Bunsho Zoushi

Otogi Zoushi. Author unknown. Written in the Muromachi period. Bunta, who was a servant of the chief priest of Kashima in Hitachi Province, became a wealthy man by success in salt production and took the name Bunsho. He prayed to Kashima Daimyojin and was blessed with two beautiful daughters, but when they grew up, they were arrogant and refused to accept the successive marriage proposals that came their way. When the eldest son of the regent, Chujo, heard the rumor, he longed for a love he had never seen before, disguised himself as a merchant and went down to Hitachi, where he stayed at Bunsho's mansion and finally made a promise with the elder daughter. The elder daughter was welcomed to the capital and became Chujo's Kita no Kata, and the younger daughter was summoned to be the emperor's consort, and Bunsho also became a nobleman and prospered for a long time. It is a representative work of Otogi-zoshi, a happy tale of attaining wealth, success in life, and long life, and was used as the first New Year's story to be read during the Edo period.

[Takanobu Matsumoto]

"The Great Series of Japanese Classical Literature, No. 38, Otogi-zoshi, edited by Ichiko Sadatsugu (1958, Iwanami Shoten)" "The Complete Translation of Japanese Classics, No. 49, Otogi-zoshi, edited and translated by Oshima Takehiko (1983, Shogakukan)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

御伽草子(おとぎぞうし)。作者未詳。室町時代の作。常陸(ひたち)国鹿島(かしま)大宮司の雑色(ぞうしき)であった文太は、製塩業に成功して一躍長者となり、文正と名のった。鹿島大明神(だいみょうじん)に祈って2人の美貌(びぼう)の女子を授かったが、成長した娘は気位が高く、次々とおこる縁談にも応じないでいた。そのうわさを聞いた時の関白の嫡子中将は、見ぬ恋にあこがれ、商人姿となって常陸へ下ると、文正の館(やかた)に宿って、ついに姉娘と契りを結ぶ。姉は都へ迎えられて中将の北の方となり、妹娘は帝(みかど)の女御(にょうご)に召され、文正も公卿(くぎょう)の座に連なって末長く栄えた。致富と出世と長寿というめでたずくめの物語として、江戸時代には正月の草子の読み初めに用いられた御伽草子の代表作である。

［松本隆信］

『市古貞次校注『日本古典文学大系38　御伽草子』（1958・岩波書店）』▽『大島建彦校注・訳『訳完日本の古典49　御伽草子集』（1983・小学館）』

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