Pathway to Japanese Literature
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Untitled (1)Author: Miyamoto Yuriko
| Original Title | 無題（一） |
|---|---|
| Author | 宮本 百合子 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Female Author |
| Summary | A fifteen-year-old poet wanders through an endless snowbound forest, driven by a quest for poetic inspiration in distant lands of "blue-watered mountains." Lost and shivering, he encounters a mysterious woman—ethereal, white-robed, raised by a stag—who rescues him and invites him into her enchanted cottage. Bathed in violet light and fragrant warmth, she coaxes tales of his village life: days spent composing verses with Rose, his golden-haired neighbor who dotes on him like a sister. Though captivated by the Forest Woman’s haunting beauty and her stories of isolation, the poet yearns to return home, his heart torn between her melancholic allure and Rose’s tender familiarity. \nFor two dreamlike months, he lingers in her realm, crafting exquisite poems under her gaze, until an urgent pull to share his art compels him to leave. The Forest Woman gifts him a crimson ruby, whispering cryptic farewells as a spectral white dog guides him back. Reunited with Rose and his family, he channels his forest-inspired visions into a celebrated poetry collection. Yet sleepless nights haunt him—visions of the Forest Woman’s dissolving tears, her unspoken longing echoing in his verses. As fame blooms, an unresolved ache lingers: Was her magic mere muse, or a bond demanding reckoning? Whispers of her vow—“I must enter your heart no matter what”—linger like frost on spring petals, foreshadowing a choice between earthly love and otherworldly enchantment. |
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