The Spirit of the Plague

Once upon a time, in the village of Tonoshiromura on the island of Ishigaki, there lived a kind fisherman. The village stood right on the seashore. Every evening, when the Celestial River appeared above the shore, the fishermen would set out to fish.

One dark, moonless night, few dared to venture out to sea. But the fisherman decided to try his luck. He sailed far from the shore, cast his net, and began to wait.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a wind blew up, and a terrible voice echoed from the darkness:

"Fate and punishment—that is the law of this life!" it thundered. "Who could be speaking here in the middle of the sea?" the fisherman wondered.

"I am tired, weary... Everything in life is vanity... What is that ahead? Is that an island?" the unknown voice spoke again, as if to itself. It was a terrifying, loud voice, like an invisible giant striking a hammer against the coastal rocks. "Yes, that little island is exactly what I need..." the voice continued, and then suddenly it shouted, "And what is this little human doing here, floating around?"

The fisherman realized that some dark force had noticed him. A huge wave suddenly rose in the sea, lifted his boat, and capsized it. The fisherman swam in the darkness, gasping for air. "So, my death has come," he thought.

But then, everything suddenly calmed down. The sea became peaceful, as if there had been no wave, and no voice either. The fisherman looked around and saw a large log floating toward him. He grabbed hold of it, caught his breath, and exclaimed:

"I don't know who you are, my savior, but I thank you for not letting me perish in the depths of the sea. Show yourself to me—are you a man or a spirit?"

A gentle breeze rose, and the fisherman's savior appeared before him. The fisherman looked and almost let go of the log out of fear. The figure had a face as black as night, round like a large ball, with no eyes, nose, or mouth. The fisherman realized that it was not a human who had saved him, but a shapeshifter.

"Who are you, and where did you come from?" the fisherman whispered, barely audible.

"I am not a human, but the Spirit of Plague," the shapeshifter replied proudly. "The Great Spirit of Diseases, whose voice you heard over the sea, has commanded me to infect this island with plague."

"No, no," the fisherman pleaded, "I beg you, do not bring terrible diseases to our island!"

The shapeshifter then brought its terrifying face closer to the fisherman and said:

"I see that you are a kind man, so you will not suffer divine punishment. I will not send plague upon your family—you alone on the whole island will be spared. Remember my words! Tonight, as soon as it gets dark, a large night bird will appear above your village—it will bring the disease to the island. Go out into your yard then, and bring out a mortar and pestle. As soon as you see the bird, start pounding the pestle as if you are grinding rice. The sound will dispel the evil spells."

"Please, think of a way to save the whole village!" the fisherman begged.

"I would gladly help your village," replied the Spirit of Plague, "but I dare not disobey my orders. Farewell, and do not forget my words!" it cried, and then vanished into the darkness.

The fisherman made it back to shore and immediately ran to the elder's house. He told him everything, and together they tried to think of a way to save the island from disaster. They thought and thought, but could not come up with a solution. Then the fisherman said:

"We must gather the people and tell them everything. Let everyone come out into their yards tonight with mortars and pestles. When the night bird appears, we will all start pounding the pestles together. The bird will think the sound is coming from my yard, circle around, and then fly away."

And so they decided. The elder ordered the gong to be struck so loudly that even the farthest fields could hear it. The villagers gathered, and the elder told them of the impending disaster that loomed over their island.

The people returned home, brought out their mortars and pestles, and waited for the night bird to arrive. They waited for a long time, until it was completely dark.

Then, out of nowhere, a large bird appeared in the sky. As soon as the villagers saw it, they began pounding their pestles with all their might, as if grinding rice in their mortars. The bird descended lower, circled the island once, then again, and finally soared into the sky and disappeared.

The fisherman had saved the village from the plague. The people thanked him for helping them escape disaster.

But then something even more miraculous began: the island's crops grew bountiful, and the fishermen caught unprecedented amounts of fish—it was as if all the mountain and sea deities had decided to help the villagers.

Many years passed. The fisherman grew old and died. And the villagers began to revere the place in the sea where the Spirit of Plague had saved the fisherman as sacred. They would go there to pray to the gods for a good catch and a bountiful harvest. They named that place Amagawago-take, which...

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The Spirit of the Plague

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