▁Det erm ined ▁not ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁bur den ▁on ▁his ▁family ▁during ▁the ▁current ▁fam ine , ▁J iro ▁runs ▁away ▁to ▁the ▁the ater , ▁where ▁he ▁becomes ▁an ▁app rent ice . ▁ ▁He ▁begins ▁his ▁career ▁by ▁opening ▁cur tain s ▁and ▁memor izing ▁scripts ▁and ▁eventually ▁gradu ates ▁to ▁a ▁role ▁as ▁a ▁“ foot ▁operator .” ▁Al ong ▁the ▁way , ▁he ▁is ▁helped ▁by ▁an ▁older ▁boy , ▁Y osh ida ’ s ▁son , ▁Kin sh i , ▁who ▁does ▁not ▁seem ▁able ▁to ▁please ▁his ▁father . ▁ ▁Wor ried ▁about ▁his ▁father , ▁who ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁ill , ▁J iro ▁briefly ▁returns ▁home ▁to ▁discover ▁that ▁Is ako ▁has ▁taken ▁his ▁father ▁to ▁recuper ate ▁at ▁a ▁relative ’ s ▁farm ▁in ▁Ky oto . ▁When ▁J iro ▁again ▁returns ▁home ▁on ▁New ▁Year ’ s ▁Day , ▁he ▁disco vers ▁that ▁his ▁mother ▁is ▁near ▁star v ation , ▁and ▁when ▁he ▁returns ▁to ▁the ▁Han aza ▁he ▁real izes ▁he ▁forgot ▁to ▁pray . ▁One ▁evening , ▁Sab uro , ▁the ▁myster ious ▁band it ▁who ▁ste als ▁from ▁the ▁rich ▁to ▁help ▁the ▁poor , ▁leaves ▁a ▁notice ▁on ▁the ▁door ▁of ▁the ▁the ater ▁demand ing ▁a ▁special ▁performance ▁of ▁the ▁current ▁play , ▁“ The ▁Th ief ▁of ▁the ▁Tok a ido .” ▁▁ ▁J iro ▁later ▁finds ▁the ▁sword ▁that ▁Sab uro ▁used ▁for ▁the ▁performance ▁day ▁special ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁floor ▁of ▁the ▁storage