No.8 A day of judgment

The old man and wife, were surprised at a big bird, ran to a police booth immediately. They told a policeman whole story of the big bird.

This policeman had been hearing a rumor which Koukichi, a mounting craftsman of Bizenya, previously imitated a big bird, and he was injured. This policeman found that Koukichi was in his home and reported to a supervisor of the police station.

In Koukichi's excitement he could not sleep until darkbreak. But he became sleepy after sunrise. He lied in bed late in the morning with his dream.

Suddenly, the front door was opened. Koukichi thought that Yasaku came home. But, when Koukichi looked back toward the front door, a police detective and two policemen stood at entrance. Koukichi was arrested by them. He was tied by two policemen with rope, and the big wings which he could not hide was confiscated by them.

He was kept in custody overnight. His suspicion was the crime which it was a sensational affair that he had imitated a "Tengu" or a bird. He admitted that he was guilty. Koukichi waited for the day which he would receive his judgment quietly. Koukichi recollected the moment that he had been gliding many times in detention ward.

The detectives were confused in the police station. There was no precedent for this case which man had tried to fly. Then they inquired of the Osaka police station at the same happening ever before. But,
this answer was that there was no same precedent in Osaka. In the police station in Okayama, the judge and some detectives had to decide on this case which Koukichi tried to fly.

On the other hand, Manbei begged the judge and some detectives earnestly to help Koukichi, who was a very skillful craftsman.

The day of a judgment had came. Koukichi was sitting up straight at the center of court, and he had been tied his hands and shoulders up with a rope. Manbei and Yasaku sat on the side of him as sureties.
Then the judge appeared from the inner sliding paper-doors, and he read out the sentence for Koukichi.

Koukichi was guilty. But, the judge did not sentenced him to death,
the judgment was a banishment from out of town - but not far away.
Koukichi narrowly escaped death. Then Koukichi received the sentence from the judge, Manbei and Yasaku with full of gratitude.