1

 Aru hi no koto de gozaimasu. Oshakasama wa gokuraku no hasuike no fuchi o, hitori de burabura o-aruki ni natte irasshaimashita. Ike no naka ni saiteiru hasu no hana wa, minna tama no you ni masshiro de, sono mannaka ni aru kin'iro no zui kara wa, nantomo ienai yoi nioi ga, taemanaku atari e afurete orimasu. Gokuraku wa choudo asa nanode gozaimashou.

 Yagate oshakasama wa sono ike no fuchi ni otatazumi ni natte, mizu no omote o ootteiru hasu no ha no aida kara, futo shita no yousu o goran ni narimashita. Kono gokuraku no hasuike no shita wa, choudo jigoku no soko ni atatte orimasu kara, suishou no you na mizu o sukitooshite, sanzu no kawa ya hari no yama no keshiki ga, choudo nozokimegane o miru you ni, hakkiri to mieru no de gozaimasu.

 Suruto sono jigoku no soko ni, Kandata to iu otoko ga hitori, hokano zainin to issho ni ugomeite iru sugata ga, ome ni tomarimashita. Kono Kandata to iu otoko wa, hito o koroshitari ie ni hi o tsuketari, iroiro akuji o hataraita oodorobou de gozaimasu ga, sore demo tatta hitotsu, yoi koto o itashita oboe ga gozaimasu. To moushimasu nowa, aru toki kono otoko ga fukai hayashi no naka o toorimasu to, chiisana kumo ga ippiki, michibata o hatte iku no ga miemashita. Soko de Kandata wa sassoku ashi o agete, fumikorosou to itashimashita ga, "Iya, iya, kore mo chiisai nagara, inochi no aru mono ni chigainai. Sono inochi o muyami ni toru to iu koto wa, ikura nandemo kawaisou da." to, kou kyuuni omoikaeshite, toutou sono kumo o korosazu ni tasukete yatta kara de gozaimasu.

 Oshakasama wa jigoku no yousu o goran ni nari nagara, kono Kandata niwa kumo o tasuketa koto ga aru no o omoidashi ni nari mashita. Soushite soredake no yoi koto o shita mukui niwa, dekirunara, kono otoko o jigoku kara sukuidashite yarou to okangaeni narimashita. Saiwai, soba o mimasu to, hisui no you na iro o shita hasu no ha no ue ni, gokuraku no kumo ga ippiki, utsukushii gin'iro no ito o kakete orimasu. Oshakasama wa sono kumo no ito o sotto ote ni otorininatte, tama no you na byakuren no aida kara, haruka shita ni aru jigoku no soko e, massugu ni sore o oroshi nasaimashita.

2

 Kochira wa jigoku no soko no chinoike de, hokano zainin to issho ni, uitari shizundari shiteita Kandata de gozaimasu. Nanishiro dochira o mitemo, makkura de, tamani sono kurayami kara bonyari ukiagatteiru mono ga aru to omoimasu to, sorewa osoroshii hari no yama no hari ga hikaru node gozaimasu kara, sono kokorobososa to ittara gozaimasen. Sono ue atari wa haka no naka no you ni shinto shizumari kaette, tama ni kikoeru mono to itte wa, tada zainin ga tsuku kasuka na tansoku bakari de gozaimasu. Kore wa koko e ochite kuru hodo no ningen wa, mou samazama na jigoku no semeku ni tsukarehatete, nakigoe o dasu chikara sae nakunatteiru node gozaimashou. Desukara sasuga oodorobou no Kandata mo, yahari chinoike no chi ni musebi nagara, marude shinikakatta kawazu no you ni, tada mogaite bakari irimashita.

 Tokoroga aru toki no koto de gozaimasu. Nanigenaku Kandata ga atama o agete, chinoike no sora o nagamemasu to, sono hissorito shita yami no naka o, tooi tooi tenjou kara, gin'iro no kumo no ito ga, marude hitome ni kakaru no o osoreru you ni, hitosuji hosoku hikari nagara, surusuru to jibun no ue e tarete mairu no dewa gozaimasen ka. Kandata wa kore o miru to, omowazu te o utte yorokobimashita. Kono ito ni sugaritsuite, dokomademo nobotte ikeba, kitto jigoku kara nukedeseru no ni soui gozaimasen. Iya, umaku iku to, gokuraku e hairu koto sae mo dekimashou. Sousureba, mou hari no yama e oiagerareru koto mo nakunareba, chinoike ni shizumerareru koto mo aru hazu wa gozaimasen.

 Kou omoimashita kara Kandata wa, sassoku sono kumo no ito o ryoute de shikkari to tsukaminagara, isshoukenmei ni ue e ue e to taguri nobori hajimemashita. Moto yori oodorobou no koto de gozaimasu kara, kou iu koto niwa mukashi kara, narekitteiru node gozaimasu.Shikashi jigoku to gokuraku to no aida wa, nanmanri to naku gozaimasu kara, ikura asette mita tokoro de, youi ni ue ewa deraremasen. Yaya shibaraku noboru uchi ni, toutou Kandata mo kutabirete, mou hitotaguri mo ue no hou e wa noborenakunatte shimaimashita. Soko de shikata ga gozaimasen kara, mazu hitoyasumi yasumu tsumori de, ito no nakahodo ni burasagari nagara, haruka ni me no shita o mishitashimashita.

 Suruto, isshoukenmei ni nobotta kai ga atte, sakki made jibun ga ita chinoike wa, ima dewa mou yami no soko ni itsunomanika kakurete imasu. Sorekara ano bonyari hikatteiru osoroshii hari no yama mo, ashi no shita ni natteshimaimashita. Kono bun de nobotte ikeba, jigoku kara nukedasu nomo, zongai wake ga nai kamo shiremasen. Kandata wa ryoute o kumo no ito ni karamenagara, koko e kitekara nannen mo dashita koto no nai koe de, " Shimeta. Shimeta. " to waraimashita. Tokoroga futo ki ga tsukimasu to, kumo no ito no shita no hou niwa, kazukagiri mo nai zainin tachi ga, jibun no nobotta ato o tsukete, marude ari no gyouretsu no you ni, yahari ue e ue e isshin ni yojinobotte kuru dewa gozaimasen ka. Kandata wa kore o miru to, odoroita no to osoroshii no to de, shibaraku wa tada, baka no you ni ookina kuchi o aitamama, me bakari ugokashite orimashita. Jibun hitori de sae kiresouna, kono hosoi kumo no ito ga, doushite aredake no ninzu no omomi ni taeru koto ga dekimashou. Moshi man'ichi tochuu de kireta to itashimashitara, sekkaku koko e made nobotte kita kono kanjin na jibun made mo, moto no jigoku e sakaotoshi ni ochiteshimawanakereba narimasen. Sonna koto ga attara, taihen de gozaimasu. Ga, sou iu naka nimo, zainin tachi wa nanbyaku to naku nanzen to naku, makkura na chinoike no soko kara, uyouyoto haiagatte, hosoku hikatteiru kumo no ito o, ichiretsu ni nari nagara, sesseto nobotte mairimasu. Ima no uchi ni doukashinakereba, ito wa mannaka kara futatsu ni kirete, ochiteshimau no ni chigai arimasen.Sokode Kandata wa ookina koe o dashite, "Kora, zainin domo. Kono kumo no ito wa ore no mono dazo. Omaetachi wa ittai dare ni kiite, nobotte kita. Oriro. Oriro. " to wamekimashita.

 Sono totan de gozaimasu. Imamade nantomo nakatta kumo no ito ga, kyuu ni Kandata no burasagatte iru tokoro kara, putsuri to oto o tatete kiremashita. Desukara Kandata mo tamarimasen. Atto iu ma mo naku kaze o kitte, koma no you ni kurukuru mawari nagara, mirumiru uchi ni yami no soko e, massakasama ni ochite shimaimashita.

Ato niwa tada gokuraku no kumo no ito ga, kirakira to hosoku hikari nagara, tsuki mo hoshi mo nai sora no nakahodo ni, mijikaku tarete iru bakari degozaimasu.

3

 Oshakasama wa gokuraku no hasuike no fuchi ni tatte, kono ichibushijiyuu o jitto mite irasshaimashita ga, yagate Kandata ga chinoike no soko e ishi no you ni shizunde shimaimasu to, kanashisou na okao o nasari nagara, mata burabura o-aruki ni nari hajimemashita. Jibun bakari jigoku kara nukedasou to suru, Kandata no mujihi na kokoro ga, soushite sono kokoro soutou na batsu o ukete, moto no jigoku e ochiteshimatta no ga, oshakasama no ome kara miru to, asamashiku oboshimesareta no de gozaimashou.

 Shikashi gokuraku no hasuike no hasu wa, sukoshi mo sonna koto niwa tonjaku itashimasen. Sono tama no you na shiroi hana wa, oshakasama no omiashi no mawari ni, yurayura utena o ugokashite, sono mannaka ni aru kin'iro no zui kara wa, nantomo ienai yoi nioi ga, taemanaku atari e afurete orimasu. Gokuraku mo mou hiru ni chikakunatta no de gozaimashou.

(Taishou 7 nen 4gatsu 16nichi)

(2005.11.6)