sad.
“You are thinking about that
tree,” said the judge.
“How did you know?” asked
Seikei.
“Everyone looks at it,” he
replied. “Because it stands alone next to the sea. Look on the
other side of the road.”
Seikei looked at the hillside that
rose above them. Pine trees grew all over it, one just like
another.
“They are straight and tall,” said
the judge. ‘They follow their nature as trees, which is to grow,
spread their branches, and in time drop their cones so that new
trees will grow in their place when they die. Most people live like
that, don’t you agree?”
Seikei nodded. “Yet,” the judge
said, “everyone looks at the tree that stands alone. It is
different. Fate has put it where it cannot grow straight and tall.
It reminds us of something that we fear. What is that?”
Seikei thought. “I don’t know,” he
said.
“You, a merchant’s son who thinks
like a samurai? You don’t know? Have you ever felt that you were in
the wrong place? That fate had made you different?”
“Many times,” Seikei admitted
softly. It was a secret thought that he had never told anyone
except the girl on the terrace. He was surprised that the judge
could see it so easily.
“People who feel that way
sometimes become criminals,” said the judge. Seikei felt guilty, as
if he himself had been caught committing a crime. But the judge’s
smile reassured him. “Only sometimes, not always,” he said. “But I
think about this when I look for a criminal.”
In the middle of the afternoon,
they came to a fork in the road. To the left, the main road
continued on to Edo. But some travelers took the smaller road that
led south, toward the coast.
“They are going to Ise,” said the
judge. “Making the pilgrimage.” Ise was the holiest place in Japan.
The ancient temple there was dedicated to Amaterasu, the goddess of
the sun, who was the ancestor of the first emperor of Japan. People
came from all over the country to ask Amaterasu to bless their
families and villages.
Judge Ooka swung his horse to the
right. Seikei was surprised. “Aren’t we going to Edo?” he
asked.
“In time,” said the judge. “We
will only lose a day at Ise. Have you ever been there?”
“No,” Seikei said, but he had long
wanted to. It was said that a sacred mirror was kept in the temple.
Indeed, it was the same mirror that the other kami used long ago to
lure Amaterasu from her hiding-place. Had she not come out, the sun
would never have shone on Japan. Whenever a new emperor took the
throne, he came to Ise to ask Amaterasu to continue to bless Japan
with her presence.
“You may be surprised,” said the
judge.
Seikei was. As they rode into the
town of Ise, Seikei saw that it was a rowdy place. His horse was
surrounded by people hawking magic charms and portions. One man
shouted that his could cure any disease; another told Seikei that
his would bring wealth. Seikei struggled to keep up with the
judge.
Jugglers and conjurors performed
their acts in the street. Seikei saw a crowd watching a trained
monkey that danced and begged for coins. Young women called out to
travelers, trying to get them to stop at the inns and teashops that
lined the streets. One of them tried to grab the bridle of the
judge’s horse, but he pulled away from her. On every building, it
seemed, signs proclaimed that this was the best place for food, for
lodging, or for entertainment.
The judge guided his horse past
all of them. Seikei expected that he would stay at the headquarters
of the local government official. Again, he was wrong. The judge
stopped at a stable, where he paid to have their horses fed and
watered and kept for the night.
Then they walked to a back street
where the houses were small and shabby-looking. Seikei was glad to
be able to stretch his legs, but wondered what the judge was
looking for here. A few of the houses had simple signs in front,
reading TEA or RICE. None were as fancy or appealing as the shops
on the main
“You are thinking about that
tree,” said the judge.
“How did you know?” asked
Seikei.
“Everyone looks at it,” he
replied. “Because it stands alone next to the sea. Look on the
other side of the road.”
Seikei looked at the hillside that
rose above them. Pine trees grew all over it, one just like
another.
“They are straight and tall,” said
the judge. ‘They follow their nature as trees, which is to grow,
spread their branches, and in time drop their cones so that new
trees will grow in their place when they die. Most people live like
that, don’t you agree?”
Seikei nodded. “Yet,” the judge
said, “everyone looks at the tree that stands alone. It is
different. Fate has put it where it cannot grow straight and tall.
It reminds us of something that we fear. What is that?”
Seikei thought. “I don’t know,” he
said.
“You, a merchant’s son who thinks
like a samurai? You don’t know? Have you ever felt that you were in
the wrong place? That fate had made you different?”
“Many times,” Seikei admitted
softly. It was a secret thought that he had never told anyone
except the girl on the terrace. He was surprised that the judge
could see it so easily.
“People who feel that way
sometimes become criminals,” said the judge. Seikei felt guilty, as
if he himself had been caught committing a crime. But the judge’s
smile reassured him. “Only sometimes, not always,” he said. “But I
think about this when I look for a criminal.”
In the middle of the afternoon,
they came to a fork in the road. To the left, the main road
continued on to Edo. But some travelers took the smaller road that
led south, toward the coast.
“They are going to Ise,” said the
judge. “Making the pilgrimage.” Ise was the holiest place in Japan.
The ancient temple there was dedicated to Amaterasu, the goddess of
the sun, who was the ancestor of the first emperor of Japan. People
came from all over the country to ask Amaterasu to bless their
families and villages.
Judge Ooka swung his horse to the
right. Seikei was surprised. “Aren’t we going to Edo?” he
asked.
“In time,” said the judge. “We
will only lose a day at Ise. Have you ever been there?”
“No,” Seikei said, but he had long
wanted to. It was said that a sacred mirror was kept in the temple.
Indeed, it was the same mirror that the other kami used long ago to
lure Amaterasu from her hiding-place. Had she not come out, the sun
would never have shone on Japan. Whenever a new emperor took the
throne, he came to Ise to ask Amaterasu to continue to bless Japan
with her presence.
“You may be surprised,” said the
judge.
Seikei was. As they rode into the
town of Ise, Seikei saw that it was a rowdy place. His horse was
surrounded by people hawking magic charms and portions. One man
shouted that his could cure any disease; another told Seikei that
his would bring wealth. Seikei struggled to keep up with the
judge.
Jugglers and conjurors performed
their acts in the street. Seikei saw a crowd watching a trained
monkey that danced and begged for coins. Young women called out to
travelers, trying to get them to stop at the inns and teashops that
lined the streets. One of them tried to grab the bridle of the
judge’s horse, but he pulled away from her. On every building, it
seemed, signs proclaimed that this was the best place for food, for
lodging, or for entertainment.
The judge guided his horse past
all of them. Seikei expected that he would stay at the headquarters
of the local government official. Again, he was wrong. The judge
stopped at a stable, where he paid to have their horses fed and
watered and kept for the night.
Then they walked to a back street
where the houses were small and shabby-looking. Seikei was glad to
be able to stretch his legs, but wondered what the judge was
looking for here. A few of the houses had simple signs in front,
reading TEA or RICE. None were as fancy or appealing as the shops
on the main
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