The Ten Foot Square Hut and Tales of the Heike Read online

  Then there rode forth Mionoya Jūrō of Musashi, and his two brothers Shirō and Tōshichi, Nibu-no-Shirō of Kōzuke and Kiso-no-Chūji of Shinano, five warriors in all. As they charged forward shouting to the onset, however, the archer behind the shield loosed a great lacquered shaft, feathered with black wing-feathers, which pierced the horse of Mionoya Jūrō in the left breast right up to the notch, so that it collapsed like an overturned screen.

  The rider at once threw his left leg over the animal and vaulted down to the right, drawing his sword to continue the fight, but when he saw the warrior behind the shield come to meet him flourishing a huge halberd, he knew that his own small sword would be useless, and blew on a conch and retreated. The other immediately followed him, and it looked as though he would cut him down with the halberd, but instead of doing so, gripping the halberd under his left arm, he tried to seize Mionoya Jūrō by the neckpiece of the helmet with his right.

  Three times Mionoya eluded his grasp, but at the fourth attempt his opponent held on. For a moment he could do nothing, but then, giving a sudden violent wrench, the neckpiece parted where it joined the helmet, and Mionoya escaped and hid behind his four companions to recover his breath. The other four, wishing to spare their horses, had taken no part in the combat, but stayed a short way off looking on. The Heike warrior on his part did not follow him any farther, but sticking the neckpitve on the end of his halberd, shouted out in a loud voice: "Let those afar off listen; those who are near can see. That's the way we fellows of the Capital declare ourselves. I am Aku-shichibyōye Kagekiyo of Kazusa!" And having thus delivered himself he retired again behind the shield.

  The Heike, encouraged at this, cried out: "Don't let Aku-shichibyōye be killed! To the rescue of Kagekiyo! Come on, men!" And some two hundred of them hastened to land and set up their shields in a row in hen's wing style, defying the Genji to come on. Yoshitsune, incensed at this, with Tajiro-no-Kwanja in front, Ise Saburō behind, and Gotōbyōye father and son and the brothers Kaneko on his left and right hand, put himself at the head of eighty horsemen and charged down on them shouting, whereupon the Heike, who were mostly on foot and few mounted, thinking they could not stand against horsemen, quickly retired and re-entered their boats, leaving their shields kicked about here and there like the sticks of a fortune-teller.

  Elated with victory, the Genji rode into the sea in pursuit till they were up to their saddles in water and fought among the ships, while the Heike with rakes and billhooks tried to seize Yoshitsune by the neckpiece of his helmet. Two or three times their weapons rattled about his head, but his companions with sword and halberd warded off the attacks from their master as they fought. In the course of this fighting he somehow or other dropped his bow into the sea, and leant out of the saddle trying to pick it up again with his whip. His companions cried out to him to let it go, but he would not, and at last managed to recover it, and rode back laughing to the beach.

  The older warriors reproached him for this saying: "However valuable a bow it might be, what is that in comparison with our lord's life?" "It was not that I grudged the bow," replied Yoshitsune, "and if my bow were one that required two or three men to bend it, like that of my uncle Tametomo, they would be quite welcome to it, but I should not like a weak one like mine to fall into the hands of the enemy for them to laugh at it and say, 'This is the bow of Kurō Yoshitsune the Commander-in-Chief of the Genji;' and so it was that I risked my life to get it back." And this explanation drew expressions of approval from all.

  THE COCK-FIGHT BEFORE THE DEITY

  Meanwhile Yoshitsune, after his victory at Yashima, crossed over to Suwo to join his brother Noriyori, and, strange to say, the place which the Heike next reached was called Hikushima in the province of Nagato, while the Genji went to Oitsu in the same province. Just at this time Tansō, the Lord Steward of Kumano, of the province of Kii, who was under great obligations to the Heike, suddenly changed his mind and hesitated as to which side he should support. So he went to the shrine of Ikumano at Tanabe and spent seven days in retirement there, having Kagura performed, and praying before the Gongen. As a result of this he received an intimation from the deity that he should adhere to the white banner, but, being still doubtful, he took seven white cocks and seven red ones, and held a cock-fight before the Gongen, and as none of the red cocks were victorious but were all beaten and ran away, he at last made up his mind to join the Genji. Therefore, assembling all his retainers to the number of some two thousand men, and embarking them on two hundred ships of war, he put the emblem of the deity of the shrine on board his ship and painted the name of Kongo Dōji on the top of his standard. Accordingly when this vessel with its divine burden approached the ships of the Genji and Heike at Dan-no-ura, both parties saluted it reverently, but when it was seen to direct its course towards the fleet of the Genji, the Heike could not conceal their chagrin. Moreover, to the further consternation of the Heike, Kono-no-Shiro Michinobu of the province of Iyo also came rowing up with a hundred and fifty large ships and went over to the fleet of their enemies.

  Thus the forces of the Genji went on increasing, while those of the Heike grew less. The Genji had some three thousand ships, and the Heike one thousand, among which were some of Chinese build; and so, on the twenty-fourth day of the third month of the second year of Gen-ryaku, at the Hour of the Hare (6 a.m.), at Ta-no-ura in the province of Bungo, at Moji-ga-seki, and at Dan-no-ura in the province of Nagato, at Akamagaseki, began the final battle of the Gen and Hei.

  THE FIGHT AT DAN-NO-URA

  Now the two hosts of the Genji and Heike faced each other scarcely thirty cho distant on the water; and as the tide was running strongly through Moji, Akama and Dan-no-ura, the Heike ships were carried down by the current against their will, while the Genji were naturally able to advance on them with the tide. Kajiwara with his sons and retainers to the number of fourteen or fifteen, stuck close to the shore, and catching on with rakes to some ships of the Heike that went astray, they boarded them and sprang from one ship to the other, cutting their men down both at bow and stern and doing great deeds. And their merit that day has been specially recorded.

  Thus both armies joined battle all along the line, and the roar of their war-cries was such as to be heard even to the highest heavens of Brahma, and to cause the deity deep under the earth to start in amazement. Then Tomomori, coming forth on to the deck-house of his ship, shouted to his men in a mighty voice: "Even in India and China and also in our own country, with the most renowned leader and the bravest warriors an army cannot prevail if fate be against it. Yet must our honour be dear to us, and we must show a bold front to these Eastern soldiers. Let us then pay no heed to our lives, but think of nothing but fighting as bravely as we may." Hida-no-Saburō Saemon Kaget-sune again repeated this proclamation to the samurai. "Ho! these Eastern fellows may have a great name for their horsemanship," shouted Aku-shichibyōye Kage-kiyo, "but they know nothing about sea-fights, and they will be like fish up a tree, so that we will pick them up one by one and pitch them into the sea!" "And let their Commander Kurō Yoshitsune be the special object of your attack," added Etchū-no-Jirōhyōye Moritsugu, "he is a little fellow with a fair complexion and his front teeth stick out a bit, so you will know him by that. He often changes his clothes and armour, so take care he doesn't escape you!" "Who cares for that wretched little fellow?" replied Aku-shichi, "Cheer up, my brave comrades; we'll soon pick him up under our arms and fling him into the sea!"

  After Shin-Chōnagon Tomomori had thus addressed his men he took a small boat and rowed across to the ship of Munemori. "Our own men look well enough," said he, "only Awa-no-Mimbu Shigeyoshi seems doubtful in his allegiance. I pray you let me take off his head." "But he has served us well so far," replied Munemori, "so how can we do this only on suspicion? Anyhow, let him be summoned."

  So Shigeyoshi came into the presence of Munemori. He was attired in a hitatare of yellowish red colour with a little black in it, and armour laced with light red leather. "How now, S
higeyoshi? Do you intend treachery?" said Munemori, "for your conduct to-day has a suspicious look. Do you tell your men of Shikoku to bear themselves well in the fight, and don't play the dastard." "Why should I play the dastard?" said Shigeyoshi as he retired. Meanwhile Tomomori had been standing by with his hand gripping his sword-hilt hard enough to break it, casting meaning looks at Munemori to intimate his wish to cut Shigeyoshi down, but as the latter gave no sign he could do nothing.

  So the Heike divided their thousand vessels into three fleets. In the van rowed Yamaga-no-Hyōtōji Hidetō with five hundred ships, and after him came the Matsuura with three hundred more; last of all came the Heike nobles with two hundred. Now Yamaga-no-Hvōtōji who led the van was the strongest archer in all Kyūshū, and he chose five hundred men who drew the bow better than most, though not equal to himself, and placed them in the bows of his ships, shoulder to shoulder, so that they let fly a volley of five hundred arrows at once.

  The fleet of the Genji was the more numerous with its three thousand ships, but as their men shot from various places here and there, their force did not show to advantage. Yoshitsune himself, who was fighting in the forefront of the battle, was greatly embarrassed by the arrows of the foe that fell like rain on his shield and armour. So, elated by their victory in the first attack, the Heike pressed onward, and the roar of their shouting mingled with the booming of their war-drums that continuously sounded the onset.

  Now on the side of the Genji, Wada-no-Kōtarō Yoshimori did not go on shipboard, but mounted his horse and sat himself firmly in the saddle with his feet deep in the stirrups, riding into the midst of the Heike host and letting fly his arrows right and left. A famous archer he had always been, and no enemy within the space of three cho escaped his arrows, but one shaft he shot an extraordinary distance on which was a request to return it to the marksman. When it was withdrawn by order of Tomomori it was seen to be feathered with white wing-feathers of the crane mixed with black ones of the wild-goose, a plain bamboo shaft thirteen handbreadths and three fingers long, inscribed at the space of a handbreath from the lashing on the butt with the name Wada-no-Kōtarō Yoshimori painted in lacquer.

  Among the Heike too there were some fine archers, but none who could do a feat like this. After a while however, Nii-no-Kishirō Chikakiyo of Iyo stepped forward and shot it back again. It flew to a distance of more than three cho and struck deep into the left arm of Miura-no-Ishi Sakon-no-Taro, who was standing about a tan behind Wada. "Ha-ha!" laughed Miura's men as they came crowding round, "Wada-no-Kōtarō boasts no one can equal him at shooting, and now he has been put to shame openly." Then Yoshimori, angered at this, sprang into a small boat and pressed on into the midst of the foe, drawing his bow lustily so that very many of his adversaries were killed and wounded.

  After this both sides set their faces against each other and fought grimly without a thought for their lives, neither giving way an inch. But as the Heike had on their side an Emperor endowed with the Ten Virtues and the Three Sacred Treasures of the Realm, things went hard with the Genji and their hearts were beginning to fail them, when suddenly something that they at first took for a white cloud, but which soon appeared to be a white banner floating in the breeze, came drifting over the two fleets from the upper air and finally settled on the stern of one of the Genji ships, hanging on by the rope.

  THE DROWNING OF THE EMPEROR

  When he saw this, Yoshitsune, regarding it as a sign from Hachiman Dai-bosatsu, removed his helmet, and after washing his hands, did obeisance; his men all following his example. Moreover a. shoal of some thousands of dolphins also made its appearance from the offing and made straight for the ships of the Heike. Then Munemori called the diviner Ko-hakase Harunobu and said: "There are always many dolphins about here, but I have never seen so many as these before; what may it portend?" "If they turn back," replied Harunobu, "the Genji will be destroyed; but if they go on then our own side will be in danger." No sooner had he finished speaking than the dolphins dived under the Heike ships and passed on.

  Then, as things had come to this pass, Awa-no-Mimbu Shigeyoshi, who for three years had been a loyal supporter of the Heike, now that his son Dennai Saemon Noriyoshi had been captured, made up his mind that all was lost, and suddenly forsook his allegiance and deserted to the enemy. Great was the regret of Tomomori that he had not cut off the head of "that villain Shigeyoshi," but now it was unavailing.

  Now the strategy of the Heike had been to put the stoutest warriors on board the ordinary fighting ships and the inferior soldiers on the big ships of Chinese build, so that the Genji should be induced to attack the big ships, thinking that the commanders were on board them, when they would be able to surround and destroy them. But when Shigeyoshi went over and joined the Genji he revealed this plan to them, with the result that they immediately left the big ships alone and concentrated their attacks on the smaller ones on which were the Heike champions.

  Later on the men of Shikoku and Kyūshū all left the Heike in a body and went over to the Genji. Those who had so far been their faithful retainers now turned their bows against their lords and drew the sword against their own masters. On one shore the heavy seas beat on the cliff so as to forbid any landing, while on the other stood the serried ranks of the enemy waiting with levelled arrows to receive them. And so on this day the struggle for supremacy between the houses of Gen and Hei was at last decided.

  Meanwhile the Genji warriors sprang from one Heike vessel to the other, shooting and cutting down the sailors and helmsmen, so that they flung themselves in panic to the bottom of the ships unable to navigate them any longer. Then Shin-Chūnagon Tomomori rowed in a small boat to the Imperial Vessel and cried out: "You see what affairs have come to! Clean up the ship, and throw everything unsightly into the sea!" And he ran about the ship from bow to stern, sweeping and cleaning and gathering up the dust with his own hands. "But how goes the battle, Chūnagon Dono?" asked the Court Ladies. "Oh, you'll soon see some rare gallants from the East," he replied, bursting into loud laughter. "What? Is this a time for joking?" they answered, and they lifted up their voices and wept aloud.

  Then the Nii Dono, who had already resolved what she would do, donning a double outer dress of dark-grey mourning colour, and tucking up the long skirts of her glossy silk hakama, put the Sacred Jewel under her arm, and the Sacred Sword in her girdle, and taking the Emperor in her arms, spoke thus: "Though I am but a woman I will not fall into the hands of the foe, but will accompany our Sovereign Lord. Let those of you who will, follow me." And she glided softly to the gunwale of the vessel.

  The Emperor was eight years old that year, but looked much older than his age, and his appearance was so lovely that he shed as it were a brilliant radiance about him, and his long black hair hung loose far down his back. With a look of surprise and anxiety on his face he inquired of the Nii Dono: "Where is it that you are going to take me?"

  Turning to her youthful Sovereign with tears streaming down her cheeks, she answered: "Perchance our Lord does not know that, though through the merit of the Ten Virtues practised in former lives you have been reborn to the Imperial Throne in this world, yet by the power of some evil karma destiny now claims you. So now turn to the east and bid farewell to the deity of the Great Shrine of Ise, and then to the west and say the Nembutsu that Amida Buddha and the Holy Ones may come to welcome you to the Pure Western Land. This land is called small as a grain of millet, but yet is it now but a vale of misery. There is a Pure Land of happiness beneath the waves, another Capital where no sorrow is. Thither it is that I am taking our Lord."

  And thus comforting him, she bound his long hair up in his dove-coloured robe, and blinded with tears the child-Sovereign put his beautiful little hands together and turned first to the east to say farewell to the deity of Ise and to Sho-Hachimangū, and then to the west and repeated the Nembutsu, after which the Nii Dono, holding him tightly in her arms and saying consolingly: "In the depths of the Ocean we have a Capital" sank with him at last ben
eath the waves.

  Ah, the pity of it! That the gust of the spring wind of Impermanence should so suddenly sweep away his flower form. That the cruel billows should thus engulf his Jewel Person. Since his Palace was called the Palace of Longevity, he should have passed a long life therein. Its gate was called the Gate of Eternal Youth, the barrier that old age should not pass; and yet, ere he had reached the age of ten years, he had become like the refuse that sinks to the bottom of the sea.

  How vain it was to proclaim him as one who sat on the Throne as a reward of the Ten Virtues! It was like the Dragon that rides on the clouds descending to become a fish at the bottom of the ocean. He who abode in a Palace fair as the terraced pavilions of the highest heaven of Brahma, or the paradise where S'akya Muni dwells, among his Ministers and Nobles of the Nine Families who did him humble obeisance, thus came to a miserable end beneath the ocean waves.

  THE DEATH OF NOTO-NO-KAMI

  Now when the Imperial Consort Kenrei-mon-in saw what had come to pass, she put her inkstone and warming-stone into each side of the bosom of her robe and jumped into the sea. But Watanabe-no-Gengo Umanojo Mutsuru rowed up in a small boat, and clutching her long hair with a rake, dragged her back. Dainagon-no-suke-no-Tsubone, the wife of Shigehira, seeing this, cried out: "Alas! How cruel! How can you treat one who was an Empress in such a way?" So they informed Yoshitsune and he came in haste to the Imperial Vessel.

  This Dainagon-no-suke had been just about to leap into the waves with the casket containing the Sacred Mirror, when an arrow pinned the skirt of her hakama to the side of the ship and she stumbled and fell, whereupon the Genji soldiers seized her and held her back. Then one of them wrenched off the lock of the casket to open it, when suddenly his eyes were darkened and blood poured from his nose. At this, Taira Dainagon Tokitada, who had been captured alive, and was standing by, exclaimed: "Hold! That is the Holy Naiji-dokoro, the Sacred Mirror that no profane eye must behold!" Whereat the soldiers were awe-stricken and trembled with fear; and the Hōgwan bade Tokitada-no-Kyō put away the casket as it was before.