朗読「梅津忠兵衛のはなし」小泉八雲

出羽国の戸村十太夫に使える梅津忠兵衛は怪力で勇敢な若侍であった。

ある日、城門の夜番の勤めに行こうとした時、その途中で若い女に呼び止められた。

こんな夜中に、若い女が、こんなところに立っているのは怪しいと思ったが、

女は赤ん坊を抱いており、「頼もしい梅津様、今夜私はかなり大きな困難を抱えて、最も苦しい勤めを果たさなくてはならず、お慈悲でほんの一刻ほどこの赤子を抱いていては下さいませんか」と子供を渡してきた。

梅津は怪しんでいたが、一時の感情で断るのも不親切だと思い、子を抱いた。

「どうか私が戻るまで、その子を抱いていて下さい。ほんの少しの間で戻って参ります」

Recitation "The Story of Chubei Umetsu" by Yakumo Koizumi

Chubei Umetsu, a powerful and brave young samurai, was a servant of Jutayu Tomura in the Province of Dewa.

One day, as he was on his way to his night duty at the castle gate, he was stopped by a young woman.

He thought it suspicious that a young woman would be standing at such a place in the middle of the night, but she was holding a baby in her arms.

She was holding a baby in her arms and handed the child to him, saying, "My trusty Master Umetsu, tonight I have to fulfill my most arduous task with great difficulty, and would you be so kind as to hold this baby for a moment or so?

Umetsu was suspicious, but felt it would be unkind to refuse on a moment's notice, so he took the child in his arms.

Please hold the child until I return. I will be back in just a few moments.

#小泉八雲

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