One to three

by 芥川龍之介 · 2026-03-31

A person like the lord of Horikawa is unparalleled, both in the past and in the future. According to rumors, before he was born, the figure of the Great Might King appeared in his mother's dreams. From the moment he was born, he seemed different from ordinary people. Therefore, everything he did was beyond our expectations. Even when looking at the scale of the Horikawa estate, it was grand and bold, far beyond our mundane thoughts, with a daring quality.

Some compared his character to that of the First Emperor and Emperor Yang, but that seems like a blind person trying to touch an elephant. His intentions were never solely for his own glory; he had a great capacity to think of the common people and enjoy life together with the world.

Thus, even when encountering the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons at Nijo Omiya, there were likely no particular issues. Moreover, I believe that even the spirit of the Minister of Left, rumored to appear nightly at the Kawara-in of Higashi Sanjo, modeled after the scenery of Shiogama in Mutsu, vanished after receiving a reprimand from the lord. Because of his majestic presence, at that time, people of all ages in the capital respected him as if he were a reincarnation of a powerful ruler when they referred to him as "the lord." Once, on the way back from the plum blossom banquet, the ox pulling his carriage broke free and injured an old man passing by, but that old man joined his hands in gratitude for being struck by the lord's ox.

Due to such circumstances, there were many events during the lifetime of the great lord that would later become the talk of the town. Among them were the thirty white horses he received as gifts during the grand banquet, the beloved child he had placed at the bridge pillar of the Nagara River, and the incident where he allowed a monk from the land of Shindan, who conveyed the art of Kada, to cut his leg's sore; the list goes on endlessly. However, there is no story as terrifying as the origin of the hell screen, which has now become a treasured item in the household. Even the usually unperturbed great lord seemed to be astonished at that moment. It goes without saying that we, who served by his side, felt a fear so profound that it felt like our souls were vanishing. I myself served the great lord for twenty years, but I had never encountered such a terrifying sight.

However, to tell that story, it is first necessary to touch upon the painter, Yoshihide, who painted the hell screen.

Speaking of Yoshihide, there may still be some who remember his name. He was a renowned painter, said to be unmatched when it came to wielding a brush. At that time, he was already approaching fifty years of age. He appeared short, thin as a skeleton, and had a mean-looking old man’s face, but when visiting the great lord's residence, he wore a hunting outfit dyed in a cross pattern and a cap. However, his character was quite lowly; his lips were so red and prominent that they seemed inappropriate for his age, giving him a somewhat beastly impression. Some said that the redness came from him licking his brush, but who knows? Moreover, those with sharper tongues even claimed that Yoshihide's mannerisms resembled those of a monkey, giving him the nickname Saruhide.

Speaking of Saruhide, there is also this story. At that time, in the great lord's residence, there was a fifteen-year-old daughter of Yoshihide serving as a young lady-in-waiting, but she did not resemble her biological parents and was a charming girl. Perhaps due to having parted with her mother at an early age, she was deeply considerate and had a mature and wise personality beyond her years, earning the affection of the younger ladies-in-waiting.

One day, a tamed monkey was presented from the country of Tanba, and the young lord named the monkey "Ryoshū." Because the monkey's appearance was amusing, everyone in the mansion couldn't help but laugh. Not only did they laugh, but out of amusement, they would call out "Ryoshū, Ryoshū," sometimes even bullying it.

However, one day, when Ryoshū's daughter was passing through a long corridor with a branch of cold plum blossoms tied with a letter, she saw that little monkey Ryoshū, who seemed to have twisted its foot, lacking the energy to climb the pillar as usual, dragging its leg while trying to escape. Behind it, the young lord was chasing after it, shouting, "Thief of the citrus fruit, wait. Wait." Ryoshū's daughter saw this and seemed to hesitate for a moment, but at that time, the monkey that had come running clung to the hem of her hakama, crying out in a pitiful voice. Suddenly, her feelings of pity became overwhelming, and while holding the plum branch in one hand, she gracefully opened the sleeve of her purple kimono with the other hand, gently picked up the monkey, and bowed slightly in front of the young lord, saying in a cool voice, "I humbly apologize, it is just a beast. Please forgive us."

However, the young lord, having rushed over with determination, wore a serious expression and stomped his feet two or three times,

“Why do you say such things? That monkey is a villain who steals citrus fruits.”

“Because it is a beast, there is no helping it…”

The daughter repeated this once more, but soon smiled sadly. Then, as if she had made up her mind, she said, “Moreover, thinking of Ryoshū, it pains me to see my father being scolded, and I simply cannot bear to watch.”

These words seemed to move even the young lord's heart.

“I see. If a father is begging for his life, I will forgive him a little.”

Reluctantly saying that, the young lord left the monkey as it was and returned to the original exit.

After that, the relationship between Yoshihide's daughter and the little monkey improved. The daughter hung the golden bell she received from the princess on a beautiful crimson string and placed it on the monkey's head. No matter what happened, the monkey rarely left the daughter's side. One time, when the daughter caught a cold and went to bed, the little monkey sat by her pillow, looking anxious, and frequently bit its nails.

Strangely enough, as this happened, no one bullied the little monkey like before. On the contrary, it became increasingly adored, and eventually even the young lord occasionally threw persimmons and chestnuts to give to it. When one of the samurai kicked the monkey, the young lord was said to have been very angry. It is said that later, the great lord specifically ordered Yoshihide's daughter to hold the monkey and come before him after hearing about the young lord's anger. Perhaps he also heard the reason why the daughter cherished the monkey.

"What a filial creature. I shall praise it."

With this intention, the daughter received a crimson robe as a reward at that time. However, when the monkey imitated her and respectfully pushed the robe up, the great lord's mood improved even more. Therefore, the great lord favored Yoshihide's daughter entirely because he appreciated the filial affection shown to this monkey, and it was certainly not due to any alleged preference for beauty as said in society. Of course, there is no doubt about the reason why such rumors arose, but that is a story for another time. Here, I will simply state that the great lord was not the kind of person who would harbor feelings for someone beautiful, like the painter's daughter.

Now, Ryo-shu's daughter descended before the court with grace, but since she was originally a clever woman, there was nothing for her to be envious of from the shameless outer ladies. Rather, since then, she was fondly cared for alongside the monkey, and it could be said that she was never far from the princess's side, as she never missed serving as a companion to the observation cart.

However, putting aside the daughter for now, let us speak again of her parent, Ryo-shu. Indeed, the monkey quickly became beloved by everyone, but the crucial point is that Ryo-shu continued to be disliked by everyone, hiding in the shadows and being called "Saru-shu." This was not only within the estate; even the monk Yokokawa would change his expression as if he had encountered a curse upon hearing Ryo-shu's name, being hated. (Moreover, it is said that this is because Ryo-shu caricatured the monk's behavior, but since this is merely a vulgar rumor, it cannot be confirmed.) In any case, that man's reputation was consistently like this wherever he went. If there was anything good about him, it was only among two or three fellow painters or those who knew his art but did not know his character.

However, in reality, Ryo-shu not only had an appearance that was lowly but also possessed bad habits that made him even more disliked by people, so it can only be said that this was entirely his own doing.