I left Chiba country , where my father was posted, and have now arrived in Musashi.
There are no particularly interesting or atmospheric places here.
On the beaches of Musashi country , there was no white sand or other interesting sand, just mud.
I had heard that there is beautiful flowers called purple grass bloom here, but that was not the case.
In reality, Musashi's fields are covered only with tall reeds and bush clovers, and the guards on horseback are leading the way with bows, but even the appearance of them is covered with tall reeds and bush clovers.
So I can't see them.
As we walked down a narrow path through the bushes, we came across a temple called Takeshiba.
A little far from here is a place called ``Hahasou'', where the foundation stone of the mansion that once stood still remains.
"What kind of place is this area?"
When I asked, a well-versed servant told me the story.
``A long time ago, there was a slope called Takeshiba around here.
A man lived on this land.
The man was employed at the imperial court in Kyoto and had moved from here.
And that man had the job of managing the fires used in the imperial palace.
One day, while sweeping the garden of the imperial palace, the man said,
``Why am I going through such a difficult time?
When I lived in Musashi Province, I had seven bottles of sake here and three bottles there.
A ladle made of a gourd with a handle placed in a large sake pot flutters to the north when the south wind blows,
to the south when the north wind blows, to the east when the west wind blows, and to the east when the east wind blows.It was waving to the west.
I enjoyed watching it, but why do I have to do such a demanding job now?
He muttered to himiself.
At that moment, it just so happened that princess , whom Emperor had taken great care of, was standing alone by the blinds, leaning against a pillar and watching what was going on.
Princess listened to this man's soliloquy and became very interested in the way the sake barrel ladle was waving in the wind.
In the country of Musashi where this man lived, how would a dipper stuck in a sake barrel wave?
Princess thought that must be a very quaint and charming place.
The man felt that Princess saying things like that was a waste and that he was afraid.
However, perhaps there was some kind of fate from his previous life that made him like this, and the man carried Princess on his back and headed for the country of Musashi.
Of course, he could easily imagine that pursuers would come, so that night he temporarily lowered Princess to the foot of the Seta Bridge and and demolished part of the bridge.
After that, the man jumped over the broken part of the bridge with Princess on his back, and it took seven days and seven nights to reach the country of Musashi.
When the emperor and empress noticed that the princess was missing, they were worried and looking for her.
Someone in the palace said.
``A man who had come to work from Musashi Province ran away like a fly with something that smelled very good , hanging around his neck.''
So they searched the palace for the man who would be in charge of the fire, but he was nowhere to be found.
Everyone thought that this man must have taken the princess away.
There was talk around Emperor that this man must have headed for his hometown of Musashi, so they decided to dispatch a group of soldiers and officials to Musashi.
As the dispatched group headed east, when they came to the Seta Bridge, part of the bridge was broken, making it difficult for vehicles carrying goods to cross.
After entering the third month, the messenger finally entered the country of Musashi and arrived at this man's place.
At that time, Princess called a messenger from the palace nearby and said,
"There must have been a connection from a previous life that led to this.
I wanted to see this man's house so much that I ordered him to bring me here.
It seems like a very comfortable place to live.
If this man is caught and punished for his crime, what should I say?"
, said Princess.
"The reason why things like this happened is probably because there was a connection in a previous life that led to things like this.
Please return to Kyoto as soon as possible and report this to the Imperial Family."
, said Princess.
The messenger had no choice but to return to the capital and tell Emperor what had happened.
Then, Emperor said,
" I can't help it. Even if I punished the man, I would not be able to take back Princess and make her back here .
Let's allocate the country of Musashi to the Takeshiba man for as long as he lives, and we will not impose any taxes on him.
and let's give the country to Princess ."
An order has been issued.
So the messenger went to the man, built a house for him and the princess to live in like a palace in Kyoto, and had them live there.
After Princess and others passed away, it was renovated into a temple.
The name of that temple is Takeshiba Temple.
And the children born to Princess were given the surname "Musashi".
After this incident, the Imperial Court changed the job of keeping the fire man to woman. ”
[Lion Publishing, "Sarashina Diary" it was written by the daughter of SUGAWARA Takasue about 1000 years ago , translated by the Lion Publishing Editorial Department. ]
