In a village of Musashi Province, there lived two woodcutters: Mosaku and Minokichi. At the time of which I am speaking, Mosaku was an old man; and Minokichi, his apprentice, was a lad of eighteen years. Every day they went together to a forest situated about five miles from their village. On the way to that forest there is a wide river to cross; and there is a ferry-boat. Several times a bridge was built where the ferry is; but the bridge was each time carried away by a flood. No common bridge can resist the current there when the river rises.

Mosaku and Minokichi were on their way home, one very cold evening, when a great snowstorm overtook them. They reached the ferry; and they found that the boatman had gone away, leaving his boat on the other side of the river. It was no day for swimming; and the woodcutters took shelter in the ferryman's hut, -- thinking themselves lucky to find any shelter at all. There was no brazier in the hut, nor any place in which to make a fire: it was only a two-mat hut, with a single door, but no window. Mosaku and Minokichi fastened the door, and lay down to rest, with their straw rain-coats over them. At first they did not feel very cold; and they thought that the storm would soon be over.

The old man almost immediately fell asleep; but the boy, Minokichi, lay awake a long time, listening to the awful wind, and the continual slashing of the snow against the door. The river was roaring; and the hut swayed and creaked like a junk at sea. It was a terrible storm; and the air was every moment becoming colder; and Minokichi shivered under his rain-coat. But at last, in spite of the cold, he too fell asleep.

Moments later, he was awakened by a showering of snow in his face. The door of the hut had been forced open; and, by the snow-light (yuki-akari), he saw a woman in the room, -- a woman all in white. She was bending above Mosaku, and blowing her breath upon him;-- and her breath was like a bright white smoke. Almost in the same moment she turned to Minokichi, and stooped over him. He tried to cry out, but found that he could not utter any sound. The white woman bent down over him, lower and lower, until her face almost touched him; and he saw that she was very beautiful, -- though her eyes made him afraid. For a little time she continued to look at him;-- then she smiled, and she whispered:-- "I intended to treat you like the other man. But I cannot help feeling some pity for you, -- because you are so young... You are a pretty boy, Minokichi; and I will not hurt you now. But, if you ever tell anybody -- even your own mother -- about what you have seen this night, I shall know it; and then I will kill you... Remember what I say!"

With these words, she turned from him, and passed through the doorway. Then he found himself able to move; and he sprang up, and looked out. But the woman was nowhere to be seen; and the snow was driving furiously into the hut. Minokichi closed the door, and secured it by fixing several billets of wood against it. He wondered if the wind had blown it open;-- he thought that he might have been only dreaming, and might have mistaken the gleam of the snow-light in the doorway for the figure of a white woman: but he could not be sure. He called to Mosaku, and was frightened because the old man did not answer. He put out his hand in the dark, and touched Mosaku's face, and found that it was ice! Mosaku was stark and dead...

By dawn the storm was over; and when the ferryman returned to his station, a little after sunrise, he found Minokichi lying senseless beside the frozen body of Mosaku. Minokichi was promptly cared for, and soon came to himself; but he remained a long time ill from the effects of the cold of that terrible night. He had been greatly frightened also by the old man's death; but he said nothing about the vision of the woman in white. As soon as he got well again, he returned to his calling,-- going alone every morning to the forest, and coming back at nightfall with his bundles of wood, which his mother helped him to sell.

One evening, in the winter of the following year, as he was on his way home, he overtook a girl who happened to be traveling by the same road. She was a tall, slim girl, very good-looking; and she answered Minokichi's greeting in a voice as pleasant to the ear as the voice of a song-bird. Then he walked beside her; and they began to talk. The girl said that her name was O-Yuki; that she had lately lost both of her parents; and that she was going to Yedo, where she happened to have some poor relations, who might help her to find a situation as a servant. Minokichi soon felt charmed by this strange girl; and the more that he looked at her, the handsomer she appeared to be. He asked her whether she was yet betrothed; and she answered, laughingly, that she was free. Then, in her turn, she asked Minokichi whether he was married, or pledge to marry; and he told her that, although he had only a widowed mother to support, the question of an "honorable daughter-in-law" had not yet been considered, as he was very young... After these confidences, they walked on for a long while without speaking; but, as the proverb declares, Ki ga areba, me mo kuchi hodo ni mono wo iu: "When the wish is there, the eyes can say as much as the mouth." By the time they reached the village, they had become very much pleased with each other; and then Minokichi asked O-Yuki to rest awhile at his house. After some shy hesitation, she went there with him; and his mother made her welcome, and prepared a warm meal for her. O-Yuki behaved so nicely that Minokichi's mother took a sudden fancy to her, and persuaded her to delay her journey to Yedo. And the natural end of the matter was that Yuki never went to Yedo at all. She remained in the house, as an "honorable daughter-in-law."

O-Yuki proved a very good daughter-in-law. When Minokichi's mother came to die,-- some five years later,-- her last words were words of affection and praise for the wife of her son. And O-Yuki bore Minokichi ten children, boys and girls,-- handsome children all of them, and very fair of skin.

The country-folk thought O-Yuki a wonderful person, by nature different from themselves. Most of the peasant-women age early; but O-Yuki, even after having become the mother of ten children, looked as young and fresh as on the day when she had first come to the village.

One night, after the children had gone to sleep, O-Yuki was sewing by the light of a paper lamp; and Minokichi, watching her, said:--

"To see you sewing there, with the light on your face, makes me think of a strange thing that happened when I was a lad of eighteen. I then saw somebody as beautiful and white as you are now -- indeed, she was very like you."...
Without lifting her eyes from her work, O-Yuki responded:--

"Tell me about her... Where did you see her?

Then Minokichi told her about the terrible night in the ferryman's hut,-- and about the White Woman that had stooped above him, smiling and whispering,-- and about the silent death of old Mosaku. And he said:--

"Asleep or awake, that was the only time that I saw a being as beautiful as you. Of course, she was not a human being; and I was afraid of her,-- very much afraid,-- but she was so white!... Indeed, I have never been sure whether it was a dream that I saw, or the Woman of the Snow."...

O-Yuki flung down her sewing, and arose, and bowed above Minokichi where he sat, and shrieked into his face:--

"It was I -- I -- I! Yuki it was! And I told you then that I would kill you if you ever said one work about it!... But for those children asleep there, I would kill you this moment! And now you had better take very, very good care of them; for if ever they have reason to complain of you, I will treat you as you deserve!"...

Even as she screamed, her voice became thin, like a crying of wind;-- then she melted into a bright white mist that spired to the roof-beams, and shuddered away through the smoke-hold... Never again was she seen.

Source:
http://ghost.new-age-spirituality.com/japan/kwaidan_12_1.html

What makes his life even worse was that his children were horrible to him as they grew up, and all he could do was smile. I don't remember where I heard that.

Here's another version of the story. Pratically the same, but there are a few differences. If something sounds awkward, it was because the Japanese nuances and grammar were probably hard to translate. I kept the settings of the book, so that is why speaking and such is on a different line. I'm sorry it's so long ^^;

Yuki-onna

Original Author: 小泉八雲　Koizumi Yakumo - Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904)
Simplifier: 粟野真紀子 Awano Makiko
Translation: Me
小泉八雲・粟野真紀子（２００６）『レベル別日本語多読ライブラリー「レベル４」ｖｏｌ．１　－雪女―』　株式会社アスク

English:

There was once a forest, where two men called Mosaku and Minokichi were.
The two of them made a living from cutting and selling wood. Mosaku was 60 years old and lived alone. Minokichi was 19 years old and lived together with his mother.
Every day, Minokichi and Mosaku went out to the mountains together. Between the mountains and the forest was a large river. It was there that there was a ferryman. The ferryman would carry people in his boat to the other side of the river.
Every day, when the two men would come to the river, the ferryman would take them in his boat to the other side. When they came back from the mountains, the ferryman would (again) take them from the other side of the river.

It was a cold winter's day.
This day as well, Mosaku and Minokichi went to the mountains to chop wood in the morning. Because it grew dark, the two stopped their work and decided to go home. This day was colder than it had ever been.
"It sure is cold today. It'll surely snow! Minokichi-san."
Mosaku said as he looked at the dark sky.
"It really is cold. It will (probably) snow. Let's go home early."
Minokichi answered.
The two started to walk quickly. Shortly after they had started to walk, white came fluttering from the sky. Sure enough, it had started to snow. The snow steadily grew more intense. In an instant, the landscape had turned white with snow.
- Looks like it's snowing hard tonight. Ah, it's cold. I want to get back to the boat quickly. And, I want to go home -

The two men walked silently. Before they arrived at the river, the entire vicinity had changed to completely white. The distant mountains, woods, everything was completely white.
They finally arrived at the river. The cabin of the ferryman that always waited for his passengers was also completely white.


"Ah! The boat's not here!"
The two opened the door to the cabin. However, the ferryman was not there. Because there was so much snow falling, the ferryman had stopped working and gone home, it seemed.
"This is troubling."
"This way, we can't get home."
The snow fell with growing intensity. The two men were deeply troubled, staring at the lake for a short while.

"The snow falling like this, it being cold like this... It can't be helped. We'll just wait in the cabin until tomorrow."
The two entered the cabin. The cabin was very small, with only one door and no windows. Because the two men could do nothing, they rested on their sides in the cabin.
Mosaku fell asleep quickly. However, Minokichi could not sleep at all. For a long time, he could hear the sound of the wind and the snow falling. It was loud. It was a terrible sound, as though the sky and mountains were angry. There was the dreadful sound of the rushing water of the lake. The cabin rattled and shook in the wind. The air continued to grow colder. Minokichi was cold, scared, and could not sleep at all. However, because he was tired, after a short while, he fell asleep.

How much time has passed?
- Cold! -
Minokichi opened his eyes. His face was very cold. It was as though the snow had been falling directly onto his face. When he opened his eyes, (he saw that) the door to the cabin was open. The wind was steadily blowing the snow into the cabin. Inside the cabin, the snow shone dimly.
- Huh, why is the door open? The winds getting in. Oh? It seems like someone's here -
Minokichi thought as he remained on his side.
- There's definitely someone here! -
Someone wearing a white kimono was over the sleeping Mosaku.
- Who's that! What are they doing to Mosaku-san! -
When he looked carefully, the person had long, black hair.
- A woman. There's no mistaking that that's a woman. But, what is a woman doing in a place like this? -
Even though Minokichi seemed to be awake, his body would not move. The woman slowly brought her own face close to Mosaku's and breathed onto him. Her breath was like a white cloud. The fine white cloud that same out of her mouth, upon meeting Mosaku's face, rose up, glittering, into the sky.
The next moment, the woman lifted her head and looked in Minokichi's direction. Her face was completely white. Her eyes shown coldly. Also, this time, she brought her face slowly close to Minokichi's.
- Wah, what are you doing! Stop!! -
Although Minokichi tried to call out loudly, his voice would not come out. Although ht tried to get up, his body would not move. Soon enough, the woman's white face was before his eyes.
Although her eyes were frightening, she was an extremely beautiful woman. Minokichi started at the woman's face. The woman stared back at him and said in a low voice.
"I intended to breathe onto you too. However, I have changed my mind a little. After all, you are very young."
The woman was quiet and looked at Minokichi for a moment. And then said.
"You are really sweet. Now, I will do nothing to you. However, provided that, if you speak of what you saw today to anyone, at that time, I will kill you! You mustn't even speak to your parents of this! Remember this well!"
With saying that, the woman turned around and left through the doorway.

Soon after the woman left, Minokichi seemed to be able to move his body (again). Minokichi stood up and immediately went to the doorway to look outside. However, the woman was no longer there.
The snow had grown more violent than before and was steadily flowing into the cabin. Minokichi securely closed the door. The inside of the cabin became pitch black. He could not see anything.
Minokichi thought.
- Who was that woman just now? Where did this snowy day come from? Or rather, was this all a dream? -


"Mosaku-san, Mosaku-san."
Minokichi called to Mosaku, whom he wanted to talk to about the woman to. However, Mosaku did not answer. Minokichi thought it was strange.
Because the cabin was dark, Minokichi stretched out his hand in Mosaku's direction.
"Mosaku-san, Mosaku-san, what's wrong?"
Minokichi's hand touched Mosaku's face.
"Wah!"
Minokichi was shocked. Mosaku's face was as cold as ice. Mosaku had died.

As dawn broke, the heavy snow and gale winds suddenly stopped.

As the sun rose a little, the ferryman returned to the cabin. Beside the dead Mosaku, Minokichi had collapsed.
"Minokichi-san, Minokichi-san, please wake up."
The ferryman patted Minokichi's face. Minokichi opened his eyes.
"Minokichi-san, are you all right? It's terrible! Mosaku-san has died!"
Minokichi quickly remembered the events of the day before.
- The white woman I saw yesterday wasn't a dream? That woman really breathed on to Mosaku-san, who then died? What that woman said, that if I tell anyone what I saw that she would kill me, was true as well? -
Minokichi was frightened. Therefore, he spoke to no one about what he saw the day before.

Minokichi would not go to work for days, but once he had recovered, he again began his work chopping wood.
Every morning, he went on his own to the mountains, cut down trees, and in the evening, returned home with his wood and sold it together with his mother.
He gradually began to forget about the woman.


That next year.
On a winter's day, Minokichi was on his way home, when there was a young woman walking ahead of him. She was a tall, beautiful woman. Minokichi soon called out to her as he caught up with her.
"Good evening."
"Good evening."
The woman's voice was beautiful as well.
The two started to walk home together.
The young woman was named 'O-yuki'. O-yuki was on her way to the town. Recently, her parents had died, so she said she had planned to live with her uncle, who lived in the town.
Minokichi thought O-yuki was a beautiful person. Also, he asked if O-yuki had a lover. With a laugh, O-yuki replied that there was no such person.
Next, O-yuki asked Minokichi if he was married. Minokichi said that he was young and lived with his mother, so he had not yet thought of marriage.

After this conversation, the two continued to walk quietly.
The village came into sight. Minokichi was extremely taken by O-yuki and thought that he did not want to part ways.
Minokichi drew up his courage and asked if O-yuki wouldn't rest at his house. Although O-yuki seemed embarrassed, 'yes', was her answer. And so, together they went to Minokichi's home.
Minokichi's mother was very happy and prepared a warm meal for O-yuki. Mother was also quickly taken by O-yuki.
In the end, O-yuki did not end up going to her uncle's place. She and Minokichi married.

O-yuki worked very well. She helped Minokichi's mother much as well. About five years passed, and Mother died.
"O-yuki, you really worked hard for me. Thank you."
And those were Mother's final words.


O-yuki and Minokichi had ten children. All of the children were beautiful, and their skin was very white. O-yuki, mysteriously, even after becoming the mother of ten children, remained very young and beautiful. As a result, the people in the village, when they saw O-yuki, often said.
"It's strange, isn't it. Why has O-yuki-san always been so young? She hasn't changed at all since she first came to the village."

One winter night, as the children were sleeping, O-yuki was beside the fire mending the children's kimono. It was a very cold day. The snow started to fall.
- It seems to be snowing hard tonight -
Thought Minokichi.
By the fire and working diligently to mend the kimono, O-yuki was as white and beautiful as ever.
Minokichi stared at O-yuki.
- She really is beautiful -
He thought.
As he did, the face of that woman he had forgotten floated into his mind. The face of the woman he had met in the ferryman's cabin.
- That woman was beautiful too. Although I had forgotten a long time ago, come to think of it, she really resembles O-yuki -
Minokichi finally broke the silence and started a conversation with O-yuki.
"Just now, while looking at you, I remembered a woman I met when I was 18. That woman as well was a white skinned, beautiful woman like you. And mysteriously, that woman really resembles you."
As Minokichi said this, O-yuki looked down and replied in a very low voice.
"Please tell me more about this person. Where did you meet?"

From there, Minokichi told O-yuki of the frightening night. He told her of that white woman, and her breath after which Mosaku had died.
"I was frightened of that white woman. She was beautiful but, really frightening. ...completely white... I thought what I saw might have been a dream. But, it might not have been a dream. If that's the case, that woman may have been Yuki-onna. I don't really know."
At that time, O-yuki, who had been silently listening, immediately stood up. Moreover, she turned to the seated Minokichi and shouted.
"That white woman was me, it was me. It was me!"
"What are you saying, O-yuki!"
Minokichi said in a loud, surprised voice. However, O-yuki's eyes...
- It's the eyes of that woman! -
"That time, I told you. 'If, you speak even a word of what you saw today to anyone, at that time, I will kill you'."
O-yuki's voice was low, and her eyes glowed coldly.
- O-yuki was that woman?... I'll be killed by O-yuki? -
Minokichi was so frightened that he could not move.
"If there were no children, I would kill you right now, but... I, can no longer remain here. Goodbye. Please take good care of the children..."
O-yuki's voice gradually thinned. After that, O-yuki's body suddenly changed into a glistering fine white cloud.
Now, Minokichi could no longer see O-yuki's form.
The white cloud, while shining, slowly rose up.
"O-yuki!"
Although Minokichi called in a loud voice, the white cloud left through the gap in the window.

Minokichi flew outside to chase after O-yuki.
Outside, the snow was falling violently.
The fine white cloud shone as it flew high through the snow and into the sky.
"O-yuki! O-yuki!"
Minokichi looked up at the sky and called O-yuki's name for a long time.
The snow became increasingly intense. In the blink of an eye, the entire vicinity was completely white.

O-yuki never returned.

Japanese:

ある村に、茂作と巳之吉という二人の男がいた。
二人は山で木を切って、それを売って生活していた。茂作は六十歳で、一人暮らしをしていた。巳之吉は十八歳で、母と二人で暮らしていた。
毎日、巳之吉と茂作は一緒に山へ出かけた。
村から山まで行く途中に、大きな川があった。そこには渡し守がいる。渡し守は、船に人を乗せて川の向こう側へ運ぶ。
二人は毎日、川まで来ると、渡し守に船で川の向こう側へ運んでもらった。山から帰るときは、また、渡し守に船で川のこちら側まで運んでもらうのだった。

ある冬の寒い日のことである。
この日も、茂作と巳之吉は、朝から山へ行って木を切った。暗くなったので、二人は仕事を止め、帰ることにした。この日は、いつもよりずっと寒かった。
「今日は寒いなあ。きっと雪が降るよ。巳之吉さん」
茂作が暗い空を見ながら言った。
「本当に寒いですねえ。雪が降りますねえ。早く帰りましょう」
と、巳之吉が答えた。
二人は急いで歩き始めた。しばらく歩くと、空から白いものがちらちらと降ってきた。やはり雪が降ってきたのだ。雪はどんどん激しくなった。あっという間に地面が行きで白くなった。二人とも、心の中で同じ事を思っていた。
　―今晩は大雪になりそうだ。ああ、寒い。早く船に乗りたい。そして、家に帰りたい―

二人は黙って歩いた。川に着く前に、もう辺りは一面雪で真っ白になっていた。遠くの山も木もみんな真っ白だ。やっと川に着いた。渡し守がいつも客を待っている小屋も真っ白だった。


「あっ！船がない」
二人は小屋の戸を開けた。しかし、その小屋に渡し守はいなかった。渡し守は、雪がたくさん降ってきたので、仕事を止めて帰ってしまったのだろう。
「困ったなあ」
「これでは家に帰れないなあ」
雪はますます激しく降ってくる。二人はとても困って、しばらく川をじっと見ていた。

「雪はこんなに降っているし、寒いし・・・・・・。仕方がない。明日までこの小屋で待とう」
二人は小屋に入った。こやはとても小さくて、戸が一つあるだけで、窓もなかった。二人は何もすることがないので、その小屋でよくになって休んだ。
茂作はすぐに眠ってしまった。しかし、巳之吉はなかなか眠れなかった。長い間、風の音や雪の降る音を聞いていた。大きな音だった。空と山が怒っているような恐ろしい音だった。川の水もゴーゴーとすごい音で流れていた。小屋は風でガタガタ揺れていた。空気がだんだん冷たくなっていく。巳之吉は寒いし、怖いし、なかなか眠れなかった。しかし、疲れていたので、しばらくすると眠ってしまった。

どのくらい時間がたったのだろうか。
　－冷たい！－
巳之吉は目を覚ました。顔が冷たい。まるで顔に雪が降っていたようだ。目を開けると、小屋の戸が開いていた。風で雪がどんどん小屋の中に吹き込んでいた。小屋の中は雪でぼんやり明るかった。
　－あれ、どうして、戸が開いているんだろう。風で開いてしまったのだろうか。おや？誰かいるようだ－
巳之吉は、横になったまま思った。
　－確かに誰かいるぞ―
白い着物を着た人が、隣で寝ている茂作の上に乗っていた。
　－誰だろう！茂作さんに何をしているんだろう―
よく見ると、その人は黒く長い髪をしていた。
　－女だ。女に違いない。でも、女がこんなところで何をしているんだろう－
巳之吉は起きようとしたが、体が動かなかった。女は、茂作の顔にゆっくりと自分の顔を近づけていった。そして、茂作の顔に息をフーッと吹きかけた。その息は白い雲のようだった。女の口から細く出てきた白い雲は、茂作の顔にかかり、それからキラキラ光って空に上っていった。
次の瞬間、女は顔をあげて、隣の巳之吉のほうを見た。真っ白な顔だ。目が冷たく光っている。そして、今度はその顔を巳之吉の顔にゆっくりと近づけてきた。
　－わーっ、何をするんだ。やめろー！－
巳之吉は大声を出そうとしたが、声が出なかった。起き上がろうとしたが、体が動かなかった。とうとう女の白い顔が巳之吉の顔のすぐ目の前に来た。
目は怖いが、とても美しい女だ。巳之吉は女の顔をじっと見た。女も巳之吉をじっと見て、低い声で言った。
「私は、おまえにも息を吹きかけるつもりだったのよ。でも、ちょっと気が変わってね。おまえがとても若いから」
女は、黙って、しばらく巳之吉を見ていた。そして言った。
「本当にかわいいねえ。もう、おまえには何もしないよ。でも、もし、おまえが今日見たことを誰かに言ったら、その時は、おまえを殺すよ。親にも言ってはいけないよ。このことをよく覚えておくんだよ」
そういって、女は後ろを向くと、戸口から出て行った。

女が出て行くと、急に、巳之吉は体が動くようになった。巳之吉は立ち上がると、急いで戸口へ言って外を見た。しかし、女はもうどこにもいない。
雪は前よりも激しくなって、小屋の中にどんどん吹き込んでくる。巳之吉は戸をしっかり閉めた。小屋の中は真っ暗になった。何も見えない。
巳之吉は思った。
　－今の女は誰だろう。こんな雪の日にどこから来たのだろう。それとも、あれは夢だったんだろうか－


「茂作さん、茂作さん」
巳之吉は、茂作に女のことを話したくて茂作を呼んだ。しかし、茂作は答えなかった。巳之吉は変だなと思った。
小屋の中は暗いので、巳之吉は茂作の方へ手を伸ばした。
「茂作さん、茂作さん、どうしたんですか」
巳之吉の手が茂作の顔に触った。
「わっー！」
巳之吉はびく利した。茂作の顔は、まるで氷のように冷たかった。
茂作は死んでいた。

夜が明けると、大雪と大風はぴたりとやんだ。

日が昇って少しすると、渡し守が小屋に戻ってきた。死んだ茂作の側に巳之吉が倒れていた。
「巳之吉さん、巳之吉さん、起きてください」
渡し守は巳之吉の顔をたたいた。巳之吉は目を開けた。
「巳之吉さん、大丈夫ですか。大変です！茂作さんが死んでいます！」
巳之吉は、すぐに昨日のことを思い出した。
　－昨日見た白い女は、夢ではなかったんだろうか。本当にあの女の息で、茂作さんは死んでしまったんだろうか。女は、今日見たことを誰かに言ったら、おまえを殺す、と言っていたけれど、本当だろうか－
巳之吉は怖かった。だから、昨日のことは誰にも言わないことにした。

巳之吉は、何日か仕事に行くことができなかったが、元気になると、また木を切る仕事を始めた。
毎朝、独りで山へ行って、木を切って、夕方、気を持って帰って、母と一緒にそれを売った。女のことは、はんだん思い出さなくなった。


その次の年のことだった。
冬のある日、巳之吉が山から家に帰る途中、前の方を一人の娘が歩いていた。背が高くて、美しい娘だった。巳之吉は、すぐに娘に追いついて声をかけた。
「こんばんは」
「こんばんは」
娘は声も美しかった。
二人は一緒に歩き始めた。
娘は、「お雪」という名前だった。お雪は町に行く途中だった。最近、両親が死んだので、町に住んでいる叔父のところに行くつもりだと言った。
巳之吉は、お雪をきれいな人だと思った。そして、お雪に、恋人がいるかどうか聞いた。お雪は笑いながら、そんな人はいないと答えた。
今度はお雪が巳之吉に、もう結婚しているのかと聞いた。巳之吉は、若いし、母親と暮らしているので、まだ結婚は考えたことがないと言った。

こんな話をした後、二人は黙って歩き続けた。
村が見えてきた。巳之吉はお雪がとても気に入って、別れたくないと思った。
巳之吉は勇気を出して、お雪に、家で休んでいかないかと言った。お雪は恥ずかしそうだったが、はい、と答えた。そして、一緒に巳之吉の家に言った。
巳之吉の母親はとても喜んで、お雪のために温かい食事を用意した。母親も、すぐにお雪が気に入った。
お雪は結局、叔父のところへは行かなかった。巳之吉と結婚したのである。

お雪はとてもよく働いた。巳之吉の母親の手伝いもよくした。五年ぐらい経って、母親は死んだ。
「お雪、本当によく働いてくれた。ありがとう」
それが、母親の最後の言葉だった。


お雪と巳之吉との間には、男女十人の子供が生まれた。どの子もみんな美しくて、とても色が白かった。お雪は不思議なことに、十人の子の母親になった後も、とても若くて美しかった。だから、村の人たちはお雪を見て、よくこんなことを言った。
「不思議だなあ。お雪さんは、どうして、いつまでもあんなに若いんだろう。初めて村へ来た時と全然変わらない」

ある冬の夜、お雪は子供たちが寝てから、火の側で子供たちの着物を縫っていた。とても寒い日だった。雪が降り始めた。
　－今晩は大雪になりそうだ－
と、巳之吉は思った。
火の側で、一生懸命着物を縫っているお雪は、いつもより白くてとても美しかった。
巳之吉はお雪の顔をじっと見て、
　－本当にきれいだな－
と思った。
すると突然、忘れていたあの女の顔が巳之吉の頭に浮かんできた十八歳の時に、渡し守の小屋で会ったあの女の顔だ。
　－あの時の女もきれいだったなあ。長い間忘れていたが、そういえば、お雪とよく似ていたなあ－
巳之吉はとうとう黙っていられなくなって、お雪に話し始めた。
「今、おまえを見ていたら、俺が十八歳の時に会った女のことを思い出したよ。あの時の女も、おまえのように色の白い美しい女だった。不思議なことに、本当にその女はおまえによく似ていた」
巳之吉がこう言うと、お雪は下を向いたまま低い声で答えた。
「その人の話をもっとしてください。どこで会ったのですか」

そこで、巳之吉は、お雪にあの怖かった夜のことを話した。あの白い女のことや、女が息を吹きかけた後で茂作が死んだことなどを話した。
そして、お雪に言った。
「俺はその白い女が怖かった。美しかったが、本当に怖かった。・・・・・・真っ白だった・・・・・・。俺が見たのは夢だったのかもしれない。でも、夢じゃなかったかもしれない。もしかしたら、あの女は雪女だったのかもしれない。よく分からないんだ」
その時、下を向いたまま黙って聞いていたお雪が、急に立ち上がった。そして、座っている巳之吉に向かって叫んだ。
「その白い女は渡し、私です。私だったんです！」
「何を言うんだ、お雪！」
巳之吉は、びっくりして大きな声を出した。しかし、お雪の目は・・・・・・。
　－あの時の女の目だ！－
「あの時、私は言いました。『もし、あなたがあの夜のことを一言でも誰かに言ったら、あなたを殺す』と」
お雪の声は低くて、目は冷たく光っていた。
　－お雪はあの時の女だったのか・・・・・・。俺はお雪に殺されるのか－
巳之吉は怖くて怖くて、動くことができなかった。
「子供たちがいなければ、今すぐあなたを殺すのですが・・・・・・。私は、もうここにいることはできません。さようなら。子供たちをよく世話してやってくださいね・・・・・・」
お雪の声はだんだん細くなっていった。それから、お雪の体はあっという間にキラキラ光る白い細い雲になった。
もう、お雪の姿はどこにも見えない。
白い雲は、光ながらゆっくり上の方に上っていった。
「お雪！」
巳之吉は大声で呼んだが、白い雲は、窓の隙間から外へ、すーっと出ていった。

巳之吉は、お雪の後を追いかけて外に飛び出した。
外は、雪が激しく降っていた。
白い細い雲は、キラキラ光りながら、雪の中を空高く上っていった。
「お雪！お雪！」
巳之吉は、いつまでも空を見上げて、お雪の名前を呼び続けた。
雪はますます激しくなってきた。あっという間に、辺り一面真っ白になった。

お雪は、二度と戻ってこなかった。

whoaaa.. :O nice stories all of you~ ^_^