Phantom：Washing adzukibeans
Mr.Yoshinori Komatu, 67 year-old animal doctor at Mochigase town in Tottori prefecture, talks about the following phantom folk tales.
He heard it from his beloved, deseaced mother who passed away 7 years ago at the age of 93.
He listened more folk tales than his other brothers and sisters, for he was born as the youngest child.
There is an old well fenced off by a stone wall at a back street at Mochigase town.
My parents used to warn,
"You should not play around outside after dark because GOSYO GOSYO (onomatopoeia [washing beans] in Japanese ) would appear."
"What type of monster?"
I asked to my mom.
"People may hear that there sounds washing-beans from a deapth of the well, which becomes louder and louder.
All of sudden a huge arm would come out of the well,it will turn up the skirt of your kimono."
That GOSYO-GOSYO is said to have run a risk to be caught.
Once upon a time a big man who was proud of his strength visited the well saying that he would catch the monster.
Approaching it, he heard the voice from the depth of the well, "I am GOSYO-GOSYO. Yeah!"
It sounded louder and louder.
Abruptly there appeared a big arm, which pulled his skirt of kimono.
He caught the monster's arm with all his force, he held his kimono tightly by another hand.
Without turning back he drugged the monster's arm off to his house, crying in a high voice.
"There is not a monster, not at all!
Don't be afraid of it."
On arriving his house, he unfastened his arm as he crossed the threshold.
GOSYO-GOSYO returned to his former position.
Sakaiminato city in Tottori prefecture
which were displayed on the Girl's Festival in March.
Mochigase town is famous for the traditional event.
He listened to this folk tale while his mom was grilling rice cakes for him.
60 years ago, when Mr. Komatu was a little boy, New Year's Day was cereblated by the old chalendar.
It fell on someday in February.
Winter in Japan, especially in mountaneous Tottori prefecture, was severly cold.
Outside the house there was deep in snow which laid about 50 centimeters deep.
In contrast, nowadays snow lays about 20 centimeters deep.
Inhouse Heating system is complete.
Mr. Komatu is of an old family.
The household is a big farmer both by planting Japanese tea, raising silk-worm and by trading cattle.