10. The Heavenly Feather Robe

Kaguyahime and the emperor consoled each other through correspondence for about three years. But at the beginning of the new year, Kaguyahime began to take a deep interest in the mone, and would sit looking at it, lost in thought. Her maids told her it was unlucky to look at the moon too much, and tried to stop her, but when no one else was around she would stare at the moon and weep bitterly.

On the 15th of the seventh month, the night of the full moon, she was sitting on the veranda looking very forlorn. Her maids reported it to the old bamboo cutter.

"Kaguyahime is always staring pensively at the moon, but recently it seems to have gotten more serious. Now she's extremely unhappy about something. Won't you please go see what the matter is?"

So he went and spoke to her.

"What are you thinking of that makes you stare at the moon and look so sad? This is a fine, happy life where you can do whatever you like."

"When I look at the moon this world seems bitter, and I feel so lonely. I don't need anything else to make me unhappy."

Whenever the old man went to Kaguyahime's rooms after that, he would find her lost in thought.

"My little buddha! Why are you so unhappy? Please tell me what you're thinking about."

"Nothing special. I'm just unhappy."

"Don't look at the moon. It's when you're staring at the moon that you want to think sad thoughts."

"Why shouldn't I look at the moon?"

And when the moon would come out, she would be sitting on the veranda and sighing. On dark nights when the moon was late in rising, nothing seemed to worry her. But when the moon was full she was very upset. All the servants whispered that Kaguyahime was very unhappy about something, but even her parents didn't know what the matter was.

On a moonlit night not long before the full moon on the 15th of the eighth month, Kaguyahime was sitting on the veranda weeping bitterly. She cried without caring who could see her. Her parents rushed out and asked what the matter was. She continued to weep as she answered.

"There's something I've wanted to tell you for a long time, but I didn't want to upset you, so I've kept it to myself. But I really can't hide it, so I've decided to tell you everything.

"I'm not a person of this world. I come from the moon country. But because of a promise made long ago, I have spent this time in the human world. the time has come when I have to return-- on the 15th of this month people will come from my country to get me. I have to go back, so since this spring I have been worrying that you would be sad."

"What is it you're saying? You know that I found you inside a bamboo, but I have raised you from the size of a little plant until you're as tall as I am. Who thinks he's coming for my little girl? I won't allow it! I wil die first!"

Now the old man and his wife were crying too. It was unbearable.

"I have parents on the moon, too. It seems only a little while since I came here from the moon country, but I've spent many years here. I had forgotten about my father in the moon country, and I enjoyed being here so long with you. So I'm not entirely happy about going back. Leaving you will be sad. but I have to say goodbye."

They were all weeping. Even the servants, who had been with her many years, had lumps in their throats just like the old man and his wife-- they knew Kaguyahime to be gracious and lovable, and they couldn't bear to part from her.

When the emperor heard of this, he sent a messenger to the old bamboo cutter's house. The old man couldn't stop crying when the messenger came in. His eyes were bleary, his back was bent, and his beard was white from worrying about this problem. The old man had turned 50 that year,(4) but the messenger saw that the worry had aged him overnight. He presented the imperial message: "This painful, worrisome thing-- is it true?"

The old man wept as he spoke.

"On the 15th of this month they are coming from the moon country for my Kaguyahime. I have a foolish request-- on the 15th will you send men to seize any who come from the moon country?"

The messenger returned to the palace and told the emperor how the old man had looked and what he had said. The emperor was moved.

I had a brief glimpse and have not been able to forget her. Think how he must feel losing Kaguyahime after being with her morning and evening all this time!"

On the 15th the emperor sent out orders, and Guards Captain Takano no Okuni was commissioned to lead two thousand men of the Sixt Garrison to the bamboo cutter's house. A thousand were placed on the outer wall, and another thousand on the roof of the house. There were also numerous servants of the old bamboo cutter's household, so there were no gaps in their defenses. All these guards and servants were armed with bows and arrows.

There were also many women standing watch inside the main house. The old woman was inside a lacquered cabinet with her arms wrapped tightly around Kaguyahime. The old man was standing in front of the padlocked door of the cabinet. He doubted that even angels could get through such a tight guard. He had given the men on the roof orders to shoot down anything flying overhead, and he relied on their reply that they would down and drive off even anything as small as a needle that tried to break through their guard.

"No matter how you prepare to protect me, you will not be able to stop the people of my country. And even though you lock me away, I will know when they come from the moon. When they come, even the bravest men will be unable to fight against them."

The old woman was angry.

"When they come for you I will scratch out their eyes, however long their own claws are. I will grab their hair and pull them down. I will rip off their trousers and shame them before all the officials."

"Don't talk so loud. It won't do to have the men on the roof hear you. It would be awful if I went back to the moon remembering something other than all the love you have shown me. It saddens me that after all the time we have spent together I will have to leave soon without some lasting tie. My journey back would be much easier if I had just a little support from my parents. This past year as I have sat out on the veranda I have been praying to have more time here with you, and I have been crying because that is impossible. But I can't stand seeing how upset and worried I have made you. My people are very beautiful, and they don't grow old. And they never feel sorrow, either. but it doesn't make me happy to go to such a fine place. You both look so old and tired that I didn't dare tell you sooner. I'm sorry."

"What yhou say makes me even sadder. But no matter how beautiful they may be, I will still stop whoever comes for you."

They talked this way through the evening hours. At midnight the area around the house was brighter than at noon. With the light of the full moon it was possible to see even the pores on people's faces. Then people riding on clouds descended from the sky, stopping about five feet above the ground.

Seeing this, the people inside and outside the house were overcome with great awe, and they had no desire to fight. Some finally overcame their feer and tried to raise their bows, but they lacked the strength to draw back their arrows, and could do nothing. A few of the staunchest did manage to shoot, but their arrows went off in the wrong direction. There was a vague unwillingness to fight, and finally everyone just stood and watched.

The people from the sky were dressed with a beauty unlike anything else. They had brought a flying carriage with them, and were carrying parasols of fine silk. One who looked like a king faced the house.

"Miyakkomaro, come out!"

He spoke so forcefully that the old man fell to the floor in a sort of stupor.

"You foolish man! Because you had done a few good deeds we wanted to help you out for a little while. When she came down we gave you enough gold for many years, but it changed tou into a different person. Kaguyahime was sent to your poor home for a short time because of a wrong she had committed. Now her sentence has been completed and we have come for her, but you have cried and moaned and tried in vain to stop her return."

"I have taken care of Kaguyahime for more than twenty years now. I wonder why you would say 'a short time?' Perhaps you mean a different Kaguyahime somewhere else. Besides, the Kaguyahime that lives here is very sick, and couldn't possibly leave."

The heavenly being did not answer the old man. But he spoke again as the flying carriage came down from above the roof.

"Kaguyahime! How can you stay so long in this filthy place!"

As he spoke, the door of her hiding place opened itself and the lattice shutters of the house also opened with no human assistance. Kaguyahime came out with the old woman still holding tightly to her. The old woman couldn't stoper, and just looked up weeping.

Kaguyahime walked over to where the old man lay weeping from frustration.

"I have to go back this way, even though I'd rather not. But won't you at least come see me off?"

"Yes, I'll come, sad as it makes me. But what am I to do if you abandon me? Can't you please take me with you?"

"Let me write a letter for you. Whenever you start to miss me, you can take it out and read it."

The tears rolled down her cheeks as she wrote this note.

I've been by your side ever since I was born into this country, and I can only regret that I must now return and cannot remain at your side until you are no longer unhappy. Please keep my robe as a momento of me. And please look up on moonlit nights. My own feelings on leaving you are deeper and more vast than the sky through which I must travel.

One of the heavenly messengers was holding a box. The box held a heavenly feather robe. Another box contained a bottle of medicine which would prevent death. Their leader again spoke to Kaguyahime.

"Drink this medicine. You have become gloomy because you have eaten the food of this impure world."

Kaguyahime took a small taste, then wrapped the bottle up in the robe she had removed as a momento for the old man. One of the heavenly beings took out the feather robe and was about to put it on her.

"Please wait! When I put on the robe my heart will become different from the hearts of men of this world. There is something I want to say first."

She began to write again, but the heavenly beings were impatient. She asked them not to talk about things they didn't understand and, with silence all around, she calmly wrote out a letter to the emperor.

Even though you sent so many men to hold me here, my people have come for me now, and they will take me back with them. This is very sad for me. It is because of this troublesome fact that I would not serve you at court. What makes me saddest of all is that you have thought me very impolite because I could not follow the demands of the heart in serving you.

Now, as I put on
The feather robe brought from the sky,
This earth is lost to me.
Many are the tender thoughts
I have thought because of you.

Then she attached the letter to the bottle of medicine and gave it to a guards officer to deliver to the emperor. As she handed it to him, the feather robe was placed on her shoulders, and all her sadness and compassion for the old man were forgotten. Having forgotten everything, she got into the flying carriage, and ascended into the sky with her escort of heavenly beings.