The Vampire Cat
The Cat of Nebeshima..
The Prince of Hizen a distinguished member of the Nabéshima
family, lingered in the garden with O Toyo, the favorite among his ladies.
When the sun set they retired to the palace, but failed to notice that
they were being followed by a large cat.
O Toyo went to her room and fell asleep. At midnight she awoke and
gazed about her, as if suddenly aware of some dreadful presence in the
apartment. At length she saw, crouching close beside her, a gigantic cat,
and before she could cry out for assistance the animal sprang upon her and
strangled her. The animal then made a hole under the verandah, buried the
corpse, and assumed the form of the beautiful O Toyo.
The prince, who knew nothing of what had happened, continued to love
the false O Toyo, unaware that in reality he was caressing a foul beast.
He noticed, little by little, that his strength failed, and it was not
long before he became dangerously ill. Physicians were summoned, but they
could do nothing to restore the royal patient. It was observed that he
suffered most during the night, and was troubled by horrible dreams. This
being so, his councilors arranged that a hundred retainers should sit with
their lord and keep watch while he slept.
The watch went into the sickroom, but just before ten o'clock it was
overcome by a mysterious drowsiness. When all the men were asleep the
false O Toyo crept into the apartment and disturbed the prince until
sunrise. Night after night the retainers came to guard their master, but
always they fell asleep at the same hour, and even three loyal councilors
had a similar experience.
During this time the prince grew worse, and at length a priest named
Ruiten was appointed to pray on his behalf. One night, while he was
engaged in his supplications, he heard a strange noise proceeding from the
garden. On looking out of the window he saw a young soldier washing
himself. When he had finished his ablutions he stood before an image of
Buddha, and prayed most ardently for the recovery of the prince.
Ruiten, delighted to find such zeal and loyalty, invited the young man
to enter his house, and when he had done so inquired his name.
"I am Ito Soda," said the young man, "and serve in the infantry of
Nabéshima. I have heard of my lord's sickness and long to have the
honor of nursing him; but being of low rank it is not meet that I should
come into his presence. I have, nevertheless, prayed to the Buddha that my
lord's life may be spared. I believe that the Prince of Hizen is
bewitched, and if I might remain with him I would do my utmost to find and
crush the evil power that is the cause of his illness."
Ruiten was so favorably impressed with these words that he went the
next day to consult with one of the councilors, and after much discussion
it was arranged that Ito Soda should keep watch with the hundred
retainers.
When Ito Soda entered the royal apartment he saw that his master slept
in the middle of the room, and he also observed the hundred retainers
sitting in the chamber quietly chatting together in the hope that they
would be able to keep off approaching drowsiness. By ten o'clock all the
retainers, in spite of their efforts, had fallen asleep.
Ito Soda tried to keep his eyes open, but a heaviness was gradually
overcoming him, and he realized that if he wished to keep awake he must
resort to extreme measures. When he had carefully spread oil-paper over
the mats he stuck his dirk into his thigh. The sharp pain he experienced
warded off sleep for a time, but eventually he felt his eyes closing once
more. Resolved to outwit the spell which had proved too much for the
retainers, he twisted the knife in his thigh, and thus increased the pain
and kept his loyal watch, while blood continually dripped upon the
oil-paper.
While Ito Soda watched he saw the sliding doors drawn open and a
beautiful woman creep softly into the apartment. With a smile she noticed
the sleeping retainers, and was about to approach the prince when she
observed Ito Soda. After she had spoken curtly to him she approached the
prince and inquired how he fared, but the prince was too ill to make a
reply. Ito Soda watched every movement, and believed she tried to bewitch
the prince, but she was always frustrated in her evil purpose by the
dauntless eyes of Ito Soda, and at last she was compelled to retire.
In the morning the retainers awoke, and were filled with shame when
they learnt how Ito Soda had kept his vigil. The councilors loudly praised
the young soldier for his loyalty and enterprise, and he was commanded to
keep watch again that night. He did so, and once more the false O Toyo
entered the sickroom, and, as on the previous night, she was compelled to
retreat without being able to cast her spell over the prince.
It was discovered that immediately the faithful Soda had kept guard,
the prince was able to obtain peaceful slumber, and, moreover, that he
began to get better, for the false O Toyo, having been frustrated on two
occasions, now kept away altogether, and the guard was not troubled with
mysterious drowsiness. Soda, impressed by these strange circumstances,
went to one of the councilors and informed him that the so-called O Toyo
was a goblin of some kind.
That night Soda planned to go to the creature's room and try to kill
her, arranging that in case she should escape there should be eight
retainers outside waiting to capture her and dispatch her immediately.
At the appointed hour Soda went to the creature's apartment, pretending
that he bore a message from the prince.
"What is the message?" inquired the woman.
"Kindly read this letter," replied Soda, and with these words he drew
his dirk and tried to kill her.
The false O Toyo seized a halberd and endeavored to strike her
adversary. Blow followed blow, but at last perceiving that flight would
serve her better than battle, she threw away her weapon, and in a moment
the lovely maiden turned into a cat and sprang onto the roof. The eight
men waiting outside in case of emergency shot at the animal, but the
creature succeeded in eluding them.
The cat made all speed for the mountains, and caused trouble among the
people who lived in the vicinity, but was finally killed during a hunt
ordered by the Prince of Hizen.
The prince became well again, and Ito Soda received the honor and
reward he so richly deserved.
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