THE SAMURAI OF JAPAN

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 243, 4 January 1928, Page 7

THE SAMURAI OF JAPAN

The Samurai were the old knights i of Japan, an Order of men and women I who agreed to obey certain rules. | These people formed the real body |of the State. The rules consisted cl ■ three parts: there was the list of i things that qualified, the list of things | that must not be done, and the list of I things that must be done. | The candidate for the rank of Samurai had to be perfect in health, and at least 25. He was not allowed to lend money at interest, keep a hotel, sell drugs, sing, act or recite (though he might give lectures). He might not be a servant. He might not gamble or bet, play games in public, or watch them being played. He might ! not smoke or drink intoxicating liquor. IHe might marry. i The religion he had to hold was ! tolerant; he had to undertake to keen alert. It was his duty to think hard, j Once in every year the Samurai for seven days at a time was obliged to meditate in solitude. The Samurai was ever patriotic, a servant of the State, and ready to fall on his sword rather than disgrace his country. The son of a Samurai was ’ not supposed to handle money: it was I politely handed to him wrapped neatly jin clean paper. This is the custom even to-day, very often, when paying | the salary of those usually drawn .Yom ! the former Samurai class. ! A learned Japanese professor te*Js j us that the old legends still linger in Japan, and that night after night the story-tellers delight large audiences with Samurai stories. One of these tales will explain the spirit of the Samurai. It is about loyalty. A young nobleman only ten years old was passing along a corridor in liis palace when he observed some fledgling sparrows hopping gaily about on the roof. Turning to Choshiro, a lad j but three years older, Takechiyo commanded him to catch the sparrows, the i reason being that he wanted to play I with them.

Choshiro was a young Samurai, carefully trained. He was prudent, and he said lie would certainly catch the sparrows for his young lord, but that it would be necessary to do so at nightfall, as it was against the rules to catch the birds. Choshiro tried to get the birds that evening, succeeded, but fell from the roof with a thud and , fainted. The Shogun. one of the old rulers of Japan, was the /oung nobleman’s father. He woke up with the noise, and with his wife and come courtiers went to see what had happened. There they found Choshiro on the ground clutching some dead birds. The boy prostrated himself before the Shogun, and confessed that he had been up on the roof because he had had a longing to catch some sparrow's he had seen there by day. He was very sorry for his wickedness, and ready for any punishment. But the Shogun's wife was quick of brain. She thought of her own son Takechiyo, and of his fondness for birds, and she said, “I am afraid it was Takechiyo who told you to steal the birds.” But Choshiro, full of loyalty to his young master, desired to take all the blame. He denied that he had been commanded to get the birds for the young nobleman. The Shogun ordered an enormous leather bag to be brought, shaped like a money-pouch, and ordered Chosira to be put in the bag and hung from a peg in the corridor till he should confess the truth. All night Choshira stayed there. Next morning, questioned again, all stiff and hungry, he said timidly that if he could have a little rice he would feel better and might be enabled to say what they wished. The rice was supplied. Then Choshiro, still in the bag, and inwardly vowing again that he would shield and protect his young master, exclaimed in a lively voice, “Forgive me; I caught the sparrows for myself. It is true!” The Shogun was persuaded that the boy was telling a lie and, seizing a sword, he sent a servant to fetch the lad. “Tell my father,” said Choshiro, guessing at his fate, “that it is the duty of a Samurai to sacrifice his life for the sake of loyalty, and that I shall meet my doom fearlessly by my lord’s own sword.” He went in to the Shogun, and, kneeling down, pushed the stray locks from his neck, clasped his hands and closed his eyes, calmly awaiting decapitation. The Shogun was touched; he guessed the truth; he felt sure Choshiro was merely faithful to his young master; and he threw his sword away.. Raising the little lad, he said, “Courageous young Samurai! When Takechiyo succeeds me as Shogun no one will be able to assist him in the task of ruling his people so well as you. You are forgiven!” Choshiro became one of the trusted minister of Takechiyo when he began to reign, and his fame stands high on the honoured roll of the Samurai.