GONZA TO SUKEJ� (original) (raw)

Summary

In downtown Edo, many people, including beggar priests and monkey showmen, are present at a well cleaning festival. Everyone is working hard to clean the well. Among them is Sukej�'s brother Sukehachi.

Sukej�, a partner with Gonza as palanquin bearers, enters. He approaches Gonza's wife, Okan, and inquires about Gonza's whereabouts. Okan replies that he is napping. Feeling that Gonza should join in the well cleaning, Sukej� is displeased. Sukehachi agrees with his brother, so the two of them berate Okan. In the meantime, Gonza has awoken and appears. No sooner does he do so than Sukej� criticizes him and demands that he participate in the chore at hand. Gonza, however, ignores the order. He points out that his wife is helping and insists that that should be enough. Gonza and Sukej� argue with each other, but eventually Sukej� gives up and leaves the scene.

After a little while, Sukej� and Sukehachi begin a brotherly quarrel, because Sukej� teases his him about being made a fool of by a monkey. The tenement residents rush in to stop their fight. Then their landlord, Rokurob�, comes over and reprimands them for their childish behavior. He orders everyone to hurry up with the job of cleaning the well and personally asks Gonza why he isn't working. To excuse his absence, Gonza claims he had a very important job which prevented him from arriving earlier. Hearing this, Sukej� expresses his sympathy for Gonza to Rokurob�, who, unmoved by his words, barks at Gonza and his wife, forcing him to join the others on the job at hand.

Just then, Hikosabur�, the young owner of a fancy store, emerges. He is the son of Hikob�, who until recently lived in the tenement house and also owned a fancy store. Hikosabur� says he has received a letter, which states that his father robbed a retired woman of 100 ry� at an inn and murdered her. The letter states further that Hikob� was eventually arrested, but then died in jail.

Unable to believe such a story, Hikosabur� has rushed from �saka to the tenement house. Rokurob� regretfully informs him that Hikob� seems to have made a full confession in court. Gonza and Sukej� intently watch and listen to the conversation as it transpires. Rokurob� informs Hikosabur� that once a trial is concluded it is virtually impossible to overturn the judgment. Hikosabur� then declares that he intends to storm into the court and demand the case be reopened. (To make such a appeal was considered taboo in those days. The act of appearing before the court to contend a judgment was usually construed by the government as a capital offense. Although the final course of action was in the hands of the presiding judge, the person asking for an appeal was risking his own life.)

Seeing Hikosabur�'s fierce determination, Gonza and Sukej� reluctantly confess their secret to Rokurob�. On the night that the woman was killed, the two of them saw Kantar�, a plasterer living near the tenement, washing what appeared to be a woman's sleeve and a glittering object, perhaps a sword, in a nearby rain barrel. Not wanting to be involved in such a serious matter, Gonza and Sukej� had until now kept that fact to themselves.

Upon hearing their account, Rokurob� decides to deliver Hikosabur�, Gonza, and Sukej� to the police, with the intention of resolving the case. With this new information, Kantar� is also summoned by the police for questioning. Thus all four end up being examined by the court.

A month later, having been released from custody, Gonza and Sukej� return home to their usual life, quarreling with each other, as is their usual practice. They soon hear from Sukehachi that the court has also released Kantar�. In a state of confusion they begin to doubt their previous testimony, thinking the person they saw might not have been Kantar� after all, a fact they had admitted to the court.

Bearing fish and a barrel of sake, Kantar� comes to thank people at the tenement house, believing their testimony helped him obtain his release from custody. Despite his seemingly humble manner, Gonza and Sukej� find Kantar�'s passivity a little strange. Then one of the showman's monkeys, which had been eyeing Kantar�, jumps at him. Kantar�'s countenance drastically changes as he stabs the monkey, killing it. Then, just as quickly, he retreats behind a soft and calm facade and apologizes for killing the monkey. Acting as if nothing unusual had happened, he continues to expresses his thanks the tenants, saying to himself, but in a voice loud enough to be heard, "This might have happened because of my arrogant attitude and suspicious behavior. My summons to court was only natural because of my reputation as a dangerous fellow".

Sukehachi cannot stomach Kantar�'s transparent facade and the obvious resentment that he holds for everyone in his heart. Thus he openly expresses his rage against him. Gonza and Sukej� quite agree with Sukehachi's estimation of the situation and return the barrel of sake. In response, Kantar� turns violent and begins fighting with Sukehachi. The other people present, however, manage to pin him down and tie him up.

Someone announces that the police have come, so Gonza and Sukej� hastily shut Kantar� in their palanquin to hide him. One of the police officers arrives and inquires as to Kantar�'s whereabouts. People in the tenement house reply only with feigned ignorance. Just then, a struggling Kantar� bursts forth from the palanquin, crying for help. Instead of helping him, however, the police declare that proof of Kantar�'s crime has come to light, arrest him once again, and take him away.

Rokurob� and Hikosabur� arrive in time to see the stunned reaction of the residents of the tenement house from witnessing Kantar�'s sudden arrest. Rokurob� informs people there was no proof at all of Kantar�'s involvement in the old woman's murder. Therefore, after long and careful consideration, Magistrate �oka Echizen-no-Kami Tadasuke, allowed Kantar� to go in order to uncover the necessary evidence of his guilt.

The magistrate's idea worked well. One of his men tailed Kantar� and witnessed him burning a cloth purse stained with blood, thus revealing his guilt. From the beginning of the case Magistrate �oka had his eye on Kantar�, thinking that he must be the true criminal. In fact, the magistrate was responsible for starting the rumor that Hikob� died in jail in order to encourage the true culprit to relax his guard.

When Hikob� makes his appearance, Gonza, Sukej�, and the other residents rejoice over his acquittal. And so, the residents resume their peaceful lives of bickering and petty quarrelling.

This summary has been written by Watanabe Hisao and edited by Jeff Blair [website]