Kouya Hijiri: CHAPTER 23

As you may easily imagine, even though I was very tired, I couldn't sleep for a long while in such a lonely house in the deep mountains. After awhile I became drowsy. As soon as the loud snoring of the fool in the other room died away, I felt something stirring out there. It sounded like the footsteps of animals. I thought I could hear many animals outside around the house, even monkeys and toads. Something came up to the door and I thought I heard the sound of a sheep. Then I heard the flapping of birds. Something landed on the roof of the house. I heard the sound of a cow. I think I heard 20 or 30 different kinds of whoops and flapping and whisperings surrounding this house, like some kind of animal Hell. Their sounds filled the air like leaves in the wild wind. I held my breath, and then I heard her voice from their bedroom. "Tonight we have a guest!" she cried harshly. Then she seemed to catch herself and repeated in a low voice "We have a guest." I heard her as she turned around in their bed. The cacophony outside the house became fierce until the house itself seemed to rock and sway. Anxiously, I began to chant a holy sutra in my bed.

Suddenly the wind blew and everything fell silent.