Warriors of Old Japan, and Other Stories — The Story of Yoshitsune, Part 2

The Tengu was a great master and Ushiwaka an apt pupil.

He became so proficient in fencing that he could overcome ten or twenty small Tengu in the twinkling of an eye, and he acquired extraordinary skill and dexterity in the use of the sword; and the Tengu also imparted to him the wonderful adroitness and agility which made him so famous in after-life.

Now Ushiwaka was about fifteen years old, a comely youth, and tall for his age.

At this time there lived on Mount Hiei, just outside the capital, a wild bonze named Musashi Bo Benkei, who was such a lawless and turbulent fellow that he had become notorious for his deeds of violence.

The city rang with the stories of his misdeeds, and so well known had he become that people could not hear his name without fear and trembling.

[Illustration: COULD OVERCOME TEN OR TWENTY SMALL TENGU IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE]

Benkei suddenly made up his mind that it would be good sport to steal a thousand swords from various knights.

No sooner did the wild idea enter his head than he began to put it into practice.

Every night he sauntered forth to the Gojo Bridge of Kyoto, and when a knight or any man carrying a sword passed by, Benkei would snatch the weapon from his girdle.

If the owners yielded up their blades quietly, Benkei allowed them to pass unhurt, but if not, he would strike them dead with a single blow of the huge halberd he carried.

So great was Benkei's strength that he always overcame his victim,--resistance was useless,--and night by night one and sometimes two men met death at his hands on the Gojo Bridge.

In this way Benkei gained such a terrible reputation that everybody far and near feared to meet him, and after dark no one dared to pass near the bridge he was known to haunt, so fearful were the tales told of the dreaded robber of swords.

At last this story reached the ears of Ushiwaka, and he said to himself: "What an interesting man this must be!

If it is true that he is a bonze, he must be a strange one indeed; but as he only robs people of their swords, he cannot be a common highwayman.

If I could make such a strong man a retainer of mine, he would be of great assistance to me when I punish my enemies, the Taira clan.

Good!

To-night I will go to the Gojo Bridge and try the mettle of this Benkei!"

Ushiwaka, being a youth of great courage, had no sooner made up his mind to meet Benkei than he proceeded to put his plan into execution.

He started out that same evening.

It was a beautiful moonlight night, and taking with him his favourite flute he strolled forth through the streets of the sleeping city till he came to the Gojo Bridge.

Then from the opposite direction came a tall figure which appeared to touch the clouds, so gigantic was its stature.

The stranger was clad in a suit of coal-black armour and carried an immense halberd.

"This must be the sword-robber!

He is indeed strong!"

said Ushiwaka to himself, but he was not in the least daunted, and went on playing his flute quite calmly.

Presently the armed giant halted and gazed at Ushiwaka, but evidently thought him a mere youth, and decided to let him go unmolested, for he was about to pass him by without lifting a hand.

This indifference on the part of Benkei not only disappointed but angered Ushiwaka.

Having waited in vain for the stranger to offer violence, our hero approached Benkei, and, with the intention of picking a quarrel, suddenly kicked the latter's halberd out of his hand.

Benkei, who had first thought to spare Ushiwaka on account of his youth, became very angry when he found himself insulted by a lad to whom he had been intentionally kind.

In a fury he exclaimed, "Miserable stripling!"

and raising his halberd struck sideways at Ushiwaka, thinking to slice him in two at the waist and to see his body fall asunder.

But the young knight nimbly avoided the blow which would have killed him, and springing back a few paces he flung his fan[2] at Benkei's head and uttered a loud cry of defiance.

The fan struck Benkei on the forehead right between the eyes, making him mad with pain.

In a transport of rage Benkei aimed a fearful blow at Ushiwaka, as if he were splitting a log of wood with an axe.

This time Ushiwaka sprang up to the parapet of the bridge, clapped his hands, and laughed in derision, saying: "Here I am!

Don't you see?

Here I am!"

and Benkei was again thwarted thus.

Benkei, who had never known his strokes miss before, had now failed twice in catching this nimble opponent.

Frantic with chagrin and baffled rage, he now rushed furiously to the attack, whirling his great halberd round in all directions till it looked like a water-wheel in motion, striking wildly and blindly at Ushiwaka.

But the young knight had been taught tricks innumerable by the giant Tengu of Kuramayama, and he had profited so well by his lessons that the King Tengu had at last said that even he could teach him nothing more, and now, as it may well be imagined, he was too quick for the heavy Benkei.

When Benkei struck in front, Ushiwaka was behind, and when Benkei aimed a blow behind, Ushiwaka darted in front.

Nimble as a monkey and swift as a swallow, Ushiwaka avoided all the blows aimed at him, and, finding himself outmatched, even the redoubtable Benkei grew tired.

Ushiwaka saw that Benkei was played out.

He kept up the game a little longer and then changed his tactics.

Seizing his opportunity, he knocked Benkei's halberd out of his hand.

When the giant stooped to pick his weapon up, Ushiwaka ran behind him and with a quick movement tripped him up.

There lay the big man on all fours, while Ushiwaka nimbly strode across his back and pressing him down asked him how he liked this kind of play.

All this time Benkei had wondered at the courage of the youth in attacking and challenging a man so much larger than himself, but now he was filled with amazement at Ushiwaka's wonderful strength and adroitness.

"I am indeed astonished at what you have done," said Benkei.

"Who in the world can you be?

I have fought with many men on this bridge, but you are the first of my antagonists who has displayed such strength.

Are you a god or a _tengu_?

You certainly cannot be an ordinary human being!"

Ushiwaka laughed and said: "Are you afraid for the first time, then?"

"I am," answered Benkei.

"Will you from henceforth be my retainer?"

demanded Ushiwaka.

"I will in very truth be your retainer, but may I know who you are?"

asked Benkei meekly.

Ushiwaka now felt sure that Benkei was in earnest.

He therefore allowed him to get up from the ground, and then said: "I have nothing to hide from you.

I am the youngest son of Minamoto Yoshitomo and my name is Ushiwaka."

Benkei started with surprise when he heard these words and said: "What is this I hear?

Are you in truth a son of the Lord Yoshitomo of the Minamoto clan?

That is the reason I felt from the first moment of our encounter that your deeds were not those of a common person.

No wonder that I thought this!

I am only too happy to become the retainer of such a distinguished and spirited young knight.

I will follow you as my lord and master from this very moment, if you will allow me.

I can wish for no greater honour."

So there and then, on the Gojo Bridge in the silver moonlight, the bonze Benkei vowed to be the true and faithful vassal of the young knight Ushiwaka and to serve him loyally till death, and thus was the compact between lord and vassal made.

From that time on, Benkei gave up his wild and lawless ways and devoted his life to the service of Ushiwaka, who was highly pleased at having won such a strong liegeman to his side.

Although Ushiwaka had now secured Benkei, it was impossible for only two men, however strong, to think of fighting the Taira clan, so they both decided that the cherished plan must wait till the Minamoto were stronger.

While thus waiting they heard a report to the effect that a descendant of Tawara Toda Hidesato[3] named Hidehira was now a famous general in Kaiwai of the Ashu Province, and that he was so powerful that no one dared oppose him.

Hearing this, Ushiwaka thought that it would be a good plan to pay the general a visit and try to interest him, if possible, in the fortunes of the House of Minamoto.

He consulted with Benkei, who encouraged the young knight in his scheme of enlisting the General Hidehira as a partisan, and the two therefore left Kyoto secretly and journeyed as quickly as possible to Oshu on this errand.

On the way there, Ushiwaka and Benkei came to the Temple of Atsuta, and as they considered it important that the young knight should look older now, Ushiwaka performed the ceremony of Gembuku at the shrine.

This was a rite performed in olden times when youths reached the age of manhood, They then had to shave off the front part of their hair and to change their names as a sign that they had left childhood behind.

Ushiwaka now took the name of Yoshitsune.

As he was the eighth son, it would have been more correct for him to have assumed the name of Hachiro, but as his uncle Tametomo the Archer, of whom you have already read, was named Hachiro, he purposely did not take this name.

From this time forth our hero is known as Yoshitsune, and this name he has glorified forever by his wonderful bravery and many heroic exploits.

In Japanese history he is the knight without fear and without reproach, the darling of the people, to them almost an incarnation of Hachiman, the popular God of War.

And as for Benkei, never can you find in all history a vassal who was more true or loyal to his master than Benkei.

He was Yoshitsune's right hand in everything, and his strength and wisdom carried them successfully through many a dire emergency.

From Kyoto to Oshu is a long journey of about three hundred miles, but at length Yoshitsune (as we must now call him) and Benkei reached their destination and craved the General Hidehira's assistance.

They found that Hidehira was a warm adherent of the Minamoto cause, and under the late Lord Yoshitomo he and his family had enjoyed great favour.

When the general learned, therefore, that Yoshitsune was the son of the illustrious Minamoto chief, his joy knew no bounds, and he made Yoshitsune and Benkei heartily welcome and treated them both as guests of honour and importance.

Just at this time Yoshitsune's eldest brother, Yoritomo, who had been banished to an island in Idzu, collected a great army and raised his standard against the Taira.

When the news about Yoritomo reached Yoshitsune, he rejoiced, for he felt that the hour had at last come when the Minamoto would be revenged on the Taira for all the wrongs they had suffered at the hands of the latter.

With the help of Hidehira and the faithful Benkei, he collected a small army of warriors and at once marched over to his brother's camp in Idzu.

He sent a messenger ahead to inform Yoritomo that his youngest brother, now named Yoshitsune, was coming to aid him in his fight against the Taira.

Yoritomo was exceedingly glad at this unexpected good news, for all that helped to swell his forces now brought nearer the day when he would be able to strike his long-planned blow at the power of the hated Taira.

As soon as Yoshitsune reached Idzu, Yoritomo arranged for an immediate meeting.

Although the two men were brothers, it must be remembered that their father had been killed, and the family utterly scattered, when they were mere children, Yoshitsune being at that time but an infant in his mother's arms.

As this was therefore the first time they had met Yoritomo knew nothing of his young brother's character.

One of Yoshitsune's elder brothers had come with him, and Yoritomo being a shrewd general wished to test them both to see of what mettle they were made.

He ordered his retainers to bring a brass basin full of boiling water.

When it was brought, Yoritomo ordered Noriyori, the elder of the two, to carry it to him first.

Now brass being a good conductor of heat, the basin was very hot and Noriyori stupidly let it fall.

Yoritomo ordered it to be filled again and bade Yoshitsune bring it to him.

Without moving a muscle of his handsome face Yoshitsune took hold of the almost unbearably hot vessel and carried it with due ceremony slowly across the room.

This exhibition of nerve and endurance filled Yoritomo with admiration and he was favourably struck with Yoshitsune's character.

As for Noriyori, who had been unable to hold a hot basin for a few moments, he had no use for him at all, except as a common soldier.

Yoritomo begged Yoshitsune to become his right-hand man and zealously to espouse his cause.

Yoshitsune declared that this had been his lifelong ambition ever since he could remember,--as they both were sons of the same father, so was their cause and destiny one.

Yoritomo made Yoshitsune a general of part of his army and ordered him in the name of his father Yoshitomo to chastise the Taira.

Delighted beyond all words at the wonderfully auspicious turn events were taking, Yoshitsune hastened his preparations for the march.

The longed-for hour had come to which through his whole childhood and youth he had looked forward, and for which his whole being had thirsted for many years.

He could now fulfil the last words of his unhappy mother, and punish the Taira for all the evil they had wrought against the Minamoto.

All the wild restlessness of his youth, which had driven him forth to wield his wooden sword against the rocks in the Kuramayama Valley and to try his strength against Benkei on the Gojo Bridge, now found vent in action most dear to a born warrior's heart.

With several thousands of troops under him, Yoshitsune marched up to Kyoto and waged war against the Taira, and defeated them in a series of brilliant engagements.

The stricken Taira multitudes fled before the avenger like autumn leaves before the blast, and Yoshitsune pursued them to the sea.

At Dan-no-Ura the Taira made a last stand, but all in vain.

Their lion leader, Kiyomori, was dead, and there was no great chieftain to rally them in the disordered retreat that now ensued.

Yoshitsune came sweeping down upon them, and they and their fleet and their infant Emperor likewise, with their women and children, sank beneath the waves.

Only a scattered few lived to tell the tale of the terrible destruction that overtook them on the sea.

Thus did Yoshitsune become a great warrior and general.

Thus did he fulfil the ambitions of his youth and avenge his father Yoshitomo's death.

He was without a rival in the whole country for his marvellous bravery and successive victories.

He was adored by the people as their most popular hero and darling, and throughout the length and breadth of the land his praise was sung by every one.

Even to this day there is no one in Japan who has not heard the name of Yoshitsune.

The next story, "The Story of Benkei," will tell you more of Yoshitsune, for the two lives are linked together in the fame and glory of noble deeds done, of dangers passed, of troubles and reverses borne, and of honours earned and joy and victory shared together--to be told and remembered forever.

[1] The Tengu are strange creatures with very long noses; sometimes they have the head of a hawk and the body of a man.

[2] The fighter's fan was always made of metal and was often used as a weapon.

[3] See in the story of "My Lord Bag of Rice," _The Japanese Fairy Book_ (Constable, London).

THE STORY OF BENKEI