Lighter Stuff: 猿蟹合戦 (Updated)

The Deadly Feud of Monkey and Crab, a story by Akutagawa, is not so much a retelling of the children's tale as an imagining of what happens off-stage. Before sharing a truly hilarious passage from his text, I suggest reading the original children's story. A Japanese version: 芥川龍之介 猿蟹合戦 https://share.google/Jq2tHo4pH9Y8Myool English: https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/72/japanese-fairy-tales/4848/the-quarrel-of-the-monkey-and-the-crab/ (I chose "feud" rather than quarrel or battle because, in the Japanese version linked above, Crab Sr's murder by monkey is avenged by Crab Jr.) Jr is arrested and, after a brief trial, condemned to die as the criminal mastermind. The co-conspirators (a bee, chestnut, mortar, and kelp) receive life in prison. There is no sympathy shown for Crab Jr. Rather, he is roundly criticized for his atrocious crime in the press and the court of public opinion. Except that a lone advocate comes forward. From Akutagawa: 。。。たった一人、蟹の為に気を吐いたのは酒豪兼詩人の某代議士である。代議士は蟹の仇打ちは武士道の精神と一致する云った。しかしこんな時代遅れの議論は誰の耳にも止まる筈はない。のみならず新聞のゴシップによると、その代議士は数年以前、動物園を見物中、猿に尿をかけられたことを遺恨に思っていたそうである。 I'll finish this tomorrow, but ponder the parliamentarian: not only is he a prominent member of society (and necessarily a man of dignity and means), he's a dipsomaniac. And a poet. What a character. The astonishing brevity and suggestiveness of the description. That's Akutagawa .