「
「馬鹿の
「なかなかえらい馬鹿なのよ。みんなが馬鹿竹の云う事を
「
「いいえお友達じゃないのよ」
「じゃ、なに？」
「飄然と云うのはね。――
「飄然て、云いようがないの？」
「そうじゃないのよ、飄然と云うのはね――」
「ええ」
「そら
「ええ、
「あの多々良さん見たようなを云うのよ」
「多々良さんは飄然なの？」
「ええ、まあそうよ。――それで馬鹿竹が地蔵様の前へ来て
"What did they buy ... Ho ho ho, come now Sunko, that's neither here nor there. -- To continue Auntie, on it went, endless commotion day after day and night after night. At the time, there lived in the town a fellow known as Foolish Také. A bonafide dullard, he knew little and was held in little regard. This fellow, as it's told, finally felt inclined to comment on the commotion. 'All that banging and clanging, day upon day, and you haven't moved even this single, solitary jizō? Futile enough, and pathetic too.'"
"Wisely spoken for a dullard."
"As dullards go, a wise one indeed. The townspeople, hearing Foolish Také's words, payed heed. With little hope and nothing to lose, they challenged him to come up with something better. Without hesitation, Také took them on. 'Let's cut out this racket,' he called to the cartmen and rogues, causing them to stand down for a bit. When all was quiet, he sauntered up to the Jizō with nonchalance."
"Yukie, who was Nonchalance? Was it one of Také's friends?" Tonko, just at the crux of the story, intrudes with a curious question. Yukie and the wife, exchanging glances, both break out laughing.
"No, dear, it wasn't a friend."
"Then what was it?"
"Nonchalance is -- well it's hard to explain."
"Nonchalance means 'hard to explain?'"
"It's not that. Nonchalance is ..."
"Yes?"
"Say, you're familiar with Tatara Sanpei, are you not?"
"Sure I am. He brought us that box of yams."
"It means like Tatara."
"Tatara's nonchalant?"
"Yes. Definitely. -- At any rate, Foolish Také appeared before the Jizō, hands folded into his breast pockets. 'Good Jizō, the townspeople wish you moved, so please oblige them and move.' The Jizō responded without a moment's thought. 'Is that so? They could have said as much.' And with no further fanfare, the Jizō set to moving."