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中文 (原文)	日本語 (翻訳)
= 长明灯 =	= 永遠の灯 (长明灯) =
鲁迅全集翻訳プロジェクトの一部。	魯迅 (ルーシュン, 1881–1936)
== 中文原文 ==	中国語から日本語への翻訳。
春陰的下午，吉光屯唯一的茶館子裏的空氣又有些緊張了，人們的耳朵裏，仿佛還留著一種微細沉實的聲息——「熄掉他罷！」 　　但當然並不是全屯的人們都如此。這屯上的居民是不大出行的，動一動就須查黃歷，看那上面是否寫著「不宜出行」；倘沒有寫，出去也須先走喜神方，迎吉利。不拘禁忌地坐在茶館裏的不過幾個以豁達自居的青年人，但在蟄居人的意中卻以為個個都是敗家子。 　　現在也無非就是這茶館裏的空氣有些緊張。 　　「還是這樣麼？」三角臉的拿起茶碗，問。 　　「聽說，還是這樣，」方頭說，「還是盡說‘熄掉他熄掉他’。眼光也越加發閃了。見鬼！這是我們屯上的一個大害，你不要看得微細。我們倒應該想個法子來除掉他！」 　　「除掉他，算什麼一回事。他不過是一個……。什麼東西！造廟的時候，他的祖宗就捐過錢，現在他卻要來吹熄長明燈。這不是不肖子孫？我們上縣去，送他忤逆！」闊亭捏了拳頭，在桌上一擊，慷慨地說。一只斜蓋著的茶碗蓋子也噫的一聲，翻了身。 　　「不成。要送忤逆，須是他的父母，母舅……」方頭說。 　　「可惜他只有一個伯父……」闊亭立刻頹唐了。 　　「闊亭！」方頭突然叫道。「你昨天的牌風可好？」 　　闊亭睜著眼看了他一會，沒有便答；胖臉的莊七光已經放開喉嚨嚷起來了： 　　「吹熄了燈，我們的吉光屯還成什麼吉光屯，不就完了麼？老年人不都說麼：這燈還是梁武帝點起的，一直傳下來，沒有熄過；連長毛造反的時候也沒有熄過……。你看，嘖，那火光不是綠瑩瑩的麼？外路人經過這裏的都要看一看，都稱贊……。嘖，多麼好……。他現在這麼胡鬧，什麼意思？……」 　　「他不是發了瘋麼？你還沒有知道？」方頭帶些藐視的神氣說。 　　「哼，你聰明！」莊七光的臉上就走了油。 　　「我想：還不如用老法子騙他一騙，」灰五嬸，本店的主人兼工人，本來是旁聽著的，看見形勢有些離了她專註的本題了，便趕忙來岔開紛爭，拉到正經事上去。 　　「什麼老法子？」莊七光詫異地問。 　　「他不是先就發過一回瘋麼，和現在一模一樣。那時他的父親還在，騙了他一騙，就治好了。」 　　「怎麼騙？我怎麼不知道？」莊七光更其詫異地問。 　　「你怎麼會知道？那時你們都還是小把戲呢，單知道喝奶拉矢。便是我，那時也不這樣。你看我那時的一雙手呵，真是粉嫩粉嫩……」 　　「你現在也還是粉嫩粉嫩……」方頭說。 　　「放你媽的屁！」灰五嬸怒目地笑了起來，「莫胡說了。我們講正經話。他那時也還年青哩；他的老子也就有些瘋的。聽說：有一天他的祖父帶他進社廟去，教他拜社老爺，瘟將軍，王靈官老爺，他就害怕了，硬不拜，跑了出來，從此便有些怪。後來就像現在一樣，一見人總和他們商量吹熄正殿上的長明燈。他說熄了便再不會有蝗蟲和病痛，真是像一件天大的正事似的。大約那是邪祟附了體，怕見正路神道了。要是我們，會怕見社老爺麼？你們的茶不冷了麼？對一點熱水罷。好，他後來就自己闖進去，要去吹。他的老子又太疼愛他，不肯將他鎖起來。呵，後來不是全屯動了公憤，和他老子去吵鬧了麼？可是，沒有辦法，——幸虧我家的死鬼那時還在，給想了一個法：將長明燈用厚棉被一圍，漆漆黑黑地，領他去看，說是已經吹熄了。」 　　「唉唉，這真虧他想得出。」三角臉吐一口氣，說，不勝感服之至似的。 　　「費什麼這樣的手腳，」闊亭憤憤地說，「這樣的東西，打死了就完了，嚇！」 　　「那怎麼行？」她吃驚地看著他，連忙搖手道，「那怎麼行！他的祖父不是捏過印靶子的麼？」 　　闊亭們立刻面面相覷，覺得除了「死鬼」的妙法以外，也委實無法可想了。 　　「後來就好了的！」她又用手背抹去一些嘴角上的白沫，更快地說，「後來全好了的！他從此也就不再走進廟門去，也不再提起什麼來，許多年。不知道怎麼這回看了賽會之後不多幾天，又瘋了起來了。哦，同先前一模一樣。午後他就走過這裏，一定又上廟裏去了。你們和四爺商量商量去，還是再騙他一騙好。那燈不是梁五弟點起來的麼？不是說，那燈一滅，這裏就要變海，我們就都要變泥鰍麼？你們快去和四爺商量商量罷，要不……」 　　「我們還是先到廟前去看一看，」方頭說著，便軒昂地出了門。 　　闊亭和莊七光也跟著出去了。三角臉走得最後，將到門口，回過頭來說道： 　　「這回就記了我的賬！入他……。」 　　灰五嬸答應著，走到東墻下拾起一塊木炭來，就在墻上畫有一個小三角形和一串短短的細線的下面，劃添了兩條線。 　　他們望見社廟的時候，果然一並看到了幾個人：一個正是他，兩個是閑看的，三個是孩子。 　　但廟門卻緊緊地關著。 　　「好！廟門還關著。」闊亭高興地說。 　　他們一走近，孩子們似乎也都膽壯，圍近去了。本來對了廟門立著的他，也轉過臉來對他們看。 　　他也還如平常一樣，黃的方臉和藍布破大衫，只在濃眉底下的大而且長的眼睛中，略帶些異樣的光閃，看人就許多工夫不眨眼，並且總含著悲憤疑懼的神情。短的頭發上粘著兩片稻草葉，那該是孩子暗暗地從背後給他放上去的，因為他們向他頭上一看之後，就都縮了頸子，笑著將舌頭很快地一伸。 　　他們站定了，各人都互看著別個的臉。 　　「你幹什麼？」但三角臉終於走上一步，詰問了。 　　「我叫老黑開門，」他低聲，溫和地說。「就因為那一盞燈必須吹熄。你看，三頭六臂的藍臉，三只眼睛，長帽，半個的頭，牛頭和豬牙齒，都應該吹熄……吹熄。吹熄，我們就不會有蝗蟲，不會有豬嘴瘟……。」 　　「唏唏，胡鬧！」闊亭輕蔑地笑了出來，「你吹熄了燈，蝗蟲會還要多，你就要生豬嘴瘟！」 　　「唏唏！」莊七光也陪著笑。 　　一個赤膊孩子擎起他玩弄著的葦子，對他瞄準著，將櫻桃似的小口一張，道： 　　「吧！」 　　「你還是回去罷！倘不，你的伯伯會打斷你的骨頭！燈麼，我替你吹。你過幾天來看就知道。」闊亭大聲說。 　　他兩眼更發出閃閃的光來，釘一般看定闊亭的眼，使闊亭的眼光趕緊辟易了。 　　「你吹？」他嘲笑似的微笑，但接著就堅定地說，「不能！不要你們。我自己去熄，此刻去熄！」 　　闊亭便立刻頹唐得酒醒之後似的無力；方頭卻已站上去了，慢慢地說道： 　　「你是一向懂事的，這一回可是太胡塗了。讓我來開導你罷，你也許能夠明白。就是吹熄了燈，那些東西不是還在麼？不要這麼傻頭傻腦了，還是回去！睡覺去！」 　　「我知道的，熄了也還在。」他忽又現出陰鷙的笑容，但是立即收斂了，沉實地說道，「然而我只能姑且這麼辦。我先來這麼辦，容易些。我就要吹熄他，自己熄！」他說著，一面就轉過身去竭力地推廟門。 　　「餵！」闊亭生氣了，「你不是這裏的人麼？你一定要我們大家變泥鰍麼？回去！你推不開的，你沒有法子開的！吹不熄的！還是回去好！」 　　「我不回去！我要吹熄他！」 　　「不成！你沒法開！」 　　「…………」 　　「你沒法開！」 　　「那麼，就用別的法子來。」他轉臉向他們一瞥，沉靜地說。 　　「哼，看你有什麼別的法。」 　　「…………」 　　「看你有什麼別的法！」 　　「我放火。」 　　「什麼？」闊亭疑心自己沒有聽清楚。 　　「我放火！」 　　沉默像一聲清磬，搖曳著尾聲，周圍的活物都在其中凝結了。但不一會，就有幾個人交頭接耳，不一會，又都退了開去；兩三人又在略遠的地方站住了。廟後門的墻外就有莊七光的聲音喊道： 　　「老黑呀，不對了！你廟門要關得緊！老黑呀，你聽清了麼？關得緊！我們去想了法子就來！」 　　但他似乎並不留心別的事，只閃爍著狂熱的眼光，在地上，在空中，在人身上，迅速地搜查，仿佛想要尋火種。 　　方頭和闊亭在幾家的大門裏穿梭一般出入了一通之後，吉光屯全局頓然擾動了。許多人們的耳朵裏，心裏，都有了一個可怕的聲音：「放火！」但自然還有多少更深的蟄居人的耳朵裏心裏是全沒有。然而全屯的空氣也就緊張起來，凡有感得這緊張的人們，都很不安，仿佛自己就要變成泥鰍，天下從此毀滅。他們自然也隱約知道毀滅的不過是吉光屯，但也覺得吉光屯似乎就是天下。 　　這事件的中樞，不久就湊在四爺的客廳上了。坐在首座上的是年高德韶的郭老娃，臉上已經皺得如風幹的香橙，還要用手捋著下頦上的白胡須，似乎想將他們拔下。 　　「上半天，」他放松了胡子，慢慢地說，「西頭，老富的中風，他的兒子，就說是：因為，社神不安，之故。這樣一來，將來，萬一有，什麼，雞犬不寧，的事，就難免要到，府上……是的，都要來到府上，麻煩。」 　　「是麼，」四爺也捋著上唇的花白的鮎魚須，卻悠悠然，仿佛全不在意模樣，說，「這也是他父親的報應呵。他自己在世的時候，不就是不相信菩薩麼？我那時就和他不合，可是一點也奈何他不得。現在，叫我還有什麼法？」 　　「我想，只有，一個。是的，有一個。明天，捆上城去，給他在那個，那個城隍廟裏，擱一夜，是的，擱一夜，趕一趕，邪祟。」 　　闊亭和方頭以守護全屯的勞績，不但第一次走進這一個不易瞻仰的客廳，並且還坐在老娃之下和四爺之上，而且還有茶喝。他們跟著老娃進來，報告之後，就只是喝茶，喝幹之後，也不開口，但此時闊亭忽然發表意見了： 　　「這辦法太慢！他們兩個還管著呢。最要緊的是馬上怎麼辦。如果真是燒將起來……」 　　郭老娃嚇了一跳，下巴有些發抖。 　　「如果真是燒將起來……」方頭搶著說。 　　「那麼，」闊亭大聲道，「就糟了！」 　　一個黃頭發的女孩子又來沖上茶。闊亭便不再說話，立即拿起茶來喝。渾身一抖，放下了，伸出舌尖來舐了一舐上嘴唇，揭去碗蓋噓噓地吹著。 　　「真是拖累煞人！」四爺將手在桌上輕輕一拍，「這種子孫，真該死呵！唉！」 　　「的確，該死的。」闊亭擡起頭來了，「去年，連各莊就打死一個：這種子孫。大家一口咬定，說是同時同刻，大家一齊動手，分不出打第一下的是誰，後來什麼事也沒有。」 　　「那又是一回事。」方頭說，「這回，他們管著呢。我們得趕緊想法子。我想……」 　　老娃和四爺都肅然地看著他的臉。 　　「我想：倒不如姑且將他關起來。」 　　「那倒也是一個妥當的辦法。」四爺微微地點一點頭。 　　「妥當！」闊亭說。 　　「那倒，確是，一個妥當的，辦法。」老娃說，「我們，現在，就將他，拖到府上來。府上，就趕快，收拾出，一間屋子來。還，準備著，鎖。」 　　「屋子？」四爺仰了臉，想了一會，說，「舍間可是沒有這樣的閑房。他也說不定什麼時候才會好……」 　　「就用，他，自己的……」老娃說。 　　「我家的六順，」四爺忽然嚴肅而且悲哀地說，聲音也有些發抖了。「秋天就要娶親……。你看，他年紀這麼大了，單知道發瘋，不肯成家立業。舍弟也做了一世人，雖然也不大安分，可是香火總歸是絕不得的……。」 　　「那自然！」三個人異口同音地說。 　　「六順生了兒子，我想第二個就可以過繼給他。但是，——別人的兒子，可以白要的麼？」 　　「那不能！」三個人異口同音地說。 　　「這一間破屋，和我是不相幹；六順也不在乎此。可是，將親生的孩子白白給人，做母親的怕不能就這麼松爽罷？」 　　「那自然！」三個人異口同音地說。 　　四爺沉默了。三個人交互看著別人的臉。 　　「我是天天盼望他好起來，」四爺在暫時靜穆之後，這才緩緩地說，「可是他總不好。也不是不好，是他自己不要好。無法可想，就照這一位所說似的關起來，免得害人，出他父親的醜，也許倒反好，倒是對得起他的父親……。」 　　「那自然，」闊亭感動的說，「可是，房子……」 　　「廟裏就沒有閑房？……」四爺慢騰騰地問道。 　　「有！」闊亭恍然道，「有！進大門的西邊那一間就空著，又只有一個小方窗，粗木直柵的，決計挖不開。好極了！」 　　老娃和方頭也頓然都顯了歡喜的神色；闊亭吐一口氣，尖著嘴唇就喝茶。 　　未到黃昏時分，天下已經泰平，或者竟是全都忘卻了，人們的臉上不特已不緊張，並且早褪盡了先前的喜悅的痕跡。在廟前，人們的足跡自然比平日多，但不久也就稀少了。只因為關了幾天門，孩子們不能進去玩，便覺得這一天在院子裏格外玩得有趣，吃過了晚飯，還有幾個跑到廟裏去遊戲，猜謎。 　　「你猜。」一個最大的說，「我再說一遍：白篷船，紅劃楫，搖到對岸歇一歇，點心吃一些，戲文唱一出。」 　　「那是什麼呢？‘紅劃楫’的。」一個女孩說。 　　「我說出來罷，那是……」 　　「慢一慢！」生癩頭瘡的說，「我猜著了，航船。」 　　「航船。」赤膊的也道。 　　「哈，航船？」最大的道，「航船是搖櫓的。他會唱戲文麼？你們猜不著。我說出來罷……」 　　「慢一慢，」癩頭瘡還說。 　　「哼，你猜不著。我說出來罷，那是：鵝。」 　　「鵝！」女孩笑著說，「紅劃楫的。」 　　「怎麼又是白篷船呢？」赤膊的問。 　　「我放火！」 　　孩子們都吃驚，立時記起他來，一齊註視西廂房，又看見一只手扳著木柵，一只手撕著木皮，其間有兩只眼睛閃閃地發亮。 　　沉默只一瞬間，癩頭瘡忽而發一聲喊，拔步就跑；其余的也都笑著嚷著跑出去了。赤膊的還將葦子向後一指，從喘籲籲的櫻桃似的小嘴唇裏吐出清脆的一聲道： 　　「吧！」 　　從此完全靜寂了，暮色下來，綠瑩瑩的長明燈更其分明地照出神殿，神龕，而且照到院子，照到木柵裏的昏暗。 　　孩子們跑出廟外也就立定，牽著手，慢慢地向自己的家走去，都笑吟吟地，合唱著隨口編派的歌： 　　「白篷船，對岸歇一歇。 　　此刻熄，自己熄。戲文唱一齣。 　　我放火！哈哈哈！ 　　火火火，點心喫一些。 　　戲文唱一齣。 　　…………… 　　……… 　　…」 　　一九二五年三月一日	On a cloudy spring afternoon, the air in the sole teahouse of Jiguang Village was tense once more. In people's ears there seemed to linger a faint, weighted sound: "Blow it out!" But of course not everyone in the village felt this way. The inhabitants here seldom ventured out; the slightest movement required consulting the almanac to see if it read "Inadvisable to travel." And if nothing of the sort was written, one still had to walk first toward the God of Fortune to court good luck. The only ones who sat in the teahouse without regard for such taboos were a few young men who fancied themselves broad-minded — though in the eyes of the stay-at-homes, every one of them was a good-for-nothing. So it was merely the air in this teahouse that was somewhat tense. "Still at it?" asked Triangle Face, lifting his tea bowl. "So I hear," said Squarehead. "Still going on about 'blow it out, blow it out.' And his eyes are getting wilder. Damn it! He's a menace to our whole village — don't take it lightly. We ought to find a way to get rid of him!" "Get rid of him — as if that were any great matter. He's nothing but a... what sort of creature! When the temple was built, his grandfather donated money, and now he wants to blow out the Eternal Lamp. Isn't that the mark of a degenerate? We should haul him before the county magistrate for filial impiety!" Kuoting clenched his fist and struck the table, speaking with great indignation. The tilted lid of a tea bowl went "clink" and flipped over. "That won't work. To file charges of filial impiety, you'd need his parents or maternal uncle to bring the case..." said Squarehead. "Unfortunately he only has a paternal uncle..." Kuoting deflated at once. "Kuoting!" Squarehead called out suddenly. "How was your luck at cards yesterday?" Kuoting stared at him for a moment without answering. The fat-faced Zhuang Qiguang had already raised his voice and begun to bluster: "If the lamp goes out, what's left of our Jiguang Village? It'll be the end of us, won't it? Don't all the old folk say: this lamp was lit by Emperor Wu of Liang and has burned ever since, never once going out — not even during the Taiping Rebellion...? Just look — tsk — doesn't that flame glow a luminous green? Even travelers passing through stop to admire it... Tsk, how fine... And now he makes this kind of trouble — what does he mean by it...?" "He's gone mad, hasn't he? You didn't know?" said Squarehead with a somewhat contemptuous air. "Hmph, aren't you clever!" Zhuang Qiguang's face went greasy. "I think we should try the old trick again and fool him," said Auntie Gray, proprietress and sole worker of the establishment. She had been listening from the side, but seeing the conversation drift from her topic of concern, she hurried to cut short the bickering and steer things back to the matter at hand. "What old trick?" Zhuang Qiguang asked in surprise. "He had a fit once before, exactly like this one. His father was still alive then, and he tricked him — cured him just like that." "Tricked him how? I never heard of it!" Zhuang Qiguang asked with even greater surprise. "How would you have? You were all little brats then, good for nothing but sucking milk and filling your pants. Even I was different in those days. You should have seen my hands — so soft and rosy..." "You're still soft and rosy..." said Squarehead. "Shut your mouth!" Auntie Gray laughed with furious eyes. "Stop talking rubbish. Let's be serious. He was young then too. His old man had a touch of the madness himself. The story goes: One day his grandfather took him into the village temple and told him to bow to the Earth God, the Plague General, and the Spirit Officer Wang. But he got frightened and refused to kneel and ran out — and from then on he was a bit strange. Then it was just like now: he'd talk to everyone he met about blowing out the Eternal Lamp in the main hall. He said that once it was out, there would be no more locusts, no more disease — as though it were the most momentous undertaking in the world. Probably some evil spirit had got into him and was afraid of the righteous deities. If it were us, would we be afraid of the Earth God? Isn't your tea getting cold? Add some hot water. — Right. So then he charged in himself to blow it out. But his father loved him too dearly to lock him up. And then, didn't the whole village rise up in indignation and go make a row at his father's door? But nothing worked — fortunately my late husband was still alive then, and he thought of something: he wrapped the Eternal Lamp in a thick cotton quilt, pitch dark, and led him to look, saying it had already been blown out." "Ah, what an idea — you'd have to hand it to him," sighed Triangle Face, in deepest admiration. "Why all this fuss?" said Kuoting furiously. "This sort of creature — beat him to death and have done with it, pah!" "You can't do that!" She looked at him in alarm and hastily waved her hands. "You can't do that! Wasn't his grandfather an official who held the seal of office?" Kuoting and the others exchanged dismayed glances and had to admit that, apart from the "late husband's" brilliant scheme, they truly could think of nothing. "And after that he was cured!" she continued, wiping some white foam from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, and spoke even faster. "After that he was perfectly fine! From then on he never set foot in the temple again and never brought up any of it, for many years. I don't know why, just a few days after seeing the procession this time, he's gone mad again. Exactly the same as before. This afternoon he passed by here — he must have gone to the temple again. Go talk it over with the Fourth Master and trick him once more. Wasn't the lamp lit by Liang Wudi? Don't they say that if the lamp goes out, this whole place will turn into a sea, and we'll all turn into loaches? Go quickly and talk to the Fourth Master, otherwise..." "Let's go have a look at the temple first," said Squarehead, and strode grandly out the door. Kuoting and Zhuang Qiguang followed. Triangle Face went last, and when he reached the door, he turned back and said: "Put it on my tab this time! Son of a..." Auntie Gray assented, walked to the east wall, picked up a piece of charcoal, and beneath a small triangle and a row of short thin lines already drawn on the wall, added two more strokes. When they caught sight of the village temple, they did indeed see several people: one was him, two were idle onlookers, and three were children. But the temple gate was shut tight. "Good! The gate's still closed," said Kuoting happily. As they drew near, the children seemed to take heart as well and pressed closer. He, who had been standing facing the temple gate, turned around to look at them. He looked the same as ever: a yellow, square face and a tattered blue cotton gown. Only beneath his thick brows, in his large, elongated eyes, there was a strange glint. When he looked at someone, he did not blink for a long time, and his gaze was always filled with indignation, sorrow, suspicion, and dread. On his short hair stuck two pieces of straw — the children must have secretly placed them there from behind, for after glancing at his head, they all hunched their shoulders, laughed, and stuck out their tongues with lightning speed. They stood still, each looking at the others' faces. "What are you doing here?" But Triangle Face finally stepped forward and challenged him. "I'm asking Old Hei to open the door," he said in a low, gentle voice. "Because that lamp must be blown out. Look — the three-headed, six-armed blue faces, the three-eyed ones, the ones with the tall hats, the half-heads, the ox-heads and the ones with pig's teeth — they should all be blown out... blown out. If we blow them out, we'll have no more locusts, no more swine-snout plague..." "Haha, nonsense!" Kuoting laughed contemptuously. "If you blow out the lamp, the locusts will be even worse, and you yourself will catch the swine-snout plague!" "Haha!" Zhuang Qiguang laughed along. A bare-chested boy raised the reed he had been playing with, took aim at him, opened his cherry-like little mouth, and cried: "Bang!" "Just go home! Otherwise your uncle will break every bone in your body! The lamp — I'll blow it out for you. Come back in a few days and see for yourself." Kuoting spoke loudly. His eyes blazed even brighter, and he fixed Kuoting's eyes like nails, forcing Kuoting's gaze to retreat in haste. "You'll blow it out?" He smiled as if in mockery, but then said firmly: "No! I don't need you. I'll put it out myself, right now!" Kuoting went limp at once, as feeble as after sobering up from a binge. But Squarehead had already stepped forward and said slowly: "You've always been a sensible man, but this time you're really too muddled. Let me explain things to you — perhaps you'll understand. Even if you blow out the lamp, won't those things still be there? Don't be so thickheaded — go home! Go to sleep!" "I know they'll still be there, even if I put it out," he said, and suddenly a dark smile flickered across his face, but he immediately composed himself and spoke gravely: "But for the time being, this is all I can do. I'll start with this — it's easier. I'm going to blow it out — blow it out myself!" As he spoke, he turned and pushed against the temple gate with all his might. "Hey!" Kuoting was furious. "Don't you belong to this village? Do you want us all to turn into loaches? Go back! You can't open it — you've got no way of opening it! You can't blow it out! Just go home!" "I won't go back! I want to blow it out!" "You can't! You've got no way to open it!" "..." "You've got no way to open it!" "Then I'll use other means," he said, turning to glance at them, and spoke calmly. "Hmph, let's see what other means you've got." "..." "Let's see what other means you've got!" "I'll set fire to it." "What?" Kuoting thought he had misheard. "I'll set fire to it!" The silence was like the toll of a temple bell, trembling with its dying echoes — every living thing around them froze within it. But before long, several people put their heads together, and before long, they had all drawn back; two or three stopped again at some distance. From behind the rear wall of the temple came the voice of Zhuang Qiguang: "Old Hei! Listen! You must keep the temple gate locked tight! Old Hei, do you hear? Locked tight! We'll think of something and come back!" But he seemed to pay no attention to anything else; with feverishly glittering eyes he searched the ground, the air, the people's bodies — as though looking for tinder. After Squarehead and Kuoting had shuttled in and out of several front doors, the whole of Jiguang Village was thrown into commotion. In many ears and hearts there now lived a terrifying word: "Fire!" But naturally there were still quite a few deeper stay-at-homes whose ears and hearts were wholly untouched. And yet the air over the entire village had grown taut, and all who felt the tension were deeply uneasy, as though they themselves were about to turn into loaches and the world was coming to an end. They knew vaguely, of course, that only Jiguang would be destroyed, but Jiguang felt to them like the whole world. The nerve center of this affair soon converged in Fourth Master's sitting room. On the seat of honor sat the venerable Guo Laowa, whose face was as wrinkled as a dried orange. He stroked the white beard on his chin with one hand, as though trying to pull it out. "This morning," he released his beard and spoke slowly, "over on the west side — Old Fu had a stroke — and his son says it's because — the Earth God — is disturbed. If this goes on — and in the future — should there be any — unrest among chickens and dogs — people will inevitably come to — your door... Yes, everything will come back to your door. Trouble." "I see," said Fourth Master, stroking the salt-and-pepper catfish whiskers on his upper lip, looking perfectly unperturbed, as though none of this concerned him. "That's the retribution for his father, isn't it. Didn't his father himself refuse to believe in the gods when he was alive? I never got along with him, but there was nothing I could do about him. And now — what can I possibly do?" "I think — there is only — one way. Yes, one way. Tomorrow — tie him up and take him to the city — and put him in the — the City God Temple — for the night. Yes, one night. To drive out — the evil spirits." Kuoting and Squarehead, on the merit of having guarded the whole village, not only entered this rarely glimpsed sitting room for the first time but were seated below Laowa and above Fourth Master, and were even served tea. They had followed Laowa in, given their report, and then simply drunk tea. When their cups were drained, they said nothing. But now Kuoting suddenly spoke up: "That's too slow! Those two are still watching over him. The urgent thing is what to do right now. If he really sets fire to it..." Guo Laowa started, his jaw trembling. "If he really sets fire to it..." Squarehead chimed in. "Then," Kuoting said loudly, "we're done for!" A yellow-haired girl came in and poured fresh tea. Kuoting fell silent, immediately picked up his bowl and drank. His whole body gave a shudder; he set it down, licked his upper lip with the tip of his tongue, removed the lid, and blew on it with a hiss. "What a burden he is!" Fourth Master tapped the table lightly with his hand. "A descendant like that — he deserves to die! Alas!" "Indeed he does," said Kuoting, raising his head. "Last year, in the neighboring hamlets, they beat one to death — that kind of descendant. Everyone swore with one voice that they had all struck simultaneously, at the same moment, and no one could tell who dealt the first blow — and afterward, nothing came of it." "That was a different matter," said Squarehead. "This time — those two are watching over him. We need to think of something fast. I think..." Laowa and Fourth Master both looked solemnly at his face. "I think: we'd best lock him up for the time being." "That would indeed be a sound plan," said Fourth Master with a slight nod. "Sound!" said Kuoting. "That would — indeed — be a sound — plan," said Laowa. "Let us — now — drag him over to your house. And you — must quickly — prepare — a room. And — get — a lock." "A room?" Fourth Master tilted his head back, thought for a moment, and said: "In my humble house there is no such spare room. And who knows when he might recover..." "Use — his — own..." said Laowa. "My Sixth Shun," said Fourth Master, suddenly solemn and sorrowful, his voice trembling slightly. "Is to marry in the autumn... You see, he's already this old, and all he can do is act insane — he won't settle down and make a life. My younger brother lived out his whole life, and even if he wasn't always the most proper man — the family line must never be allowed to die out..." "Of course not!" the three said in unison. "When Sixth Shun has a son, I was thinking the second one could be adopted to him. But — can you simply take another person's child for nothing?" "Of course you can't!" the three said in unison. "That tumbledown room has nothing to do with me; Sixth Shun doesn't care about it either. But to give away one's own flesh and blood for nothing — would a mother really agree so easily?" "Of course not!" the three said in unison. Fourth Master fell silent. The three men glanced at each other's faces. "I hope every day that he'll get better," said Fourth Master after the brief silence, speaking slowly, "but he never does. Or rather — it's not that he can't get better, it's that he refuses to. There's nothing to be done. Then we'll just lock him up, as this gentleman suggested — to keep him from causing harm and disgracing his father — perhaps that would actually be right, perhaps it would honor his father..." "Of course," said Kuoting, moved. "But the room..." "Isn't there a spare room in the temple?" Fourth Master asked unhurriedly. "Yes!" Kuoting exclaimed, suddenly enlightened. "Yes! The room to the left just inside the main gate is empty, and it has only a small square window with thick wooden bars — there's no way to pry them open. Perfect!" Laowa and Squarehead also brightened at once; Kuoting breathed a sigh of relief, pursed his lips, and drank his tea. Before dusk had fully fallen, all was well with the world — or rather, everything had already been forgotten. People's faces showed not only no tension but had already shed every trace of their earlier elation. Before the temple there were naturally more footprints than on an ordinary day, but these too soon grew scarce. Only because the gate had been shut for several days and the children had been unable to go inside to play, they found playing in the yard particularly entertaining that day. Even after supper, several of them ran to the temple to play and guess riddles. "Guess," said the biggest one. "I'll say it once more: White-sailed boat, red oar, row to the other shore and rest a spell, eat a few treats, sing a scene of opera." "What could that be? 'Red oar'?" said a girl. "Let me tell you — it's..." "Wait!" said the boy with the scabby head. "I've got it — a ferry." "A ferry," echoed the bare-chested one. "Ha, a ferry?" said the biggest. "Ferries are rowed with sculls. Can a ferry sing opera? You can't guess it. Let me tell you..." "Wait," the scabby-headed boy persisted. "Hmph, you can't get it. Let me tell you — it's: a goose." "A goose!" the girl said, laughing. "'Red oar'..." "But then why 'white-sailed boat'?" asked the bare-chested one. "I'll set fire to it!" The children all started, instantly remembered him, and stared as one at the west chamber. There they saw a hand gripping the wooden bars, another hand tearing at the bark of the wood; between them, two eyes gleaming and flashing. The silence lasted only an instant. The scabby-headed boy let out a cry and bolted. The rest ran after him, laughing and shouting. The bare-chested one pointed his reed backward, and from his panting, cherry-like little mouth came a clear, crisp cry: "Bang!" After that, all was utterly still. Dusk descended, and the luminous green Eternal Lamp shone ever more distinctly upon the gods' hall and the shrine, its light falling into the courtyard and into the darkness behind the wooden bars. The children stopped outside the temple and stood still, took each other by the hand, and walked slowly homeward. All were smiling, singing together a song they made up on the spot: "White-sailed boat, rest on the other shore. Blow it out now, blow it out yourself. Sing a scene of opera. I'll set fire to it! Ha ha ha! Fire, fire, fire — eat a few treats. Sing a scene of opera. ... ... ..." March 1, 1925