Kappa at Night
By J. L. Henderson
Minako heaved a sigh as she followed the dirt path down from her home, her father's words still echoing in her ear. Why did she have to go? She'd been working as hard as anyone today! That's the only reason the cucumber field wasn't harvested. With the Imperial guests visiting, Lord Shima wanted everything looking perfect in town. In other words, she was volunteered for everything!
I guess it wasn't all bad, she reflected. Tanaka-sensei did introduce her to his old student. Very handsome, she had to admit! And, serving the Imperial court? Tanaka-sensei thought that in the spring the young man might come visit her father, but Minako wasn't holding her breath. Her father was the best woodsmith in the prefecture, but he wasn't rich or powerful.
The darkness was creeping up, Minako noticed. She shivered; she really didn't like the dark. She followed the trail, circling down the incline of the hill behind her home. She could barely make out the thicket of trees that lay at the river's edge. The cucumber patch lay right near the patch of trees in the rich, wet--yet, not too wet--soil (as her mother would say).
I really, really should have brought a lantern. I'm going to have a hard time even finding the ripe cucumbers! Oh well, she thought as she arrived at the field, I'll have to make do. And with a smile, decided a little daydreaming about the gentleman she met wouldn't interfere with her work.
However, it did distract her enough that she didn't notice 'it' coming closer.
"A good polite evening to you, young lady."
Minako gasped and stood up; she thought she was alone! She dropped the cucumbers she had already gathered.
"Oh my, what lovely cucumbers!"
Minako was very afraid. She had heard stories about what a man would do to a woman he would find alone at night! She tried to focus her eyes in the twilight on the strange stumped man in front of her and gasped again. It wasn't a man. It was a river spirit! A kappa!
Oh shit, she thought, not remembering that such words were not ladylike at all. Her mind raced to remember Tanaka-sensei's teachings, but nothing was coming to her. She was too frightened, but she refused to look down or away now that she had made eye contact (forgetting that was also unladylike; Minako was often unladylike, she just forgot that, too).
The kappa stood upright and seemed to have the body of a turtle, although his shell seemed to be strapped on, like armor, but Minako couldn't tell for sure. His arms and legs were similar to a frog's, but with sharp claws at the ends of webbed fingers and toes. The spirit's face was as a monkey, with a strange indent on top of his head, something like a bowl.
What was it about the bowl, Minako thought?
"And a very pleasant evening to you, great water spirit," Minako stammered.
These spirits sometimes liked blood, Minako finally remembered! And...cucumbers? That's right! Tanaka-sensei said that kappa loved cucumbers! So, that's why he's here! At least, she hoped that was the reason. Maybe she should ask...
"Ah, such a pleasant and polite young woman! You are such a rarity in this graceless age. I appreciate the gracious title, but I am merely humble spirit of this waterway, nothing else. My name is Mizu-no-kaze."
He looked on expectantly at Minako; since he introduced himself, she should do the same.
"I am Ayukawa Minako; pleasure to meet you."
"Lovely, lovely name! So fitting!"
"Please good spirit, help yourself to all the cucumbers you would like!"
"Ah, well, my appetite for the evening seems to have changed, beautiful child of the evening."
"Oh...is that so?" Minako stammered, "Well, I've just entered my 14th year, and I'm not really all that mature yet, but I'm also not a child like I was, because children often have a lot of body fat, and you know the fat makes things taste better, but my mom says I've lost too much weight and I don't look enough like a woman, but it's not like I can do anything about it since I'm always running errands for my father and gathering wood and water and harvesting cucumbers and I help clean around town, so I probably don't really have all the meat that would make anything tasty, so I really apologize ..."
The kappa coughed and Minako's voice trailed off. She wondered how fast she could run home. Then it might eat her parents. Fine. She'd be eaten. I hope mom and dad appreciate this, she thought.
Minako remembered that kappa's were very, very strong, too. Maybe her father was right, taking lessons from Tanaka-sensei was useless for a girl. Right now she really didn't want the knowledge she had. She didn't want to know what was going to happen!
"I think you are a bit confused, young goddess. My appetite is more lustful in nature."
"Huh?"
"I am looking forward to an evening with you."
Ewwww, Minako thought, I'd rather be eaten. Tanaka-sensei didn't tell her about that! Although, she had heard many stories about nature spirits enjoying amorous adventures with young women. Think, think, Minako. What else did your teacher tell you? She remembered about Kirin, Tengu and Tennin. She's heard a lot about Yurei and a lot of other bakemono.
The kappa began stepping towards her, "I'm very eager to begin."
Wait! They're very polite! How does that help me? Oh! The bowl! When the water dries up, they lose their power and turn to stone! So, how do I use this? Tanaka-sensei logic lesson number three, apply knowledge like a lever. He's polite, and I want to empty the bowl on his head. This has to work!
"Good water spirit, I have no choice but to accede to your wishes."
"Excellent attitude, dear one, much less messy."
"I look forward to our union together," Minako said, and bowed formally to acknowledge her acceptance.
"As d...," the kappa started to say, until his words trailed off.
He had returned the bow and, in the process, spilled the water from the bowl.
Minako looked at the statue. She had to figure out what to do with it. She tried to move it. She tried to push, she tried to pull. The former water spirit wouldn't budge.
"Ok, enough! My dad can do it! This is way too heavy. He needs to see what I go through. Why are my days so difficult?"
Minako picked up the cucumbers she had dropped. And laughed to herself, the young Imperial servant would be lucky to get a girl like her!
The descriptions of kappa in this story are accurate through most Japanese accounts. Their level of intellect ranges from very low to high, however their politeness is never questioned, so getting them to bow is an oft mentioned way of defeating them. They periodically are interested in blood and are known to be quite amorous. They do love cucumbers. Kappa are river spirits; the name actually means "river child." The story was inspired by a netsuke in the book Netsuke: Story Carvings of Japan by Joseph Kurstin. Netsuke are miniature sculptures that are actually worn as jewelry by the Japanese, although they served a very utilitarian purpose.
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