慈悲心鳥The Bird of Compassion

About this story

A manuscript arrives at a storytelling gathering, containing a tale that the sender couldn't deliver in person.

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Source

This text comes from Aozora Bunko (青空文庫), the volunteer-run library of Japanese writing that is out of copyright. See this work on Aozora Bunko

Base edition (底本): 「蜘蛛の夢」光文社文庫、光文社
1990（平成2）年4月20日初版1刷発行

Typed in by 門田裕志、小林繁雄. Proofread by 花田泰治郎.

Yomimaru changed the spelling to modern kana and modern kanji, and replaced classical grammar and some archaic words with modern ones.

The furigana are Yomimaru's.

What you'll learn

The host of a detective story gathering receives an express mail from his friend T, who cannot attend but sends a manuscript to be read aloud. T’s manuscript begins with a conversation between T (the narrator) and his friend Mori, who is about to leave on a trip. Mori mentions avoiding Nikko due to past unpleasantness and leaves a diary for T to read. T reads the diary, which describes Mori’s stay in Nikko in August years earlier, focusing on a young woman named Ofuyu and her father Rokubei, a wood-turning shop owner. The diary notes a suspicious young gentleman, Isogai, flirting with Ofuyu.

The diary continues: Mori learns from a newspaper reporter friend of a murder in Nikko—Isogai has been strangled near Ganman-ga-fuchi. The detective Orii suspects a woodworker possibly linked to a shop with many birdcages. Mori is questioned about the local wood-turning shop run by Rokubei. That night, Orii arrests Rokubei based on evidence (a cigarette box with wood shavings and a dead nestling). Mori becomes uneasy and goes to check on Ofuyu, but finds she has left; he rushes toward the gorge.

Mori follows Ofuyu to Ganman-ga-fuchi and prevents her from jumping. She confesses the whole story: Isogai had tricked her into going to his inn, where he assaulted her. Rokubei, in rage, cursed Isogai and stopped working. The diary ends abruptly as Mori remains in anguish.

Key vocabulary

速達そくたつ	express mail
書生しょせい	student lodger; attendant
怪談会かいだんかい	ghost story gathering
探偵趣味たんていしゅみの会かい	Detective Interest Society
六兵衛ろくべえ	Rokubei (old man's name)

Grammar points you'll meet

• ～たれど（～たけれども） N1Old literary equivalent of ～たけれども (but/although). Used in written narratives.

  別べつに子細しさいはなし、若わかいお冬ふゆさんの秘密ひみつを他たに洩もらすのがなんだか痛々いたいたしいような気きがしたるためなり。他たのことはみな正直しょうじきに言いいたれど、この事ことだけは暫しばらく秘密ひみつを守まもれり。

• ～ず N3Classical negative form of ～ない (not). Often used in formal or literary writing.

  別べつに抵抗ていこうを試こころみたる形跡けいせきもなきは、その薄うす羽織はおりの少すこしも破やぶれざるを見みても察さっせられる。

• ～にて（で） N1Old literary form of ～で (at/in/with). Used in formal writing.

  予は正直しょうじきに答こたえると、折井おりい君くんはまた思案しあんして「そのお冬ふゆというのはどんな女おんなです。」と重かさねて訊きく。予は知しっているだけのことを答こたえたり。

Cultural notes

• 慈悲心鳥 (Jihishinchō)A legendary bird from Nikko, considered a sacred 'compassion bird.' In the story, its egg is a rare and valuable object, leading to conflict.
• 含満ヶ渕 (Ganman-ga-fuchi)A famous deep pool in Nikko, known for its scenic and eerie atmosphere. In the story, it is the murder scene.
• 挽地物屋 (Hikijimono-ya)A shop that sells turned woodwork (wooden crafts made on a lathe). This is a traditional craft in Nikko, and the old man Rokubei runs such a shop.

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