Perfect Memento: Giant Toad's Pond

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大蝦蟇の池	Giant Toad's Pond
危険度：　中	Threat Level: Medium
遭遇する妖怪：大蝦蟇、他	Encounterable Youkai: Giant Toad, others
妖怪の山の中腹にある小さな池。	A small pond halfway up the Mountain of Youkai.
入り口付近とはいえ、山の中にある為近づく事は難しい。	The entrance might be near, but it is difficult to get to since it is in the middle of the mountains.
だが、この池の水は霊験あらたかな神水と言われ、神事の際に欠かせない物となっている。	However, the water is said to hold divine powers, and is becoming an indispensable ingredient when performing Shinto rituals.
池には人間の子供を一飲みしてしまう位の大きな蝦蟇が棲んでいて、池を荒らし冒涜する者から池を守っていると言われている。	It is said that in the pond lives a toad large enough to swallow a human child whole, and that it protects the pond from those that try to desecrate it.
大蝦蟇は池を冒涜しない限り凶暴になる事は無く、お供え物さえしておけば帰り道の安全も保証してくれるという（＊２４）。	The giant toad won´t be aggressive unless you desecrate the pond, and if you just leave an offering behind, you are said to be guaranteed a safe return trip(*24).
この池は蓮の花が見事で、木漏れ日に光る水面に浮かぶ蓮の葉と花が、池の神秘さをいっそう強調する。	The lotus flowers in the pond are beautiful, and lotus leaves and flowers floating on the surface lit by sunbeams filtered through the surrounding foliage further emphasize the mysteriousness of the pond.
池の畔には小さな祠が一棟建っている。	Near the pond a tiny shrine is built.
いつ誰が何の目的で建てたのか既に忘れ去られているが、人間は必ずこの祠にお供え物をする。	Who built it, when it was built, and for what purpose are all already forgotten, but there are certainly humans that leave offerings at the shrine.
お供え物がすぐに無くなってしまう所を見ると、ここに何かが祀られている事は確かである（＊２５）。	If you see to the fact that offerings immediately disappear, it is clear that something is enshrined there(*25).
＊２４　よく見ると、帰り道に後ろから普通の蝦蟇が付いてくる。蝦蟇が付いている事は大蝦蟇の加護を受けている証拠で、山の妖怪も手を出さない。	24: If you look closely, you´ll see that on your way back you will be followed from behind by common toads. Being followed by toads is a sign of being protected by the big toad, so the mountain´s youkai won´t lay a finger on you either.
＊２５　天狗がお供え物を持って行ってしまうという噂もあるが。	25: However there is also a rumor that the offerings are taken by tengu.

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