 昔、むかし小さい時から力が強く誰にも親切で「日本の仁王」という名がつけられた人がいました。支那の国にも「ガ王」という力自慢がいました。 ある日、仁王は支那に力くらべに出掛けました。途中畑で休んでいると女の人が話かけてきます。そこで支那のガ王のところに力競べに行くことを話ました。女の人が「危ねぐねとも限らねがら」と、ヤスリをくれましたので、大事にしまって支那に行きました。 ガ王の家に行ったら、白髪のおばあさんが石の槌で藁を「ノッツラ、ノッツラ」と打っていました。それを見た仁王は驚  いて、ばあさんでもこんなに力持ちだから、子供のガ王はどんなにか強いだろうと思うと、オッカナグ（怖く）なって逃げ出しました。その時、ガ王が帰って来て、日本から仁王という人が力くらべに来たけれども、帰ってしまったと聞きました。怒ったガ王が浜に行ったら、仁王の船はずっと沖にいました。そこで錨をドーンと投げると、船に「ギチャラ」どささり、ガ王はその鎖をこんしんの力をこめて引っ張りました。船はしだいに岸へ引き寄せられます。仁王はふと、ヤスリを貰ったことを思い出し、錨の鎖を切りました。船は飛ぶような速さで日本に着きました。 それを追いかけて、ガ王も日本に来ました。途中、仁王は追い付かれそうになったので、畑のそばの菖蒲（しょうぶ）と蓬（よもぎ）の草の中に隠れました。そしたら、ガ王が「困った。困った。私の体は菖蒲と蓬が当たれば溶げでしまう。」と大声で叫びました。仁王はこれはいいアンベ（按配）だと思って菖蒲と蓬をどんどん抜かしてガ王に投げ、家のあちこちにいっばい差しました。ガ王が来ても入れないので、諦めて支那サ帰って行きました。 その晩は五月四日でした。仁王は家の門に木を二本立てて菖蒲と蓬を結え付け、そばの沼がら鯉を二匹捕まえてその木に下げたので、五月五日は男の節句になりました。 トッパレッコピー |
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Once upon a time there was a man called 'Japan's Nio' (Nio means big, strong and powerful). Nio was the strongest man in Japan and he had been strong but also kind all of his life. In China too there was a very strong man.He was called 'Gao'. He too was
the strongest in his country and he was very proud of this.One day Nio decided to go to China to compete against Gao to see who was the strongest.On his way he was taking a rest in a field when he met an old woman.He told her who he was and that he was going to China to compete against Gao. The woman said that his journey could be dangerous and so she gave him a metal file to protect himself with. Nio took the file with thanks, tucked it in the top folds of his kimono and headed off on his way to China. When Nio finally reached Gao's house he saw Gao's old mother pounding straw to soften it with a large stone hammer, ".... nottsura nottsura to!" She looked incredibly strong, especially for an old woman. Nio suddenly thought that if the old mother was so strong, Gao must be incredibly powerful and he ran away in a panic. Soon Gao returned home and his mother told him that Nio had come but then left for Japan again without having tried his strength against Gao's.Gao got angry and went after Nio. Nio's ship had already left the beach and was heading back to Japan. But Gao threw an anchor with all of his strength towards Nio's ship. The anchor caught in the side of the ship ".....gicchara to!" and Gao pulled the ship back to the shore. As Nio's ship was rapidly coming closer to the shore, Nio suddenly remembered he had the file that the old lady had given him. He quickly cut through the anchor chain and the ship set off again for Japan. But Gao wouldn't give up.As soon as he could, he got on a ship and went after Nio.When they were both in Japan Gao almost caught Nio.Nio hid himself in a bush of Japanese iris (shobu) and wormwood (yomogi - which is very bitter).Gao shouted out that he couldn't go in after Nio because both shobu and yomogi irritated his skin terribly. Nio was very glad to hear this and he picked as much shobu and yomogi as he could and threw it at Gao. Nio then ran back to his house and spread shobu and yomogi all around his house. When Gao came to Nio's house he saw all the shobu and yomogi. He realised there was no way of catching Nio so he returned to China in defeat. That night was May the fourth. Nio thanked shobu and yomogi and decorated two trees, one on each side of the garden gate with them.He also put carp that he had caught in a nearby pond on each tree (the carp symbolises strength and success). The next day was May the fifth and this became the boys festival day; 'tango no sekku', when all over Japan houses fly carp kites, one for each boy in the family. Tottsuparekkopi. (The end ! ) |
