This story, spread to Hattou town in Tottori city, is from Mrs. Masae Taniguchi who lives in the city more than 60 years.

When the relative gathered in Buddhism service, she heard it from an elderly person.

Solitary house stood alone in a deep mountain.
Old couple lived very happily.

One day the old husband said to his wife,

"If I would die earier than you, please put me in a coffin at the next room of this house instead of burying me in a cold graveyard."

His wife denied at once.

"Don't talk about such an unlucky future."

However, she thought that she might not feel lonely if he would lie clossly to her even after his death.

Happy days passed considerably.

One day, old wife died of sudden illness.
Old husband felt lonely in getting up in the morning, then ate breakfast by himself.

He usually tried to speak to his deceased wife.

He recalled to have talked about a coffin of next room, and decided to bury her body as the ways they had talked.

The dead wife got dressed by the death costume by the oldman.
Saddness attacked him in seeing her appearance.
Checking tears, he buried her in a coffin, and carried it to the next room.

He checked himself because his tears would cause to overflow the rever, which the dead are supposed to cross to the Next World.

Thinking that he would live with her under the same roof hereafter, his face brightened again.

Thus, he lived toghter with his wife again.

The night advanced late.
At midnight, the voice which was accoustomed to him came from the next room.

"Oh, my dear oldman, are you overhere?"

"Yeah, I, I am here. I am here."

She might be relieved, then bocame quiet.

Mrs.Taniguchi, a native speaker of Tottori dialect, softly spoke supposedly like old wife's voice.
Susie felt sympathy with the old man, more intently listened to.

Following day, when the night completely closed a day, a Samurai (Japanese warrior) with a sword came and asked to put up overnight.

The old man tried hard to decline excusing that it would be difficult to take care of someone on that night.

The Samurai persevered, saying that he had lost his way because of a pith-dark night.

The old man embarassed.
However, his patience was exhausted to say OK at last.

As he had to go out for errand, he asked the young man for looking after the house.

"Well, there lives my old wife in a bad condition at a next room, so please answer her 'I'm here' if she speaks.
Do not open the door."

The young man answered him firmly, "Certainly,I will do as you say."

Being alone himself, beguiling the boring time, he was dozing at Irori(old fashioned fireplace).

Then...
Around midnight the hoarse voice adressing to him from the next room,

"My dear oldman, are you here?"

The young man awoke in startling, he recalled the oldman's word.

The voice asked again,

"Oh, my dear oldman, are you overhere?"

"Yes, surely, I am here."

Her tone irritated in his reply.

"It's not an oldman's voice. It's not!"

Mrs.Taniguchi's voice-tone is as if the oldlady were speaking, Susie shudders on spine just like the young man might feel.

He forgot the promise with the oldman, he pulled to open the sliding door.

The old woman who wore a white death costume had abruptly stood up from a coffin.

"Wha, a!"

The Samurai uttered a cry of amazement, and ran away from this house at full speed with his sword.