Shindo woke up with a start. But even before he could think it out, he placed his wife behind him and pulled out his sword.
No sooner had this happened, two robbers attacked him.
Though Shindo fought fiercely, the two thieves overpowered him. He was injured too and there was blood from a wound in his arm.
Then suddenly a ronin appeared there. A ronin is a samurai who has lost their lord and is not employed anymore.
The ronin came and helped Shindo and it was because of his help that the robbers ran away from there.
Shido and Tsuiu thanked the ronin whose name was Bun-yemon.
The ronin studied the two people. “I can see that some misfortune has brought you here. Who are you and where are you going to go?”
The samurai looked sad. “I have very little yen and it would probably not be enough to buy breakfast for my wife.” The samurai then told the ronin his entire story.
The ronin heard the samurai and then nodded. “I cannot do anything for you by myself.” The ronin however pointed at a faraway city where the roof was gleaming in gold in the morning sun. “That is the towers and temples of Yedo. There lives a tradesman called Chohachi. He is poor, but he has a good heart. Tell him that I sent you to him.”
With these words the ronin walked away. “My path is different and so I will leave you now.”
Shindo and Tsuiu hurried to Yedo and found Chohachi.
The tradesman welcomed the two of them and there the two remained until they recovered from the fatigue of the journey.
Adapted from Japanese Folktales
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