Bathhouse attendant - Yuyaban

Rakugo. A disowned young master was living in the house of a master carpenter, but was sent to work at a public bathhouse, bringing a letter from the master carpenter. He begs to work as a attendant, but is allowed to sit at the attendant's desk only during the master's lunch, and indulges in various fantasies. He wonders which of the women who come to take a bath will notice him... He decides that one woman has noticed him, and talks to himself. When he goes to visit the woman's house, there is a sudden shower, and lightning strikes a nearby area. He takes care of the dizzy woman and imagines various scenes. "Thunder is scary, but for me he is the god of tying," "If that was just an empty tantrum," "I'm happy, head clerk," he says, acting out a theatrical act, but gets punched by a customer. "My geta are gone," "Let's put on the other ones one by one, and then let's go home barefoot." In the old days, the name of the bathhouse was Sakurayu in the Sanyu school and Yakkoyu in the Yanagi school. This story has been performed by many storytellers since the late Edo period, but the fifth generation Yanagiya Kosan, who inherited it from the fourth generation, was particularly excellent.

[Kazuo Sekiyama]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

落語。勘当された若旦那(わかだんな)が棟梁(とうりょう)の家に居候をしていたが、銭湯へ奉公することになって棟梁の手紙を持って行く。初めから番台をやりたいなどと無理をいうが、主人の昼食の間だけ番台に座ることを許されていろいろな空想にふける。ここへ入浴にくる女のなかでだれが俺(おれ)を見そめるか……一人の女が見そめたと決めてひとりごとをいう。女の家へ遊びに行くと夕立があり、近所へ落雷。目を回した女を介抱して、さまざまな場面を想像する。「雷さまは怖けれど、あたしがためには結びの神」「それなら今のは空癪(そらじゃく)か」「うれしゅうござんす番頭さん」と、芝居がかりでやっているうちに客に殴られる。「俺の下駄(げた)がねえじゃねえか」「順々に他(ほか)のを履かせまして、おしまいは、はだしで帰しましょう」。古くは湯屋の名を三遊派は桜湯、柳派は奴湯(やっこゆ)としていた。この咄(はなし)は江戸後期から多くの噺家(はなしか)によって口演されているが、とくに4代目から継承した5代目柳家小さんが優れていた。

［関山和夫］

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