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One of the popular animal motifs for men's kimono such as Juban and the lining of Haori is the tiger. A roaring tiger on a rock, its beautiful supple body, shining hair and majestic appearance -- as though it is well aware of its power -- has impressed humans and animals alike.
Today, we would like to introduce you to a short story that might change your view of tigers. This story, "Sangetsuki" (1941), was written by a Japanese writer, Atsushi Nakajima (1909-1942) based on popular Chinese folklore.
There was a talented man named Richo. He was young, handsome and intelligent. He became a government official at a very young age, but to him everything in the world seemed boring and foolish. Day and night the only thought that crossed his mind was how to gain fame. He decided to pursue a career as a poet and retired into the mountains.
In quiet seclusion, he focused on his creative activities but things didn't turn out as he wished. He failed. With a bitter feeling of defeat but to feed his wife and children, he decided to go back to his old job. However, by this time, not only was he far from climbing up the career ladder, but the men who used to work under him, the people he used to mock, were now in a position to give him orders. A sense of failure and humiliation drove him mad and finally, one day, he vanished.
A year later, a close and only friend of Richo, a man with the name Ensan was walking through a forest and met a tiger. Ensan was about to be attacked and eaten by the tiger, but for some reason the tiger stopped and retreated into the forest. Ensan heard a murmur from the woods, "Oh that was so close, that was so close". Somehow the voice was familiar.
Ensan approached the trees and timidly asked "do I know you"? A man's weak voice answered him. Eventually, Ensan realized that the voice belonged to Richo.
The tiger (Richo) started talking about his suffering: a man's misfortune about having to live with an unwelcome destiny. For a few hours each day, he became human again gravely tormenting him.
They talked for a long time. At the beginning the tiger said that he had no idea why he became a tiger, but after revealing his heart to his old friend, he understood. Perhaps it was the feeling of enormous shame and a cowardly pride that turned him into a tiger. He never listened to other people and selfishly followed his own desire. Even now, he wants to make a name for himself as a poet!
"Laugh at me" the tiger said "and please look after my family. Tell them I am dead". After a moment of thought, the tiger continued, "I may not recognize you when I see you next time. I may jump on you. So please do not pass this forest again. Leave now and when you reach that hill you may turn around once. I will show you myself one more time. It is not because I am proud of how I look, but to show you how ugly I am and so you will never want to return."
The friend walked up the hill and turned around as he was told. Then he saw a tiger jumping out of the forest, roaring loud two or three times on a rock and jumping back into the forest. That was the last time he saw the tiger. |
