S H O C H I K U " TACHI NUSUBITO" (Sw ord-thief) To be presented by Kikugoroh with h is troupe. At the Tokyo Theater, in No v.

Transcription

1 S H O C H I K U " TACHI NUSUBITO" (Sw ord-thief) To be presented by Kikugoroh with h is troupe At the Tokyo Theater, in No v o o o Synopsis: A ru stic came to the c a p ita l and was walking along the s tre e t lookin g at various kinds o f shops, when a th ie f s e c re tly took the sword of the ru s tic and wore i t about his w a is t, The ru s tic noticed i t and condemned him, but the th ie f in sisted that the sword was his own. Soon a policeman appeared, cross-examined the th ie f, and asked him about the kind, and length o f the sword. The th ie f could not answered c o rre c tly and the fa ct came to l i ght at la s t.

2 S H O C H I K U " T A C H I N U S U B I T O" ( SWORD-THIEF) KABUKI DANCING PLAY ONE ACT WRITTEN BY SHIKO OKAMURA TO BE PRESENTED BY KIKUGOROH WITH HIS TROUPE AT THE TOKYO THEATER IN NOVEMBER,1946

3 The curtain rises with Nagauta reciting F rom th e left side of th e stage a ru stic n am ed (M am beh appears carryin g a sword) in the left hand. I have come from a distant country and have stayed in th is city for a lon g tim e concerning a judical case. Now, to my gratification the case has been settled and before going back to the country, I intend to get some souvenirs, as the new market at T eramachi has opened to day. (Nagauta reciting begins as i f showing the bustling quarter of the market.) Oh, how bustling it is! Beautiful satin silk is too expensive for me. Is there anything cheaper? Oh, how crowded it is! Don t push me; I am under the influence of liquor, (Nagauta recitin g starts, Mambeh is walking slowly along the street looking here and there. Thereupon from the le f t side, a th ief named Kurobeh makes his appearance under the influence of liqu or. ) I am a th ief, running about in the city, as the new market at Teramachi has opened today, I am going there to find something good. N ow I am in high sp irits as I took s everal cups of wine. (notices Mambeh) Oh, there is a goody rustic over there carrying a splendid sword in his hand. I w ill t r y him.

4 - 2 - Master, what are those things? There are playthings for children, paper wind mills, tumblers, small drums and pipes. How much is that tumble? Eh, i t ' s too dear. Can t you come down a little? Master, what are those things? There are playthings for children, paper wind mills, tumblers, small drums and pipes. How much is that tumble? Eh, i t s too dear. C an t you come down a little? (Kurobeh secretly grasps Mambeh s sword. Mambeh notices i t.) O! Truly we must always be on our guard in this city. Somebody has touched my sword behind me. I w ill pass the sword from one hand to the other. Oh! He is a sharp-eyed fellow while I took him for a goody one. He passed the sword to the right hand. Well, I w ill try him once more. What is this shop? There are many kinds of tea utensils. I can get any tea thing at this shop. Oh, what is this shop? There are many kinds of tea-utensils. I can get any tea-thing at this shop. Oh, what is this shop? There are many kinds of tea-utensils. I can get any tea-thing at this shop. Hey! Don t push me. Hey! don t push me. Mambeh : Don t push me! Don t push me! (Meanwhile Kurobeh takes Mambeh s sword and wear it about the waist taking advantage of the crowd of people.)

5 - 3 - Hey! W hy do you wear my sword? What! I t is you who grasp mine. Why! S u rely you are a th ie f that you should s e c r e tly wear my sword about your waist! Pass i t to me. I t is you who are a t h ie f. Pass i t to me. Come everybody! Here is a t h ie f! He wears my sword. Come everybody! Here is a t h ie f who grasps my sword! (Hearing th e ir loud v o ic e, the governor, Zaemon appears accompanied by his subordinate named Tonai.) Tonai : Hey! Why do you make such a noise? He is about to rob me o f my sword. Give i t to me! No, it is he who is about to rob me o f i t. Give i t to me! W e ll, s ince that person has come, leave the sword in my care. The two: Who is that person? Don't you know? No, I d o n 't, I am the governor named Zaemon. Then thank you fo r your trouble. Thank you fo r your tro u b le. Tona i: W ell, leave the sword in my care anyhow. No, I cannot, fo r th is is my valuable sword. Also, I cannot. In such a case you ought to put i t in charge o f me. W ell, but I cannot, f or I must be always on my guard as there is such fe llo w who takes my valuable sword by s te a lth.

6 - 4 - Though in the presense of master, the two: We m u s t Keep sharp eyes. You may well say so, as you are rustics who don t know the a ffa irs of the c ity. (to the governor. ) Then w ill you please t e ll your function to them? Then I should be set at ease and I may leave the sword in your care. Anyhow, listen to the governor. The two: Certainly s ir. W ell, now I w i ll t e ll you the function of governor. Listen to me. (Nagauta reciting starts tellin g what the governor is and how his function ought to be.) Besides this, I am the arbitrator of any kind of quarrels. He says he w i ll settle the matter amicably, so put the sword in charge of me. Then, I w i l l leave this in your care. Also I w i l l. (The two put the sword in charge of Tonai.) Now, t e l l me what you are and what the matter is. I came from a distant country and have stayed in this city for a long time concerning a judical case. Now the case has been settled and I intend to return to the country before long. To-day I came to t his market to get some souvenirs and was walking along the street, when that man secretly took my sword and wore it about his waist. He insists that the sword is his own. Please give a good talking to him.

7 - 5 - Tonai (to Zaemon): You had better give ear to also what the other says, (to Mambeh) Wait a moment at any rate. Certainly sir. Zaemon (to Kurobeh) : Now, what are you and what s the matter with you? I came from a distant country and have stayed in this city for a long time concerning a judical case. Now the case has been settled and I intend to return to the c ountry before long. Today I came to this market to get some souvenirs and was walking along the street, when that man secretly took my sword I was carrying about my waist and insists that it is his own. Please give a good talking to him, Well, this matter is rather d ifficu lt to settle; it is an endless dispute isn't it? What shall I do? I have a good idea. What is it? You had better ask them about the history of sword. Well, it 's a good idea, (to Mambeh) Do you know the history of sword? Oh, it's an easy thing, I know it well. Then te ll it to me. I may te ll it by dancing but before it, won't you ask him if he dances too? O.K, (to Kurobeh) Hey! He says he w ill tell the history of sword by dancing. Do you also know it?

8 - 6 - Kurobeh Of course I know. him to dance. But in the firs t place please order All right. (to Mambeh) Say! Come here and dance. Certainly sir. (Mambeh steps forward. ) Nagauta reciting begins as follows: "In olden times the King of Kan in China put down a riot with his sword and afterwards General Shoki drove away a ghost with a sword. In our country, In the age of gods Susanoh-no-mikoto killed a huge serpent in the province of Izumo and found a huge serpent in the province of Izumo and found a sword in its t r a il." (Mambeh dances to the Nagauta reciting. Then Kurobeh rises to his feet and dances) Nagauta reciting: "Long, long ago that famous samurai, Watanabe-no-Tsuna cut down a demon s arm with his ancestral sword magekiri. The sword Ushiwakamaru used on the bridge was named Usumidori, and brothers Soga revenged their father with the swords respectively named Satsukibare and Tomogirimaru." Well, both of you know well the history of sword. Now what shall I do next? Tonai : Then, you had better ask them about the origin and signature of this sword. Well. (to Mambeh) Say, te ll me the origin and maker s name of this sword. Oh, i t s very easy. sword. Then t e ll it to me. I know it well, because that is my Fir s t, that sword was made in the province of Soshu.

9 - 7 - Well. The maker is Goro Masamune who lived in Soshu. Perhaps you have heard the name. Please ask that thief if he knows it. (Kurobeh listens secretly) O.K. (to Kurobeh) Hey! He knows the origin and maker of this sword. Do you know too? Of course I know, because it is my sword. Then t e ll it to me. Fist, it was made in the province of soshu. Well. And the maker is Goro Masamune who lives in Soshu. Perhaps you have heard the name. Also he knows. I t s unaccountable. a thing. It cannot be that he knows such I t s a wonder. ( to Tonai) Both of them say the same thing about the origin and signature of the sword. B etter draw the sword. Yes, sir. (draws) Well, the maker is Goro Masamune, as they say. Oh, I see. (to Mambeh) is? Then do you know how the design Of course I knew well as it is mine. Say it quickly. Well I w ill tell you by dancing, so w ill you make that fellow dance with me?

10 8 (to Kurobeh) Say, he knows the design of the sword and he says he w ill te ll it to me by dancing. Shall I dance with him? Well. Certainly sir. (Mambeh and Kurobeh step forward and dance to Nagauta reciting Kurobeh follows in the wake of Mambeh in everything, i It's a wonder. B o t h of these fellows te ll the same thing about the design-----well, here is a good idea. Say! Te ll me the length of the sword. Well. I think he must say the same thing listening secretly what Mambeh say. So, this time you had better make Mambeh whisper to your ear. Oh, it's a good idea, (to Mambeh) Say! te ll me the length of the sword. Well, then come here please. (Mambeh takes Zaemon towards the left side of the stage. Kurobeh is about to follow them) Hey! Don t approach them. Lend your ear. The length is two feet five inches, you see. Oh, I see. (Kurobeh tries to listen but it seems he cannot.) If he cannot answer correctly, he must be the thief. In that case, l e t s strip him bare apart from the mather of sword.

11 - 9 - I t s good. Then ask him quickly. Al l right. Say, come here. He told me how long the sword is. Also you must say. How did he say? It does not matter with you. sword, Say the length of the Cirtainly sir. But I am afraid he might hear what I say. So I should like to whisper to your ear. I t s better. Say quickly. Then, come here please. O.K. (Kurobeh takes Zaemon towards the le ft side) Lend you ear. The length is, Say quickly. The length is ---- Well. It was made in Soshu. Say how long it is. It is Goro Masamune, Ton ai: It is the name of maker. Goro Masamune. You fo o l! Say the length! Say the length. The th ree: Now, say the length of the sword (Kurobeh cannot answer anything.) Well, you are surely the thief. Yes, he i s. L et's strip him bare. I t s a good idea.

12 - 1O - The two: What do you do with me? You th ie f! (Nagauta reciting starts. Mambeh and Zaemon force Kurobeh to take off his coat and find various things he stole.) Look! It is just we expected. Forgive me please. Zaemon ) Tonai ) : Hey! Where are you going? (The two run after Kurobeh. Nagauta reciting begins) The Curtain