悪路王の首

　　　Toyotomi Bideyoshi (l536-1598) was once a powerful ruler of the country, who resided in the Osaka Castle. One day withot any particular reason, he ordered the generals of the west region to make a sudden attack to Korea. The attack was successful as expected. On the day of the attack, the Koreans who were unaware recalled seeing a vast army of l60,000 people rising from the horizon. Despite the critical situation, the Korean government's officers managed to escape. It was welcoming news when the people learnt that the oppressive Korean government was overthrown by the Japanese. The Koreans thought that the government deserved what had come upon them in return for the sufferings they had cause the people.

　　　However, the Japanese people were being cruel in the new land. The Korean farmers, who put their hearts and souls into growing their crops, had their field trampled. The Japanese also broke into their houses, took valuable belongings then burned the houses. Unfortunately, the common people were powedess against the well-equipped, brutal Japanese army. Violence was committed everywhere. They killed people. The people were defenseless because it was a war that was not expected. On top of all the violence that had been committed, the mturdered Koreans had their ears and noses cut off. These were then put into a salt container and sent to Japan. The remaining survivors, mostly women, children, and monks, were taken prisoners and were brought back to Japan by the Japanese armny. Facing this traumatic situation, many fell unconscious.

　　　The Koreans called the Japanese, We-Nom. They thought that We-Nom should eat living human beings. After the invasion, the Korean people became angry. These people who were mostly farmers, had armed themselves with hoes and sickles, and advanced towards the devious We-Nom. Meanwhile, the Japanese generals were having a party. They shouted, "We Won! We won!'' during the party. They were drunk and merry when a prostitute, Gi-Seng, approached one of the generals nonchalantly, embraced him, and jumped into the river with him.

　　　The angry Koreans were looking very frightening by now. They pushed the remaining Japanese army forcefully into the sea from a cliff. They wanted the invaders to be out their land. Those Japanese generals, who were pushed into the sea, could not swim. Their armors were too heavy. Not too long after, from the direction of the Japanese Fleet, ship-crews were jumping into the water to save their generals. Each carried a general on his back. When a rescuer could not stand the weight of the amored general anymore and drown from fatigue, another ship-crew would continue the task. This went on until the generals got into the ships safely. These ship-crews were fishermen that were rcuited by Toyotomi Hideyoshi for this war. Out of one hndred ship-crews brought on the ship, ninety-four died from drowning. "It is shameful how skilled fishermen ended die from drowning,'' cried the four surviving fishermen.

　　　Since those who died were of lower-class people, nobody cared much. Moreover, people thought that by successfully bringing all the generals back to Japan alive the drown fishermen had died for a noble cause. Once landed in their homeland, the generals marched proudly on a procession from the port to the castle, where Toyotomi Hideyoshi awaited. AIso among the procession were Korean women, artisams and seized goods, which were all presented to Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

　　　The people of Osaka were not surprise to see the prisoners and confiscated goods, not until they saw a tiger among the procession. (The beast was captured in Mount Kongo, Korea). The cage was made of big logs, in which each was the size of a human's leg. Its fur had a pattern of yellow and black stripes. Its eyes shined of golden color. The tiger bore its sharp teeth between the logs. It roared, "I am the man-eating tiger from Mount Kongo." The tiger's growl sent a chill down everyone's spines.
"It is vicious," said one person.
"That's good. Its fur is of high value," said another.
That was what was expected, thought many of Osaka's merchants.
Although they were frightened of the tiger, they were so excited calculating the valtle of the fur that they peed their pants.

　　　Meanwhile, Toyotomi Hideyoshi fancied the tiger very much that he immediately commanded, "Make the cage out of gold!." and pointed Koyashi Tangonokami as the appointed care taker of the wild beast.

　　　However, this was not an ordinary tiger because it did not want to eat just any meats. Tangonokami had taken oxens and cows from farmers, who had fed them since little, for the tiger. When these animals were taken into the cage the tiger did not even set an eye on them. The tiger roared,"I only eat live human being." Tangonokami was bewildered when he heard this. Thus he went to consult with Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
"With all due respect sir ...," he pleaded.
Toyotomi Hideyoshi said, "Fool! It's a man-eating tiger so it doesn't eat animals!"
He closed his fan tand pointed out to the towns' direction. Tangonokami understood and laughed.

　　　Toyotomi Hideyoshi issued a notice to each head of towns, "Present an individual from each town to Toyotomi Hideyoshi." In most cases, a rich town would offer money instead to the ruler. But poorer town could not afford such alternative. They were left with difficulties in deciding whom they should present. In one of the poorer towns, they held a town's meeting to deal with the issue. Some people were considering Kyusuke, a river-metal-scraper (gataro-in Japanese). Kyusuke could not attend such important gathering as he was thought of low-status. After some talks, everybody agreed. He was poor and single thus everyone thought that he had nothing to lose unlike the rest of the townsmen. His death would not be a disadvantage to anyone. So youngsters went to Kyusuke's shabby house to pick him up. After he was micely cleaned, the youngsters carried Kyusuke on their shoulders to Toyotomi Hideyoshi's residence. While they carried him, they also held his hands so he could not escape. Once they arrived at the ruler's residence, they brought him up to the cage. Kyusuke screamed but not out of fright but of amazement when he saw the cage was made of gold. Then Tangonokami asked Kyusuke, "Do you have any last will?" Kyusuke replied, "Now that I have seen a cage of pure gold, my life is blessed so please let me go home."
"You cannot go back!, retumed Tangonokami, "Be happy that you will be eaten by the tiger of the golden cage."
While Kyusuke was mumbling to himself Tangonokami pushed him into the cage and quickly locked the door. The hungry tiger glared fiercely at Kyusuke. It walked up to him withotlt haste and began snifrlng around his feet. When the tiger looked like it was about to bite Kyusuke, he cried for help, instead it bit hard on the cage's grids. The tiger was furious, " I am a man-eaLting tiger from Mount Kongo. I cannot eat this dirt-smelling We-Nom! I only eat Koreans."

　　　The people of Osaka were relief to hear that Kyusuke came back alive. They admired the tiger's attitude for not eating anyone but Koreans. Once again, Tangonokami was at loss. "I am very sorry,sir" said Tangonokami in front of Toyotomi Hideyoshi and told him what he heard from the tiger. "REALLY!!?," said Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He admired the tiger even more. Then he continued, "Fortunately, we have plenty of prisoners from Korea." So he ordered Tangonokami to have them brought out for the tiger's food. A glum "Yes, sir" was the care-taker cotlld reply. Little that Toyotomi Hideyoshi knew about the prisoners, whom had been sold to the Spanish and Portuguese merchants as slaves. As Tangonokami could not find any better ideas, he resolved to giving tip his wife, whom no one knew was Korean, to the tiger. She was kidnapped in Korea and brought to Japan by one of the generals. Tangonokami had taken her to be his wife secretly. His wife was then given a Japanese name. She fearlessly entered the tiger's cage. As the tiger approached her, she said in deep Korean, "A-I-GO, what a despicable beast you are! You want to become a human, but cannot be a human."

　　　There was a Korean's myth that a bear and a tiger practiced asceticism to become human. But the tiger gave up in desperation. The bear continued till the end and became a fully human. He was believed to be the ancestor of Korean people.

　　　Tangonokami 's wife said to the tiger, "My parents and siblings were killed by We-Noms. I was taken to an enemy's land. My older sister took her life on the way to this place. I was the only one left. Not only that, I have been insulted by We-Nom in this place. I envy my older sister who drowned herself in the sea of our homeland. I do not wish to ridicule myself here. My only consolation is that I will be eaten by you. But you ..., you have come all the way here to eat a Korean, how ... (sigh)." After speaking her mind, she was ready to sacrifice herself to the tiger. However, the tiger understood her feelings, saddened and looked away. She came closer to the tiger but it backed away. This went on for a while. Finally, she whispered something to the tiger's ear. Right away, the tiger roared and attacked the woman. The tiger tore her into pieces, ate part by part, ripped her flesh and chewed on her bones greedily, He savored his meal so much that the corner of his eyes slanted tip. As much as he enjoyed his first meal in a long time, big tears fell when he opened his eyes. The tiger's face was red with blood that his tears made white streaks down his bloody face. All this long, Tangonokami was watching everything.

　　　The following day, Korean prisoners were taken into the tiger's cage for its meal. When the tiger saw this, it immediately said, "I only want to eat Pung Shin Sue Gil's flesh. And only his." The tiger was so frightening that no one dared to come closer to the cage. Tangonokami asked the prisoners inside the cage what pung Shin Sue Gil meant. (Those are Korean words thus no Japanese could understand it) But they trembled from fear to tell him anything at all, although they knew they meant in Japanese. Ever since, the tiger always said day and night, "I want to eat Pung Shin Sue Gil". It would not eat anything else. Its skin had worsened, showing a sign of unhealthiness. Day by day, it grew thinner. Tangonokami realized this and became worried. The tiger still called out, "Pung Shin Sue Gill" repeatedly. The Korean prisoners heard its call but they only shook their heads, "We don't know. We don't know.." Tangonokami felt hopeless and decided to take the blame. He let himself into the cage. At this point, the tiger had become very skinny but his glares remained vicious.
"I want t eat Pung Shin Sue Gil's flesh", said the tiger furiously.
Finally, Tangonokami gave up and committed harakiri inside the cage. It showed how pitiful Tangonokami's situation was but the tiger's was even more so. After Tangonokami died, no one was brave enough to come close to the cage. And after a while, they forgot about the pitiful beast altogether. Meanwhile, the tiger was extremely starving.

　　　 Until one day, Toyotomi Hideyoshi said, "... which reminds me, I have not heard any complains from Tangonokami ...." then he suddenly remembered about the tiger and asked about its well being. By then, the tiger was so thin that it looked like a piece of straw. It resembled a worn out rag. When it walked, it had to grag its feet. Toyotomi Hideyoshi had come with his usual many attendants when he saw the tiger. They were equally surprised when they saw each other. On one hand, the tiger had not had visitors, especially that many people, in a very long time. On the other hand, Toyotomi Hideyoshi could not believe his eyes, the beast he once adred, had looked obnoxious. The tiger roared hoarsely, "I want to eat Pung ShinSue Gil." So shocked was Toyotomi Hideyoshi at what he saw, he yelled, "WHAT'S THIS???!". The tiger did not look big and powerful anymore like the first time he saw it. Then Toyotomi Hideyoshi said, "When a great man dies, he will be remembered for his achievements. But this tiger's skin isn't worth anything. Dump him on the outmost ditch of of the castle!" he ordered. Thus the tiger was dumped there. Soon after, its corpse floated on the surface. Eeavy rainfall came pouring down later on and washed the corpse down the river. Eventually, it sank and got buried beneath the river's mud.

　　　One day, Kyusuke, the river-metal-scraper, went to the river as usual to look for anything valuable when he scooped up an amimal's fang with his tray. The fang looked like a sharp knife. "I'm sure it is the man-eating tiger's fang," thought Kyusuke. Though how it had gotten there, Kyusuke had no idea. He took the fang home, where there was animals' burial ground nearby. He buried the fang in there, then he poured sake on top of the mound and drank the rest of it. After a while, he fell asleep.

　　　I was told of this story.
　　　Nevertheless, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was in fact Puns Shin Su Gil in Korean. He never found this out and so did the rest of the Japanese. So it was said.

Translation by Charmaine O'Saerang