The man that I arrested? He is a notorious brigand called Tajomaru. When I arrested him, he had fallen off hishorse. He was groaning on the bridge at Awataguchi. The time? It was in the early hours of last night. For therecord, I might say that the other day I tried to arrest him, but unfortunately he escaped. He was wearing adark blue silk kimono and a large plain sword. And, as you see, he got a bow and arrows somewhere. You saythat this bow and these arrows look like the ones owned by the dead man? Then Tajomaru must be themurderer. The bow wound with leather strips, the black lacquered quiver, the seventeen arrows with hawkfeathers Ñ these were all in his possession I believe. Yess sir, the horse is, as you say, a sorrel with a finemane. A little beyond the stone bridge I found the horse grazing by the roadside, with his long rein dangling.Surely there is some providence in his having been thrown by the horse.
Of all the robbers prowling around Kyoto, this Tajomaru has given the most grief to the women in town. Lastautumn a wife who came to the mountain back of the Pindora of the Toribe Temple, presumably to pay a visit,was murdered, along with a girl. It has been suspected that it was his doing. If this criminal murdered the man,you cannot tell what he may have done with the man's wife. May it please your honor to look into thisproblem as well.
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Rashomon, and Other Stories by Ryunosuke Akutagawa
Short StoryThis collection features a brilliant new translation of the Japanese master's stories, from the source for the movie Rashōmon to his later, more autobiographical writings. Ryūnosuke Akutagawa (1892-1927) is one of Japan's foremost stylists - a moder...
