. THE SPIRIT OF THE PEONY (Japan)
Long time ago, it was a custom in Japan for marriages to be arranged by the elders without the consent or approval of the bride and the groom. Accordingly it was arranged that the beautiful princess Aya should marry the second son of a nobleman Lord Ako.
Princess Aya was so pretty and beautiful that even the many spirits living in the trees and flowers and fountains around the palace fell in love with her. The princess often walked around and lingered in her father’s garden, accompanied by her maids. She specially loved the bed of peonies. She would often watch the radiant glow of sunshine fall on the peonies spreading its golden sheen over them. Then she would gently bend and caress and smell their captivating scents and saunter around the bed for a while.
One day when she was trying to pick a peony to hold it close to her, she suddenly slipped and would have suffered a really bad fall into the pond, if not for a handsome young man, who quickly grabbed her. He was dressed in a robe of embroidered peonies, He held her fast and in a flash disappeared. He vanished so soon that the princess had no time even to thank him.
The princess was sad. She spent days by the peony bed, looking for the handsome prince, whose graceful and charming image had captured her heart for a moment and then vanished.
Soon the princess got very ill and the marriage had to be postponed. The King tried all the medical aid available to restore her daughter to health. But they were of no avail.
The King then called princess Aya’s chief maid Sodayo, and inquired if she knew anything about how the princess fell sick.
“Tell me,” the King queried solemnly of the maid, “What has become of my daughter? Day after day she is getting pale and looking sadder. The doctors are unable to diagnose her problem and think there is something suspicious ailing her. Do you know anything about it?” asked the King, deeply distressed and wanting to know what was bothering his daughter.
Sodayo was a trusted friend as much as she was the princess’s closest maid. She could be counted upon to do anything for her mistress. As much as she wanted to keep it asecret what was wrong and what was ailing her beloved mistress she also wanted to help make her get well. Sodayo knew it was useless trying to preserve the secret. Time was running out and her mistress lay dangerously sick in bed and it was time that she confided the secret of her sickness to her father who cared for her daughter above everything else in the world. Otherwise she would lose her mistress forever.
She then quietly and with great concern told the master that princess Aya was deeply in love with a Samurai, a handsome young man dressed in an embroidered peony robe who had rescued her from a bad fall among the peony beds and had vanished soon after. If he could not be found she said her mistress might even die.
That night when a young musician was entertaining the princess playing on his biwa. the young Samurai appeared behind the peonies. Next night too he appeared in the same way.
The princess’s father the King planned to catch the young man by hook or by cook. He requested Maki Hiogo who played the biwa, to hide and wait in the peony bed. Then he asked two other men who played the flute to play a sweet flowing melody for the princess. As the music started the handsome young man appeared again quite mysteriously. Maki Hiogo jumped up clutched his robe put his arms round his waist and captured the man fast.
“SHUSSH!” A vaporous element like a cloud rose up from the captive. Hiogo fell dizzy inhaling the vapor. Still he clung on to the strange visitor. Gaining consciousness, Hiogo looked up to see a dazzlingly beautiful prince, but all to his great surprise what remained was a big and a bright peony!
Those gathered and looking at the scene were astounded. Some wouldn’t believe their eyes. “What happened? Where is the young man?” They wondered and questioned in amazement. “Let’s look around and see if he is still hiding.” Still others began to look around.
But the King at once divined what took place. “Now I know,” he said, still looking in utter surprise. “It was the spirit of the peony disguised as a Samurai and clad in a robe of peonies.” Then calling his daughter the princess Aya, he said, “Take this flower and take care of it as this is a special peony,” he said and gave the peony flower to his daughter.
The princess gently took the flower looked at it tenderly and held it close to her and returning to the house placed it in a vase and kept it by her bedside. She kept looking at it daily. Soon she recovered from her sickness, while the flower became richly beautiful.
When the princess was perfectly cured Lord Ako came along accompanied by his second son whom it was planned she was to marry. The wedding was announced and they were happily married
.
What happened to the beautiful peony is a sad story, for at that very hour the flower withered and died.
Text from (SPOOKY TALES FROM THE ORIENT……)
 | ||||||
