You know: in a foolish, undiscriminating way, I've been happy these last few months. I don't know why. I just am. I love my friends; I love my pupils; I love what I read; I -- dammit -- love my thoughts. I love the taste of oranges.
Thornton Wilder in a letter to Gertrude Stein, Aug 14, 1936

Sunday, June 10, 2012

SOME MONSTERS (2) : A JAPANESE DEMON

Not the demon from the story, but still a  pretty cool demon
As the man turned to look back, he could see the demon's face, vermillion in color and round like a sitting mat, and its single eye. It had three hands, with claws like knives five inches long. Its body was bluish-green in color, and its eye was amber. Its hair was a tangle, like a bramble bush, and just looking at it turned one's heart cold, an unspeakable horror. But because he kept praying to Kannon as he raced along, the young man was able to reach safety, in a place where other humans were about. At that time, the demon said, "Very well -- but sometime we'll meet again!" and with that vanished from sight.

From The Demon at the Agi Bridge and Other Japanese Tales
translated by Burton Watson
Columbia University Press

For more monsters, follow the Monsters label.

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