Free Legends of Japan by Hiroshi Naito

of their trick and the loss of their dinner. It is said that someone who had seen them put the dinner box into the ground mischievously took it away during their absence.

22. Reunion with death

    L ONG, LONG AGO , there lived in the capital a master less samurai and his wife. In those days things were so bad that he could not easily get a livelihood—that is, he could not find a master to serve. Therefore, the couple lived in dire poverty.
    One day he was told that his closest friend had fortunately been appointed as a local administrator and was busy making preparations for departure to his new post. So he set out at once to the friend's residence to tender greetings on his promotion. The friend, though quite busy giving instructions to his retainers for the departure, was glad to see this samurai and had a little talk with him.
    Toward the end of their friendly conversations, the friend said, "By the way, my dearest friend, what are you going to do from now on? I know you have long been seeking a position here in the capital. But as you know, times are hard now. So I am afraid nobody will give you a position easily. As your closest friend, I sincerely recommend that you come with me. I am sure I can help you somehow at my new post. I have been hoping to help you but until now I was not in a position to do so. Now I have fortunately been promoted to the post of local administrator. So I think I can help you. You can't go on like this— without getting any position. So, think it over."
    "Thank you very much for your kind offer, my dear friend. To tell you the truth, we are badly off now, though my wife does not complain about our hard living. I should be much obliged if you would give me any position under your command." Expressing his deepest gratitude to the friend, this samurai accepted the kind offer on the spot.
    Poor as he was, he had been enjoying a happy life with his beloved wife, who was young and beautiful and had a tender heart. They did not let poverty pull out the wedge of love between them. Therefore he found it very hard to depart for the local post alone because of financial difficulty.
    Just before his departure, however, in secret he immorally married another woman, who had vast property and had offered to help him financially. He left the capital with her—leaving his devoted wife behind, alone.
    In the remote province, he was set free from the feelings of poverty for many years and indulged in luxury with the second wife, forgetting to send even a single letter to the wife left behind in the capital. In this way, many a year passed.
    However, he sometimes in a quiet hour thought about his present mode of life and felt guilty for enjoying a luxurious life with another woman while his poor wife was left alone at home without getting any allowance from him. As time went by, his heart ached more and more with longing for her. So anxious was he to see her again that he could not settle to his work even for a single moment, just hoping for the early arrival of the day to return to the capital. And that day came at long last!
    On his way back home, feeling deep guilt for having lived a double life with another woman, he made up his mind to humbly apologize to his wife by confessing everything, and though poor, to enjoy life with her again. Upon his arrival in the capital, he parted from the second wife and went straight back to his old home.
    The house was precisely at the place where it had stood before. The gate was wide open. One weather-beaten door hung from a rusty hinge; the other had been carried away somewhere. The roof was covered with weeds and moss, and ridge tiles had fallen to pieces on the ground.
    With a glimpse of the desolate building, a sense of gloom pervaded his spirit. Once through the gate, he found the garden utterly neglected and all the doors of the house closed. There was no sign of human habitation.
    It was the night of the twentieth day of the ninth month. The moon was