Fox's Tale - Fox's Tale

Japanese: 狐の草子 - きつねのそうし

Otogi-zoshi. Published in the Muromachi period. One picture scroll. A lady-in-waiting falls in love with an aged sozu and sends a messenger to deliver a letter of invitation. Since the sozu has been "a man of strong feelings" since his youth, he responds and waits, preparing himself for the night, when the 20th moon rises in the evening, and a carriage with eight leaves comes to pick him up. Arriving at a beautiful mansion, he exchanges waka poetry with the lady-in-waiting, who is no match for Yang Guifei or Lady Li. Unable to bear the skill of the lady's poetry, the sozu falls asleep. Waking up at daybreak, the sozu refuses the various fish prepared by the lady and dine on a vegetarian meal, but he lives out his years, tired from all the unfamiliar experiences.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

御伽草子。室町時代の成立。絵巻1軸。ある女房が老いた僧都を見染め，使いのものに誘いの文を届けさせる。僧都は若い時分から〈心色めきたる人〉であったから，返事をしたため，姿かたちをととのえ待っていると，夜更けて二十日の月が出るころ，八葉の車が迎えにくる。善美を尽くした館に着き，楊貴妃，李夫人も及ばぬ女房と和歌を応酬し，女の歌の巧みさに耐えかね，僧都は打ちふす。日がのぼって目覚めた僧都は女が調えたさまざまの魚を断り，精進の物で食事を済ますが，見慣れぬことばかりで疲れを覚えながらも年月を送る。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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