Chinzaemon the Silent
Chinzaemon the Silent Chinzaemon the Silent A very long time ago, there lived an armorer named Chinzaemon. His swords were very beautiful and perfectly balanced. He was famous throughout the land for the quality of his work. Even more famous than his swords, however, were his scabbards. Swords slipped into them so easily and silently that other armorers began to call him Chinzaemon the Silent. A very powerful prince heard about Chinzaemon. The prince summoned the armorer to his court. The pri
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Chinzaemon the Silent
Chinzaemon the Silent
A very long time ago, there lived an armorer named Chinzaemon.His swords were very beautiful and perfectly balanced.He was famous throughout the land for the quality of his work.Even more famous than his swords, however, were his scabbards.Swords slipped into them so easily and silently that other armorers began to call him Chinzaemon the Silent.
A very powerful prince heard about Chinzaemon.The prince summoned the armorer to his court.The prince admired the work of the famous silent armorer.He wanted Chinzaemon to make weapons for his soldiers and guards.
Chinzaemon was not only a skillful armorer.He was also very funny and clever.He enjoyed playing practical jokes on people.He had been a very funny child in school.Even while serving his time as an apprentice armorer,he continued to tell jokes and play pranks on people.
Few people knew that Chinzaemon was such a funny man.He only shared his jokes with people he trusted.So when he made the prince laugh and laugh, for the whole three hours of his visit,Chinzaemon was hired as the prince's new armorer.And no one was more surprised than Chinzaemon."The prince must be a noble man," he thought to himself. "I will trust him and be very loyal."
One night Chinzaemon decided he would play a joke on the guards.He knew that some of them fell asleep while they were on duty.He thought it would be humorous to catch them sleeping on the job.They would be very embarrassed.So Chinzaemon waited until it was very late in the night and then quietly left his room.He moved silently through the hallways until he was out on the palace grounds.
Chinzaemon sneaked out to the gate where two guards were sleeping.Using very strong glue made from tree sap, he glued their sandals to the ground.He was very quiet so that he did not disturb them.He then did the same thing to four other guards who had fallen asleep.
When Chinzaemon was done gluing the guards' sandals to the ground, he told some other guards about his prank.He then told the head guard and persuaded him to sound the alarm.A very loud bell was rung that signaled an attack.All the guards came running except the six who were stuck to the ground.They were glued into place.They couldn't unlace their sandals quickly enough to avoid getting caught.
When the prince came out of his palace to see what had happened, he was still in his nightclothes.The head guard informed him of Chinzaemon's prank.Chinzaemon was afraid that the prince might be angry.He hadn't meant for his little joke to make the prince get out of bed.
But the prince was not angry.For a minute he stood silent, and then he began to laugh.He laughed so hard that he had to bend over to catch his breath.The other guards laughed as well.They were glad they weren't the ones who had been caught.When the prince finished laughing, he told the guards who had been sleeping that they were fired.He also told them they were lucky he did not have them beheaded.
Later that day, the prince summoned Chinzaemon to his chambers."So," the prince began, "you have caused me to fire six worthless guards.Thank you, oh Silent One." The prince smiled so that Chinzaemon would know he wasn't angry.
