“Sirs, I did not fasten the head to my sleeve: it fastened itself
there—much against my will. And I have not committed any crime. For
this is not the head of a man; it is the head of a goblin;—and, if I
caused the death of the goblin, I did not do so by any shedding of
blood, but simply by taking the precautions necessary to assure my own
safety.”... And he proceeded to relate the whole of the
adventure,—bursting into another hearty laugh as he told of his
encounter with the five heads.
But the magistrates did not laugh. They judged him to be a hardened
criminal, and his story an insult to their intelligence. Therefore,
without further questioning, they decided to order his immediate
execution,—all of them except one, a very old man. This aged officer
had made no remark during the trial; but, after having heard the
opinion of his colleagues, he rose up, and said:—
“Let us first examine the head carefully; for this, I think, has not
yet been done. If the priest has spoken truth, the head itself should
bear witness for him... Bring the head here!”
So the head, still holding in its teeth the _koromo_ that had been
stripped from Kwairyō’s shoulders, was put before the judges. The old
man turned it round and round, carefully examined it, and discovered,
on the nape of its neck, several strange red characters. He called the
attention of his colleagues to these, and also bade them observe that
the edges of the neck nowhere presented the appearance of having been
cut by any weapon. On the contrary, the line of leverance was smooth as
the line at which a falling leaf detaches itself from the stem... Then
said the elder:—
“I am quite sure that the priest told us nothing but the truth. This is
the head of a Rokuro-Kubi. In the book _Nan-hō-ï-butsu-shi_ it is
written that certain red characters can always be found upon the nape
of the neck of a real Rokuro-Kubi. There are the characters: you can
see for yourselves that they have not been painted. Moreover, it is
well known that such goblins have been dwelling in the mountains of the
province of Kai from very ancient time... But you, Sir,” he exclaimed,
turning to Kwairyō,—“what sort of sturdy priest may you be? Certainly
you have given proof of a courage that few priests possess; and you
have the air of a soldier rather than a priest. Perhaps you once
belonged to the samurai-class?”
“You have guessed rightly, Sir,” Kwairyō responded. “Before becoming a
priest, I long followed the profession of arms; and in those days I
never feared man or devil. My name then was Isogai Héïdazaëmon
Takétsura of Kyūshū: there may be some among you who remember it.”
At the mention of that name, a murmur of admiration filled the
court-room; for there were many present who remembered it. And Kwairyō
immediately found himself among friends instead of judges,—friends
anxious to prove their admiration by fraternal kindness. With honor
they escorted him to the residence of the daimyō, who welcomed him, and
feasted him, and made him a handsome present before allowing him to
depart. When Kwairyō left Suwa, he was as happy as any priest is
permitted to be in this transitory world. As for the head, he took it
with him,—jocosely insisting that he intended it for a _miyagé_.
And now it only remains to tell what became of the head.
A day or two after leaving Suwa, Kwairyō met with a robber, who stopped
him in a lonesome place, and bade him strip. Kwairyō at once removed
his _koromo_, and offered it to the robber, who then first perceived
what was hanging to the sleeve. Though brave, the highwayman was
startled: he dropped the garment, and sprang back. Then he cried
out:—“You!—what kind of a priest are you? Why, you are a worse man than
I am! It is true that I have killed people; but I never walked about
with anybody’s head fastened to my sleeve... Well, Sir priest, I
suppose we are of the same calling; and I must say that I admire
you!... Now that head would be of use to me: I could frighten people
with it. Will you sell it? You can have my robe in exchange for your
_koromo;_ and I will give you five _ryō_ for the head.”