Narihira Mochi (The Poet Narihira and the Rice Cakes)

Shite: Ariwara no Narihira
Ado: Mochi rice cake seller
Koado: page
Koado: daughter of the rice cake seller
Koado: retainer
Koado: retainer
Koado: retainer
Koado: umbrella bearer

Synopsis of plot: Ariwara no Narihira, the famous ninth-century poet nobleman, starts out with his entourage on a pilgramage to Tamatsushima shrine (which houses the female patron deity of poetry). They enjoy the scenery and compose poems as they go happily along. They reach a mochi rice cake shop near a beach and Narihira decides to stop there for refreshment.

The rice cake seller appears and offers them his mochi rice cakes. Narihira says, "You mean you will let anyone have your rice cakes?" The seller replies, "Of course, if they put out the necessary cash." (Oashi means both "cash" and "foot"). Narihira sticks out his foot. The rice cake seller laughs and says, "Not one foot, money!) (Ryosoku means both "money" and "both feet"). Narihira sticks out both feet. The rice cake seller explains that he must have legal tender, which Narihira finally understands, and he responds, "I never touch anything so filthy." (The implication being that noblemen of the time considered it beneath them to talk about money, much less touch or carry it.)

Narihira tells in a chanted narrative (katari) how Ono no Komachi, the famous and beautiful poetess, received rice cakes in payment for a poem that caused rain to fall. On the strength of this story, he offers a poem in payment for the rice cakes.

The rice cake seller finally realizes who his customer is, and since Narihira is famous not only as a poet, but even more as a lady's man, always on the lookout for attractive girls, asks him to take his daughter into service. Narihira urges the man to go fetch her immediately.

While the rice cake seller is gone, Narihira, whose hunger at this point is much stronger than his interest in the girl, begins stuffing his mouth with rice cakes. By the time the rice cake seller has returned with his daughter, Narihira is choking. The rice cake seller tells him that he should eat more slowly because he can have all the rice cakes he desires. He presents his daughter and leaves her with Narihira so the two can get acquainted.

When Narihira sees the girl's face, which is rather homely, he tries to pawn her off on his umbrella bearer, but the umbrella bearer doesn't want her either. They try to get away, but she chases after them, demanding justice.

Synopsis (modified) from Don Kenny, A Guide to Kyogen (Hinoki Shoten), pp. 189-90.