1-1-3 How Koroku Tested Hideyoshi
Ehon Taikoki by Takeuchi Kakusai
illustrated by Okada Gyokusan (1797-1802)
translated and edited by Yoshiko Dykstra
Hideyoshi comes outside Koroku's room in the rain.
Koroku wanted to test Hideyoshi to find out how clever he was. One day, he called Hideyoshi and said to him, "You are so quick and smart. You've been doing much better than others. But without a sword, you have no prestige. Here, I have a good sword, called Muramasa, which I have cherished for some time. If you can steal this from me within three days, it will be yours." Clasping his hands together, Hideyoshi thanked him and left.
Koroku watched over the sword all day long on the first day, and guarded it through the night by putting it by his pillow. In this way he also spent the second day and night without sleeping, but Hideyoshi did not come.
On the third night it rained hard. Koroku became even more alert waiting for Hideyoshi to come as the night deepened. After midnight, Koroku heard footsteps outside his room and someone shaking an umbrella. He held his breath expecting Hideyoshi to enter, but no one came in. Soon the dawn approached, but Hideyoshi did not appear. Having had no sleep for three days, Koroku was completely exhausted and dozed off sitting at his desk. After a while he woke up and found the sword was gone.
Greatly surprised, Koroku summoned Hideyoshi and the boy immediately appeared with the sword at his waist. "Well, I've never seen anyone so smart as you, Hideyoshi! You have the brightest future," Koroku said with much admiration.
On the previous night Hideyoshi had come outside Koroku's room in the rain and had left his umbrella by the door, thus indicating that he might enter the room. But he left and slept the whole night in his own room. Just before daybreak he got up, sneaked into Koroku's room, and stole the sword while the exhausted Koroku was sound asleep leaning against his desk. Such was Hideyoshi's trick.