The Cirus Horse

The middle school that I went to was next door to the nine-story Yasukuni shrine.

The three-story reinforced concrete school was thought to have been modern, bright and health.

Actually, nothing resembles me, I just like gazing. When drying out a futon on a bench in the sun, I was a kid who seariously wished I could spend all my life warming my whole body while lying on it and thought how wonderfull that would be. At school the pupils would be lead to the outskirts and there would be taught how to dig up tree roots and carry mokkos on their shoulders but even then instinctively I would lower my back onto the red clay and while resting my chin on my hands, as if I was always gazing at the flickering of the reflecting sun on the distant flowing river. "Hey, Yasuoka!" the name that I was referred as, Mr.Kiyokawa said something like, "What in the world are you doing over there! When everybody is working really hard, is it fair for you to rest over there all by yourself?" But I had nothing to reply. Because it wasn't the case of me looking at soming I intended to see nor the case that I intended to rest and rested either.

Helplessly, Mr. kiyokawa's lips silently formed a tringle, his eyes glistening with frustration, as the palm of his thick hand came screeming towards my cheek.

It was that way even with things that were hung around Yasukuni Shrine's exibition booth. I wasn't interested in the type of things that the guys around my own age at that time were interested in like the long necked ghosts that you knew where fake, boxing v.s. judo tournements, and the like. If school was out because of a festival, my smart colleagues always went to see reviews or movies in Hibiya or Shinjuku. But me, at any rate if it comes to enjoying one's self I decided to do that as well. However, without having any advice whatsoever I walked through the grounds while rubbing up against the surging crowds of people here and there.

So on that day, even though I went into the circus tent I particularly the reason for doing so was that I had no reason at all for doing that. I layed out a dirty damp floor cushion on the woven matted floor, while absent-mindedly gazing they continued with bear sumos, little girls crossing tight wires and other similar death defying stunts. But, suddenly while looking out over the grounds I was taken aback with eyes bulging. ......that horse was dragged out to the middle of the viewing mat. I became hateful of the ring master. He said, "Because, however much I give you to eat without paying is more than you deserve." It isn't right to cause a crippled horse to that extent to be a display is it?!

While the horse which was being pulled by the bit by a man dressed in velvet clothes with gold braided embroidery, appologetically facing the ground, came along while shaking that trembling curved spine. Without even a saddle, it was walking as if it's chest and rear end at any time where going to completely break into pieces like a wire basket.

The surrounding people, everyone, were wide eyed. As the orchestra played out music with a fast tempo the horse vigorously began to run. When that happened an acrobat who had been lifted up on a tall poll leaped and flew like an arrow right to the indented place in the middle of the horse's back. Applause.

The thing that was surprising was the horse was this cirus troope's star performer. Upon giving the human a ride, he vividly changed his countenance. The horse had an active naturally valient behavior, and above that he began to display cleaver acrobatic skills that had been honed for many years. Dancing to the orchestra's sound and walking strangely in order to mark time with one pair of legs and arranging the hind legs to rise up on a pedestal... What in the world are they trying to do?! For a short while I was dumbfounded with the remainder of things. However, my feelings which were clearly mistaken became cheerful.

When I saw the horse that took my breathe away and held my suspence, now ending passing through a ring of fire, with three little girls arranged like a tower calmly riding in on it's back while galloping in circles, I came to my senses finding myself clapping my hands with all my might.