MP3:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8ZATCSM0 (28MB)
From what I can tell, “Sangetsuki” is fairly common reading material for
kokugo (Japanese) class in high school. According to
the Wikipedia page, it's set in China during the Tang Dynasty, which lasted from the 7th to 10th centuries A.D. Nakajima's writing style is filled with Chinese-derived words and characters that are no longer in common use, so if you dare to read
the original version on Aozora Bunko, make sure you have a good J-J dictionary and rikai/perapera-kun or an equivalent reader plugin for your browser. If you don't have time to slog through dictionaries in search of odd words, I found
a version translated into modern language for a primary/middle school audience, which is actually a quite enjoyable read.
The plot in a paragraph (or two):
The story centers on Richō, a prodigy who passes the highest level of the civil service examination at a young age. However, dissatisfied with having to climb the ladder to success, he sets out to become a famous poet. But his literary ambitions do not go as he expects, his health declines drastically, and partially giving up on his dreams, he takes a low position in a regional office. One night, while staying in an inn, he finally loses the last of his sanity and runs off into the surrounding forest, never to be seen again.
A year later, Ensan, his closest friend from his civil service examination days, is passing through the same area on official business. After stopping for the night, he sets out before sunrise, despite being warned of a tiger rumored to prey on travelers. Sure enough, he is attacked by this very tiger, but as it is about to pounce on him, it turns tail and disappears into the thicket. Ensan then hears a man's voice coming from the thicket—a voice he recognizes as belonging to his old friend, Richō. In the time that follows, Richō tells Ensan of his tale of woe, of his transformation into a tiger that night he disappeared, of how he is sometimes consumed by the Tiger in him and loses the ability to think like a Man, of how these times when he is lucid are becoming progressively shorter, and of how he can do naught but roar at the moon in frustration, his feelings understood by no one. He asks Ensan to write down the last of his poetry that he can still remember, before the Man inside him disappears completely. Along the way he reflects on how his poor choices led to his current state of affairs. The story ends with Richō and Ensan bidding each other a sad farewell, never to meet again.
