New world and old business
It was a warm moonlit night around the time of the rape blossoms.
He heard drums being played in preparation for the spring festival in some village.
Minosuke didn't go along the road.
He ran like a weasel through a ditch or like a discarded dog through the bushes.
This is what people do when they don't want others to see them.
He had been a guest at the mayor's house for a long time, so he was familiar with it.
He had already figured out when he left the house that the best place to light a fire was in a straw-roofed cow shed.
The main house was already quietly sleeping. The cow shed was also quiet.
Even though it was quiet, it was hard to tell if the cows were asleep or awake.
Cows are quiet whether they are awake or asleep.
But even if the cows were awake, there was nothing to stop him from lighting the fire.
Instead of matches, Minosuke brought a flint that had been used in the days when there were no matches.
When he left the house, he looked for matches around the cooking stove, but somehow he couldn't find any.
That's why he brought the flint with him.
Minosuke began to light the fire with the flint.
Sparks flew, but the fire did not burn at all, perhaps because the tinder was wet.
Minosuke thought that the flint was not very useful.
It made a loud clicking noise that might wake up the sleepers.
"Shit." Minosuke clicked his tongue and said.
"I should have brought matches. This old flint is too old to be used in time of need."
After saying that, suddenly he flinched at his own words.
"The old one will not make it in time when the time comes...... The old one will not make it in time when the time comes......"
Just as the moon was rising and the sky was becoming clearer, Minosuke's head began to clear with these words.
Minosuke now knew exactly what he had done wrong.
――The lamp has become an old tool. Now we live in a world of electric lights, a new and even more convenient tool.
That's how much the world has opened up. Civilization and enlightenment is underway.
If Minosuke was also Japanese, he should be happy that Japan had made such progress.
It's not good to hinder the progress of the world just because my old business is lost.
What a shameful thing it was to hold a grudge against an innocent person and try to set fire to his house.
When the world moves forward and the old business is no longer needed, let's have the courage to abandon that business and start a new one that will benefit the world.――
Minosuke returned home immediately.
What did he do after that?
He woke up his sleeping wife and filled all the lamps in the house with oil.
She asked him what he was going to do so late at night, but he knew she would stop him if he told her what he was going to do, so he kept quiet.
There were about fifty lamps of various sizes. All of them were filled with oil.
He hung the lamps in the car and went out, just as he always did when he went out on business.
This time, he didn't forget to bring matches.
There was a large pond called Handa Pond as the road approached the western mountain pass.
The water, full of spring water, glistened like a silver disc under the moon.
On the shore of the pond stood alders and willows that looked as if they were peering into the water.
Minosuke had chosen this spot because it was not popular.
What would Minosuke do now?
Minosuke lit the lamps.
After lighting one, he hung it on a branch of a tree at the edge of the pond.
He hung them on the branches of trees, both small and large.
When he couldn't hang them from one tree, he hung them from the tree next to it.
At last, all lamps were hung on three trees.
It was a windless night and each lamp burned quietly, making the area as bright as day.
The fish that came to the lamp glittered in the water like knives.
"This is my way of quitting the business."
Minosuke said to himself.
But he couldn't leave, so he stared at the trees full of lamps with his hands hanging down for a long time.
A lamp, a lamp, nostalgic lamps. Lamps with us for many years.
"This is my way of quitting the business."
Then Minosuke came to the path on this side of the pond.
The lamps were all still on the shore on the other side. There were about fifty of them.
There were also fifty upside-down lamps on the water.
Minosuke stood still and stared at them for a long time.
A lamp, a lamp, nostalgic lamps
Eventually, Minosuke bent down and picked up a stone from under his feet.
He aimed at the biggest lamp and threw it with all his might.
There was a crackling sound, and one of the large fires went out.
"Your time has passed. The world has moved on."
Minosuke said. Then he picked up another stone.
The second largest lamp went out with a crackle.
"The world has moved on. We now live in an age of electricity."
As he broke the third lamp, Minosuke felt tears well up in his eyes and he could not aim at the lamp any longer.
Minosuke quit the business he had been in.
He went into town and started a new business.
He became a bookseller.
- To return to table of contents of Grandfather's Lamp
He heard drums being played in preparation for the spring festival in some village.
Minosuke didn't go along the road.
He ran like a weasel through a ditch or like a discarded dog through the bushes.
This is what people do when they don't want others to see them.
He had been a guest at the mayor's house for a long time, so he was familiar with it.
He had already figured out when he left the house that the best place to light a fire was in a straw-roofed cow shed.
The main house was already quietly sleeping. The cow shed was also quiet.
Even though it was quiet, it was hard to tell if the cows were asleep or awake.
Cows are quiet whether they are awake or asleep.
But even if the cows were awake, there was nothing to stop him from lighting the fire.
Instead of matches, Minosuke brought a flint that had been used in the days when there were no matches.
When he left the house, he looked for matches around the cooking stove, but somehow he couldn't find any.
That's why he brought the flint with him.
Minosuke began to light the fire with the flint.
Sparks flew, but the fire did not burn at all, perhaps because the tinder was wet.
Minosuke thought that the flint was not very useful.
It made a loud clicking noise that might wake up the sleepers.
"Shit." Minosuke clicked his tongue and said.
"I should have brought matches. This old flint is too old to be used in time of need."
After saying that, suddenly he flinched at his own words.
"The old one will not make it in time when the time comes...... The old one will not make it in time when the time comes......"
Just as the moon was rising and the sky was becoming clearer, Minosuke's head began to clear with these words.
Minosuke now knew exactly what he had done wrong.
――The lamp has become an old tool. Now we live in a world of electric lights, a new and even more convenient tool.
That's how much the world has opened up. Civilization and enlightenment is underway.
If Minosuke was also Japanese, he should be happy that Japan had made such progress.
It's not good to hinder the progress of the world just because my old business is lost.
What a shameful thing it was to hold a grudge against an innocent person and try to set fire to his house.
When the world moves forward and the old business is no longer needed, let's have the courage to abandon that business and start a new one that will benefit the world.――
Minosuke returned home immediately.
What did he do after that?
He woke up his sleeping wife and filled all the lamps in the house with oil.
She asked him what he was going to do so late at night, but he knew she would stop him if he told her what he was going to do, so he kept quiet.
There were about fifty lamps of various sizes. All of them were filled with oil.
He hung the lamps in the car and went out, just as he always did when he went out on business.
This time, he didn't forget to bring matches.
There was a large pond called Handa Pond as the road approached the western mountain pass.
The water, full of spring water, glistened like a silver disc under the moon.
On the shore of the pond stood alders and willows that looked as if they were peering into the water.
Minosuke had chosen this spot because it was not popular.
What would Minosuke do now?
Minosuke lit the lamps.
After lighting one, he hung it on a branch of a tree at the edge of the pond.
He hung them on the branches of trees, both small and large.
When he couldn't hang them from one tree, he hung them from the tree next to it.
At last, all lamps were hung on three trees.
It was a windless night and each lamp burned quietly, making the area as bright as day.
The fish that came to the lamp glittered in the water like knives.
"This is my way of quitting the business."
Minosuke said to himself.
But he couldn't leave, so he stared at the trees full of lamps with his hands hanging down for a long time.
A lamp, a lamp, nostalgic lamps. Lamps with us for many years.
"This is my way of quitting the business."
Then Minosuke came to the path on this side of the pond.
The lamps were all still on the shore on the other side. There were about fifty of them.
There were also fifty upside-down lamps on the water.
Minosuke stood still and stared at them for a long time.
A lamp, a lamp, nostalgic lamps
Eventually, Minosuke bent down and picked up a stone from under his feet.
He aimed at the biggest lamp and threw it with all his might.
There was a crackling sound, and one of the large fires went out.
"Your time has passed. The world has moved on."
Minosuke said. Then he picked up another stone.
The second largest lamp went out with a crackle.
"The world has moved on. We now live in an age of electricity."
As he broke the third lamp, Minosuke felt tears well up in his eyes and he could not aim at the lamp any longer.
Minosuke quit the business he had been in.
He went into town and started a new business.
He became a bookseller.
- To return to table of contents of Grandfather's Lamp