Reflections on "The Man with the Red Washbasin"
One day, while traveling by train, I found myself inadvertently eavesdropping on a conversation between a father and his child seated across from me. The child, with an air of innocent curiosity, inquired, "Dad, why was that man staring at the ceiling earlier?"
Intrigued by the child's simple yet profound question, I listened more intently. The father began to respond, "Well, that man was probably..." but just then, the train arrived at the station. The father said, "We're here, let's get off quickly," and the pair disembarked, leaving me with an unfinished story.
I was left pondering the mystery of why that man was staring at the ceiling, a question that still lingers in my mind.
Such experiences are common to us all, but have you ever heard of the story "The Man with the Red Washbasin"?
What is "The Man with the Red Washbasin"?
This is a recurring anecdote in dramas scripted by Koki Mitani. The story unfolds as follows:
A character begins to narrate.
"One day, a person was walking down the street and encountered a man with a red washbasin filled with water on his head. Curious, I asked why he had a washbasin on his head. The man replied..."
However, just as the story reaches its climax, something interrupts, and the conclusion is never revealed.
The ending of the story is tantalizingly elusive, but it always follows this pattern, and the conclusion of this short story remains unknown to this day.
A Similar Story: "The Manhole Man"
The narrative of encountering a peculiar individual and being drawn into an unexpected turn of events is one of the most classic storytelling techniques. Here, I would like to introduce another well-known American short story. There are many variations with different settings, but the ending is roughly the same.
A man is happily jumping on a manhole cover, saying "11, 11, 11...". An intrigued gentleman says to the man, "You seem to be having fun. I'll give you a dollar if you let me try."
The man stops jumping, takes the dollar from the gentleman, and gives up his spot.
The gentleman starts jumping on the manhole cover, saying "11, 11, 11...", but doesn't find it fun at all.
Just as he is about to ask the man what is so enjoyable about it, the man removes the manhole cover at the perfect moment. The gentleman loses his footing and falls into the manhole. The man quickly replaces the cover and starts jumping again, saying "12, 12, 12...".
Does "The Man with the Red Washbasin" Have an Ending?
According to Mitani, the conclusion of "The Man with the Red Washbasin" has not been revealed. In a drama commentary, Mitani himself mentioned that the original joke was something he heard in Israel and that it does have an ending, but this commentary itself is a joke, and there is no credibility to his story.
There is probably no ending. The essence of the story is that it never reaches the conclusion, leaving the audience hanging. This is likely one of the aims, to make many people discuss and speculate about the ending. When I searched for "The Man with the Red Washbasin" online, there were about 400,000 hits. Many people are analyzing and predicting the ending.
Leaving the conclusion unknown or unclear is never acceptable in real life. However, it works as entertainment and greatly stimulates the imagination of the audience.
But if there really is an ending, what kind of ending could it be? The author would like to take on the challenge.
If Kuzei Were to Write It
(1)
Me: "Why do you have a washbasin on your head?"
Man: "If you want to know the reason, give me $100. Why should I tell a stranger for free something I learned through a lifetime of experience?"
(2)
Me: "Why do you have a washbasin on your head?"
Man: "Are you curious? Of course, you are. I'm also curious why you don't have a washbasin on your head."
(3)
Me: "Why do you have a washbasin on your head?"
Man: "Thank you. Now it's your turn until someone asks you that question."
With that, the man placed the washbasin on my head and walked away.
(4)
Me: "Why do you have a washbasin on your head?"
Man: "As you can see, my hands are full."
(5)
Me: "Why do you have a washbasin on your head?"
Man: "Forgive me, my usual drum was taken by my son, so I'm using this instead today."
(6)
Me: "Why do you have a washbasin on your head?"
Man: "To feel the weight of life."
(7)
Me: "Why do you have a washbasin on your head?"
Man: "This is the real way to use a ten-gallon hat."
(8)
Me: "Why do you have a washbasin on your head?"
Man: "Is this your first time seeing us kappa?"
(9)
Me: "Why do you have a washbasin on your head?"
Man: "That thing you're talking to, it's a mirror."
(10)
Me: "Why do you have a washbasin on your head?"
Man: "More importantly, have you seen the lid for this anywhere?"
Finally, the author would like to share a riddle.
"What do 'no+e' and 'first graders' have in common?"
The answer is,
Greetings, I am Kuzei Ryosei, a novelist who delves into a diverse array of genres, spanning from the historical to the contemporary. My aim is to enchant readers with tales that breathe life into history and explore the intricate issues of modern society. I warmly invite you to reach out to me.