Page:Tales from old Japanese dramas (1915).djvu/266

200 and when Naozané had substituted Kojirō for Atsumori.

Then Naozané with fast falling tears, gave the required explanation. After he had solved Yoshitsuné's riddle on the notice board, he had determined to save Atsumori at the sacrifice of his beloved son, who had heartily joined in his father's scheme, and had willingly offered himself up for the sake of loyalty. Naozané had let Kojirō cut his way singly into the Taira camp, merely as a means to accomplish his purpose. He himself had followed his son among the enemy with the pretence of saving him. He had carried Atsumori, dressed in Kojirō's armour, to his camp, on the pretext that he was wounded. By that time he had substituted Kojirō for Atsumori. Therefore it was Kojirō disguised as Atsumori who had fought with Hirayama Suyéshigé, and had made him take to flight. It was also the disguised Kojirō whom Naozané had killed on the beach of Ichi-no-tani, addressing him as Lord Atsumori, in the most polite language, and behaving most courteously towards him. He had done this purposely, so that neither his enemy, nor his comrades might perceive the truth. Briefly, Naozané had