Once upon a time among samurai regent Mototsune Fujiwara was served by a certain unsightly and miserable man who performed some simple duties. Everyone treated him disrespectfully: both colleagues and servants. He was surrounded by general contempt, he lived a truly canine life. His clothes were old, worn, a sword used to the extreme.
However, the hero of the story, a man born for general contempt, had one longing desire: he wanted to eat sweet potato porridge until the dump. This sweet dish was served at the imperial table, and a man of a lower rank at the annual receptions of goodies got a little.
Once, on the second of January, an annual solemn feast was held in the residence of the regent. The rest of the food was given to the samurai. There was sweet potato porridge. But this time it was especially small. And therefore, it seemed to the hero that the porridge should be especially tasty. Having not eaten it properly, he spoke, without addressing anyone:
“I would like to know if I ever have to eat plenty of it?” - And with a sigh he added: - Yes, where is it, they don’t feed simple samurai with sweet potato porridge ...
Then Toshihito Fujiwara, regent Mototsune's bodyguard, a powerful, broad-shouldered man of enormous height laughed. He was already pretty drunk.
- If you want, I will feed you to the dump.
The unnamed hero of this story, not believing his happiness, agreed and a few days later went along with Toshihito Fujiwara to his estate.
We drove a very long time. The hero of the story would surely turn back if it were not for the hope of “getting drunk on sweet potato porridge”. On the way, Toshihito drove and caught a fox and in a pompous tone told her: “This night, you will come to my estate and say that I intended to invite a guest to my place. Let tomorrow send me to meet people and two horses under the saddles. ”With the last word, he shook the fox once and threw it far into the bush. The fox ran away.
The next day, in the appointed place of the travelers, servants met with two horses under the saddles. The gray-haired servant said that the hostess unexpectedly lost consciousness yesterday late at night and said unconsciously: “I am a fox from Sakamoto. Get closer and listen carefully, I will convey to you what the master said today. ”
When everyone gathered, the lady deigned to say these words: “The gentleman set out to suddenly invite a guest to his place. Tomorrow send people to meet him, and with them drive two horses under the saddles. ” And then fell into a dream. She is still sleeping.
“Even the animals serve Toshihito!” - Said the mighty samurai.
While the arrivals were resting, the servants gathered a huge amount of sweet potato, and in the morning several large potatoes of sweet potato porridge were welded. And while the poor samurai woke up, he looked at how such an abyss of goodies was being prepared and thought that he deliberately dragged himself here from the capital in order to eat this very sweet potato porridge, his appetite decreased by half.
An hour later at breakfast he was offered a silver pot filled to the brim with sweet potato porridge.
“You didn’t have to eat sweet potato porridge,” the owners told him. “Proceed without hesitation.”
A few silver pots with sweet potato porridge were placed in front of him, but through force he defeated only one. And then yesterday the messenger fox appeared, and on the orders of Toshihito she was also given porridge. Looking at a fox lapping sweet potato porridge, the well-fed poor fellow thought with sadness how happy he was, cherishing his dream of eating sweet potato porridge until he fell off. And from the knowledge that he would never take this sweet potato porridge in his mouth again, calm came upon him.
