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Once upon a time, in a land not so far from the bustling markets of modernity, there was a peculiar tale of a man named Kandata. This man, notorious for his misdeeds, found himself in a rather sticky situation, quite literally, in the depths of hell. Now, this isn't your everyday hell; this was a special one, where instead of fire and brimstone, there were pools of soy sauce and mountains of grated daikon radish.
One fine day, or as fine as it could be in such a place, Kandata noticed a glistening strand descending from the heavens. It was not the usual spider's silk but a strand of the finest Ibo-no-ito, the legendary noodles known for their delicate and refined texture. The gods, it seemed, had decided to give Kandata a chance at redemption, for even they could not resist the charm of these exquisite noodles.
Kandata, with hope in his heart and a growling stomach, began his ascent, climbing up the noodle. He climbed past the mountains of tempura, dodged the flying chopsticks, and even made a brief stop at the plateau of pickled ginger. As he climbed, he couldn't help but marvel at the noodle's resilience; it was, after all, the premium stuff, not your run-of-the-mill supermarket soba.
But alas, the tale takes a turn, as tales often do. For Kandata was not alone in his noodly escape.
Below him, a horde of other sinners had caught sight of the noodle and, driven by their own hunger, started to climb after him. Panic set in, for if there's one thing worse than being in noodle hell, it's having to share your noodle out of it.
In a fit of selfishness that would make even a kappa blush, Kandata bellowed, "This Ibo-no-ito is mine! Who told you lot you could climb it? Scram! Get off! This is a one-man noodle!" And just like that, the noodle snapped, not because of the weight, but because of the sheer audacity of trying to hoard something as communal as noodles.
Down went Kandata, back into the soy sauce pool, as the noodle retracted back into the heavens, leaving behind a scent of wheat and regret. The moral of the story? Never get between a man and his noodles, and more importantly, never underestimate the power of sharing... especially when it comes to Ibo-no-ito. For in the end, it's not just about the climb; it's about the company you share your noodles with.
And so, the legend of Kandata and the Ibo-no-ito lives on, a cautionary tale whispered across dinner tables, reminding us all that sometimes, the path to salvation is best traveled with a little bit of company and a lot of noodles.
芥川龍之介の代表作のひとつ。 昔の国語の教科書には必ず載ってた。
Once upon a time, in a land not so far from the bustling markets of modernity, there was a peculiar tale of a man named Kandata. This man, notorious for his misdeeds, found himself in a rather sticky situation, quite literally, in the depths of hell. ...
昔々、現代の賑やかな市場からそう遠くない地に、ある奇妙な話がありました。その話は、カンダタという名の男の話です。この男は悪行で悪名高く、文字通り、地獄の底でねばねばし...
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