THE STORY OF THE AGED MOTHER

A Japanese Folktale by MATSUO BASHO

Long, long ago thee l!"e# at the $oot o$ the %o&nta!n a poo $a%e an# h!s age#, '!#o'e# %othe(
They o'ne# a b!t o$ lan# 'h!)h s&ppl!e# the% '!th $oo#, an# the! h&%ble 'ee pea)e$&l an#
happy(
Sh!n!ng 'as go"ene# by a #espot!) lea#e 'ho tho&gh a 'a!o, ha# a geat an# )o'a#ly
sh!nk!ng $o% anyth!ng s&ggest!"e o$ $a!l!ng health an# stength( Th!s )a&se# h!% to sen# o&t a
)&el po)la%at!on( The ent!e po"!n)e 'as g!"en st!)t o#es to !%%e#!ately p&t to #eath all age#
people( Those 'ee babao&s #ays, an# the )&sto% o$ aban#on!ng ol# people to #!e 'as not
)o%%on( The poo $a%e lo"e# h!s age# %othe '!th ten#e e"een)e, an# the o#e *lle# h!s
heat '!th soo'( B&t no one e"e tho&ght a se)on# t!%e abo&t obey!ng the %an#ate o$ the
go"eno, so '!th %any #eep hopeless s!ghs, the yo&th pepae# $o 'hat at that t!%e 'as
)ons!#ee# the k!n#est %o#e o$ #eath(
J&st at s&n#o'n, 'hen h!s #ay+s 'ok 'as en#e#, he took a ,&ant!ty o$ &n'h!tene# !)e 'h!)h !s
p!n)!pal $oo# $o poo, )ooke# an# #!e# !t, an# ty!ng !t !n a s,&ae )loth, s'&ng an# b&n#le ao&n#
h!s ne)k along '!th a go&# *lle# '!th )ool, s'eet 'ate( Then he l!$te# h!s helpless ol# %othe to
h!s ba)k an# state# on h!s pa!n$&l -o&ney &p the %o&nta!n( The oa# 'as long an# steep. the
nao'e# oa# 'as )osse# an# e)osse# by %any paths %a#e by the h&ntes an# 'oo#)&ttes( /n
so%e pla)e, they %!ngle# !n a )on$&se# p&00le#, b&t he ga"e no hee#( One path o anothe, !t
%attee# not( On he 'ent, )l!%b!ng bl!n#ly &p'a# 12 e"e &p'a# to'a#s the h!gh bae s&%%!t o$
'hat !s kno'n as Obats&ya%a, the %o&nta!n o$ the 3aban#on!ng o$ age#4(
The eyes o$ the ol# %othe 'ee not so #!% b&t that they note# the e)kless hasten!ng $o% one
path to anothe, an# he lo"!ng heat ge' an5!o&s( He son #!# not kno' the %o&nta!n+s %any
paths an# h!s et&n %!ght be one o$ #ange, so she stet)he# $oth he han# an# snapp!ng the
t'!gs $o% b&shes as they passe#, she ,&!etly #oppe# a han#$&l e"ey $e' steps o$ the 'ay so
that they )l!%be#, the nao' path beh!n# the% 'as #otte# at $e,&ently !nte"als '!th t!ny p!les o$
t'!gs( At last the s&%%!t 'as ea)he#( 6eay an# heat s!)k, the yo&th gently elease# h!s b&#en
an# s!lently pepae# a pla)e o$ )o%$ot as h!s last #&ty to the lo"e# one( Gathe!ng $allen p!ne
nee#le, he %a#e a so$t )&sh!on an# ten#ely l!$t!ng h!s ol# %othe thee!n, he 'appe# he pa##e#
)oat %oe )losely abo&t the stoop!ng sho&l#es an# '!th tea$&l eyes an# an a)h!ng heat sa!#
$ae'ell(
The te%bl!ng %othe+s "o!)e 'as $&ll o$ &nsel*sh lo"e as she ga"e he last !n-&n)t!on( 3Let not
th!ne eyes be bl!n#e#, %y son( A4 She sa!#( 3The %o&nta!n oa# !s $&ll o$ #anges( LOO7 )ae$&lly
an# $ollo' the path 'h!)h hol#s the p!les o$ t'!gs( They '!ll g&!#e yo& to the $a%!l!a 'ay $athe
#o'n4( The son+s s&p!se# eyes looke# ba)k o"e the path, then at the poo ol#, sh!"ele# han#s all
s)at)he# an# so!le# by the! 'ok o$ lo"e( H!s heat s%ote h!% an# bo'!ng to the go&n#s, he )!e#
alo&#8 3oh, Honoable %othe, thy k!n#ness th&sts %y heat9 / '!ll not lea"e thee( Togethe 'e '!ll
$ollo' the path o$ t'!gs, an# togethe 'e '!ll #!e94
On)e %oe he sho&l#ee# h!s b&#en :ho' l!ght !t see%e# no; an# hastene# #o'n the path,
tho&gh the sha#o's an# the %oonl!ght, to the l!ttle h&t !n the "alley( Beneath the k!t)hen <oo 'as
a 'alle# )loset $o $oo#, 'h!)h 'as )o"ee# an# h!##en $o% "!e'( Thee the son h!s %othe,
s&pply!ng he '!th e"eyth!ng nee#$&l an# )ont!n&ally 'at)h!ng an# $ea!ng( T!%e passe#, an# he
'as beg!nn!ng to $eel sa$e 'hen aga!n the go"eno sent $oth heal#s bea!ng an &neasonable
o#e, see%!ngly as a boast o$ h!s po'e( H!s #e%an# 'as that h!s s&b-e)t sho&l# pesent h!% '!th
a ope o$ ashes( The ent!e po"!n)e te%ble# '!th #ea#( The o#e %&st be obeye# yet 'ho !n all
Sh!n!ng )o&l# %ake a ope o$ ashes=
One n!ght, !n geat #!stess, the son 'h!spee# the ne's to h!s h!##en %othe( 36a!t94 she sa!#( 3/
'!ll th!nk( / '!ll th!nk4 On the se)on# #ay she tol# h!% 'hat to #o( 3Make ope t'!ste# sta',4 she
sa!#( 3Then stet)h !t &pon a o' o$ <at stones an# b&n !t thee on the '!n#less n!ght( 4 He )alle#
the people togethe an# #!# as she sa!# an# 'hen the bla0e an# #!e#, behol# &pon the stones '!th
e"ey t'!st an# *be sho'!ng pe$e)tly( Lay a ope o$ 'h!thea# ashes(
The go"eno 'as please# at the '!t o$ the yo&th an# pa!se# geatly, b&t he #e%an#e# to kno'
'hee he ha# obta!ne# h!s '!s#o%( 3Alas9 Alas94 )!e# the $a%e, 3the t&th %&st be tol#94 an#
'!th #eep bo's he elate# h!s stoy( The go"eno l!stene# an# then %e#!tate# !n s!len)e( F!nally he
l!$te# h!s hea#( 3Sh!n!ng nee#s %oe than stength o$ yo&th, 4 he sa!# ga"ely( 3Ah, that / sho&l#
ha"e $ogotten the 'ell>kno' say!ng, 3'!th the )o'n o$ sno', thee )o%eth a '!s#o%94 That "ey
ho& the )&el la' 'as abol!she#, an# )&sto% #!$te# !nto as $a a past that only legen#s e%a!n(