to the festival—idiots!”

(The girl exited through the back door and immediately returned carrying a cardboard box.) “Take it out of the box and put it on my hand.” “You mustn’t do that. It’s still weak—if you hold it in your hand, it’ll die.” “Then it should be fine.” “No, I won’t. I’m the one who received this chick from the uncle at Kuni-chan’s place. This chick—” “But you said—Big Sister—you told me we should take care of it together!”

“…………” “I want to see it placed on my hand.” “Oh—that was a lie.”

“What do you mean? There’s no such thing as lies! The uncle from Kuni-chan’s place is friends with me, you know.” “No. It’s a lie. I told that lie because I wanted to make you happy, Yoshi-bō-chan. In truth, he gave it only to me.” “What’s this, Big Sister? You’re such a liar! Then I’ll kill that thing.”

“I won’t! I won’t!”

“Give it! Give it here, I said!” “Yoshi-bō-chan, no—don’t make that face.” “Give it here, I said! “Big Sister, you idiot!” “Ayako, you idiot!” “Give it here, I said!” (The girl, resignedly taking the chick out of the box and handing it to the sick child)

“Please…please don’t kill it… Oh no! Don’t squeeze it like that… It’s scared—its legs are trembling all over… Let go… Yoshi-bō-chan… Let go now, Yoshi-bō-chan…” I could feel its trembling seeping into my hand. So light.

“Poor thing,” said the eldest daughter. “Its legs are thrashing.” “If you keep holding it like that, you’ll scare it to death.” (The sick child continued gently holding the chick, gazing at it for a long time.)

(The girl relaxed.) “The feathers are soft, aren’t they?” said the eldest daughter. The sick child silently returned the chick.

The girl put it back into the box and went out through the back door.

The sound of the festival music drew nearer.

From the gentle breeze, cherry blossom petals fell beside the sick child. The sick child did not move.

The girl came in.

“Do you think the festival music will come this way?” wondered the eldest daughter. “It’ll only come as far as Shioya’s place,” said the third son. “They’ll just turn back again from there.” “That drum—it’s the brother from O-Kin-chan’s place playing it,” said the eldest daughter. “They say it’s his first time this year.”

(The festival music stopped.) “Oh, it’s already reached in front of Shioya’s place.” “They’ll rest under that shii tree over there.”

Third Son: ……… Eldest Daughter: (Growing uneasy) “I wonder if Mom hasn’t come back yet? Yoshi-bō-chan, aren’t you sleepy? A little breeze has started up, don’t you think? Should I close the shoji screens?” Third Son: “You don’t have to close them.”

(From around this point, the sick child’s voice deteriorated markedly.) “But I feel kind of cold.” “The thicket behind the house is rustling.”

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

(Silence) Eldest Daughter: Yoshi-bō-chan.

(Silence)

Eldest Daughter: Yoshi-bō-chan.

“It’s still audible, right, sis?”

Eldest Daughter: “Yes—it’s still there.” “Once they turn past that earthen-walled house up ahead… then nothing.” “There—gone now.” Third Son: “Still… I hear them.” Eldest Daughter: “That? Just mosquitoes humming through their wings.”

(Silence) Eldest Daughter: “It’s completely gone now.” “This time they’re moving toward the other end of the village.” Third Son: “It’s still audible.” Eldest Daughter: “The flute’s sound is just lingering in your ears.”

“It’s still audible,” Yoshio murmured. (Silence) “Why are you staring at me like that?” Ayako asked, her voice tightening. “Stop it, Yoshi-bō-chan.” “I’ll stop. Let’s play flower hide-and-seek again, sis.” “When did we ever play that?” “Before I got sick,” he said, straw-like fingers plucking at the quilt. “We covered them with shells and buried them under the soil, remember?”

“Ah, that’s right,” said Ayako. “The one you hid back then—no matter how much I searched, I couldn’t find it.” Her voice softened with memory. “And because you fell ill that evening, that was the end of it.” She leaned closer, strands of hair catching the fading light. “Where did you hide it?” “Under the kumquat tree in back,” Yoshio whispered. “Oh, Yoshi-bō-chan!” Ayako’s hands flew to her cheeks. “That’s unfair!” The starch-stiffened sleeves of her kimono rustled like dried leaves. “We’d decided beyond the fence was off-limits because of the thicket!” Her reproach dissolved into a laugh that trembled at the edges. “So unfair, Yoshi-bō-chan!”

Third Son: “I wonder if there are still any left.” Eldest Daughter: “No one would dig in a place like that. Shall I go check?”

(The girl exited through the back door.) (Before long, she returned carrying the shells.)

“I found them.” “Wash them by the fence and bring them here.” “Were there any flowers?”

“They had withered.” “Had they withered?” “They’ll wither after all—they’ve been through winter.”

Third Son: “In the lunch compartment of my bag—there’s another shell there. Bring it here.” (The girl searched for it and brought it.) Third Son: “Try matching them together.” “Do they fit well?”

“They fit perfectly.” “Look—it’s exactly like pressing your palms together.”

(She handed it to the sick child.) Third Son: “I wonder if it still makes a sound.” (Putting it in his mouth, he blew weakly.) (It didn’t make a sound.) Eldest Daughter: “While it was in the soil, part of it must have chipped.”

“It makes a sound,” said the Third Son. “......If you listen closely......it fills up......There’s wind sounds and flute sounds......So many sounds......” His voice trailed off weakly. “They fade away somewhere far off.” “That’s a lie,” countered the Eldest Daughter. “There’s nothing to hear at all.”

(The sick child, holding the shell in his mouth, strained his ears.) (Silence) Third Son: “Sis... I feel light.” “Ah—I’m flying away too.” “Together through the wind sounds and flute tones... Mom... Ah... I’m flying away too...” Eldest Daughter: “What’re you saying, Yoshi-bō-chan? Where’re you looking?” Third Son: “Flowing along with the petals and flute sounds.”

(The girl, suddenly seized by terror, stood up.)

Third Son: "Mama…"

Eldest Daughter: (shouts) “Yoshi-bō-chan!” “Mom!” “I’ll go call Mom.” “Yoshi-bō-chan, wait right there!” (The girl dashed out through the back door.) Third Son (weakly): “Mama... Yoshi-bō and the bird are flying away together too.”

(Silence) (The thicket rustles.) Third Son (even more weakly): “Mama... I’m far away...” The thicket rustles even louder.

Cherry blossom petals fall from within the wind. Upon the sick child and beside him.

—Curtain—