RASHOMON

[The "Rashomon" was the largest gate in Kyoto, the ancient capital of Japan. It was 106 feet wi e an !6 feet eep, an was toppe with a ri ge"pole# its stone"wall rose $% feet high. This gate was constr&cte in $'( when the then capital of Japan was transferre to Kyoto. )ith the ecline of )est Kyoto, the gate fell into *a repair, crac+ing an cr&m*ling in many places, an *ecame a hi e"o&t for thie,es an ro**ers an a place for a*an oning &nclaime corpses.IT )./ . chilly e,ening. . ser,ant of a sam&rai stoo &n er the Rashomon, waiting for a *rea+ in the rain. 0o one else was &n er the wi e gate. 1n the thic+ col&mn, its crimson lac2&er r&**e off here an there, perche a cric+et. /ince the Rashomon stan s on /&3a+& .,en&e, a few other people at least, in se ge hat or no*leman4s hea gear, might ha,e *een e5pecte to *e waiting there for a *rea+ in the rain storm. 6&t no one was near e5cept this man. 7or the past few years the city of Kyoto ha *een ,isite *y a series of calamities, earth2&a+es, whirlwin s, an fires, an Kyoto ha *een greatly e,astate . 1l chronicles say that *ro+en pieces of 6& hist images an other 6& hist o*3ects, with their lac2&er, gol , or sil,er leaf worn off, were heape &p on roa si es to *e sol as firewoo . /&ch *eing the state of affairs in Kyoto, the repair of the Rashomon was o&t of the 2&estion. Ta+ing a ,antage of the e,astation, fo5es an other wil animals ma e their ens in the r&ins of the gate, an thie,es an ro**ers fo&n a home there too. 8,ent&ally it *ecame c&stomary to *ring &nclaime corpses to this gate an a*an on them. .fter ar+ it was so ghostly that no one are approach. 7loc+s of crows flew in from somewhere. 9&ring the aytime these cawing *ir s circle ro&n the ri gepole of the gate. )hen the s+y o,erhea t&rne re in the afterlight of the eparte s&n, they loo+e li+e so many grains of sesame fl&ng across the gate. 6&t on that ay not a crow was to *e seen, perhaps *eca&se of the lateness of the ho&r. :ere an there the stone steps, *eginning to cr&m*le, an with ran+ grass growing in their cre,ices, were otte with the white roppings of crows. The ser,ant, in a worn *l&e +imono, sat on the se,enth an highest step, ,acantly watching the rain. :is attention was rawn to a large pimple irritating his right chee+. .s has *een sai , the ser,ant was waiting for a *rea+ in the rain. 6&t he ha no partic&lar i ea of what to o after the rain stoppe . 1r inarily, of co&rse, he wo&l ha,e ret&rne to his master4s ho&se, *&t he ha *een ischarge 3&st *efore. The prosperity of the city of Kyoto ha *een rapi ly eclining, an he ha *een ismisse *y his master, whom he ha ser,e many years, *eca&se of the effects of this ecline. Th&s, confine *y the rain, he was at a loss to +now where to go. .n the weather ha not a little to o with his epresse moo . The rain seeme &nli+ely to stop. :e was lost in tho&ghts of how to ma+e his li,ing tomorrow, helpless incoherent tho&ghts protesting an ine5ora*le fate. .imlessly he ha *een listening to the pattering of the rain on the /&3a+& .,en&e.

The rain, en,eloping the Rashomon, gathere strength an came own with a pelting so&n that co&l *e hear far away. ;oo+ing &p, he saw a fat *lac+ clo& impale itself on the tips of the tiles 3&tting o&t from the roof of the gate. :e ha little choice of means, whether fair or fo&l, *eca&se of his helpless circ&mstances. If he chose honest means, he wo&l &n o&*te ly star,e to eath *esi e the wall or in the /&3a+& g&tter. :e wo&l *e *ro&ght to this gate an thrown away li+e a stray og. If he eci e to steal... :is min , after ma+ing the same eto&r time an again, came finally to the concl&sion that he wo&l *e a thief. 6&t o&*ts ret&rne many times. Tho&gh etermine that he ha no choice, he was still &na*le to m&ster eno&gh co&rage to 3&stify the concl&sion that he m&st *ecome a thief. .fter a lo& fit of snee<ing he got &p slowly. The e,ening chill of Kyoto ma e him long for the warmth of a *ra<ier. The win in the e,ening &s+ howle thro&gh the col&mns of the gate. The cric+et which ha *een perche on the crimsonlac2&ere col&mn was alrea y gone. 9&c+ing his nec+, he loo+e aro&n the gate, an rew &p the sho&l ers of the *l&e +imono which he wore o,er his thin &n erwear. :e eci e to spen the night there, if he co&l fin a secl& e corner sheltere from win an rain. :e fo&n a *roa lac2&ere stairway lea ing to the tower o,er the gate. 0o one wo&l *e there, e5cept the ea , if there were any. /o, ta+ing care that the swor at his si e i not slip o&t of the sca**ar , he set foot on the lowest step of the stairs. . few secon s later, halfway &p the stairs, he saw a mo,ement a*o,e. :ol ing his *reath an h& ling cat"li+e in the mi le of the *roa stairs lea ing to the tower, he watche an waite . . light coming from the &pper part of the tower shone faintly &pon his right chee+. It was the chee+ with the re , festering pimple ,isi*le &n er his st&**ly whis+ers. :e ha e5pecte only ea people insi e the tower, *&t he ha only gone &p a few steps *efore he notice a fire a*o,e, a*o&t which someone was mo,ing. :e saw a &ll, yellow, flic+ering light which ma e the co*we*s hanging from the ceiling glow in a ghostly way. )hat sort of person wo&l *e ma+ing a light in the Rashomon... an in a storm= The &n+nown, the e,il terrifie him. .s 2&ietly as a li<ar , the ser,ant crept &p to the top of the steep stairs. >ro&ching on all fo&rs, an stretching his nec+ as far as possi*le, he timi ly peepe into the tower. .s r&mor ha sai , he fo&n se,eral corpses strewn carelessly a*o&t the floor. /ince the glow of the light was fee*le, he co&l not co&nt the n&m*er. :e co&l only see that some were na+e an others clothe . /ome of ?art II (them were women, an all were lolling on the floor with their mo&ths open or their arms o&tstretche showing no more signs of life than so many clay olls. 1ne wo&l o&*t that they ha e,er *een ali,e, so eternally silent they were. Their sho&l ers, *reasts, an torsos stoo o&t in the im light# other parts ,anishe in sha ow. The offensi,e smell of these ecompose corpses *ro&ght his han to his nose.

The ne5t moment his han roppe an he stare . :e ca&ght sight of a gho&lish form *ent o,er a corpse. It seeme to *e an ol woman, ga&nt, gray"haire , an n&nnish in appearance. )ith a pine torch in her right han , she was peeping into the face of a corpse which ha long *lac+ hair. /ei<e more with horror than c&riosity, he e,en forgot to *reathe for a time. :e felt the hair of his hea an *o y stan on en . .s he watche , terrifie , she we ge the torch *etween two floor *oar s an , laying han s on the hea of the corpse, *egan to p&ll o&t the long hairs one *y one, as a mon+ey +ills the lice of her yo&ng. The hair came o&t smoothly with the mo,ement of her han s. .s the hair came o&t, fear fa e from his heart, an his hatre towar the ol woman mo&nte . It grew *eyon hatre , *ecoming a cons&ming antipathy against all e,il. .t this instant if anyone ha *ro&ght &p the 2&estion of whether he wo&l star,e to eath or *ecome a thief"the 2&estion which ha occ&rre to him a little while ago"he wo&l not ha,e hesitate to choose eath. :is hatre towar e,il flare &p li+e the piece of pine woo which the ol woman ha st&c+ in the floor. :e i not +now why she p&lle o&t the hair of the ea . .ccor ingly, he i not +now whether her case was to *e p&t own as goo or *a . 6&t in his eyes, p&lling o&t the hair of the ea in the Rashomon on this stormy night was an &npar ona*le crime. 1f co&rse it ne,er entere his min that a little while ago he ha tho&ght of *ecoming a thief. Then, s&mmoning strength into his legs, he rose from the stairs an stro e, han on swor , right in front of the ol creat&re. The hag t&rne , terror in her eyes, an sprang &p from the floor, trem*ling. 7or a small moment she pa&se , poise there, then l&nge for the stairs with a shrie+. ")retch@ )here are yo& going=" he sho&te , *arring the way of the trem*ling hag who trie to sc&rry past him. /till she attempte to claw her way *y. :e p&she her *ac+ to pre,ent her... they str&ggle , fell among the corpses, an grapple there. The iss&e was ne,er in o&*t. In a moment he ha her *y the arm, twiste it, an force her own to the floor. :er arms were all s+in an *ones, an there was no more flesh on them than on the shan+s of a chic+en. 0o sooner was she on the floor than he rew his swor an thr&st the sil,er"white *la e *efore her ,ery nose. /he was silent. /he trem*le as if in a fit, an her eyes were open so wi e that they were almost o&t of their soc+ets, an her *reath come in hoarse gasps. The life of this wretch was his now. This tho&ght coole his *oiling anger an *ro&ght a calm pri e an satisfaction. :e loo+e own at her, an sai in a somewhat calmer ,oiceA ";oo+ here, I4m not an officer of the :igh ?olice >ommissioner. I4m a stranger who happene to pass *y this gate. I won4t *in yo& or o anything against yo&, *&t yo& m&st tell me what yo&4re oing &p here."

Then the ol woman opene her eyes still wi er, an ga<e at his face intently with the sharp re eyes of a *ir of prey. /he mo,e her lips, which were wrin+le into her nose, as tho&gh she were chewing something. :er pointe . am4s apple mo,e in her thin throat. Then a panting so&n li+e the cawing of a crow came from her throatA "I p&ll the hair... I p&ll o&t the hair... to ma+e a wig." :er answer *anishe all &n+nown from their enco&nter an *ro&ght isappointment. /& enly she was only a trem*ling ol woman there at his feet. . gho&l no longerA only a hag who ma+es wigs from the hair of the ea , to sell, for scraps of foo . . col contempt sei<e him. 7ear left his heart, an his former hatre entere . These feelings m&st ha,e *een sense *y the other. The ol creat&re, still cl&tching the hair she ha p&lle off the corpse, m&m*le o&t these wor s in her harsh *ro+en ,oiceA "In ee , ma+ing wigs o&t of the hair of the ea may seem a great e,il to yo&, *&t these that are here eser,e no *etter. This woman, whose *ea&tif&l *lac+ hair I was p&lling, &se to sell c&t an rie sna+e flesh at the g&ar *arrac+s, saying that it was rie fish. If she ha n4t ie of the plag&e, she4 *e selling it now. The g&ar s li+e to *&y from her, an &se to say her fish was tasty. )hat she i co&l n4t *e wrong, *eca&se if she ha n4t, she wo&l ha,e star,e to eath. There was no other choice. If she +new I ha to o this in or er to li,e, she pro*a*ly wo&l n4t care." :e sheathe his swor , an , with his left han on its hilt, he listene to her me itati,ely. :is right han to&che the *ig pimple on his chee+. .s he listene , a certain co&rage was *orn in his heart"the co&rage which he ha not ha when he sat &n er the gate a little while ago. . strange power was ri,ing him in the opposite irection of the co&rage which he ha ha when he sei<e the ol woman. 0o longer i he won er whether he sho&l star,e to eath or *ecome a thief. /tar,ation was so far from his min that it was the last thing that wo&l ha,e entere it. ".re yo& s&re=" he as+e in a moc+ing tone, when she finishe tal+ing. :e too+ his right han from his pimple, an , *en ing forwar , sei<e her *y the nec+ an sai sharplyA "Then it4s right if I ro* yo&. I4 star,e if I i n4t." :e tore her clothes from her *o y an +ic+e her ro&ghly own on the corpses as she str&ggle an trie to cl&tch his leg. 7i,e steps, an he was at the top of the stairs. The yellow clothes he ha wreste off were &n er his arm, an in a twin+ling he ha r&she own the steep stairs into the a*yss of night. The th&n er of his escen ing steps po&n e in the hollow tower, an then it was 2&iet. /hortly after that the hag raise &p her *o y from the corpses. Br&m*ling an groaning, she crawle to the top stair *y the still flic+ering torchlight, an thro&gh the gray hair which h&ng o,er her face, she peere own to the last stair in the torch light.

6eyon this was only ar+ness... &n+nowing an &n+nown.