Synopsis
Three Japanese Ghost Stories
$10.99
Published by Samuel French Inc
The Vampire Cat of Nebeshima
The first presents a Shinto perspective of the spiritual dimension of Nature itself ...
... depicted in the form of a large cat who not only consumes humans, but then supernaturally changes its form to become that human, after which it interacts and easily deceives everyone it encounters
Until, that is, a world-wise roaming priest enters the picture ...
M8,F1 or M1,F1
Urashima
Once, long ago, a fisherman by the name of Urashima took his boat out to sea ...
A fantastic turtle caught in his net leads him to the island of the immortals
He is entranced by the utter beauty of the place, and with Enshun
The lone fisherman falls in love and decides to live with her in paradise
But as time wears on, he misses home and decides to return
To his horror, he discovers that hundreds of years have passed
M3,F1
The Peony Lantern
A samurai's betrothed dies of a broken heart while waiting for her lover to return
In death, she and her maid devise a devious plot to haunt him in an attempt to bring him into the realm of death with her
Despite his servant's warnings that he is bewitched, eventually, the ghost succeeds and overcomes the samurai
M6,F2
Original and unpredictable, these plays make great competition pieces