Botchan | Page 4

to understand. A funny dad he was. My brother
was to be seen studying English hard, saying that he was going to be a
businessman. He was like a girl by nature, and so "sassy" that we two
were never on good terms, and had to fight it out about once every ten

days. When we played a chess game one day, he placed a chessman as
a "waiter,"--a cowardly tactic this,--and had hearty laugh on me by
seeing me in a fix. His manner was so trying that time that I banged a
chessman on his forehead which was injured a little bit and bled. He
told all about this to father, who said he would disinherit me.
Then I gave up myself for lost, and expected to be really disinherited.
But our maid Kiyo, who had been with us for ten years or so,
interceded on my behalf, and tearfully apologized for me, and by her
appeal my father's wrath was softened. I did not regard him, however,
as one to be afraid of in any way, but rather felt sorry for our Kiyo. I
had heard that Kiyo was of a decent, well-to-do family, but being
driven to poverty at the time of the Restoration, had to work as a
servant. So she was an old woman by this time. This old woman,--by
what affinity, as the Buddhists say, I don't know,--loved me a great deal.
Strange, indeed! She was almost blindly fond of me,--me, whom
mother, became thoroughly disgusted with three days before her death;
whom father considered a most aggravating proposition all the year
round, and whom the neighbors cordially hated as the local bully
among the youngsters. I had long reconciled myself to the fact that my
nature was far from being attractive to others, and so didn't mind if I
were treated as a piece of wood; so I thought it uncommon that Kiyo
should pet me like that. Sometimes in the kitchen, when there was
nobody around, she would praise me saying that I was straightforward
and of a good disposition. What she meant by that exactly, was not
clear to me, however. If I were of so good a nature as she said, I
imagined those other than Kiyo should accord me a better treatment. So
whenever Kiyo said to me anything of the kind, I used to answer that I
did not like passing compliments. Then she would remark; "That's the
very reason I say you are of a good disposition," and would gaze at me
with absorbing tenderness. She seemed to recreate me by her own
imagination, and was proud of the fact. I felt even chilled through my
marrow at her constant attention to me.
After my mother was dead, Kiyo loved me still more. In my simple
reasoning, I wondered why she had taken such a fancy to me.
Sometimes I thought it quite futile on her part, that she had better quit

that sort of thing, which was bad for her. But she loved me just the
same. Once in, a while she would buy, out of her own pocket, some
cakes or sweetmeats for me. When the night was cold, she would
secretly buy some noodle powder, and bring all unawares hot noodle
gruel to my bed; or sometimes she would even buy a bowl of steaming
noodles from the peddler. Not only with edibles, but she was generous
alike with socks, pencils, note books, etc. And she even furnished
me,--this happened some time later,--with about three yen, I did not ask
her for the money; she offered it from her own good will by bringing it
to my room, saying that I might be in need of some cash. This, of
course, embarrassed me, but as she was so insistent I consented to
borrow it. I confess I was really glad of the money. I put it in a bag, and
carried it in my pocket. While about the house, I happened to drop the
bag into a cesspool. Helpless, I told Kiyo how I had lost the money,
and at once she fetched a bamboo stick, and said she will get it for me.
After a while I heard a splashing sound of water about our family well,
and going there, saw Kiyo washing the bag strung on the end of the
stick. I opened the bag and found the edict of the three one-yen bills
turned to faint yellow and designs fading. Kiyo dried them at an open
fire and handed them over to me, asking if they were all right. I smelled
them and said; "They stink yet."
"Give them to me; I'll get them changed." She took those three bills,
and,--I do not know how she went about it,--brought three yen in