Tōbōsaku

東方朔 Dongfang Shuo

1 Source and/or Related Material

Kara monogatari

2 Author

Komparu Zempō

3 Repertoire

Kanze, Komparu

4 Synopsis

In ancient China, a courtier (ai) tells of the appearance of three pairs of bluebirds, said to be a good omen, for today is the seventh day of the Seventh Month, the Star Festival (J. Tanabata). The Emperor (waki) and his ministers (wakitsure) arrive for the festivities, and an old man (maeshite) and a younger man (maetsure) appear and declare that the three pairs of bluebirds are those beloved by the Queen Mother of the West (Ch. Xiwangmu) and a sign that she herself will soon appear. The old man reveals that he is the Daoist immortal Dongfang Shuo, then vanishes. A Daoist hermit (ai) arrives and tells about the Queen Mother of the West in plain speech. Just then, Dongfang Shuo appears in his true form (nochishite) and tells how he prolonged his life by eating one of the peaches from the Queen Mother’s garden, then calls out to her. The Queen Mother of the West appears (nochisture) and dances with Dongfang Shuo. The Queen Mother gives the Emperor one of her magic peaches, and then the two immortal visitors ascend into the heavens.