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diff --git a/41437.txt b/41437.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 96afa7a..0000000 --- a/41437.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6308 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Warriors of Old Japan and Other Stories, by -Yei Theodora Ozaki - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Warriors of Old Japan and Other Stories - -Author: Yei Theodora Ozaki - -Illustrator: Shusui Okakura - -Release Date: November 21, 2012 [EBook #41437] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WARRIORS OF OLD JAPAN *** - - - - -Produced by Marc D'Hooghe at http://www.freeliterature.org -(Images generously made available by the Internet Archive) - - - - - -WARRIORS OF OLD - -JAPAN - -AND OTHER - -STORIES - -BY - -YEI THEODORA OZAKI - - -AUTHOR OF THE JAPANESE FAIRY BOOK - -ILLUSTRATED - -BY SHUSUI OKAKURA - -AND OTHER JAPANESE ARTISTS - - -HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY - -BOSTON AND NEW YORK - -1909 - - -[Illustration: RUSHED UPON THE MONSTER AND QUICKLY DESPATCHED HIM] - - -PREFACE - - -The kind reception given to "The Japanese Fairy Book" has encouraged me -to venture on a second volume of stories from Japan. I have invented -none of these stories. They are taken from many different sources, and -in clothing them with an English dress my work has been that of adapter -rather than translator. In picturesqueness of conception Japanese -stories yield the palm to none. And they are rich in quaint expressions -and dainty conceits. But they are apt to be written in a style almost -too bald. This defect the professional story-teller remedies by -colouring his story as he tells it. In the same way I have tried to -brighten the rather bare structure of a story, where it seemed to need -such treatment; with touches of local colour in order to give emphasis -to the narrative, and at the same time make the story more attractive to -the foreign reader. Whether I have succeeded or not, the reader must -judge for himself. I shall be satisfied if in some small measure I have -been able to do for Japanese folk-lore what Andrew Lang has done for -folk-lore in general, and if the tales in their English dress are found -to retain the essential features of Japanese stories. - -Miss Fusa Okamoto and Mr. Taketaro Matsuda, my brother, Nobumori Ozaki, -and one or two friends have given me help in translation. - -For the introductory note I am indebted to Mr. J.H. Gubbins, C.M.G., of -the British Embassy, Tokyo. - -Most of the illustrations have been drawn by Mr. Shusui Okakura, of the -Peers' College, to whose painstaking and patient collaboration grateful -acknowledgment is due. A few of the pictures were drawn by Mr. Tsutsui, -of the "Jiji Shimbun," and some of the historical pictures by Mr. Kokuho -Utagawa and Mr. Tosen Toda. - -Yei Theodora Ozaki. - - - - CONTENTS - - - Introductory Note - - Madame Yukio Ozaki - - I. Hachiro Tametomo, the Archer - II. Gen Sanmi Yorimasa, the Knight - III. The Story of Yoshitsune - IV. The Story of Benkei - V. The Goblin of Oyeyama - VI. Kidomaru the Robber, Raiko the Brave, and the Goblin Spider - VII. The Story of the Pots of Plum, Cherry, and Pine - VIII. Shiragiku, or White Chrysanthemum - IX. The Princess of the Bowl - X. The Story of Lazy Taro - - - - ILLUSTRATIONS - - - RUSHED UPON THE MONSTER AND QUICKLY DESPATCHED HIM (Frontispiece) - TAMETOMO BEGAN TO RISE IN THE AIR - YORIMASA COULD NOT TELL WHICH WAS THE LADY AYAME - COULD OVERCOME TEN OR TWENTY SMALL TENGU IN THE TWINKLING OF AN EYE - THE PHANTOM HOST DREW NEARER TO THE BOAT - DIED STANDING WITH HIS FACE TO THE ENEMY - THE HEAD FLEW UP INTO THE AIR - THEY ENTERED THE CAVE AND FOUND A MONSTER SPIDER - SHIRAGIKU WAS ABOUT TO DASH DOWN INTO THE RIVER - SAISHO AND THE BOWL-WEARER WERE AT LAST MARRIED - - - - -INTRODUCTORY NOTE - - -Those who three years ago welcomed the appearance of "The Japanese Fairy -Book" will be grateful to Madame Ozaki for the new treat afforded in the -present volume. "The Japanese Fairy Book" appealed alike to the child, -in or out of the nursery, to the student of folk-lore, and to the lover -of things Japanese. To all of these the stories here told will come as -old friends with new faces. - -In a country whose people are born story-tellers, where story-telling -long since rose to the dignity of a profession, and the story-teller is -sure of an appreciative audience, whether at a village fair or in a city -theatre, the authoress had not to go far afield in search of her -materials. But the range of this class of literature is wide, embracing -as it does all that goes to make folk-lore, legendary history, fairy -tales, and myths. - -From all these sources the present stories are drawn, and in each case -the selection is justified and the story loses nothing in the telling. -The simple directness of narrative peculiar to Japanese tales is not -lost in the English setting, and the little glimpses we are given into -Japanese verse may tempt the reader to do like Oliver Twist and "ask for -more." - -J.H. Gubbins. - -Tokyo, May, 1909. - - - - -MADAME YUKIO OZAKI - -A BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH, BY MRS. HUGH FRASER - - -In the attempt to describe a character it is wise to begin, if possible, -with its distinguishing attribute, the one which will leave its mark on -the time, after the popularity of definite achievements may have passed -away. So I will say, before going any further into the subject of this -sketch, that if I were asked to single out the person who, to-day, most -truly apprehends the points of contact and divergence in the thought of -East and West, I would name the gentle dark-eyed lady who is the light -of an ancient house in the loveliest part of Tokyo, a spot where, as she -sits under the great pines of her garden, she can hear the long Pacific -rollers breaking on the white beaches of Japan and listen to the wind as -it murmurs its haunting songs of other homes in distant lands where she -is known and loved. For though Yei Theodora Ozaki is a daughter of the -East in heart and soul and parentage, one to whom all the fine ways and -thoughts of it come by nature, she is also a child of the West in -training, in culture, in the intellectual justice which enables her to -discern the greatnesses and smile indulgently at the littlenesses of -both. - -Her father, Baron Saburo Ozaki, the descendant of a Kyoto samurai -family, a member of the House of Peers, and a Privy Councillor, was one -of the first Japanese who went to England to study its language and -institutions. While there, he made the acquaintance of Miss Bathia -Catherine Morrison, and shortly afterwards she became his wife. This -lady was the daughter of William Morrison, Esq., a profound scholar and -linguist, who would have been more famous had not his attainments, great -as they were, been overshadowed by those of his brother, the Rev. -Alexander Morrison, whose translations of the works of German -philosophers and historians placed much valuable material at the -disposal of English readers. - -William Morrison's name, however, was known and loved in Japan many -years before his little granddaughter Yei (the Illustrious Flower Petal) -was born, for he was the instructor of most of the Japanese great men -who went to England to learn the ways and speech of modern -enlightenment. Prince Mori, Marquis Inouye, Baron Suyematsu, and many -others who afterwards rose to eminence, were among his pupils, and when -Baron Ozaki became his son-in-law it would have been natural to -conclude that Miss Morrison was fairly familiar already with many sides -of the complex Japanese character. But the union was not a happy one; -and when, several years later, I made her acquaintance, I thought I -could divine the reason. She was a charming and intelligent woman, but -she was English to the backbone, and it was impossible for her to -appreciate or sympathize with anything that was not British. And Saburo -Ozaki was as fundamentally Japanese. - -Five years after their marriage they separated, by mutual consent; three -little girls, of whom Yei Theodora was the second, remained in England -with their mother and received a very thorough English education. Mr. -Morrison took great interest in O Yei and brought her many books, which -she devoured greedily, having inherited all his love of literature and -learning. I have often heard her say that whatever ability she possesses -in that direction is due to her English grandfather. - -She was just sixteen when Baron Ozaki insisted upon her coming out to -live with him in Japan, and she gladly complied with his wishes. On -meeting her after their long separation, he was delighted with her charm -and grace, and pleasantly surprised to find that in appearance she was -quite a Japanese maiden, small and slender, with dark eyes, pale -complexion, and a mass of glossy black hair. Accustomed to rule as an -autocrat over his household, he decreed that henceforth she was to be -only Japanese. She was quite willing to please him in this, so far as -she could; the pretty picturesque ways of her new home appealed to her -artistic instinct, and the traditions and ideals of Japanese life at -once claimed her for their own; her mental inheritance responded to them -joyfully. But this was not quite enough for her father. His duty, from -his point of view, was to arrange a suitable marriage for her as soon as -possible; but here he met with an unexpected difficulty. The example of -her parents' estrangement had inspired the girl with something like -terror of the married state, and she had grown up with the resolve not -to run the risk of contracting a like ill-assorted union. In -consequence, she found herself in opposition to her father, an -impossible situation in a Japanese family, and especially undesirable -where there were younger children growing up, as in this case, for Baron -Ozaki had married again after his return to his own country. Various -other circumstances also combined to make her decide at this time to -become independent. Her knowledge of English qualified her to give -instruction in that language, and her superior education and well-known -social position brought her many pupils in a land where teaching is -looked upon as the highest of all professions. - -In this way many interesting friendships were formed with Japanese -girls, one of whom opened for her the doors of that treasure house of -story, the ancient lore and romance of Japan. Here the ardent sensitive -mind was in its element. She says: "During those early years I loved the -heroes and heroines of my country with passionate and romantic devotion. -They were the companions of my solitude, royal and remote, yet near and -potential as the white fire of girlhood's idealisms; they peopled my -visions with beautiful images, tender and brave and loyal. In those days -I was often reproached with being a dreamer, but my dreams were all of -fair and noble things. The old stories had taken possession of me: they -were a wonder, a joy, an exaltation, though I little imagined that I -would ever write them down." - -It was during this period of her life that there came a temporary -parting of the ways and Europe again claimed O Yei for a time. My -husband was the British Minister in Tokyo, and we proposed to Baron -Ozaki's daughter that she should come and live with us, acting as my -secretary and companion. She accepted, and became not only a dearly -loved friend, but an invaluable assistant to me, contributing very -materially to the success of my various books on Japan by her profound -knowledge of the country and the people. When I returned to Europe she -followed me, and remained with us in Italy for about two years. A part -of this time she spent in the house of my brother, Marion Crawford, -acting as his amanuensis, and cataloguing his great library with such -precision and intelligence that he remarked to me, "Miss Ozaki is a very -exceptional person. I had not imagined that the work could be so well -done." - -My brother discerned her literary talent and first suggested to her that -she should write and publish the stories of old Japan which she used to -tell in the family circle to the delight of old and young. "You have the -gifts of imagination and of language," he said to her. "You really ought -to lecture on those stories. You would have a great success." - -Italy was a revelation to O Yei; her love of colour and romance was -satisfied there, and the never-silent music of the South, the gay yet -haunting songs of the people, found a ready echo in her sweet voice, her -delicate guitar-playing. But her heart had always turned faithfully to -her English mother, and when I went to live in London she passed some -time there, contributing her first stories and articles to the English -magazines. Then she returned to Japan, where the famous educator, Mr. -Fukuzawa, had offered her a post in his school. - -Of all her varied experiences this was the strangest. The slight shy -girl had a class of two hundred young men and boys to instruct and keep -in order, but from the crowded classroom she returned to the eeriest and -loneliest of dwellings. She says: "I lived in the upper storey of an old -Buddhist temple, really enjoying the queerness and out-of-the-worldness -of it. Under my windows was a graveyard, where on summer nights I used -to look for ghosts; but I had a terrible time with the cold and the -draughts and the rats, in winter. Sometimes I was awakened at dawn by -the sound of gongs and bells, and would look out of my window to see a -funeral procession marshalled in the courtyard." In her spare time she -continued to write, and various articles and fairy stories of hers -appeared in the "Wide World," the "Girls' Realm," and the "Lady's -Realm." At last her health broke down and she gave up her post at the -school and devoted herself more closely to literary work, which -resulted, in 1903, in the publication of "The Japanese Fairy Book," a -work which has now become a classic. At the same time she belonged to -several of the societies, patriotic, educational, and charitable, by -which the Japanese ladies so quietly yet so efficiently aid the cause of -true progress in their country. Indeed it was in the interests of -Japanese womanhood that she first took up her pen, resolved to dispel -the hopeless misconceptions which existed in regard to it in western -minds. To use her own words: "When I was last in England and Europe and -found by the questions asked me that very mistaken notions about Japan, -and especially about its women, existed generally, I determined if -possible to write so as to dispel these wrong conceptions. Hence my -stories of Japanese heroines, Aoyagi and Kesa Gozen [in the 'Nineteenth -Century'] and Tomaye Gozen, last year ['Lady's Pictorial']. It has been -my hope too that the ancient tales and legends, retold in English, may -show to the West some of the good old ideals and sentiments for which -the Japanese lived and died." - -But other than purely studious interests entered into O Yei's life; she -had many friends in the Court and Diplomatic circles, and they drew her -more and more into society, where she was always a welcome addition to -any gathering. She saw every side of the national existence, Imperial, -official, scholastic, and was equally intimate with the small but -brilliant foreign society. Her single state was a mystery to all except -her closest friends; they knew that she had resolved never to marry -until she met a man who should fulfil all her ideals. - -She met him at last. In 1904 she made the acquaintance of Yukio Ozaki, -the Mayor of Tokyo. Each had long known of the other, and various -amusing complications had occurred through mistakes of the postman, who, -owing to identity of name (there was no connection of family), -sometimes got hopelessly confused, and delivered the Mayor's letters to -the young lady and the young lady's correspondence to the Mayor. From -the moment when the two first met, at a big dinner party, and laughed -together over the postman's mistakes, the result was a foregone -conclusion. Mr. Ozaki had already learned all that his friends could -tell him about the intellectual, attractive girl whose independent, -resolute spirit had in no way marred her gentle womanliness; she knew -him equally well by reputation--and to hear of Yukio Ozaki, in Japan, is -to admire and respect him. Many were the parents, both wealthy and -noble, who after his first wife's death would gladly have had him for a -son-in-law. His irreproachable morals and elevated character earned for -him during this period the title "Nihon no Dai Ichi no O musoko San," -the "First (best) bridegroom in all Japan." But he too nursed an ideal, -and was not to be drawn into new ties until he had found it. Given two -such beings, it needed but one kindly touch of Fate's wand to bring them -together. The result was a marriage happy in its perfect romance and -blest with the deep sympathy of tastes and interests which forms the -surest foundation for married felicity. - -I returned to Japan a few weeks before the wedding took place, and -counted myself fortunate in gaining the friendship of Yukio Ozaki. My -first impressions of him could be summed up in a very few -words--strength, calmness, largeness of heart. The fearless glance of -his eyes, the noble carriage of his fine dark head, the quiet voice and -direct yet eloquent speech--all this was the fitting index to a -character which through many long years of public stress and strain has -never let even a passing shadow flit over its crystal sincerity and -loyalty. Political corruption, temptations of personal ambition, lures -of advancement, popular feeling, the outcries of opponents and the -applause of adherents, all these have assailed him in vain, have fallen -like broken arrows from the shield of his spotless integrity. A Japanese -writer says of him: "Mr. Yukio Ozaki has had a wonderful political -career. He is a born orator, the most powerful debater, and the ablest -writer, in Japan; a staunch fighter for the cause of liberty and the -interests of the people; one of the political magnates, and a potent -factor in the introduction of the Meiji civilization; a man who is above -every form of political corruption; once the Minister for Education, and -now the highly renowned mayor of Tokyo who has never missed a single -election for the twenty-five Sessions of the Diet of Japan." - -Mr. Ozaki is a strenuous and untiring worker. In his character of Mayor -no detail is too small for him to go into patiently. Drainage, street -cleaning, water supply, market regulations, everything that can conduce -to the health and morals of the city passes under his watchful eyes, -and Tokyo is governed marvellously well. His scrupulous -conscientiousness leads him to take upon himself a thousand minutiae -which another man would hand over to his subordinates. I shall never -forget the searching orders that were promulgated to prepare the capital -for the return of the troops from Manchuria. Hundreds of thousands of -men, war-worn and ragged, with all their invalids, were to be arriving -for months together, and no one could tell what germs of disease might -come with them. So before the first detachment reached Shimbashi, a -house-to-house visitation was made, the most thorough cleaning and -clearing away of rubbish was insisted upon, and the entire foundations -of the dwellings as well as out-houses and gateways were copiously -sprinkled with chloride of lime. Tokyo sneezed, Tokyo wept, but Tokyo -had no epidemics. - -Besides all his responsibilities as Mayor, a post which he has filled -for seven years, Mr. Ozaki has great political duties to occupy his -time. He has steadily refused to attach himself to any party in -particular, and, though he has many supporters in the Diet, is an -absolutely independent statesman, judging all measures from his only -standpoints--right and wrong, and the best interests of the country. -This uncompromising attitude has made many enemies for him, but even -they admire and respect him, knowing that he is a man who has said to -evil, "Stand thou on that side, for on this am I."[1] - -There is another side to his character, the love of all that is -beautiful and inspiring. No one who saw the "Triumphal Return" of -Admiral Togo can forget the splendid scene of that imposing ceremony, -attended by half a million people and so deftly organized that all could -see the hero and the man who welcomed him in the country's name. The -welcome came from the nation's heart and found adequate expression in -Yukio Ozaki's magnificent address, delivered in the voice whose clear -tones had ever sounded in the cause of true patriotism. The thrill of -deepest feeling was in them that day, and I, who stood near the speaker, -saw that his hand trembled and his eyes were suffused with emotion as he -welcomed the beloved old sailor back, in glory, to the country he had -saved. - -One more superb pageant--one where Yukio Ozaki and his bride were host -and hostess--returns to my memory, the fete given to Prince Arthur of -Connaught in 1906. This was the largest social reunion that has ever -taken place in the East, and most regally was the illustrious visitor -entertained. In the beautifully wooded park a banqueting pavilion had -been erected in the purest style of ancient Japanese architecture, -severely harmonious in outline and detail. The interior contained, -among other decorations, a great collection of rare Japanese flowers, -shrubs, and dwarf trees--pines and maples hundreds of years old, and, -from hoary trunk to new-born feathery branch tip, perfect miniatures of -their spreading, towering brethren of the forest. The crowning feature -of the day was the Daimyo's procession, a mile long, which defiled -before our eyes across the great lawns in the open air. For this the -last survivors of the feudal epoch had been sought out and brought in -from every part of Japan, old _samurai_ who had accompanied their -imperious masters in many a famous progress and had cut down all and any -who had the temerity to cross their path. In joyful arrogance they came -to show a degenerate world the martial splendours of their younger days, -and the sight was enough to make one overlook the wrongs and dangers of -the dead time and only regret that so much colour and fire had to be -swept away to make room for the nation's new life. - -For things like these all art lovers are grateful to Yukio Ozaki, but -his two or three intimate friends have more exquisite moments to thank -him for. "Let me take you to my favourite garden," he said one day when -I was with him and his wife, "the Garden of the Seven Flowers of -Autumn." - -The sun was setting as we drove for miles beside the river-bank; leaving -the city far behind, we came, through leafy lanes, to a half-hidden -gate through which we passed into a dreamland of misty beauty, all -shadowy and subdued in the late October twilight. Great pale moonflowers -swung, like scarce-lit lamps, from tree and trellis; feathery autumn -grasses waved their plumes below. The dark velvety paths led to dim -monuments on whose grey stones we could feel rather than read the -deep-cut characters of classic poems. All was imbued with the tender -melancholy which brings repose, not pain; and even now, in hours of -stress and weariness, my memory turns to the starlit peace that reigns -o' nights in the spirit-haunted Garden of the Seven Flowers of Autumn. - -Things like these mean more to Yukio Ozaki and his wife than all the -social and public side of their existence. Both have the proud delicate -reserves of the aristocrat of mind and soul, and escape whenever they -can from the publicity which has been forced upon them. It required much -persuasion to obtain their permission for this sketch to be published. -Madame Ozaki's last words on the subject were: "It is true that my life -is varied and exceedingly interesting. One night I may dine at a State -banquet with Cabinet Ministers and foreign Ambassadors, or with -distinguished visitors like Mr. and Mrs. Taft, who recently visited this -country; the next will find me with a purely Japanese party at the Maple -Club. I assist at the Court functions, the Imperial wedding receptions; -I act as sponsor or go-between at Japanese marriage ceremonies; I see -all the ins and outs of Japanese life. I seem to live in the heart of -two distinct civilizations, those of the East and the West, but the East -is my spirit's fatherland. My mind still turns for companionship to the -great ones of the Past, the heroines of my country's history. I find -greater pleasure in the old classical drama of the 'No,' with its -Buddhist teachings and ideals, its human tragedies of chivalry and of -sorrow, than in all the sensational and spectacular modern drama. But my -greatest happiness is in my home life, in the companionship of my baby -daughter, in the few short hours that my husband can snatch from his -work to devote to me. If you must write about us, tell people about -Yukio--he is so good and great. I have no wish to be mentioned apart -from him." - -Mary Crawford Fraser. - -Note: Mr. Ozaki's collected works have just been published in Japan; -they include many essays on public and literary topics, original poems, -and a translation into Japanese of the Life of Lord Beaconsfield. - -Madame Ozaki's writings include "The Shinto Fire-Walking," "The Hot -Water Ordeal," "Nikko Festival," "Singing Insects of Japan," and many -articles on travel and folk-lore, "The Japanese Fairy Book," "Japanese -in Time of War," "Japanese Peeresses in Tableaux," "Stories of Japanese -Heroines," "Buddha's Crystal" (in 1908), and "Japanese Girls' Home -Accomplishments" (in 1909). - - -[1] F.W. Myers. - - - - -HACHIRO TAMETOMO, THE ARCHER - - -Long, long ago there lived in Japan a man named Hachiro Tametomo, who -became famous as the most skilful archer in the whole of the realm at -that time. Hachiro means "the eighth," and he was so called because he -was the eighth son of his father, General Tameyoshi of the house of -Minamoto. Yoshitomo, who afterwards became such a great figure in -Japanese history, was his elder brother. Tametomo was therefore uncle to -the Shogun Yoritomo and the hero Yoshitsune, of whom you will soon read. -He belonged to an illustrious family indeed. - -As a child Hachiro gave promise of being a very strong man, and as he -grew older this promise was more than fulfilled. He early showed a love -of archery, and his left arm being four inches longer than his right, -there was no one who could bend the bow better or send the arrow farther -than he could. By nature Hachiro was a rough, wild boy who did not know -what fear was, and he loved to challenge his elder brothers to fight. He -ever a grew wilder as he grew older, till at last he acted so rudely -and wilfully, respecting and obeying no one set over him, that even his -own father found him unmanageable. - -Now it happened when Hachiro was thirteen years old that a learned man, -named Fujiwara-no-Shinsei, came to the Palace of the Emperor one day to -give a lecture on a certain book. During the lecture he said that there -could not be found in the whole of Japan a warrior whose skill in -archery could match that of Kiyomori, the chief of the Taira clan, or of -Yorimasa, the Minamoto knight. These two knights, though belonging to -two different clans, were the best archers throughout the land. Now -Hachiro, when he heard these words, laughed aloud in scorn, and said, so -that every one might hear him, that Fujiwara-no-Shinsei was right about -Yorimasa, but to call their enemy, that coward of a Kiyomori, a clever -archer, only showed what a foolish and ignorant man Fujiwara-no-Shinsei -was. - -This rude speech, so contrary to the rules of Japanese courtesy, which -commands young people to maintain a respectful and humble silence in the -presence of their elders, made Fujiwara very angry. When the lecture was -finished, he therefore sent for Tametomo and rebuked him sternly for his -behaviour, but the daring Tametomo, instead of being ashamed of his -unmannerly conduct and prostrating himself in apology before the -learned man, would not listen to anything he had to say, and was so -boisterous in declaring that he was right that Fujiwara gave up his task -of correction as a hopeless one. - -But the lad's father, Tameyoshi, when he heard of what had happened, was -very angry with his son for daring to dispute with his elder and -superior, especially in the sacred precincts of the Palace. He was so -wroth indeed that at last he refused to see him or to keep him any -longer under his roof, and to punish him he sent him far away from his -home to the island of Kiushiu. - -Now Tametomo, like the wilful, headstrong boy that he was, did not mind -his banishment at all; on the contrary, he felt like a hound let loose -from the leash, and rejoiced in his liberty, even though he had incurred -his father's displeasure. - -When he reached the island of Kiushiu he made his way to the province of -Higo, and finally settled down in the plain of Kumamoto. Now that -Tametomo found himself free to do just as he liked, his thirst for -conflict became so great that he could not restrain himself. He gathered -round him a band of fighters as wild as himself and challenged the men -in all the neighbouring provinces to come out and match their strength -against his. In twenty battles which followed this challenge Tametomo -was never once defeated, so great was his strength, and his cleverness -in directing his soldiers. He was like a silkworm eating up the mulberry -tree. Just as the silkworm devours one leaf after another, with slow but -sure relentlessness, so Tametomo fought and fought the inhabitants of -the provinces round about till he had brought them all into subjection -under him. By the time he was eighteen years old he had made himself -chief of a large band of outlaws, distinguished for their reckless -bravery, and with them he had mastered the whole of Kiushiu, the western -part of Japan. It was now that the name of Chinsei was given him on -account of his having conquered the West. _Chin_ means "to put down," -and _sei_ means the "West." - -Tidings travelled slowly in those days, for there were no railways or -telegraph wires forming a network of lightning speed communication -across the land, and all carrying of news was done on foot by -messengers; so it was a long time before the Government at the capital -heard of the wild and lawless doings of Chinsei Hachiro Tametomo, but at -last his daring exploits became known, and the Government decided to -interfere and to put a stop to his outlawry. They sent a regiment of -soldiers to hunt him down and take him prisoner, but Tametomo and his -band were not only strong and fearless, but sharp of wit, and in the -frequent skirmishes that took place they always came out victorious. At -last the soldiers gave up their task of capturing him, for they found it -impossible to overcome him and nothing would make Tametomo surrender. So -the general returned to the capital and confessed that his expedition -had failed. The Government now decided to arrest the outlaw's father, -Tameyoshi, and so try to bring the rebel to bay. Tameyoshi was therefore -seized and punished for being the parent of such an incorrigible rebel. - -Now even the wilful Tametomo was moved and distressed when he heard of -what had happened to his father, because of him. Although he was -undisciplined by nature, and ever ready to rebel against all authority, -yet hidden deep in his heart there was still a sense of duty to his -father, and on this his enemies had counted. He knew that it was -inexcusable to let his father suffer punishment for his misdoings. As -soon as the bad tidings reached him, he gave up without the least -hesitation all the land in Kiushiu, which had cost him several years of -hard fighting to wrest from the inhabitants, and taking with him only -ten of his men, with all the speed he could make, he went up to the -capital. - -As soon as he reached the city he sent in a document signed and sealed -in his blood, asking pardon of the Government for all his former -offences, and begging that his father might be released at once. He -then waited calmly and quietly for his sentence of punishment to be -declared. - -Now when those in authority saw his filial piety and his good conduct at -this crisis, they could not find it in their hearts to treat him with -severity. - -"Even this man who has behaved like a demon can feel so much for his -father," they exclaimed; and merely rebuking him for his lawlessness -they handed him over to his father, whom they had set free. - -At this time civil war broke out in the land, for two brothers, sons of -the late ex-Emperor Toba, aspired to sit on the Imperial throne. Owing -to the favouritism of their father the elder brother, Sutoku, was forced -to abdicate and retire, while Go-Shirakawa, the younger brother, was put -on the throne. On his deathbed the ex-Emperor Toba (also called the -Pontiff-Emperor) had foreseen that there would be strife between the -two, and left sealed instructions in case of emergency. On opening this -document it was found to contain a command to all the principal generals -to support Go-Shirakawa. - -Hence the great chief of the Taira, Kiyomori, and Tametomo's eldest -brother, Yoshitomo,--indeed all the warriors of repute and -strength,--supported Go-Shirakawa, while such nobles as Yorinaga and -Fujiwara-no-Shinsei, who knew nothing of fighting, sided with the -retired Emperor Sutoku. Yorinaga, it is said, could not mount his -horse. Indeed the only efficient soldiers on Sutoku's side were -Tameyoshi and his seven younger sons, Tametomo, the reformed rebel, -amongst them. Sutoku was told of Tametomo's strength and wonderful skill -as an archer, and was advised to make use of him, so Tametomo was -summoned ere long to the ex-Emperor's presence. - -Tametomo was now just twenty years of age; he was more than seven feet -in height; his eyes were sharp and piercing like those of a hawk, and he -carried himself with great pride and noble bearing. As he entered the -Imperial Audience Hall, so strong and brave and such a fine soldier did -he look, that Sutoku at once felt confidence in him, and without delay -consulted the young knight about the impending war. - -Then Tametomo told the Emperor of how, when he had been banished to the -West by his father, he had lived the life of an outlaw for many -years--all that time his hand had been raised against every one, and -every one had fought against him. It had been his delight and pastime to -fight all who opposed his being lord of Kiushiu. He and his band had -always conquered, he said, because they had always fought at night. It -would be a good plan, he thought, for Sutoku and his men to attack the -Palace of Go-Shirakawa by night, to set fire to the Palace on three -sides and to place soldiers on the fourth side to seize the new Emperor -and his party when they tried to escape. If the ex-Emperor would follow -his advice, Tametomo said he felt sure that he would win the victory. - -Yorinaga, who was attending the Council when he heard Tametomo's plan, -shook his head in disapproval, and said that Tametomo's scheme of attack -was an inferior one; that in his opinion it was a coward's trick to -attack by night; and that it was more befitting brave soldiers to fight -by day in the ordinary way. When Tametomo saw that his advice was -overruled and that Sutoku's Council would not follow his tactics, he -left the Palace. - -When he reached home he told his men of all that had passed, and added -in his anger that Yorinaga was a conceited fellow who knew nothing of -fighting, though he had dared to give his worthless opinion and to -contradict him, Tametomo, who had fought without once being beaten all -his life long. Thus giving vent to his disappointment, Tametomo seated -himself on the mats, and as his anger passed away, he added with a sigh: -"I only fear that Sutoku will be defeated in the coming struggle!" - -Had Tametomo's tactics been followed, Japanese history would certainly -have been different, for Kiyomori and Yoshitomo won a victory by the -very plan which Tametomo had advised Sutoku to follow. - -That night, without any warning, the enemy made an attack on the -ex-Emperor's Palace. - -The wary Tametomo, however, expected an assault and had stationed -himself at the South Gate on guard. On seeing Kiyomori and his band -approaching he exclaimed: "You feeble worms! I'll surprise you!" and -taking his bow and arrow shot a _samurai_ named Ito Roku through the -breast. The arrow was shot with such skill and force that it went right -through the soldier's body, and coming out through his back, pierced the -sleeve of the armour of Ito Go, his younger brother, who was riding -close behind him. - -Ito Go, when he saw the precision and strength with which the arrow was -shot, knew that they had to deal with no common foe, and in alarm -carried the arrow to his general, Kiyomori, to show it to him. Kiyomori -examined the arrow carefully and found that it was made from a strong -bamboo of more than the usual thickness, and that the metal head was -like a big chisel, a formidable weapon indeed! It was so large that it -resembled a spear more than an arrow, and even the redoubtable Kiyomori -trembled at the sight of it. - -"This looks more like the arrow of a demon than of a man. Let us find -another place of assault where our enemies are weaker and where the -leaders are not such remarkable marksmen!" said he. - -Kiyomori then retired from the attack on the South Gate. - -When Yoshitomo (who was now supporting Kiyomori, though later on he left -the Taira chief) heard of his brother Tametomo's doings, he said: -"Tametomo may be a daredevil and boast of his skill as an archer, but he -will surely not take up his bow and arrow against the person of his -elder brother," and he took Kiyomori's place at the South Gate of the -Palace which Tametomo was guarding. - -Drawing near the great roofed gate, Yoshitomo called aloud to Tametomo -and said: "Is that you, Tametomo, on guard there? What a wicked deed you -commit to fight against your elder brother? Now quickly open the gate -and let me in. Tametomo! Do you hear? I am Yoshitomo! Retire there!" - -Tametomo laughed aloud at his elder brother's command and answered -boldly: "If it is wrong for me to take up arms against you, my brother, -are you not an undutiful son to take up arms against your father?" -(Tameyoshi, his father, was fighting on the ex-Emperor's side.) - -Yoshitomo had no words wherewith to answer his brother and was silent. -Tametomo, with his archer's eye, saw what a good mark his brother made -just outside the gate, and he was greatly tempted to shoot at him even -for sport. But he said that though war found them fighting on opposite -sides, yet they were brothers, born of the same mother, and that it -would be acting against his conscience to kill or hurt his own brother, -for surely he would do so if he took aim seriously! He would however for -the sake and love of sport continue to show Yoshitomo what a clever -marksman he was. Taking good aim at Yoshitomo's helmet, Tametomo raised -his bow and shot an arrow right into the middle of the star that topped -it. The arrow pierced the star, came out the other side, and then cut -through a wooden gate five or six inches in thickness. - -Even Yoshitomo was astonished at the skill which his brother displayed -by this feat of archery. He now led his soldiers forward to the attack. - -But Sutoku's army was far outnumbered by the enemy, who swept down upon -the Palace in overwhelming numbers, and though Tametomo fought bravely -and with great skill, his strength and valour were of no avail against -the great odds which assailed him. The enemy gained ground slowly, inch -by inch, till at last the gates were battered down, and they ruthlessly -entered the Palace. Calamity was added to calamity, the foe set fire to -several parts of the building, and great confusion ensued. - -The ex-Emperor, in making a vain attempt to escape with Yorinaga, was -caught and taken prisoner. Seeing that for the present there was -nothing to be done, Tametomo, with his father Tameyoshi and his other -brothers, all loyal to Sutoku's cause, made good their escape and fled -to the province of Omi. - -Tameyoshi was an old man unable to endure the hardships of a hunted -life, and he found that he could go no further; so he told his sons -that, as the Emperor had been taken prisoner, and as there was no hope -of raising Sutoku's flag again, at any rate for the present, it would be -wiser for them all to return to the capital and surrender themselves to -the conquerors--the Taira. They all agreed to this proposal except -Tametomo, so Tameyoshi, the aged general, and the rest of his sons went -back to Kyoto. - -Now Tametomo was left behind, alone in his brave resolution to fight -another battle for the ex-Emperor Sutoku. As soon as he had parted, sad -and determined, from his father and brothers, he made his way towards -the Eastern provinces. But unfortunately, as he was journeying, the -wound he had received in the recent fight became so painful that he -stopped at some springs along the route, with the hope that the healing -waters, a panacea for so many ills in Japan, would heal his hurt. But -while taking the cure, his enemies came upon him and made him prisoner -and he was sent back a captive to the capital. - -By the time Tametomo reached the city, his father and his brothers had -been put to death, and he was soon told that he was to meet the same -cruel fate. - -But courage always arouses chivalry in the hearts of friends and foes -alike, and it seemed to Tametomo's enemies a pity to put such a brave -man to death. In the whole land there was no man who could match him in -bending the bow and sending the arrow home to its mark, so it was -decided to spare his life at the last moment. But to prevent him from -using his wonderful skill against them, his enemies cut the sinews of -both his arms and sent him away to the island of Oshima off the coast of -the province of Idzuto live. Lest he should escape on the way they bound -him hand and foot and put him in a palanquin. He was surrounded by a -guard of fifty men, and so big and heavy was he that twenty bearers were -required to carry the palanquin. - -In spite of all the misfortunes that had befallen him, he carried the -same courage, the same stout merry heart, the same love of wildness with -him, even into exile. As the twenty men carried him along in the -palanquin, Tametomo just for fun would now and again put forth all his -strength. So great was his weight then that the twenty bearers would -stagger and fall to the ground. These feats of strength alarmed the -escort of fifty soldiers. They feared lest he should act more savagely -and become unmanageable, past their power of control, so they treated -him in much the same way as they would have treated a lion or a tiger. -They tried not to anger him, but did their utmost to keep him in a good -humour during the journey. - -At last they reached the province of Idzu and the seashore from whence -they had to cross over to the island. Here they hired a boat, and -putting Tametomo safely on board they took him to his last destination -and left him there. - -Though Tametomo was banished to this island, yet once there his enemies -left him free to do much as he liked. He was not treated as a common -prisoner, but as a brave though vanquished foe. The simple islanders -recognized in him a great man and behaved to him accordingly and -listened to everything he chose to say. So he led an unmolested life, -free from care, except the sorrow of being an exile--but his was a -nature which took life as it came, without worrying about what he could -not help. - -Now one day Tametomo was standing on the beach gazing out to sea, -thinking of the many adventures he had passed through and wondering if -fate would ever bring any change in the quiet life he was leading, when -he saw a sea-gull come flying over the water. At first Tametomo with his -keen eyes saw only a speck in the distance, but the speck grew larger -and larger till at last the seabird appeared. Tametomo now guessed that -there was an island lying in the direction from which the bird came. So -he got into a boat and set out on a voyage of discovery. - -As he expected, he came to an island, after sailing from sunrise to -sundown. To his amazement he found the place inhabited by creatures very -different from human beings. They had dark red faces, with shocks of -bright red hair, the locks of which hung over their foreheads and eyes. -They looked just like demons. A whole crowd of these alarming-looking -creatures were standing on the beach when Tametomo landed. When they -caught sight of him they talked and gesticulated wildly amongst -themselves and with fierce looks they rushed towards him. - -Tametomo saw at once that they meant him harm, but he was nothing -daunted. He went up to a large pine tree that was growing near by, laid -his hands on it, and uprooting it with as much ease as if it were a -weed, he brandished it over his head and called aloud threateningly: -"Come, you demons, fight if you will. I am Chinsei Hachiro Tametomo, the -Archer of great Japan. If you will henceforth become my servants and -look up to me as master in all things, it is well; otherwise I will beat -you all to little pieces." - -When the demons saw Tametomo's great strength and his fearlessness they -trembled. They held a short parley amongst themselves, and then the -demon chief stepped forward, followed by all his band. They came in -front of Tametomo and prostrating themselves before him on the sand, -they one and all surrendered. Tametomo with much pride took possession -of this island of demons and made himself monarch of all he surveyed. -Having subdued the demons he returned to Oshima with the news. Great was -the praise and merit awarded him by all the islanders. - -Another day, soon after this, Tametomo was walking along the sands of -the seashore, when he saw coming towards him, floating nearer and nearer -on the top of the waves, a little old man. Tametomo could hardly believe -his sight; he had never seen anything so strange in his whole life; he -rubbed his eyes, thinking he must be dreaming, and looked and looked -again. There sure enough was a tiny man, no bigger than one foot five -inches high, sitting gracefully on a round straw mat. - -Filled with wonder, Tametomo walked to the edge of the sand, and as the -little creature floated nearer on an incoming wave he said: "Who are -you?" - -"I am the microbe of small-pox," answered the stranger pigmy. - -"And why, may I ask, do you come to this island?" inquired Tametomo. - -"I have never been here before, so I came partly for sight-seeing and -partly with the desire to seize hold of the inhabitants--" answered the -little creature. - -Before he could finish his sentence Tametomo said angrily: "You spirit -of hateful pestilence! Silence, I say! I am no other than Chinsei -Hachiro Tametomo! Get out of my presence at once and take yourself far -from this place, or I will make you repent the day you ever came here!" - -As Tametomo spoke, the small-pox microbe shrank and shrank from the form -of a tiny man one foot five inches high, till only something the size of -a pea was left in the middle of the straw mat. As he dwindled and -dwindled, the little creature said that he was sorry that he had -intruded into the island, but he had not known that it was in Tametomo's -possession; and he then floated away out to sea on his straw mat as -quickly and mysteriously as he had come. - -The island of Oshima has always been free from small-pox, and to this -day the islanders ascribe the immunity they enjoy from the horrible -pestilence to Tametomo, who drove away the microbe when the hateful -creature would have landed there. - -Now that Tametomo had subdued the demons on the neighbouring island and -had driven away the spirit of small-pox from Oshima, he was looked upon -as a king by the simple islanders. They rendered him every possible -honour and bowed their heads in the dust before him whenever he went -abroad. - -At last this state of affairs was reported to the authorities in the -capital. The Ministers of State decided that it was unsafe to allow this -to go on. Such a popular and powerful hero was a menace to the -Government. Tametomo, the Champion Archer, must be put down and without -delay. Such was the decree. A messenger was then and there despatched -with sealed orders to General Shigemitsu, in Idzu, to set sail with his -men for Oshima and subdue Tametomo. - -One day Tametomo was standing on the beach and watching with pleasure, -as he often did, the ever-whispering sea laughing and sparkling in the -sunshine, when he saw fifty war-junks coming towards the island. The -soldiers standing on the fifty decks were all armed with swords and bows -and arrows, and clad in armour from head to foot, and they were beating -drums and singing martial songs. Tametomo smiled when he saw this fleet -all mustered in martial array and sent against him, a single man, for he -knew, somehow or other, what they had come for. - -"Now," he said proudly to himself, "the opportunity is given me of -trying my archer's skill once more." Seizing his bow, he pulled it to -the shape of a full moon, and aiming it at the foremost ship, sent an -arrow right into the prow. In an instant the boat was upset and the -soldiers pitched into the sea. - -Till that moment Tametomo had feared that his arm had lost its first -great strength, since his enemies had cut the sinews; but on the -contrary he now found that not only were his arms as strong as ever, but -that they had even grown longer, and that he was able to pull his bow -wider than before. He clapped his hands with joy at the discovery and -called aloud: "This is a happy thing!" - -But now Tametomo reflected that if he fought against those who had been -sent by the Government to take him, he would only bring trouble on the -people of the island, who had been so kind to him and who had sheltered -him in his exile; he thought of how in their simple reverence for his -great strength they had almost worshipped him as a deified hero and had -looked up to him as their leader. No,--he would not, could not, bring -war and trouble and certain punishment upon these good folk, so for -their sake he decided not to fight more. He looked back with the keen -flight of thought that comes to mortals in moments of great crises, and -he remembered how with special mercy his life had been spared when he -was taken prisoner in the civil war. Since then he had enjoyed life for -over ten years. As a strong, brave man he could not grudge losing it -now. He had made himself owner of the islands and the people called him -their king; he felt that there was no shame or regret in dying when he -had reached the height of his glory. Therefore, with firm and quick -decision he made up his mind to die. He withdrew at once from the beach -and retired to his house, and here he committed suicide by harikiri, -thus saving himself from all dishonour and the islanders from all -trouble. He was only thirty-two years of age when he died. His death was -greatly regretted by all who loved him. But his glory did not die with -him. The people ever afterward honoured and reverenced him as a great -hero. - -Such is one story of the death of Tametomo, but legend has created -another, still more interesting, about him. Instead of taking his own -life, this tradition says that he escaped from Oshima and reached -Sanuki. Here he visited the late Emperor's tomb and offered up prayers -for the illustrious dead. He then, believing that his day of usefulness -was over, prepared to kill himself; when suddenly, as in a dream, the -Emperor, Yorinaga, his father, and all those royalists who had fought -and died in the civil war, or had been taken prisoners and killed by -the victorious parties of the new Emperor, appeared to him in the clouds -and with a warning gesture prevented him from committing the dread deed -of harakiri. As Tametomo gazed wonderingly at the beautiful vision, the -bamboo curtain which hung before the ex-Emperor's palanquin lifted, and -as the sunshine and grace of His Majesty's smile fell upon the -awe-stricken man, the sword dropped from his hand and the wish to die -expired in his breast. He fell forward in humble prostration to the -ground. When Tametomo lifted his head, the vision had vanished within -the clouds; nothing remained to be seen of the royal array which had -saved him from his self-imposed death. - -This wonderful visitation changed Tametomo's mind. He gave up all idea -of seeking death, and, leaving Sanuki, journeyed to Kiushiu, and took up -his abode on Mount Kihara. Here he collected a band of followers, and -with them embarked on board a ship with the intention of reaching the -capital and once more striking a blow at the arrogant and usurping House -of Taira. But misfortune followed him. He was overtaken by a storm, his -ship was wrecked, his men lost, while he only narrowly escaped with his -life to the island of Riukiu. Here he found the people in a state of -great excitement, for a party of rebels had risen against the King, who -was greatly oppressed by them, Tametomo put himself at the head of the -loyalists, rescued the King, who had been taken prisoner, subdued the -rebels, and then restored peace to the disturbed land. For these -meritorious services the King adopted him as his son, bestowed upon him -the title of Prince, and married him to one of the royal Princesses. At -last one day, when Tametomo had reached a good old age, happy in the -life of peace and bliss with which his later years had been crowned, as -he was walking along one of the spacious verandahs of the Palace, his -attendants noticed a trail of cloud coming towards their master from the -sky. As soon as the cloud touched Tametomo, he began to rise in the air -before their astonished gaze. Lost in speechless amazement, they watched -the hero mount higher and higher, till the clouds closed round him and -hid him from their view. Such is the pretty legend of the earthly end of -the brave archer Tametomo, one of the most interesting figures in -Japanese history, who conquered the trials and misfortunes of his youth, -and won through to bright days of prosperity. He left a son called -Shun-Tenno, who became King of Riukiu in due time. - - -[Illustration: TAMETOMO BEGAN TO RISE IN THE AIR] - - - - -GEN SANMI YORIMASA, THE KNIGHT - - -Long, long ago in Japan there lived a brave knight named Gen Sanmi -Yorimasa. Yorimasa was his own name, while _Gen_ was the great clan to -which he belonged, the _Genji_, or _Minamoto_, famous in history, and -_Sanmi_ showed that he was a knight of the Third Rank at Court, from the -word _san_, which means "three." - -Now Yorimasa is so celebrated a warrior that to this day his picture is -painted on the kites which the little boys of Japan fly at the New Year, -and if you visit the temple of the Goddess of Mercy, at Asakusa, in -Tokyo, you will see his portrait even there. And at the Boys' Festival, -on the fifth of the fifth month, when in every household where there are -sons the favourite heroes of the land are set out in the alcove of -honour of the guest-room, you will surely find amidst the martial show -of toys the figure of an archer clothed from head to foot in gay armour, -with a huge bow in his hand and a quiver full of arrows on his back. -That is Yorimasa of brave and dear memory. - -Yorimasa was the fifth descendant of the Great Knight Raiko, who killed -the demons of Oyeyama about whom you will soon read. As a youth Yorimasa -was noted for his valour and his skill in archery, and he was soon -called to the Court and given the important post of Chief Guard of the -Imperial Palace. - -Now, though Yorimasa was a man of ability and the greatest archer of his -time, and though he had done deeds of note which had brought him into -prominence, yet for some unaccountable reason his rank at Court remained -stationary, and he did not advance from the Fourth degree (_Shi-i_), -which he had when he first entered the sacred precincts of the Palace. -The humour of the situation caught Yorimasa's fancy, for he was very -quick-witted, and one day, smiling to himself, he sat down at his -writing-table and composed a poem lamenting his bad luck. From the -earliest ages the Japanese have trained themselves, at the times when -their feelings are stirred by some event which causes happiness or -sorrow or disappointment, not to give way to their emotions, but to -control their minds sufficiently to compose a poem on the subject. - -Yorimasa's poem was of thirty-one syllables,[1] and in five short lines -he said gracefully that "one who has not the means of climbing upwards -remains under the tree and passes his life in picking up beechnuts." Now -in Japanese the word for beechnuts is _shi-i_, and this word also means -the Fourth Rank at Court. So that the couplet was a pun on his not being -promoted. Yorimasa read the poem laughingly to some of his friends, and -they, admiring his wit, repeated it and talked about it till it became -quite famous in the Palace, and at last reached the Emperor's ear. The -sympathy of His Majesty was aroused, and soon after this Yorimasa was -raised to the rank of the Third degree, _sanmi_, and by this title he -has ever afterwards been known. - -Now it happened that at this time the Emperor became ill and could not -sleep at night. He complained of disturbance and a great sense of -oppression from sunset to sunrise. His courtiers, full of anxiety, sat -up to watch the night through, to see if they could discover the cause -of the Emperor's agitation. Some kept vigil in and round the Imperial -chamber, others on the wide-eaved verandahs, and some in the courtyard -of the Palace. Then the watchers on the verandahs and in the courtyard -noticed that as soon as the sun set a black cloud came from the eastern -horizon of the capital, and travelling across the city finally rested on -the roof of the Palace called the Purple Hall (_Shishinden_) of the -North Star, where the Emperor slept. As soon as this cloud alighted on -the Palace, the Emperor's sleep became disturbed, as if by frightful -nightmare. Those in attendance round the royal bed heard strange -scratchings and noises on the roof as if some dreadful beast were there. -These unusual sounds and the nightmare of the Imperial sleeper lasted -till dawn, when it was noticed that the black cloud always withdrew. - -Now in the Palace there was great commotion. The Minister of the Right -and the Minister of the Left, whose duty it was to guard the Emperor -from all harm, held long and anxious consultation as to what should be -done. Every one in the Palace was of the opinion that the black cloud -hid some monster which for some unknown cause haunted the Emperor. It -was quite certain that unless the monster were killed, and that soon, -the Emperor's life would be endangered, for he was growing weaker and -thinner every day. The question was, who was brave enough to undertake -the task? The Palace sentinels were already scared, so it was useless to -expect help from them. The Ministers must seek for some brave _samurai_ -well known for his daring and his skill as an archer and put him on -night-duty, charging him to kill the monster as soon as it should -appear. The courtiers, one and all, said that Yorimasa was the man. An -Imperial messenger was therefore at once sent to the knight, with a -letter telling him what was demanded of him. - -Yorimasa, when he read the letter, looked very grave, for he felt the -responsibility of his new duty, which was different from all other work; -for on him now depended the recovery of the Emperor, who was visibly -growing worse and living through each day in terror of the nightmare -which haunted him in the darkness. - -Yorimasa was a man of great courage and resource, and lost not a moment -in getting ready. He strung his best bow most carefully and placed his -quiver in two steel-headed arrows. He then put on his armour, and over -his armour he donned a hunting-dress, and to look more courtly he put on -a ceremonial cap instead of a helmet. He chose his favourite retainer, -the bravest and strongest of all his soldiers, to accompany him. -Yorimasa now set out as calmly and quietly as if he were simply going to -his every-day duty and nothing more. As soon as his arrival was made -known, he was summoned to the presence of the Ministers of the Right and -the Left and told of all that was happening at Court--how every night at -the hour of sunset a black cloud was seen to issue from the east, -approach the Palace, and finally cover the roof of the Purple Hall of -the North Star where the Emperor always slept. Then the Ministers told -the knight of the strange noises that were heard on the roof, of the -howlings and scratchings which lasted all night till the dawn broke. It -behoved him, they said, to do his best to kill the monster, if such it -was, for all the guards were now thoroughly frightened, and none of them -dared attack it in hand-to-hand fight, and none had skill enough to hit -it in the dark, though the Emperor's own body-guard of archers had tried -again and again. - -Yorimasa listened to the strange story gravely. He saw that the whole -Palace was in a state of alarm and disturbance, but he did not lose -heart. With the greatest self-possession he waited for the end of the -day. As soon as the sun set, the night grew stormy; the wind blew a -hurricane, the lightning flashed, and the thunder roared. Nothing -daunted by the fury of the elements, the brave archer waited and waited. -It must have been near midnight when Yorimasa saw a thick black cloud -sweep down and settle on the roof of the Palace. He bade his retainer be -ready with sword and torch at any moment and to follow him closely. The -black cloud moved along the ridge of the grey-tiled roof till it stopped -at the northeast corner, just over the Imperial sleeping-chamber. - -Yorimasa cautiously followed the movements of the cloud, his man just -behind him. Straining his eyes, Yorimasa saw, during a vivid flash of -lightning, the form of a large animal. Keeping his eyes on the spot -where he had seen the head, while the peals of thunder crashed like -cannon above, in the darkness which followed he caught the glare first -of one eye and then of the other as the creature moved along. - -"This must be the monster who disturbs the Emperor's rest!" said -Yorimasa to himself. - -With these words he fitted an arrow to the bow, and aiming to the left -of where he saw the left eye glare he pulled his bow as round as the -full moon and let fly. Yorimasa felt that his arrow had touched flesh. -At the same moment there was a frightful howl and a heavy thud, and the -writhing in agony of some animal on the ground, which showed that -Yorimasa had done his work well. - -Now Yorimasa's retainer rushed upon the monster; in one hand he held a -blazing torch, in the other a short sword with which he stabbed the -creature nine times and quickly despatched him. Then they both raised -their voices and called to the sentinels and the courtiers to come and -look. A strange sight was in store for them. Never had any of them seen -anything like the monster that lay before them. The dreadful beast was -as large as a horse; it had the head of an ape, the body and claws of a -tiger, the tail of a serpent, the wings of a bird, and the scales of a -dragon. They had heard and read of such creatures in some of the old -books, but had always thought that such stories were old women's -fables, to be told and whispered by grey-haired dames round the -_hibachi_ (fire-brazier) to their wonder-struck grandchildren, but never -to be entertained seriously by men of sense. For a few moments they were -all struck dumb with astonishment; they gazed silently first at the -strange and horrible beast before them, then at Yorimasa, the slayer of -it. Exclamations of wonder burst from their lips. Then one and all -turned to the brave archer and congratulated him on his wonderful feat, -his courage and his marksmanship. It seemed as if they would never cease -applauding him. - -The animal was flayed and its skin was carried to the Emperor, who -ordered it to be stored as a curiosity in the Imperial treasure-house. -His Majesty was highly pleased. He sent for Yorimasa and bestowed on him -a sword called _Shishi-Wo_, or the King of Lions. The time of the year -was the beginning of the fifth month; the crescent moon hung like a -silver bow in the twilight sky, and the cuckoo[2] was calling from the -trees near by; so the Minister of the Left who handed the sword to -Yorimasa improvised the first half of a stanza saying: - - "O cuckoo of wonder, even your name - Climbs ever upward to the Heaven!" - -Then Yorimasa, on his knees with uplifted hands and bowed head, -received the sword, and as he did so he completed the short poem with -these words:-- - - "Not through thine own: but through the merit of a moon-shaped bow!" - -The Minister used the cuckoo then calling in the trees as simile of the -brave warrior whose fame was rising now at Court because of his brave -deeds, and Yorimasa modestly answered that all was due not to his skill, -but to his bow, which he likened to the crescent moon then reigning in -the sky. Both turned to the scenery of the moment for inspiration--the -Minister in expressing his praise and the warrior in receiving it with -becoming humility and grace. - -The Emperor also considered this a fitting occasion to give Yorimasa the -Lady Ayame (Iris) for his wife, and about this incident there is a -pretty story. - -The Lady Ayame was the most lovely lady-in-waiting in the Palace, and as -good as she was beautiful. Not only in beauty, but in mind and heart, -was she superior to all the other ladies-in-waiting, and both the -Emperor and Empress held her in high esteem. Many were the Court nobles -who fell in love with her, but all in vain; there was not one, however -great or rich or handsome, who could make her so much as grant him even -a fleeting smile. Time after time these noble suitors wrote her letters -and poems, telling her of their hopeless love and beseeching her to send -them but a single line in reply. But only her silence answered them. She -remained obdurate to all entreaties. - -One day Yorimasa, when on duty in the Palace, caught a passing glimpse -of the Lady Ayame, and from that hour his heart knew no rest. He could -not forget the witching grace nor the modest beauty of her lovely face; -sleeping or waking the vision of his lady-love was always before his -eyes, and it seemed to grow more vivid as the days went by. Time after -time he wrote her letters and composed poems asking her to marry him, -but the Lady Ayame treated Yorimasa as she treated all her other -wooers--she vouchsafed him no reply. For three long years Yorimasa -waited and hoped and despaired, and waited and hoped again, content if -once in a way from a respectful distance he could catch a glimpse of -her. In spite of long and cold discouragement he loved her -perseveringly. - -The Emperor had heard of the knight's constancy, and now sent for his -favourite lady-in-waiting, thinking this the right time to reward -Yorimasa's prowess and the Lady Ayame's merit, and to make them both -happy. - -As soon as Ayame appeared, His Majesty said: "Lady Ayame, is it true -that you have received many letters from the knight Yorimasa? Is it -so?" - -At this the Lady Ayame blushed like a peach-blossom in the glow of dawn, -and hesitating a moment she replied: "May it please the Son of Heaven to -condescend to send for Yorimasa and ask him!" - -His Majesty then commanded her to retire, and forthwith summoned -Yorimasa to his presence. - -It was the fifth of May, the Spring Festival, and Yorimasa came robed in -gala attire. He presented himself below the dais on which the Emperor -was seated and prostrated himself before the throne. - -"Is it true," and the Emperor smiled as he spoke, "that you love the -Lady Ayame?" - -Yorimasa was bewildered by the suddenness of the question and knew not -what to reply, for he knew it to be strictly forbidden by Court -etiquette to write love-letters to any lady-in-waiting, and he had done -this persistently. - -Now the Emperor saw Yorimasa's confusion and felt sorry for him. A -bright thought struck His Majesty. He would please and puzzle Yorimasa -and have some fun at his expense at the same time as well. He whispered -an order to the chief master of ceremony. - -In a short time three ladies appeared, heralded by attendants. As they -moved across the mats of the immense hall, Yorimasa saw that they were -all dressed exactly alike, and that even their hair was done in the -same style, so that it would be impossible for any one who did not know -them well to distinguish one from the other. - -Who were they? Was the Lady Ayame one of them? - -Like maidens of Heaven (_tennin_) did the three noble damsels appear and -their robes were beautiful to behold. So alike were they, and their -beauty so extraordinary, that Yorimasa compared them to plum-blossoms on -a branch seen through a window. - -"The Lady Ayame is here," said the Emperor. "Choose her from among three -ladies and take her." - -Yorimasa bowed to the ground. He was overcome with the graciousness and -kindness of the Emperor. But the task laid upon him he felt to be too -difficult. Being a military man and inferior in rank to the Court -circle, Yorimasa had never had an opportunity of seeing any of the Court -ladies face to face. All he had seen of the Lady Ayame was sometimes a -glimpse of her from the courtyard, where he was stationed, as she passed -along the corridors of the Palace. Once at a poetical party, to which he -had been admitted as a great favour, he had seen her, at the further end -of the hall, glide with trailing robes of ceremony into her place behind -the silken screen which always hid the women from view at such -gatherings. That was all he had ever seen of her, so that now he could -not distinguish her from the rest. - -[Illustration: YORIMASA COULD NOT TELL WHICH WAS THE LADY AYAME.] - -The Emperor was pleased at the success of his pleasantry. He saw that -Yorimasa was fairly perplexed, and that he was unable to pick out his -lady-love from her companions. - -"I am a soldier and no courtier," thought the knight, "I may not presume -to lift my eyes to a lady _above the clouds_.[3] Nor can I be sure which -is Ayame. Were I to make a mistake and choose the wrong lady, it would -be a lifelong disgrace and disappointment to me!" - -The perplexity in his mind at once rose to his lips in the form of a -short poem, which he repeated:-- - -"In the rainy season when the waters overflow the banks of the lake, who -can gather the Iris?" - -Such is the meaning of the verse. - -By the rainy season Yorimasa meant his three years of hopeless courting, -during which his eyes had become dim with the tears of disappointment he -had shed, so that he could no longer see clearly enough to discover -which was the lady of his choice. In this way he excused himself for his -seeming stupidity, and showed a modest reserve which pleased all -present. - -The aptness and quickness of Yorimasa's verse won the Emperor's -admiration. The tears stood in the august eyes, for he thought of the -great love wherewith Yorimasa had loved the Lady Iris, and of the sorrow -and patience of his long wooing and waiting. His Majesty rose from his -throne, descended the steps of the dais, and going up to Ayame took her -by the hand and led her forth to Yorimasa. - -"This is the Lady Ayame, I give her to you!" were the golden words of -the Emperor. - -To Yorimasa it must have seemed too wonderful almost to be true. The -great desire of his life was given him by the Emperor himself! - -Then Yorimasa led his beautiful lady-love away and married her, and we -are told that they lived as happily as fish in water; and it seemed as -if they had but one heart between them, so harmonious was their union. -In the Palace there was great rejoicing over the auspicious event, and -all the courtiers praised the merit of the verse which had finally given -Ayame to Yorimasa and won the Emperor's special commendation. The happy -couple received the congratulations of the Emperor and Empress, of the -courtiers and many noble people, and wedding-presents innumerable. -Surely at this time there was no one happier than Yorimasa in all the -land. - -There are many stories told of Yorimasa which show us that he was not -only a brave soldier and a man of learning and a poet, but also a man -of wit and tact who knew how to use men as he willed. - -Now one day a band of discontented turbulent priests came to the Palace -Gate where Yorimasa was on guard, and demanded entrance. It must be -explained that in those days the Buddhist priests of Kyoto were a set of -wild and lawless men who often brought shame to their religion by their -wicked lives. They lived outside the city on Mount Hiei, which they made -their stronghold, and, forgetting the dignity of their religion, they -took sides in war and in politics. They gave trouble to those in -authority, especially to those who did not favour them. They used the -smallest event as an occasion for carrying swords and bows and arrows, -and it was their habit to go out equipped like soldiers going forth to -war. - -Yorimasa saw that the priests were all well armed, and only too anxious -to find a pretext for drawing their swords. They carried with them in -great state the sacred palanquin of their temple. In this palanquin -their patron god was supposed to dwell, and it was borne aloft on the -shoulders of fifty men. With loud shoutings and a wild display of -strength the priests rushed the car along, now lifting it high above -their heads, now staggering under its weight, as it seemed about to -crush them to the ground. - -Now Yorimasa was in no mood for fighting that day, and it seemed to him -not worth his while to set his men--the best fighters and archers in the -realm--against a handful of priests whom he could disperse in a few -minutes; besides, these priests from Mount Hiei were troublesome fellows -and he did not wish to earn their enmity. So laughing quietly to himself -he said that he would have some fun at their expense. - -When the procession stopped opposite the gate, Yorimasa with his -captains of the guard sallied forth to meet the noisy crowd, and coming -in front of the palanquin bowed in reverence before it with slow -ceremony. - -The priests, who had expected and were prepared for a very difficult -reception, were surprised and somewhat taken aback. After some parley -amongst themselves, their spokesman advanced and asked leave to enter -the gate, saying they had a petition to present to the Emperor. - -Yorimasa sent his captain forward. - -"My lord bids you welcome," he said, "and wishes me to say that he -worships the same god as yourselves, and he is therefore averse to -shooting against the _Mikoshi_ [sacred palanquin] with his bows and -arrows. Besides this, we are very few in number, so that your names will -be dishonoured and you will be called cowards for having chosen the -weakest post to fight. Now the next gate is guarded by the Heike -soldiers, who are much stronger in numbers than we are. How would it do -for you to go round and fight there? You would surely gain glory in an -encounter with them." - -The priests were so pleased by the flattery of this speech that they did -not see that it was a ruse on the part of Yorimasa to get rid of them -easily, and that he was sending them round to bother his rivals. He had -also appealed to their best feelings, for Japanese chivalry teaches that -in the event of choosing between two enemies the weaker must always be -spared. - -Some polite answer was made to Yorimasa, and then the priests shouldered -the _Mikoshi_ and departed in the same spirited and vociferous manner -that they had come. They went to the next gate, guarded by the Heike. -Battle was given at once, for they were refused admittance. The priests -were beaten and fled for their lives to the hills. - -All these stories show us that Yorimasa was a clever man in every way, -but in the end he was unfortunate, and for this there was no help. - -When we read the story of his ill-fated death our hearts are filled with -sorrow for him. It is not always as one wishes in this world, and -Yorimasa did not meet with the fate his meritorious deeds and character -deserved. - -The Heike or Taira clan were now in the ascendant (Yorimasa, it will be -remembered, belonged to the Genji or Minamoto), and Kiyomori, their -despotic and unprincipled leader, was Prime Minister. All the important -posts in the Government he gave to his sons, grandsons, and relations, -who under these circumstances, seeing that they owed everything to him, -did just as the tyrant ordered. All _samurai_ who did not belong to the -Heike clan he treated unjustly, even throwing those he did not like into -prison, whether they were innocent or guilty of the crimes or behaviour -deserving such punishment. - -As a general of the rival Genji clan, Yorimasa suffered much from this -unfair treatment. As he watched the arrogant conduct of Kiyomori and his -son Munemori, he longed to be able to punish them and to bring -retribution on the whole clan, and to this end he thought and worked and -planned. - -At last the Heike became so overbearing and so powerful that their -actions passed the bounds of all reason, and Kiyomori, on a question of -succession to the throne, confined the reigning Emperor in his Palace. - -This last step was too much for Yorimasa; he could endure this state of -things no longer, and he resolved to make a bold strike for the right. -He placed Prince Takakura, the son of the late Emperor, at the head of -his army and set out to do battle with the Heike. - -But the Genji were far inferior in numbers to the Heike, and, sad to -relate, Yorimasa was defeated in his good and just cause. With the -remainder of his army he fled before the enemy and took refuge in the -Temple of Byodoin, situated on the river Uji. - -The Byodoin Temple, a large edifice near Kyoto, remains to this day. -Here Yorimasa made a last stand to afford time for Prince Takakura to -escape. He divided his men into two parties--one division he stationed -as a reserve force in the grounds of the temple, while the other he drew -up in battle array along the banks of the river. In case of pursuit, to -prevent the enemy from crossing the river, they tore up the planks which -formed the flooring of the bridge, so that only a skeleton of posts and -cross-beams remained. Then they rested and waited to see what would -happen. - -The Heike soon came in sight following hard after them. First came the -generals, then the soldiers, twenty-eight thousand strong. They -approached the bridge, but stopped short when they saw what the Genji -had cleverly done. In a few minutes they ranged themselves along the -bank facing the enemy. - -Both armies now stood confronting each other on either side of the Uji. -Simultaneously the order was given to fight by both the Genji and the -Heike generals and a fierce discharge of arrows from both sides ensued. - -Then there rushed forth from the ranks of the Genji a huge priest, -Tajima Bo by name (in those days the Buddhist priests often took part in -battles); brandishing an enormous halberd he dashed out alone on the -skeleton bridge. The Heike, thinking that he made an excellent target, -shot a shower of arrows at him, but he was not in the least daunted. -When the arrows were aimed at his head, he stooped and they passed over -him; when they were aimed at his legs, he jumped high in the air and -they flew under him; when they were aimed at his body, he swept them -aside with his halberd; and in this way he escaped free from hurt. So -quick was he in his movements, and so marvellous was the way in which he -balanced himself in his progress across the bridge, that he seemed to be -endowed with power more than human; and not only his own comrades but -the enemy also looked at him in breathless admiration. - -Then another of Yorimasa's men, also a priest, Jomyo by name, inspired -by this example, came forth and stood up at the end of the bridge, and -fitting his arrows to the bow, in rapid succession shot about a dozen of -the foe, in the twinkling of an eye. - -Crying out, "Oh, this is too much trouble!" he threw away his bow and -arrow, and walked over the bridge on another beam, sweeping aside with -his sword the arrows aimed at him. - -Yet another priest, famous for his great strength, dashed out and -followed after his friends across the bridge. He soon came up with -Jomyo, but as the beams of the bridge were narrow he could not pass him. -Stopping for a moment to think what he should do, he stretched out his -hands and touched the helmet of the man just in front of him, then -lightly and quickly jumped leap-frog over his head. The bridge was now -soon swarming with the Genji, who with fierce battle-cries began to -attack the Heike, whose advance was entirely checked. For some minutes -the Heike were greatly put out, not knowing what to do. - -Then one brave youth, seeing how matters stood, and that it required -some one to take a dauntless lead, sprang forth in front of the Heike -and called out: "Now that it comes to this, there is no other way!" and -with these words he dashed his horse into the river. It was the rainy -season, and the waters were higher and the current stronger than usual. -Black with mud the river ran swirling and whirling on its course. - -Never was there a braver sight than when the young soldier drove his -horse into the swollen river and made for the other side. His comrades -could not stand still and watch him; fired by his courage, numbers of -the Heike, shouting "I also! I also!" dashed in after him. In a few -minutes, while the Genji looked on in surprise, three hundred men had -followed the gallant young captain, stemmed and crossed the torrent, and -landed on the other side; and with the same dashing spirit, carrying -everything before them, they broke through the last lines of the Genji -and entered the Byodoin Temple, where their last stand was made. The -Genji, with Yorimasa at their head, were now in a desperate condition. -Seeing his father hard-pressed, Kanetsuna, Yorimasa's second son, an -intrepid young knight, rushed into the thickest of the fight and tried -to defend his father. A Heike captain coming up with fifteen of his men -seized Kanetsuna, overpowered him, and cut off his head. - -Not one of Yorimasa's little band turned to flee. Although they knew -there was no hope, they fought on face to face with the foe, for -_samurai_ traditions held it a disgrace to be even wounded in the back. -One famous general in ancient history issued an order to the effect that -prizes would be awarded to those who were shot in the forehead, but -those who were wounded in the back should be slain. - -One by one, the Genji fell, slain either by sword or arrow. Yorimasa -received several wounds. Then he saw that there was no use in fighting -more; all was lost. Those of the Genji who were still left made a brave -stand round their chief; while they kept the enemy at bay Yorimasa -slipped away and hastened to Prince Takakura, in the temple, and begged -him to flee in safety while there was yet time. - -Having seen his Imperial master safe, Yorimasa then retired to an inner -part of the garden, and sitting under a large tree drew out his sword -and prepared himself to commit _harakiri_, for _samurai_ honour would -not let him survive defeat. Calling his retainer Watanabe, who had -escaped unhurt and who never left his master's side, Yorimasa bade him -act as second in the rite. Then quietly taking off his armour, he -composed a poem. He likened himself to a fossil tree that never knows -the joy of blossoming, for he had never attained his ambition (the -destruction of his enemies), "and sad indeed is the end of my life," the -last line of the verse, were the last words he uttered. - -He took out his short sword, and thrusting it into his side died like a -brave and gallant _samurai_, without a moan. Then from behind, as was -his duty as second, Watanabe cut off his master's head, and so that it -should not be discovered by the enemy and carried away as a trophy of -war, he tied a large stone to it, and with sorrowful reverence dropped -it into the river and watched it sink beneath the water out of sight. - -In this way died Yorimasa; those of his followers who were not killed by -the enemy died by their own hand, and Prince Takakura, fleeing to Nara, -was overtaken by the Heike and put to death on the way. - -Yorimasa was seventy-five years of age when he died. Though, as he -lamented in his last poem, he had not achieved his ambition in punishing -the Heike, yet years later his work was carried on, and the Heike were -completely exterminated by Yoritomo, the great chief and mighty avenger -of the Genji; and the name of Gen Sanmi Yorimasa lives forever in the -history of his country. - - -[1] All Japanese poetry is regulated and counted by syllables, not by -lines and feet, as with us. Many words have several meanings and the -witty use of these punning facilities is greatly sought after. - -[2] The cuckoo in Japanese literature and fancy takes the same place as -the nightingale in England. - -[3] "Above the clouds"--a complimentary expression used for the exalted -Court circle. - - - - -THE STORY OF YOSHITSUNE - - -In old Japan more than seven hundred years ago a fierce war was raging -between the two great clans, the Taira and the Minamoto, also called the -Heike and the Genji. These two famous clans were always contesting -together for political power and military supremacy, and the country was -torn in two with the many bitter battles that were fought. Indeed it may -be said that the history of Japan for many years was the history of -these two mighty martial families; sometimes the Minamoto and sometimes -the Taira gaining the victory, or being beaten, as the case might be; -but their swords knew no rest for a period of many years. At last a -strong and valiant general arose in the House of Minamoto. His name was -Yoshitomo. At this time there were two aspirants for the Imperial throne -and civil war was raging in the capital. One Imperial candidate was -supported by the Taira, the other by the Minamoto. Yoshitomo, though a -Minamoto, sided at first with the Taira against the reigning Emperor; -but when he saw how cruel and relentless their chief, Kiyomori, was, he -turned against him and called all his followers to rally round the -Minamoto standard and fight to put down the Taira. - -But fate was against the gallant and doughty warrior Yoshitomo, and he -suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Taira. He and his men, -while fleeing from the vigilance of their enemies, were overtaken within -the city gates, and ruthlessly slaughtered by Kiyomori and his soldiers. - -Yoshitomo left behind him his beautiful young wife, Tokiwa Gozen, and -eight children, to mourn his untimely death. Five of the elder children -were by a first wife. The third of these became Yoritomo, the great -first Shogun of Japan, while the eighth and youngest child was Ushiwaka, -about whom this story is written. Ushiwaka and the hero Yoshitsune were -one and the same person. Ushiwaka (Young Ox--he was so called because of -his wonderful strength) was his name as a boy, and Yoshitsune was the -name he took when he became of age. - -At the time of his father's death, Ushiwaka was a babe in the arms of -his mother, Tokiwa Gozen, but his tender age would not have saved his -life had he been found by his father's enemies. - -After the defeat they had inflicted on the rival clan, the Taira were -all-powerful for a time. The Minamoto clan were in dire straits and in -danger of being exterminated now, for so fierce was Kiyomori's hatred -against his enemies that when a Minamoto fell into his cruel hands he -immediately put the captive to death. - -Realizing the great peril of the situation, Tokiwa Gozen, the widow of -Yoshitomo, full of fear and anxiety for the safety of her little ones, -quietly hid herself in the country, taking with her Ushiwaka and her two -other children. So successful was Tokiwa Gozen in concealing her -hiding-place that, though the Taira clan either killed or banished to a -far-away island all the elder sons, relations, and partisans of the -Minamoto chief, they could not discover the whereabouts of the mother -and her children, notwithstanding the strict search Kiyomori had made. - -Determined to have his will, and angry at being thwarted by a woman, -Kiyomori at last hit on a plan which he felt sure would not fail to draw -the wife of Yoshitomo from her hiding-place. He gave orders that Sekiya, -the mother of the fair Tokiwa, should be seized and brought before him. -He told her sternly that if she would reveal her daughter's hiding-place -she should be well treated, but if she refused to do as she was told she -would be tortured and put to death. When the old lady declared that she -did not know where Tokiwa was, as in truth she did not, Kiyomori thrust -her into prison and had her treated cruelly day after day. - -Now the reason why Kiyomori was so set on finding Tokiwa and her sons -was that while Yoshitomo's heirs lived he and his family could know no -safety, for the strongest moral law in every Japanese heart was the old -command, "A man may not live under the same heaven with the murderer of -his father," and the Japanese warrior recked nothing of life or death, -of home or love in obeying this--as he deemed--supreme commandment. -Women too burned with the same zeal in avenging the wrongs of their -fathers and husbands. - -Tokiwa Gozen, though hiding in the country, heard of what had befallen -her mother, and great was her sorrow and distress. She sat down on the -mats and moaned aloud: "It is wrong of me to let my poor innocent mother -suffer to save myself and my children, but if I give myself up, Kiyomori -will surely take my lord's sons and kill them.--What shall I do? Oh! -what shall I do?" - -Poor Tokiwa! Her heart was torn between her love for her mother and her -love for her children. Her anxiety and distraction were pitiful to see. -Finally she decided that it was impossible for her to remain still and -silent under the circumstances; she could not endure the thought that -her mother was suffering persecution while she had the power of -preventing it, so holding the infant Ushiwaka in her bosom under her -kimono, she took his two elder brothers (one seven and the other five -years of age) by the hand and started for the capital. - -There were no trains in those days and all travelling by ordinary people -had to be done on foot. _Daimios_ and great and important personages -were carried in palanquins, and they only could travel in comfort and in -state. Tokiwa could not hope to meet with kindness or hospitality on the -way, for she was a Minamoto, and the Taira being all-powerful it was -death to any one to harbour a Minamoto fugitive. So the obstacles that -beset Tokiwa were great; but she was a _samurai_ woman, and she quailed -not at duty, however hard or stern that duty was. The greater the -difficulties, the higher her courage rose to meet them. At last she set -out on her momentous and celebrated journey. - -It was winter-time and snow lay on the ground, and the wind blew -piercingly cold and the roads were bad. What Tokiwa, a delicately -nurtured woman, suffered from cold and fatigue, from loneliness and -fear, from anxiety for her little children, from dread lest she should -reach the capital too late to save her old mother, who might die under -the cruel treatment to which she was being subjected, or be put to death -by Kiyomori, in his wrath, or finally lest she herself should be seized -by the Taira, and her filial plan be frustrated before she could reach -the capital--all this must have been greater than any words can tell. - -Sometimes poor distressed Tokiwa sat down by the wayside to hush the -wailing babe she carried in her bosom, or to rest the two little boys, -who, tired and faint and famished, clung to her robes, crying for their -usual rice. On and on she went, soothing and consoling them as best she -could, till at last she reached Kyoto, weary, footsore, and almost -heartbroken. But though she was well-nigh overcome with physical -exhaustion, yet her purpose never flagged. She went at once to the -enemy's camp and asked to be admitted to the presence of General -Kiyomori. - -When she was shown into the dread man's presence, she prostrated herself -at his feet and said that she had come to give herself up and to release -her mother. - -"I am Tokiwa--the widow of Yoshitomo. I have come with my three children -to beseech you to spare my mother's life and to set her free. My poor -old mother has done nothing wrong. I am guilty of hiding myself and the -little ones, yet I pray humbly for your august forgiveness." - -She pleaded in such an agonizing way that Kiyomori, the Taira chieftain, -was struck with admiration for her filial piety, a virtue more highly -esteemed than any other in Japan. He felt sincerely sorry for Tokiwa in -her woe, and her beauty and her tears melted his hard heart, and he -promised her that if she would become his wife he would spare not only -her mother's life, but her three children also. - -For the sake of saving her children's lives the sad-hearted woman -consented to Kiyomori's proposal. It must have been terrible to her to -wed with her lord's enemy, the very man who had caused his death; but -the thought that by so doing she saved the lives of his sons, who would -one day surely arise to avenge their father's cruel death, must have -been her consolation and her recompense for the sacrifice. - -Kiyomori showed himself kinder to Tokiwa than he had ever shown himself -to any one, for he allowed her to keep the babe Ushiwaka by her side. -The two elder boys he sent to a temple to be trained as acolytes under -the tutelage of priests. - -By placing them out of the world in the seclusion of priesthood, -Kiyomori felt that he would have little to fear from them when they -attained manhood. How terribly and bitterly he was mistaken we learn -from history, for two of Yoshitomo's sons, banished though they had been -for years and years, arose like a rushing, mighty whirlwind from the -obscurity of the monastery to avenge their father, and they wiped the -Taira from off the face of the earth. - -Time passed by, and when the little babe Ushiwaka at last reached the -age of seven, Kiyomori likewise took him from his mother and sent him to -the priests. The sorrow of Tokiwa, bereft of the last child of her -beloved lord Yoshitomo, can better be imagined than described. But in -her golden captivity even Kiyomori had not been able to deprive her of -one iota of the incomparable power of motherhood, that of influencing -the life of her child to the end of his days. As the little fellow had -lain in her arms night and day, as she crooned him to sleep and taught -him to walk, she forever whispered the name of Minamoto Yoshitomo in his -ear. - -At last one day her patience was rewarded and Ushiwaka lisped his -father's name correctly. Then Tokiwa clasped him proudly to her breast, -and wept tears of thankfulness and joy and of sorrowing remembrance, for -she could never even for a day banish Yoshitomo from her mind. As -Ushiwaka grew older and could understand better what she said, Tokiwa -would daily whisper, "Remember thy father, Minamoto Yoshitomo! Grow -strong and avenge his death, for he died at the hands of the Taira!" And -day by day she told him stories of his great and good father--of his -martial prowess in battle, and of his great strength and wonderful -wielding of the sword, and she bade her little son remember and be like -his father. And the mother's words and tears, sown in long years of -patience and bitter endurance, bore fruit beyond all she had ever hoped -or dreamed. - -So Ushiwaka was taken from his mother at the age of seven, and was sent -to the Tokobo Monastery, at Kuramayama, to be trained as a monk. - -Even at that early age he showed great intelligence, read the Sacred -Books with avidity, and surprised the priests by his diligence and -quickness of memory. He was naturally a very high-spirited youth, and -could brook no control and hated to yield to others in anything -whatsoever. As the years passed by and he grew older, he came to hear -from his teachers and school friends of how his father Yoshitomo and his -clan the Minamoto had been overthrown by the Taira, and this filled him -with such intense sorrow and bitterness that sleeping or waking he could -never banish the subject from his mind. As he listened daily to these -things the words of his mother, which she had whispered in his ear as a -child, now came throbbing back to his mind, and he understood their full -meaning for the first time. In the lonely nights he felt again her hot -tears falling on his face, and heard her repeat as clearly as a bell in -the silence of the darkness: "Remember thy father, Minamoto Yoshitomo! -Avenge his death, for he died at the hands of the Taira!" - -At last one night the lad dreamed that his mother, beautiful and sad as -he remembered her in the days of his childhood, came to his bedside and -said to him, while the tears streamed down her face: "Avenge thy father, -Yoshitomo! Unless thou remember my last words, I cannot rest in my -grave. I am dying, Ushiwaka, remember!" - -And Ushiwaka awoke as he cried aloud in his agony: "I will! Honourable -mother, I will!" From that night his heart burned within him and the -fire and love of clan-race stirred his soul. Continual brooding over the -wrongs of his clan generated in his heart a fierce desire for revenge, -and he finally resolved to abandon the priesthood, become a great -general like his father, and punish the Taira. And as his ambition was -fired and exalted and his mind thrilled back to the days when his poor -unhappy mother Tokiwa prayed and wept over him, daily whispering in his -ear the name of his father, his will grew to purpose strong. Tokiwa had -not suffered in vain. From this time on, Ushiwaka bided his time every -night till all in the temple were fast asleep. When he heard the priests -snoring, and knew himself safe from observation, he would steal out from -the temple, and, making his way down the hillside into the valley, he -would draw his wooden sword and practise fencing by himself, and, -striking the trees and the stones imagine that they were his Taira foes. -As he worked in this way night after night, he felt his muscles grow -strong, and this practice taught him how to wield his sword with skill. - -One night as usual Ushiwaka had gone out to the valley and was -diligently brandishing about his wooden sword. His mind fully bent upon -his self-taught lesson, he was marching up and down, chanting snatches -of war-songs and striking the trees and the rocks, when suddenly a great -cloud spread over the heavens, the rain fell, the thunder roared, and -the lightning flashed, and a great noise went through the valley, as if -all the trees were being torn up by the roots and their trunks were -splitting. - -While Ushiwaka wondered what this could mean, a great giant over ten -feet in height stood before him. He had large round glaring eyes that -glinted like metal mirrors; his nose was bright red, and it must have -been about a foot long; his hands were like the claws of a bird, and to -each there were only two fingers. The feathers of long wings at each -side peeped from under the creature's robes, and he looked like a -gigantic goblin. Fearful indeed was this apparition. But Ushiwaka was a -brave and spirited youth and the son of a soldier, and he was not to be -daunted by anything. Without moving a muscle of his face he gripped his -sword more tightly and simply asked: "Who are you, sirrah?" - -The goblin laughed aloud and said: "I am the King of the Tengu,[1] the -elves of the mountains, and I have made this valley my home for many a -long year. I have admired your perseverance in coming to this place -night after night for the purpose of practising fencing all by -yourself, and I have come to meet you, with the intention of teaching -you all I know of the art of the sword." - -Ushiwaka was delighted when he heard this, for the Tengu have -supernatural powers, and fortunate indeed are those whom they favour. He -thanked the giant elf and expressed his readiness to begin at once. He -then whirled up his sword and began to attack the Tengu, but the elf -shifted his position with the quickness of lightning, and taking from -his belt a fan made of seven feathers parried the showering blows right -and left so cleverly that the young knight's interest became thoroughly -aroused. Every night he came out for the lesson. He never missed once, -summer or winter, and in this way he learned all the secrets of the art -which the Tengu could teach him. - -The Tengu was a great master and Ushiwaka an apt pupil. He became so -proficient in fencing that he could overcome ten or twenty small Tengu -in the twinkling of an eye, and he acquired extraordinary skill and -dexterity in the use of the sword; and the Tengu also imparted to him -the wonderful adroitness and agility which made him so famous in -after-life. - -Now Ushiwaka was about fifteen years old, a comely youth, and tall for -his age. At this time there lived on Mount Hiei, just outside the -capital, a wild bonze named Musashi Bo Benkei, who was such a lawless -and turbulent fellow that he had become notorious for his deeds of -violence. The city rang with the stories of his misdeeds, and so well -known had he become that people could not hear his name without fear and -trembling. - -[Illustration: COULD OVERCOME TEN OR TWENTY SMALL TENGU IN THE TWINKLING -OF AN EYE] - -Benkei suddenly made up his mind that it would be good sport to steal a -thousand swords from various knights. - -No sooner did the wild idea enter his head than he began to put it into -practice. Every night he sauntered forth to the Gojo Bridge of Kyoto, -and when a knight or any man carrying a sword passed by, Benkei would -snatch the weapon from his girdle. If the owners yielded up their blades -quietly, Benkei allowed them to pass unhurt, but if not, he would strike -them dead with a single blow of the huge halberd he carried. So great -was Benkei's strength that he always overcame his victim,--resistance -was useless,--and night by night one and sometimes two men met death at -his hands on the Gojo Bridge. In this way Benkei gained such a terrible -reputation that everybody far and near feared to meet him, and after -dark no one dared to pass near the bridge he was known to haunt, so -fearful were the tales told of the dreaded robber of swords. - -At last this story reached the ears of Ushiwaka, and he said to himself: -"What an interesting man this must be! If it is true that he is a bonze, -he must be a strange one indeed; but as he only robs people of their -swords, he cannot be a common highwayman. If I could make such a strong -man a retainer of mine, he would be of great assistance to me when I -punish my enemies, the Taira clan. Good! To-night I will go to the Gojo -Bridge and try the mettle of this Benkei!" - -Ushiwaka, being a youth of great courage, had no sooner made up his mind -to meet Benkei than he proceeded to put his plan into execution. He -started out that same evening. It was a beautiful moonlight night, and -taking with him his favourite flute he strolled forth through the -streets of the sleeping city till he came to the Gojo Bridge. Then from -the opposite direction came a tall figure which appeared to touch the -clouds, so gigantic was its stature. The stranger was clad in a suit of -coal-black armour and carried an immense halberd. - -"This must be the sword-robber! He is indeed strong!" said Ushiwaka to -himself, but he was not in the least daunted, and went on playing his -flute quite calmly. - -Presently the armed giant halted and gazed at Ushiwaka, but evidently -thought him a mere youth, and decided to let him go unmolested, for he -was about to pass him by without lifting a hand. This indifference on -the part of Benkei not only disappointed but angered Ushiwaka. Having -waited in vain for the stranger to offer violence, our hero approached -Benkei, and, with the intention of picking a quarrel, suddenly kicked -the latter's halberd out of his hand. - -Benkei, who had first thought to spare Ushiwaka on account of his youth, -became very angry when he found himself insulted by a lad to whom he had -been intentionally kind. In a fury he exclaimed, "Miserable stripling!" -and raising his halberd struck sideways at Ushiwaka, thinking to slice -him in two at the waist and to see his body fall asunder. But the young -knight nimbly avoided the blow which would have killed him, and -springing back a few paces he flung his fan[2] at Benkei's head and -uttered a loud cry of defiance. The fan struck Benkei on the forehead -right between the eyes, making him mad with pain. In a transport of rage -Benkei aimed a fearful blow at Ushiwaka, as if he were splitting a log -of wood with an axe. This time Ushiwaka sprang up to the parapet of the -bridge, clapped his hands, and laughed in derision, saying: - -"Here I am! Don't you see? Here I am!" and Benkei was again thwarted -thus. - -Benkei, who had never known his strokes miss before, had now failed -twice in catching this nimble opponent. Frantic with chagrin and baffled -rage, he now rushed furiously to the attack, whirling his great halberd -round in all directions till it looked like a water-wheel in motion, -striking wildly and blindly at Ushiwaka. But the young knight had been -taught tricks innumerable by the giant Tengu of Kuramayama, and he had -profited so well by his lessons that the King Tengu had at last said -that even he could teach him nothing more, and now, as it may well be -imagined, he was too quick for the heavy Benkei. When Benkei struck in -front, Ushiwaka was behind, and when Benkei aimed a blow behind, -Ushiwaka darted in front. Nimble as a monkey and swift as a swallow, -Ushiwaka avoided all the blows aimed at him, and, finding himself -outmatched, even the redoubtable Benkei grew tired. - -Ushiwaka saw that Benkei was played out. He kept up the game a little -longer and then changed his tactics. Seizing his opportunity, he knocked -Benkei's halberd out of his hand. When the giant stooped to pick his -weapon up, Ushiwaka ran behind him and with a quick movement tripped him -up. There lay the big man on all fours, while Ushiwaka nimbly strode -across his back and pressing him down asked him how he liked this kind -of play. - -All this time Benkei had wondered at the courage of the youth in -attacking and challenging a man so much larger than himself, but now he -was filled with amazement at Ushiwaka's wonderful strength and -adroitness. - -"I am indeed astonished at what you have done," said Benkei. "Who in the -world can you be? I have fought with many men on this bridge, but you -are the first of my antagonists who has displayed such strength. Are you -a god or a _tengu_? You certainly cannot be an ordinary human being!" - -Ushiwaka laughed and said: "Are you afraid for the first time, then?" - -"I am," answered Benkei. - -"Will you from henceforth be my retainer?" demanded Ushiwaka. - -"I will in very truth be your retainer, but may I know who you are?" -asked Benkei meekly. - -Ushiwaka now felt sure that Benkei was in earnest. He therefore allowed -him to get up from the ground, and then said: "I have nothing to hide -from you. I am the youngest son of Minamoto Yoshitomo and my name is -Ushiwaka." - -Benkei started with surprise when he heard these words and said: "What -is this I hear? Are you in truth a son of the Lord Yoshitomo of the -Minamoto clan? That is the reason I felt from the first moment of our -encounter that your deeds were not those of a common person. No wonder -that I thought this! I am only too happy to become the retainer of such -a distinguished and spirited young knight. I will follow you as my lord -and master from this very moment, if you will allow me. I can wish for -no greater honour." - -So there and then, on the Gojo Bridge in the silver moonlight, the bonze -Benkei vowed to be the true and faithful vassal of the young knight -Ushiwaka and to serve him loyally till death, and thus was the compact -between lord and vassal made. From that time on, Benkei gave up his wild -and lawless ways and devoted his life to the service of Ushiwaka, who -was highly pleased at having won such a strong liegeman to his side. - -Although Ushiwaka had now secured Benkei, it was impossible for only two -men, however strong, to think of fighting the Taira clan, so they both -decided that the cherished plan must wait till the Minamoto were -stronger. While thus waiting they heard a report to the effect that a -descendant of Tawara Toda Hidesato[3] named Hidehira was now a famous -general in Kaiwai of the Ashu Province, and that he was so powerful that -no one dared oppose him. Hearing this, Ushiwaka thought that it would be -a good plan to pay the general a visit and try to interest him, if -possible, in the fortunes of the House of Minamoto. He consulted with -Benkei, who encouraged the young knight in his scheme of enlisting the -General Hidehira as a partisan, and the two therefore left Kyoto -secretly and journeyed as quickly as possible to Oshu on this errand. - -On the way there, Ushiwaka and Benkei came to the Temple of Atsuta, and -as they considered it important that the young knight should look older -now, Ushiwaka performed the ceremony of Gembuku at the shrine. This was -a rite performed in olden times when youths reached the age of manhood, -They then had to shave off the front part of their hair and to change -their names as a sign that they had left childhood behind. Ushiwaka now -took the name of Yoshitsune. As he was the eighth son, it would have -been more correct for him to have assumed the name of Hachiro, but as -his uncle Tametomo the Archer, of whom you have already read, was named -Hachiro, he purposely did not take this name. From this time forth our -hero is known as Yoshitsune, and this name he has glorified forever by -his wonderful bravery and many heroic exploits. In Japanese history he -is the knight without fear and without reproach, the darling of the -people, to them almost an incarnation of Hachiman, the popular God of -War. And as for Benkei, never can you find in all history a vassal who -was more true or loyal to his master than Benkei. He was Yoshitsune's -right hand in everything, and his strength and wisdom carried them -successfully through many a dire emergency. - -From Kyoto to Oshu is a long journey of about three hundred miles, but -at length Yoshitsune (as we must now call him) and Benkei reached their -destination and craved the General Hidehira's assistance. They found -that Hidehira was a warm adherent of the Minamoto cause, and under the -late Lord Yoshitomo he and his family had enjoyed great favour. When the -general learned, therefore, that Yoshitsune was the son of the -illustrious Minamoto chief, his joy knew no bounds, and he made -Yoshitsune and Benkei heartily welcome and treated them both as guests -of honour and importance. - -Just at this time Yoshitsune's eldest brother, Yoritomo, who had been -banished to an island in Idzu, collected a great army and raised his -standard against the Taira. When the news about Yoritomo reached -Yoshitsune, he rejoiced, for he felt that the hour had at last come when -the Minamoto would be revenged on the Taira for all the wrongs they had -suffered at the hands of the latter. - -With the help of Hidehira and the faithful Benkei, he collected a small -army of warriors and at once marched over to his brother's camp in Idzu. -He sent a messenger ahead to inform Yoritomo that his youngest brother, -now named Yoshitsune, was coming to aid him in his fight against the -Taira. - -Yoritomo was exceedingly glad at this unexpected good news, for all that -helped to swell his forces now brought nearer the day when he would be -able to strike his long-planned blow at the power of the hated Taira. -As soon as Yoshitsune reached Idzu, Yoritomo arranged for an immediate -meeting. Although the two men were brothers, it must be remembered that -their father had been killed, and the family utterly scattered, when -they were mere children, Yoshitsune being at that time but an infant in -his mother's arms. As this was therefore the first time they had met -Yoritomo knew nothing of his young brother's character. - -One of Yoshitsune's elder brothers had come with him, and Yoritomo being -a shrewd general wished to test them both to see of what mettle they -were made. He ordered his retainers to bring a brass basin full of -boiling water. When it was brought, Yoritomo ordered Noriyori, the elder -of the two, to carry it to him first. Now brass being a good conductor -of heat, the basin was very hot and Noriyori stupidly let it fall. -Yoritomo ordered it to be filled again and bade Yoshitsune bring it to -him. Without moving a muscle of his handsome face Yoshitsune took hold -of the almost unbearably hot vessel and carried it with due ceremony -slowly across the room. This exhibition of nerve and endurance filled -Yoritomo with admiration and he was favourably struck with Yoshitsune's -character. As for Noriyori, who had been unable to hold a hot basin for -a few moments, he had no use for him at all, except as a common soldier. - -Yoritomo begged Yoshitsune to become his right-hand man and zealously -to espouse his cause. Yoshitsune declared that this had been his -lifelong ambition ever since he could remember,--as they both were sons -of the same father, so was their cause and destiny one. Yoritomo made -Yoshitsune a general of part of his army and ordered him in the name of -his father Yoshitomo to chastise the Taira. - -Delighted beyond all words at the wonderfully auspicious turn events -were taking, Yoshitsune hastened his preparations for the march. The -longed-for hour had come to which through his whole childhood and youth -he had looked forward, and for which his whole being had thirsted for -many years. He could now fulfil the last words of his unhappy mother, -and punish the Taira for all the evil they had wrought against the -Minamoto. All the wild restlessness of his youth, which had driven him -forth to wield his wooden sword against the rocks in the Kuramayama -Valley and to try his strength against Benkei on the Gojo Bridge, now -found vent in action most dear to a born warrior's heart. With several -thousands of troops under him, Yoshitsune marched up to Kyoto and waged -war against the Taira, and defeated them in a series of brilliant -engagements. - -The stricken Taira multitudes fled before the avenger like autumn leaves -before the blast, and Yoshitsune pursued them to the sea. At Dan-no-Ura -the Taira made a last stand, but all in vain. Their lion leader, -Kiyomori, was dead, and there was no great chieftain to rally them in -the disordered retreat that now ensued. Yoshitsune came sweeping down -upon them, and they and their fleet and their infant Emperor likewise, -with their women and children, sank beneath the waves. Only a scattered -few lived to tell the tale of the terrible destruction that overtook -them on the sea. - -Thus did Yoshitsune become a great warrior and general. Thus did he -fulfil the ambitions of his youth and avenge his father Yoshitomo's -death. He was without a rival in the whole country for his marvellous -bravery and successive victories. He was adored by the people as their -most popular hero and darling, and throughout the length and breadth of -the land his praise was sung by every one. - -Even to this day there is no one in Japan who has not heard the name of -Yoshitsune. The next story, "The Story of Benkei," will tell you more of -Yoshitsune, for the two lives are linked together in the fame and glory -of noble deeds done, of dangers passed, of troubles and reverses borne, -and of honours earned and joy and victory shared together--to be told -and remembered forever. - - -[1] The Tengu are strange creatures with very long noses; sometimes they -have the head of a hawk and the body of a man. - -[2] The fighter's fan was always made of metal and was often used as a -weapon. - -[3] See in the story of "My Lord Bag of Rice," _The Japanese Fairy Book_ -(Constable, London). - - - - -THE STORY OF BENKEI - -SEQUEL TO THE STORY OF YOSHITSUNE - - -Those who have read the story of the great warrior Yoshitsune will -certainly remember that his retainer Benkei was a gigantic bonze as -remarkable for his physical strength as he was for his original -character. In the story of Yoshitsune very little was said about Benkei; -you may therefore like to hear something more about the famous man who -is so favourite a hero with Japanese children and so greatly respected -in Japan for his faithfulness to his master. - -Benkei was the son of a Buddhist priest named Bensho, High Steward of -the Temple of Gongen at Kumano, a famous shrine from ancient times, and -his mother was the daughter of a high Court official of the second rank. - -Benkei was no ordinary mortal. Most children come into the world within -ten months, but Benkei kept his mother waiting one year and six months -for him; and when he was born he already had teeth and a luxuriant -growth of hair, and was so strong and big that he could walk from the -first as well as most children of two or three years of age. - -Seeing how extraordinarily big and strong he was, the family were lost -in amazement; but their wonder quickly changed to dismay, for the mother -died soon after giving birth to her son. The father, Bensho, was very -angry at this, and took an aversion to the child who had brought, he -said, so great a misfortune upon him. He even wished to abandon the boy -altogether, believing that, as Benkei's birth had cost his mother's -life, he would in after years only prove a curse to the family. - -Now the boy's aunt (who was married to a man named Yama-no-i), hearing -this, pitied her little nephew Benkei, and going to her brother said: -"If you are going to treat the child so cruelly as to cast him away, -please give him to me. I have no children and will bring him up as my -own child. He is not responsible for his mother's death. It is fate, and -there is no help for it!" - -Bensho consented to her taking the child, saying that he did not care -what happened to him so long as he was kept out of his sight, for he -could no longer bear to see him. So Benkei was adopted by his aunt, who -took him away to the capital of Kyoto. - -The child rewarded her care and grew to be a fine boy beyond all -expectation. He was exceedingly strong and healthy; at five or six -years of age he was equal in size and strength to boys of ten or twelve, -and gave promise of unusual intelligence and cleverness. - -Unfortunately his face was as fierce as that of a demon and he looked so -truly savage and ugly that he gradually earned for himself the nickname -of Oni-Waka, or Demon Youth. - -In a few years his uncle thought that it was time to send the boy to -school, and he accordingly sent Benkei to the monastery of Eizan and -placed him under the tutorship of the famous priest Kwankei. In Japan as -in England in those times all learning was in the hands of the priests, -and the temples were the only schools. - -When Benkei arrived at Kwankei's temple he was taught the reading and -writing of Chinese characters, and as he was at first docile and -diligent, and obedient to all set over him, he made rapid progress, and -not only satisfied but pleased his teacher, who commended his industry; -but after a time he chafed at the restraint of his new surroundings and -began to give trouble. Not content with being unruly himself, he would -lead the other novices away from their studies into the mountains and -play all kinds of rough games with them, and, of course, being by nature -much stronger and bigger than any of them, none of his companions could -stand against him. It therefore happened that in every contest he -invariably gained the victory, and this elated him so much that he -thought of nothing but his sports and his triumphs, and, neglecting his -lessons entirely, practised athletic games day after day, quite -forgetting everything else. - -Oni-Waka's teacher, Kwankei, hearing about the youth's wild doings, and -considering them as unseemly, sent for him and told him that such -behaviour not only grieved his guardians but brought disgrace upon the -holy temple; but his rebuke fell upon deaf ears and did no good at all. -While he was being scolded, Benkei listened respectfully enough; but as -soon as the reverend teacher turned his back he would forthwith be as -wild, if not wilder, than ever. His conduct grew worse and worse, till -at last, losing all patience, the master priest forbade him to go out of -the house, and then enforced his order by shutting him up in a -monastery. - -This punishment Oni-Waka deeply resented, and one night, eluding the -vigilance of his gaolers, he stole out quietly, and picking up a great -log of wood began to destroy everything he could. First he smashed the -gateway; then the fences all round the temple; then he broke the -shutters and the sliding screens inside; indeed everything he could -reach, he wrecked. The bonzes, roused from their slumbers by the -unexpected noise, which sounded as if a troop of robbers were at work, -were all so frightened that they could do nothing to stop the whirlwind -of destruction. When Oni-Waka had done all the mischief he could he felt -that, after this last mad prank, the Temple of Eizan was no place for -him, so he fled from the spot forever. He was now just seventeen years -of age, and he called himself Musashi Bo Benkei. - -Oni-Waka showed a sense of humour when he called himself Musashi Bo -Benkei. In olden times there lived in Eizan a man named Musashi, who was -turbulent and wild in his youth, and yet became a famous bonze and lived -until the ripe age of sixty-one. Oni-Waka, having heard about this -famous man, made up his mind to be like him, and therefore called -himself Musashi Bo, or Musashi the Bonze. The first syllable--"Ben"--of -_Ben_kei was taken from the first character of his father's name -(Bensho), and the second--"kei"--was the last syllable of his teacher's -name (Kwankei). The name Benkei was therefore a combination of the names -of his father and teacher. - -Ashamed to return home to his uncle and aunt after his behaviour at the -monastery, Benkei made up his mind to travel. This he did much after the -fashion of German apprentices at about the same period in Europe. -Leaving Kyoto, he came to Osaka; from Osaka he went to the province of -Awa in the island of Shikoku; he then travelled all through that -island, and thence wandered back to the mainland, where in the province -of Harima he came at last to a monastery called Shosa. This monastery -was as large as that of Eizan, and Benkei thought that he would like to -stay there for a time as a student. With the consent of the abbot, -Benkei was enrolled as an acolyte of this temple. - -Among the numerous novices in the temple there was one named Kaien, who -was nearly as fond of mischief as Benkei himself, and he was known in -the neighbourhood for a troublesome fellow, no one young or old being -safe from his foolish pranks. One day soon after Benkei's arrival, Kaien -found the newcomer taking a nap, so for fun he wrote on Benkei's cheek -the Chinese character for _geta_, or "clog." - -When Benkei woke up and went into the courtyard he noticed that -everybody he came near seemed to be laughing at him, though nobody would -say why. - -Thinking that there must be something strange in his appearance he -glanced into a bowl of water and at once discovered the cause of the -merriment. Angry at the trick played on him, he seized a thick stick and -rushing into the midst of his fellow novices shouted: "You rogues! I -suppose you thought that you were doing something clever when you -scribbled on my face. Now just come here, one by one, and kneel down and -beg my pardon. If you do not you will soon be sorry for yourselves." - -Benkei looked so angry and spoke so fiercely that most of the acolytes -were frightened. Four or five of the boldest, however, answered him -back, saying: "What do you mean, you lazy fellow, by complaining about a -trick played upon you while you were asleep in the middle of the day? If -we hear any more of your grumbling, we will throw you out of the -monastery." - -In this way they tried to frighten Benkei, but he did not budge an inch, -and his only reply was to lift his stick and knock down the four or five -who had spoken. - -Seeing this, Kaien, the author of all this trouble, rushed up, saying: -"You are a coward to attack fellows half your size. Suppose for a change -you fight with me!" - -Then looking round for a weapon, and seeing a large log of wood on a -fire close by, he picked it up and faced the enraged Benkei, adding: "It -was I who scribbled on your face. If you are angry, come on and let us -fight it out!" - -The two closed at once and fought for some time; then Benkei grew -impatient, and seizing Kaien by his collar and belt lifted him off his -feet. The other novices, seeing this, cried out in alarm: "Kaien has -been lifted off his feet. He can't fight now. He is helpless!" - -Then they shouted to Kaien to apologize and save himself. - -"Pardon! Pardon! Benkei! Mercy!" screamed the youth, now bitterly -repenting his folly. - -Benkei, however, did not hear Kaien's cry for mercy, for he was like a -madman now. He hardly knew what he did or said, for his blood was fired -by the taunts of the young men and by the fight. - -"You shall die," screamed Benkei, "mannerless coward that you are; you -shall die, I say, and your carcass shall be eaten by crows!" With these -words he shook Kaien as mercilessly as a dog does a rat, and then flung -him upon the tiled roof of the chapel, a height of some fourteen or -fifteen feet. Kaien fell on the roof, rolled down the tiles, and at -last, striking a rock in the garden, was killed on the spot. When the -foolish and unfortunate lad was flung up on the roof by Benkei, he still -held the smoking brand which he had all to no purpose used against his -antagonist and this, falling on the building, flared up and set fire to -the temple. Just then a breeze sprang up and fanned the flames into a -fierce blaze; sparks from the roof dropped upon the curving tiers of the -five-storied pagoda, and the main gateway, and the school and the houses -of the bonzes, till the whole of the monastery was in a blaze. Seeing -the conflagration, all the inmates were lost in consternation. Shouting -"Fire! Fire!" some of them ran to draw water from the well, while -others threw sand on the flames, and in the excitement and general -confusion which followed, Benkei, the cause of the calamity, was -forgotten. - -In the midst of the tremendous tumult and disturbance Benkei laughed -quietly to himself. - -"Ha! ha!" he laughed; "look at the fire and the stir I have made! I have -never seen the lazy bonzes know what it is to hurry before. It will do -them good for once in a way!" - -Then he slipped away from the temple and made his way back to Kyoto. - -Benkei, wild and unruly as he was, cannot be judged by the standard of -conduct of to-day. Those times were very different from these days of -peace and order. Young men were encouraged to do rough violent deeds to -show their strength and courage, and if they killed their antagonists in -the fight, so much the more did this redound to their credit. It was the -custom for a young _samurai_ on obtaining a sword to go out into the -highways to try the mettle of his blade. Woe to those who passed by; -their blood must baptize the knight's sword. This training bred a -martial spirit in the youth of Japan, and produced brave men of -dauntless courage and resolution like Benkei, who became such a hero in -after-life. - -Benkei was, however, by this time tired of study and of living the dull -life of a bonze, and he now made up his mind to rove about in search of -adventures, determining that, should he find a stronger man than -himself, he would become that man's vassal, turn from his wild ways and -lead the life of a good _samurai_, faithful to his lord and a good -patriot to his country. But first of all he must find the man stronger -than he to whom he would bow his proud strong neck. He longed now to -find a master worthy of respect, whom he could reverence as his -superior. How was this to be done? At last an idea struck him. He had -determined to be a soldier and enter the service of a _samurai_; he must -therefore get a good sword. Violent and impetuous as ever, to this end -he now vowed to take a thousand swords from the citizens of Kyoto. To -carry out his wild scheme he went nightly to the Gojo Bridge, and when -men passed along bearing swords in their girdles he would rush suddenly -out, attack them furiously, and snatch away their swords. He never -pursued those who ran away, for he deemed them cowards and would not -waste his time or strength on such creatures; but those who opposed him -he would mow down with a single sweep of his great halberd. In this way -he had attacked nine hundred and ninety-nine men and taken away nine -hundred and ninety-nine swords; each time he had hoped to meet his match -in the numerous contests, but not one among the whole number proved a -serious foe. - -Accordingly the swords Benkei had thus collected were all poor weapons, -for weak men have like swords; they were blunt and badly tempered and of -not the slightest use to him. He was heartily disappointed, and began to -think that perhaps he had better abandon the enterprise as a vain one. -In desperation, however, he determined to get one more sword and thus -complete the total of one thousand blades, the number he had first of -all set his mind upon. In spite of discouragement, he told himself that -it would be stupid to give up at this point. - -As soon as he had decided to do this, his spirits revived, and for some -unaccountable reason he felt that this time he would be lucky, and able -to secure once for all a good weapon. He waited impatiently for the -evening, and as soon as the twilight fell he made his preparations and -went as usual to the Gojo Bridge. It happened to be the night of the -fifteenth day of August, and the beautiful harvest moon sailed up into -the serene heaven, above the hills and the tall dark velvety pines and -cryptomerias, and the sleeping world was bathed in her soft silvery -brilliance. For a long time Benkei stood leaning against the parapet of -the bridge, entranced by the fair scene spread out before him in the -moonlight and apparently quite forgetful for the time being of his -purpose. Suddenly the stillness of the beautiful night was broken by -the sound of a flute. Benkei started from his reverie. The music drew -nearer and nearer, and then he saw a slight figure approaching from the -other end of the bridge. The newcomer wore a kind of white veil and high -black-lacquered clogs, and was playing on his flute as he strolled -along. Benkei watched the approaching stranger and saw at once that this -was no ordinary passer-by. - -At first he thought that this must be a woman, for the moonlight -revealed a slender grace in walking and then on nearer view a face of -extreme youth and aristocratic beauty. He could not find the heart to -attack the mysterious and gentle unknown, and decided to let him or her -pass unmolested; but while he was wondering who the person, so unlike -all the others he had met on the bridge, could be, the supposed lady all -of a sudden stepped up to Benkei and kicked the latter's halberd out of -his hand. - -"What are you doing?" shouted Benkei, in a rage when he had recovered -from his astonishment; and recovering his halberd he pulled off what he -supposed to be the lady's veil. To his surprise he found that the -adventurous stranger was a handsome youth who might easily be mistaken -for a girl, and then Benkei's eyes fell upon a splendid gold-mounted -sword which the lad carried in his girdle. He said to himself that he -had not waited so long in vain, that he was verily in luck this night -to have such a bird come into net. While these thoughts flashed through -his mind, Benkei clutched at the sword, but the youth was far stronger -than he looked, and the instant Benkei put forth his hand the young -fellow flung a heavy fan in his face, saying: "How brave you think -yourself, don't you?" and darted out of his reach. - -This made Benkei more angry than ever, and with threatening exclamations -he lifted his halberd to deal a smashing blow on the young knight. But -the lad was far too quick for Benkei and sprang about with the -nimbleness of a monkey, and no matter how Benkei aimed his blows, they -never reached the mark. Never had Benkei seen such agility and -adroitness. Sometimes the youth appeared in front and sometimes behind, -now on one side and again on the other, and as often as Benkei turned he -would find that his opponent had shifted his position like lightning. At -length Benkei grew tired and a sense of awe began to take hold of his -mind, for he now felt that the youth must be a supernatural being, or a -tengu, and no common mortal, and this feeling grew upon him so strongly -that he began to lose heart. He knew now that he was no longer -invincible as he had hitherto been. Then the lad, who had hitherto acted -on the defensive, began to push his advantage, and, attacking Benkei in -good earnest, beat down the latter's guard and disarmed him. - -When the redoubtable Benkei, who had never yet been beaten by any one in -his whole life, found himself thus ignominiously defeated, he was -astonished beyond words, and there and then, kneeling down on the -bridge, bowed low before the young man and humbly said: "Will you -condescend to tell me whose son you are, and your name? Something tells -me that you are no common man!" - -The handsome youth laughed and replied: "I am the eighth and youngest -son of Minamoto Yoshitomo, and my name is Minamoto Ushiwaka," and with -these words he allowed Benkei to rise. - -"What do I hear?" exclaimed Benkei; "are you indeed the young knight -Minamoto Ushiwaka of whom I have heard so much? I felt from the first -that you were a person of distinction. As for myself, I am simply -Musashi Bo Benkei. For a long time I have been looking for a man -stronger than myself, to whom I could look up as my master. I have led a -wild life for a long time, but if you will take me into your service I -will be a good and faithful vassal." - -Ushiwaka, who had heard of Benkei's remarkable strength, and who had -come out that night to the Gojo Bridge for the purpose of meeting the -notorious man with the hope of winning him to his side, was delighted -at the turn events had taken and promised to take Benkei into his -service, and in this way the brave youth and the giant priest became -associated as lord and vassal. - -From this hour Benkei was a completely changed character. He gave up his -wild ways and became obedient to his young master, who was the only one -he had found a match for his imposing strength and will. He served his -new lord with the utmost devotion, and fought bravely in every battle -which Yoshitsune (Ushiwaka's name when he came of age) waged against the -Taira clan at the famous battles of Ichi-no-tani and Dan-no-Ura, of -which you will have read in the story of Yoshitsune. - -Yoshitsune won victory after victory, driving his Taira enemies to the -sea, where they miserably perished at Dan-no-Ura, and it seemed to the -wondering people that he must be the impersonation of Hachiman, the God -of War. - -So handsome and brave was he that they had never seen or heard of his -like before, and throughout Japan every one praised and loved him. Now -Yoritomo, when he saw his brother's popularity, became jealous, and -Kajiwara, one of his generals, who hated Yoshitsune because the young -knight had once openly reproved him for cowardice, seized the -opportunity to poison Yoritomo's mind against his younger brother; he -suggested that Yoshitsune's aim was to supplant Yoritomo in supreme -authority. Sad to say, Yoritomo believed this wicked slander. Therefore, -when Yoshitsune, covered with glory and honour, returned from the wars, -bringing with him, as prisoners of war, Munemori, the Taira chieftain, -and his son (Kiyomori was now dead), he found that Yoritomo had erected -a barrier near Koshigoe, just outside Kamakura. Here he sent a guard to -receive the prisoners, but on the ground that Yoshitsune was guilty of -treachery, Yoritomo refused him admittance into Kamakura. In vain did -Yoshitsune protest against the unjust accusation; in vain did he write a -touching letter avowing his unaltered love and devotion to Yoritomo; in -vain did he recount all the hardships endured on the campaigns which the -young and chivalrous general had undertaken at the command of his -brother. He was not believed, and ingratitude was the only reward he -received for devotion to his brother's cause. At this crisis Yoshitsune -found himself banished and every part of Japan rendered unsafe for his -residence, for Yoritomo ordered him to be arrested. When this time of -trouble came, Benkei was indefatigable in his efforts to guard -Yoshitsune's person from danger. He followed him in his flight and exile -and never left his master's side. - -Yoshitsune now returned to Kyoto for a time. Soon after he arrived there -Yoritomo sent a man named Tosabo to compass his death. This man, like -Benkei, had formerly been a bonze, and he gave out that he had come to -visit the temples of the capital. - -Tosabo knew very well what a shrewd and clever warrior Yoshitsune was, -and he doubted his own ability to cope with the task he had undertaken. -He therefore decided that he would wait until Yoshitsune was completely -off his guard, and then make a sudden attack upon the house where he was -staying. He told his followers of his plan and secretly prepared for the -raid. - -Yoshitsune soon learned of Tosabo's coming, for the people of Kyoto and -its neighbourhood, where he had lived as a boy, were devoted to him. The -young general, knowing that Tosabo was in Yoritomo's service, regarded -him with suspicion. He told Benkei of his fears, and Benkei at once -volunteered to go and summon Tosabo to the house and question him. - -Yoshitsune agreed to the plan, and Benkei immediately set off for -Tosabo's house. - -"Now, Tosabo," said he, "my Lord Yoshitsune desires to see you, so you -are to come back with me at once!" - -Benkei's manner was so fierce and determined that Tosabo felt alarmed -and he therefore pretended to be ill; but Benkei was not to be balked in -that stupid way, and shouting: "If you are not quick, I'll seize you -and take you whether you will or not!" he grabbed Tosabo by his girdle -and lifted him up as if he had been a child, tucked him under one arm, -and, mounting his horse, carried him off. - -There were several of Tosabo's retainers present at the interview, but -they were all trembling with fear and did not dare to put forth a hand -to help their master. - -Benkei thus conducted Tosabo into the presence of Yoshitsune by force, -and both master and vassal began to examine him strictly; but Tosabo was -such an audacious rascal that, notwithstanding the fact that he had -actually come from Yoritomo, hired as an assassin, he refused to confess -anything. With great humility he feigned surprise at being suspected -of entertaining designs against Yoshitsune's life, saying that he was -but a poor bonze in Yoritomo's service, and as Yoshitsune was his -master's brother, he (Tosabo) regarded him as his lord also. Nothing -else but a religious fast and retreat had called him to Kyoto! - -Now Yoshitsune and Benkei had no actual proof of his guilt, so they -allowed Tosabo to go free, first making him sign a document declaring -that he was not a hired assassin. In truth neither of them believed the -crafty man, but thought him too despicable an enemy to fear, and made up -their minds that, if he and his gang planned a night assault, the party -could be easily repulsed and put to flight. Tosabo on his part -congratulated himself on his cleverness, returned home, armed his men, -and made an attack on Yoshitsune's residence. - -Yoshitsune that night, thinking that at any rate for some time he was -quite safe from attack, made merry with all his men. Drinking -amber-coloured wine they sat up late, and when at last the young general -retired to rest, having drunk much he slept a deep sleep. His beautiful -young wife Shizuka, who accompanied him in all his wanderings, fearing -she knew not what, that night alone kept watch beside her lord's couch. -She was the first to hear the approach of Tosabo and his soldiers. -Vainly she tried to rouse Yoshitsune; she called him, she shook him, but -all in vain,--he slept on. Shizuka was frantic. She heard the enemy at -the gate trying to batter it down. Suddenly the thought struck her, as -if by inspiration, that the most thrilling call to arms to a warrior -must be the sound of his armour. She rushed to the box in the hall, and -heavy as it was for her slender strength, she lifted out the armour. She -dragged it quickly into the room. Then over Yoshitsune's head she waved -it to and fro. "Clang-clang," sounded the armour, "clang--clang." Up -sprang the warrior, seized the suit of armour, and with Shizuka's help -dressed himself for battle. All this took place without a single word. -Benkei and the rest of his soldiers soon joined him and the enemy were -put to flight. Tosabo managed to escape and hide himself in the -mountains of Kurama, near Kyoto, but he was caught and put to death at -last. - -To have been able to thwart and punish the assassins from Kamakura was a -source of great satisfaction to Yoshitsune and his men; but when the -story reached Yoritomo he was very wroth, and issued another decree -entirely disowning Yoshitsune and declaring him an enemy to the state. - -Yoshitsune felt that Yoritomo was acting most unjustly towards him, for -he knew himself to be entirely blameless of plotting against Yoritomo's -supremacy; but as it was useless to contend against his elder brother, -who as Shogun was the military ruler of Japan, he decided to leave Kyoto -and escape to some other place. He therefore planned to cross from the -province of Settsu to Saikoku in a ship; but when they reached -Dan-no-Ura, where Yoshitsune had finally conquered and all but -terminated the Taira clan, the fine weather they had hitherto -experienced suddenly changed, the sky became overcast with black clouds, -rain began to fall in torrents, the wind began to blow, and gradually -the waves rose higher and higher, and shipwreck became imminent. As the -darkness deepened about them, though they could see nothing, over the -water there came weird sounds of the din of battle, the rushing of ships -through the sea, the shouting and trampling of men, the whizzing of -arrows in the air; all around them as the ship sped on, the tumult of -the fight grew louder, till Yoshitsune felt that he was living again -through that awful and never-to-be-forgotten battle. - -[Illustration: THE PHANTOM HOST DREW NEARER TO THE BOAT] - -Then from amid the rolling waves, which every moment threatened to -engulf the boat, arose pale, ghastly forms whose wan faces were terrible -to see. Clad in blood-stained, battle-torn armour and ravaged with -gaping wounds, these warrior ghosts raised threatening hands, as if to -stop the progress of the boat, while meanings of despair and hollow sobs -and shrieks burst from the spectre army. Among the foremost figures was -one who brandished a huge halberd, and as he approached, he addressed -Yoshitsune, saying: "Aha! Revenge! Revenge! Behold in me the ghost of -Taira-no-Tomomori, general of the Taira clan, ruthlessly destroyed by -you! Long have I waited here for you and now I will slay you all, for -not until then will the slaughtered Taira rest in their watery graves." - -Through the tossing, whirling waters, with the wind shrieking round -them, and a weird blue phosphoric light making everything visible, the -phantom host drew nearer and nearer to the boat. But Yoshitsune did not -seem to be in the least alarmed. As dauntless as ever, he stood up in -the prow and faced the ghosts of the men whom he had slain in that -terrible battle, and flashing forth his keen blade, said: "So you are -the spirits of the Taira clan, are you? And you have risen from the -ocean-bed to haunt us, and to impede our progress, and to inflict evil -upon us? Have you forgotten how I drove you before me as dust before the -wind when you were alive? It is a pity you have not profited by past -experiences! I should have thought that you would have had no wish to -see me again!" - -With these words he was about to brandish his sword and attack the -spectres, but Benkei, the wise and faithful Benkei, stepped up to his -young master and stayed his hand, saying: "Not so, my lord. Swords are -useless against ghosts. It is not wise to anger these poor earth-bound -phantoms. The best way of dealing with them is to pacify them, so that -they may find peace and go to their own place." - -Yoshitsune yielded to Benkei and allowed himself to be put aside. Then -Benkei, who, you will remember, had formerly been a Buddhist priest, -drew out a small rosary which he always carried with him, and telling -his beads, and rubbing his hands together, palm to palm, began to recite -prayers earnestly and reverently in a loud voice. The sacred words -appointed by the Buddhist Church fell like a benediction upon the angry -spirits, the wailing and the howling and the tumult of the phantom -conflict ceased, and the wraiths gradually vanished into the sea from -whence they had arisen; the storm ceased, and the weather cleared and -became as fine and peaceful as it was before, and the travellers soon -reached the land in safety. - -Across the mountains Yoshitsune now fled, and after endless adventures -and hairbreadth escapes, he determined to seek the help of his old -friend and partisan, the General Hidehira, in the province of Oshu. On -the way thither they came to a guard-house at Ataka, in Kaga Province. -This guard-house was one of the principal frontier stations at which in -those feudal times all travellers had to give an account of themselves. -Yoritomo had by this time issued a proclamation ordering the arrest of -Yoshitsune, so the young general and Benkei and the handful of faithful -men still left to him disguised themselves as wandering priests, wearing -loose caps on their heads, carrying wallets on their backs, and grasping -pilgrim staves in their hands. Yoshitsune himself was disguised as a -_goriki_, or coolie, attendant on the priests. They travelled slowly -until they came to the barrier, consulting together as to how they -should pass it, for they heard that the sentries suspected every one and -were examining passers-by very strictly. Only the previous day three -mendicants had been killed, owing to the suspicion of the guards having -been excited. - -All Yoshitsune's followers, among whom were many brave, loyal, though -headstrong young fellows, wanted to storm the guard-house and cut their -way through the soldiers, but Benkei was strongly opposed to this and -said: "No, no, that will never do! A quarrel would cost some of our -lives, and we have few enough as it is. Leave the matter to me to manage -and I'll get you through." - -No one ever gainsaid Benkei, when he spoke with authority like that, for -they all knew what a mountain of strength and resource he was in time of -need. So Benkei, as ever, had his way. He disguised Yoshitsune in -the dress of a servant (_goriki_), and gave him a deep broad-brimmed hat -of bamboo to wear, and made him tuck up his robe into his belt; then, -advancing in front of the others, he leisurely approached the -guard-house, and with an air of the utmost unconcern and nonchalance -said: "We are mendicant priests who are travelling throughout the -various provinces for the purpose of soliciting subscriptions for the -rebuilding of the shrine of the Great Buddha at the Todaiji Temple, in -Nara. We ask permission to pass the barrier." - -Now the captain of the guard was a very clever man and a strict observer -of rules, and he would not let Benkei pass without questioning him -thoroughly. - -"Well, as you say you are visiting the various provinces soliciting -subscriptions for the purpose of rebuilding the Shrine of the Great -Buddha, it is possible that I may allow you to pass, but you must show -me positive proof of the truth of your story," said the captain of the -guard. - -Benkei was staggered for a moment when he heard these words. What should -he do? But he was a quick-witted man, and without betraying any sign of -being taken by surprise, he answered with composure: "Very good, then, I -will read you my commission written by the High Priest himself in the -first pages of the subscription-book." - -With these words, speculating upon the ignorance of the guard, with -great dignity he drew out a scroll, and pressing it with reverence to -his forehead, began to improvise and read out an imaginary letter from -the High Priest of the Todaiji Temple for the rebuilding of a shrine for -the Daibutsu, at Nara. At the first mention of the name of the priest, -so famous and so highly revered throughout the country, the captain of -the guard, it is said, fell respectfully upon his knees and listened, -face bent to the earth in humble awe, to the contents of the letter. So -well did Benkei play his part that the sentry was convinced of the -genuine character of the commission and said: "I am satisfied. There is -no reason to detain you. You may pass!" - -Benkei was overjoyed, and thought that at length all difficulties had -been overcome. At the head of the fugitive band, with Yoshitsune -disguised as an attendant in the rear, he was moving forward to pass -through the barrier when the captain suddenly darted forward and stopped -Yoshitsune, saying in a loud voice: "Wait a moment, you coolie! Wait a -moment!" - -"We are discovered," thought Benkei; and even he, dauntless and cool in -the face of all danger hitherto, felt his heart beating violently in the -intense excitement of this momentous crisis. - -But it was no time for hesitation, and recognizing that the whole -situation hung upon that very moment, Benkei, with his usual pluck and -daring, pulled himself together and coolly asked: "Have you anything to -say to this coolie whom you have stopped?" - -"Of course I have, and that is why I have stopped him," replied the -sentry. - -"And may I ask what your business with him is?" inquired Benkei. - -"This coolie," answered the captain, "is said by my soldiers to resemble -Lord Yoshitsune, and I stopped him so that I might examine him." - -"What!" shouted Benkei, pretending to be overcome with laughter at the -idea, "this coolie resembles Lord Yoshitsune? Ha! ha! ha! Oh, this is -indeed too comical for anything! I wondered why you arrested him, but -never thought of his being stopped for such an absurd reason. But as a -matter of fact he has been mistaken for Lord Yoshitsune over and over -again by several people, and you are by no means the only one who has -had his suspicions aroused. You see the fellow is handsome and has a -very white skin like an aristocrat, and that's all the good there is -about him, but on that account I have had an immense amount of trouble -with him." - -Then Benkei turned to Yoshitsune, saying: "Wretched creature! it is all -your fault that we come under suspicion all the time. You shuffle along -in such a cowardly manner and put on such strange airs that people -naturally suspect you. In future be more careful, and walk along like a -man and not in such a mincing way, you fool!" - -Thus Benkei feigned to lose his temper, and after scolding Yoshitsune -roughly, finally lifted his staff and gave him several blows across the -back, telling him to fall upon his knees and not presume to remain -standing in the presence of the guard. - -The captain of the guard had been watching this scene for some moments, -and when he saw Benkei start in and thrash Yoshitsune, his doubts were -completely allayed; for he thought that if the apparent servant were -really Yoshitsune and the mendicant priest the latter's retainer, the -vassal would never dare to assault his master in this fashion. - -"Ah! it was my fault and carelessness. Evidently it was an entire -mistake on our part to think this coolie was Lord Yoshitsune, and it is -not the poor fellow's fault, so pray do not beat him any more! Continue -your journey at once and take him with you." - -Benkei's trick thus succeeded completely. The captain reentered the -guard-house and the young lord and his vassals passed at last unhindered -through the strictly guarded gate, saved as ever by the quick-wittedness -of Benkei. - -Now some say that the captain of the guard was not deceived; that he -knew that the disguised priests and attendant were Yoshitsune and his -party, but his whole sympathy was with the hunted hero and his brave few -and he allowed them to pass. For a _samurai_ must ever show mercy and -sympathy, especially to his fellows and to those in distress. The strict -examination he insisted upon was a farce he played to satisfy the -authorities at Kamakura. - -Yoshitsune and his followers were filled with admiration at the wisdom -of Benkei, and great were the praise and thanks they rendered him on -this occasion; but Benkei, full of reverence and devotion to his master, -never ceased to deplore the necessity which drove him to beat his own -lord and apologized with great humility. Whenever the story was told, he -would shed tears of sorrow and declare that he would rather have been -beaten to death himself than have been obliged by circumstances to -strike Yoshitsune. - -Thus once by force of arms he put to flight the would-be assassins of -Yoshitsune at Kyoto; by reciting Buddhist prayers he laid the ghosts of -the Taira warriors in the sea at Dan-no-Ura; and by sheer wit and -sagacity he brought his party across the dangerous frontier; and at -length he managed to arrive safely with his beloved master at the Oshu -residence of the famous General Hidehira. - -He now thought that all troubles were over; but unfortunately this story -soon reached Kamakura City, and Yoritomo, furious at Yoshitsune's -daring, despatched a large army to chastise him. - -At this time Yoshitsune's camp was pitched beside the river Koromo, and -the army from Kamakura, swarming up in countless thousands on the -opposite bank, discharged volley after volley of arrows at the brave but -ill-fated band. Yoshitsune's handful of men were entirely unable to face -the overwhelming numbers, and fled in confusion, seeking shelter in the -neighbouring woods and valleys or hiding themselves in the mountains. -But Benkei, despising flight, refused to budge, and stood without moving -while showers of arrows fell like rain around him. At length the enemy -saw that Benkei stood immovable with his seven weapons on his back, -grasping his great halberd in both hands. Wondering at the sight, they -drew near for the purpose of solving the mystery. As they approached, -the giant still remained standing; not an eyelid flinched, as his eyes, -wide open, glared fiercely at the soldiers. No wonder that the giant did -not stir, for arrows were sticking all over his body like quills on a -porcupine, and it was evident that he had died standing with his face to -the enemy. - -This story is known far and wide throughout Japan, and you can imagine -what a brave sturdy warrior he must have been to have died in this way, -fighting to the last. - -Another story tells how the enemy came up to the wonderful figure of -Benkei and found it to be but a straw dummy, and that by this device -Benkei gained time for his beloved lord, with whom he escaped into the -North, leaving their enemies far behind. Such is the story of Benkei, -and the story does not end here; for tradition relates with much -circumstance, as traditions always do, that Benkei's master became the -conqueror of Northern Asia, known to after ages as the famous Genghis -Khan. - - -[Illustration: DIED STANDING WITH HIS FACE TO THE ENEMY] - - - - -THE GOBLIN OF OYEYAMA - - -Long, long ago in Old Japan, in the reign of the Emperor Ichijo, the -sixty-sixth Emperor, there lived a very brave general called -Minamoto-no-Raiko. Minamoto was the name of the powerful clan to which -he belonged, and in England it would be called his surname, and Raiko, -or Yorimitsu,[1] was his own name. - -In those times it was the custom for generals to keep as a body-guard -four picked knights renowned for their daring spirit, their great -strength, and their skill in wielding the sword. These four braves were -called Shitenno, or Four Kings of Heaven, and they participated in all -the exploits and martial expeditions of their chief, and vied with one -another in excelling in bravery and dexterity. - -Minamoto-no-Raiko was no exception to the general rule of those ancient -leaders of Japan, and he had under him Usui-Sadamitsu, Sakata Kintoki, -Urabe Suetake, and Watanabe Tsuna (the clan or surname comes first in -Japan). Search the wide world from north to south and from east to west, -and no braver warriors than the Shitenno of Minamoto-no-Raiko could you -find. Each one of the four was said to be a match single-handed for a -thousand men. They lived for adventure, and their delight was in war. - -Now it happened about this time that Kyoto, the capital, was ringing -with the stories of the doings of a frightful demon that lived in the -fastnesses of a high mountain called Mount Oye, in the province of -Tamba. This goblin or demon's name was Shutendoji. To look upon the -creature was a horrible thing, and those who once caught sight of him -never forgot the sight to their dying day. He sometimes took upon him -the form of a human being, and leaving his den would steal into the -capital and haunt the streets and carry off precious sons and beloved -daughters of the Kyoto homes. Having seized these treasures and flowers -of the people, he would drag them to his castle in the wilds of Mount -Oye, and there he would make them work and wait upon him till he was -ready to devour them, then he would tear them limb from limb. - -For a long time the flower of the youth of the capital had been -kidnapped in this way; many homes had been made desolate. For a long, -long time no one had the least idea of what happened to the sons and -daughters thus stolen, but at the period when this story begins, the -dread news of the cannibal Shutendoji and his mountain den began to be -noised abroad. - -Now at the Court there was an official, Knight Kimitaka by name, who was -thrice happy in the possession of a beautiful daughter. She was his only -child, and upon her he and his wife doted. One day the darling of the -family disappeared, and no trace whatsoever of the beautiful girl could -be found. The household was plunged into the deepest grief and misery. -The mother at last determined to consult a soothsayer, and, bidding an -attendant follow her, she repaired to the house of a famous -fortune-teller and diviner, who revealed to her that her daughter had -been stolen away by the goblin of Mount Oye. The mother hastened home -terror-stricken, and the father, when he was told the dire news, was -dumb with grief. He gave up going on duty at the Palace, for he was so -broken-hearted that he could do nothing but weep night and day over the -loss of his only daughter. To lose her was bad enough, but the thought -of the horrible hands into which she had fallen was unendurable, and all -who loved the poor child, even her own father, were powerless to save -her. Oh! the bitter, bitter grief! - -At last the Emperor heard of the sorrow that had overtaken Kimitaka, -and his wrath was great to think that the hateful goblin had dared to -enter the precincts of the sacred capital without permission, and had -dared to steal away his subjects in this manner. And in his royal -indignation he sprang to his feet and threw down his tasselled fan and -cried aloud: "Is there no one in my domains who will punish this goblin -and destroy him utterly, and avenge the wrongs he has done my people and -this city, and so set my heart at ease?" - -Then the Emperor called his Council together, and put the matter before -them and asked them what it were best to do, for the city must at all -costs be rid of this terrible scourge. - -"How dare he haunt my dominions and lay hands on my people in the very -precincts of my Palace?" cried the distressed Emperor. - -Then the Ministers respectfully answered the Emperor and said: "There -are numbers of brave warriors in Your Majesty's realm, but there are -none so able to do your bidding as Minamoto-no-Raiko. We would humbly -advise our August Emperor, the Son of Heaven, to send for the knight and -command him to slay the demon. Our poor counsel may not find favour in -the Son of Heaven's sight, but at the present moment we can think of -nothing else to suggest!" - -This advice pleased the Emperor Ichijo, and he answered that he had -often heard of Raiko as a valiant knight and true, who knew not what -fear was, and he had no doubt that, as his Ministers said, he was just -the man for the adventure. And so the Emperor summoned Raiko to the -Palace at once. - -The warrior, on receiving the royal and unexpected summons, hastened to -the Palace, wondering what it could mean. When he was told what was -wanted of him, he prostrated himself before the throne in humble -acquiescence to the royal command. Indeed Raiko was right glad at the -thought of the adventure in store for him, for it had been quiet for -some time in Kyoto, and he and his braves had chafed at the enforced -idleness. - -The more he realized the awful difficulty of his task, the higher his -courage and his spirits rose to face it and the more he determined to do -it or die in the attempt. - -He went home and thought out a plan of action. - -As the enemy was no human being, but a formidable goblin, he thought -that the wisest course would be to resort to stratagem instead of an -open encounter, so he decided to take with him a few of his most trusted -men rather than a great number of soldiers. He then called together his -four braves, Kintoki, Sadamitsu, Suetake, and Tsuna, and besides these -another knight, by name Hirai Yasumasa, nicknamed Hitori, which meant, -as applied to him, "the only warrior." - -Raiko told them of the expedition, and explained that, as the demon was -no common foe, he thought it wise that they should go to his mountain in -disguise; in this way they would the more likely and the more easily -overcome the goblin. They all agreed to what their chief said and set -about making their preparations with great joy. They polished up their -armour and sharpened their long swords and tried on their helmets, -rejoicing in the prospect of the action confronting them. Before -starting on this dangerous enterprise, they thought it wise to seek the -protection and blessing of the gods, so Raiko and Yasumasa went to pray -for help at the Temple of Hachiman, the God of War, at Mount Otoko, -while Tsuna and Kintoki went to the Sumiyoshi Shrine of the Goddess of -Mercy, and Sadamitsu and Suetake to the Temple of Gongen at Kumano. At -each shrine the six knights offered up the same prayer for divine help -and strength, and on bended knees and with hands laid palm to palm they -besought the gods to grant them success in their expedition and a safe -return to the capital. - -Then the brave band disguised themselves as mountain priests. They wore -priests' caps and sacerdotal garments and stoles; they hid their armour -and their helmets and their weapons in the knapsacks they carried on -their backs; in their right hands they carried a pilgrim's staff, and -in their left a rosary, and they wore rough straw sandals on their -feet. No one meeting these dignified, solemn-looking priests would have -thought that they were on the way to attack the goblin of Mount Oye, and -no one would have dreamt that the leader of the band was the warrior -Raiko, who for courage and strength had not his peer in the whole of the -Island Empire. - -In this way Raiko and his men travelled across the country till at last -they reached the province of Tamba and came to the foot of the mountain -of Oye. Now as the goblin had chosen Mount Oye as his place of abode, -you can imagine how difficult of access it was! Raiko and his men had -often travelled in mountainous districts, but they had never experienced -anything like the steepness of Mount Oye. It was indescribable. Great -rocks obstructed the way, and the branches of the trees were so thickly -interlaced overhead that the light of day could not penetrate through -the foliage even at midday, and the shadows were so black that the -warriors would have been glad of lanterns. Sometimes the path led them -over precipices where they could hear the water rushing along the deep -ravines beneath. So deep were these chasms that as Raiko and his men -passed them they were overcome with giddiness. For the first time they -realized now the dangers and difficulties of the task they had -undertaken, and they were somewhat disheartened. At times they rested -themselves on the roots of trees to gain breath, sometimes they stopped -to quench their thirst at some trickling spring, catching the water up -in their hands. They did not, however, allow themselves to be -discouraged long, but pushed their way deeper and deeper into the -mountain, encouraging each other with brave words of cheer when they -felt their spirits flagging. But the thought sometimes crossed their -minds, though they one and all kept it to themselves, "What if -Shutendoji, or some of his demons, should be lurking behind any of the -rocks or cliffs?" - -Suddenly from behind a rock three old men appeared. Now Raiko, who was -as wise as he was brave, and who at that very moment had been thinking -of what he should do were they to encounter the goblin unexpectedly, -thought that sure enough here were some of the goblins, who had heard of -his approach. They had simply disguised themselves as these venerable -old men so as to deceive him and his men! But he was not to be outwitted -by any such prank. He made signs with his eyes to the men behind him to -be on their guard, and they in obedience to his gesture put themselves -in attitudes of defence. - -The three old men saw at once the mistake Raiko had made, for they -smiled at him and then drawing nearer, they bowed before him, and the -foremost one said: "Do not be afraid of us; we are not the goblins of -this mountain. I am from the province of Settsu. My friend is from Kii, -and the third lives near the capital. We have all been bereft of our -beloved wives and daughters by Shutendoji the goblin. Because of our -great age we can do nothing to help them, though our sorrow for their -loss, instead of growing less, grows greater day by day. We have heard -of your coming, and we have awaited you here, so that we might ask you -to help us in our distress. It is a great favour we ask, but we entreat -you if you encounter Shutendoji to show him no mercy, but to slay him -and so avenge the wrongs of our wives and children and many others who -have been torn away from their homes in the Flower Capital." - -Raiko listened attentively to all the old man said, and then answered: -"Now that you have told me so much, I need not reserve the truth from -you"; and he went on to tell them of the order he had received from the -Emperor to destroy Shutendoji and his den, and the warrior did his best -to comfort the old men and to assure them that he would do all in his -power to restore their kidnapped wives and daughters. - -Then the old men expressed great joy; their faces beamed like the sun as -they thanked Raiko warmly for his kind sympathy, and they presented him -with ajar of _sake_, saying as they bowed low: "As a token of our -gratitude we wish to present you with this magic wine. It is called -Shimben-Kidoku-Shu.' The name means, 'a cordial for men but a poison to -goblins.' Therefore if a demon drinks of this wine, all his strength -will go from him, and he will be as one paralyzed. Before you attack -Shutendoji, give him to drink of this wine, and for the rest you will -find no difficulty." - -And with these words the venerable spokesman handed the warrior a small -white stone jar containing the wine. As soon as Raiko had taken the jar -into his hands, a radiance like that of sunlight suddenly shone round -the old men, and they vanished upwards from sight till their shining -figures were lost in the clouds. - -The warriors were struck with astonishment. They gazed upwards as if -stupefied. But Raiko was the first to recover from his surprise. He -clapped his hands and laughed as he said: "Be not afraid at what you -have seen! Be sure that the three who thus appeared to us are none other -than the gods of the shrines we visited before starting on this perilous -enterprise. The old man who said he was from Settsu must have been the -deity of Sumiyoshi, the one from the province of Kii was the divinity of -Kumano, and the one from the capital the god Hachiman of Mount Otoko. -This is a most propitious sign. The three deities have taken us under -their special protection. This _sake_ is their gift, and it will surely -be of magic power in helping us to overcome the demons. We must, -therefore, render thanks to Heaven for the protection vouchsafed to us." - -Then Raiko and his five knights knelt down on the mountain pass and -bowed themselves to the ground and prayed for some minutes in silence, -overcome with awe at the thought that the three gods whose aid they had -invoked had visited them. Raiko sprang to his feet and lifted the jar of -_sake_ reverently above his head, then he placed it with his armour and -weapons in the box he carried on his back. Having done this, they all -proceeded on their way, but oh! how safe and confident they now felt. -Raiko with his magic wine felt more than a match for any demon now. -There is a proverb which says, "A giant with an iron rod," which means -strength added to strength, and this was fully illustrated in the case -of Raiko. The goblin Shutendoji was now to be pitied; it would surely go -hard with him! - -As they sped on their way they came to a mountain stream, and here they -found a damsel washing a blood-stained garment, and as she washed and -beat the garment against the current, they saw that she often had to -stop and wipe the tears away with her sleeve, for she was weeping -bitterly. Raiko's heart was stirred with pity at her distress, and he -went up to her and said: "This is a goblin-haunted mountain; how is it -that I find a damsel such as you here?" - -The Princess (for such she was) looked up in his face wonderingly and -said: "It is indeed true that this is a goblin-haunted mountain, and -hitherto inaccessible to mortals. How is it that you have managed to get -here?" and she looked from Raiko to his men. - -Then Raiko said: "I will tell you the truth quite frankly. The Emperor -has commanded us to slay the demon; that is why we are here!" - -Without waiting to hear any more, the Princess ran up to Raiko in her -joy and clung to him, crying out in broken sentences: "Are you indeed -the great Raiko of whom I have so often heard? How thankful I am that -you have come. I will be your guide to the goblin's den. Hasten, Knight -Raiko, and kill the demons! I already feel that I am saved!" - -When they heard these words the warriors knew that she was one of the -goblin's victims. The Princess turned and led the way up the hill. -Presently they saw a large iron gate guarded by two demons. The demon on -the right was red and the demon on the left was black, and each was -armed with a great iron stick or club. The Princess whispered to Raiko: -"Behold the home of the demon. Enter the gates, and you will find a -beautiful palace, built of black iron from the foundations to the roof. -It is therefore called the Palace of Black Iron or Kurogane. It is -large, and the inside is as beautiful as a great Daimio's palace. Within -the walls of the Palace of Black Iron, Shutendoji holds a feast night -and day. He is waited upon by maidens such as I, whom he has carried off -from the capital and from the provinces to be his slaves. The wine he -drinks, poured out in crimson lacquer cups, is the blood of human -beings, and the food of those feasts is the flesh of his victims who are -slain in turn. What numbers have I seen disappear, alas! all murdered to -supply the awful food and wine of those cannibal feasts. How I have -prayed to Heaven to punish this monster! But when I saw the fate of my -friends, how could I hope to live? I knew not when my turn would come. -But since I have met you I feel that we shall all be saved and great is -my joy and gratitude!" - -By this time they had reached the gate, and the Princess went forward -and said to the red and black demon sentinels: "These poor travellers -have lost their way on this mountain. I took compassion on them and -brought them here, so that they may rest for a while before going on -their journey. I hope you will be kind to them." - -When the Princess first began to speak the demons looked and saw Raiko -and his fellow priests. Little dreaming who these men were, and that in -admitting them they were letting in the bravest knights in the whole of -Japan, and still less suspecting their purpose, the demons laughed in -their hearts. Good prey had indeed fallen into their hands; they would -surely be allowed a share in the feast that these fresh victims would -furnish. - -They grinned from ear to ear at the Princess and told her that she had -done well, and bade her take the six travellers into the Palace and -inform Shutendoji of their arrival. Thus the six warriors entered into -the very stronghold of the demons as if they were invited guests. -Triumphant glee at the success of their plan made them exchange -lightning glances with each other. They passed through the great iron -gate, up to the porch, and then the Princess led them through large -spacious rooms and along great corridors till at last they reached the -inner part of the Palace. Here they were shown into a large hall. At the -upper end in the seat of honour sat the demon king Shutendoji. Never had -the knights in their wildest dreams dreamt of such a hideous monster. He -was ten feet in height, his skin was bright red and his wild shock of -hair was like a broom. He wore a crimson _hakama_,[2] and he rested his -huge arms on a stand. As the knights entered, he glared at them fiercely -with eyes as big as a dish. The sight of this dread monster was enough -to make any one tremble with fear, and had Raiko and his knights been -weak they must have fainted away with horror. - -Raiko could hardly restrain himself from flying at the monster then and -there, but he controlled himself and bowed humbly so as not to awaken -the enemy's suspicion in any way. - -Shutendoji, glaring at him, said haughtily: "I do not know who you are -in the least, or how you have found your way into this mountain, but -make yourself at home!" - -Then Raiko answered meekly: "We are only humble mountain priests from -Mount Haguro of Dewa. We were on our way to the capital, having been on -a pilgrimage to the shrine of Omine. In travelling across these -mountains we have lost our way. While wandering about and wondering -which was the right path to take, we were met by one of the inmates of -your palace and kindly brought here. Please pardon us for trespassing on -your domains and for all the trouble we are giving you!" - -"Don't mention it," said Shutendoji; "I am sorry to hear of your plight. -Do not stand on ceremony while you are here, and let us feast together." -Then turning to the attendant demons he shouted orders for the dinner to -be served, and clapped his red hands together. - -At this the partitions between the rooms slid apart and beautiful -damsels magnificently robed came gliding in, bearing aloft in their -hands large wine-cups, jars of _sake_ and dishes of fish of all kinds, -which they placed before the ugly goblin and the guests. Raiko knew that -all these lovely princesses had been snatched from the Flower Capital by -Shutendoji, who, heedless of their tears and misery, kept them here to -be his handmaidens. He said to himself fiercely that they should soon be -free. - -Now that the wine-cups were brought in, the warrior seized his -opportunity. From his satchel he took out the jar containing the -enchanted wine, Shimben-Kidoku-Shu, which he had received from the gods -of the three shrines, and said to Shutendoji: "Here is some wine which -we have brought from Mount Haguro. It is a poor wine and unworthy of -your acceptance, but we have always found it of great benefit in -refreshing us when we were weary from fatigue and in cheering our -drooping spirits. It will give us much pleasure if you will try a little -of our humble wine, though it may not please your taste!" - -Shutendoji seemed pleased at this courtesy. He handed out a huge cup to -be filled, saying: "Give me some of your wine. I should like to try it." -The goblin drained it at one swallow and smacked his lips over it. - -"I have never tasted such excellent wine," he said and held out his cup -to be filled again. - -You can imagine how delighted Raiko was, for he knew full well that the -demon was given into his hand. But he dissembled cleverly and said as he -filled the goblin's wine-cup: "I am delighted that the Honourable Host -should deign to like our poor country wine. While you drink, I and my -companions will venture to amuse you by our dancing." - -Then Raiko made a sign to his men and they began to chant an -accompaniment, while he himself danced. - -Shutendoji was highly amused as well as his attendants. They had never -seen men dance before, and they thought that the strangers were very -entertaining. - -The goblins now began to pass the magic wine round and to grow merry. -Others meanwhile whispered among themselves, pitying the six travellers -who, all unconscious of the horrible fate which was about to overtake -them, were spending their last hours of liberty and probably of life in -giving wine to their slayers and in dancing and singing for their -amusement! - -Already, however, the power of the enchanted wine had begun to work and -Shutendoji grew drowsy. The wine in the jar never seemed to grow less, -however much was taken from it, and by this time all the demons had -helped themselves liberally. At last they all fell into a deep sleep, -and stretching themselves out on the floor and on one another, some in -one corner and some in another, they were soon snoring so loudly that -the room shook, and were as insensible to all that was going on as logs -of wood. - -"The time has come!" said Raiko, springing to his feet, and motioning to -his men to get to work. One and all hastily opened their knapsacks. -Taking out their helmets, their armour, and their long swords, they -armed themselves. When they were all ready they all knelt down, and, -placing their hands palm to palm, they prayed fervently to their patron -gods to help them now in their hour of greatest need and peril. - -As they prayed, a shining light filled the room, and in a radiant cloud -the three deities appeared again. "Fear not, Warrior Raiko," they said. -"We have tied the hands and feet of the demon fast, so you have nothing -to fear. While your knights cut off his limbs, do you cut off his head; -then kill the rest of the _oni_ and your work will be done." The three -old men then disappeared as mysteriously as they had come. - -Raiko rejoiced at the vision and worshipped with his heart full of -gratitude the vanishing deities. The knights then rose from their knees, -took their swords and wet the rivets with water, so as to fix the blade -firmly in the hilt. Then they all stole stealthily and cautiously -towards Shutendoji. No longer the timid mountain priests; clad in full -armour, they were transformed into avenging warriors. With flashing eyes -and dauntless mien they moved across the room. - -The captive princesses standing round realized that these men were -deliverers, from their beloved capital. Their joy and wonder cannot be -put into words. Some cried aloud with joy; others covered their faces -with their sleeves and burst into soft weeping; others raised their -hands to Heaven and exclaimed, "A Buddha come to Hell! Surely these -brave men will kill the demons and set us free"; and with clasped hands -they entreated the knights to slay their captors and take them back to -their homes. - -Now Raiko stood over the sleeping Shutendoji with drawn sword, and -raising it on high with a mighty sweep he aimed at the demon's neck, -which was as big round as a barrel. - -The head was severed from the body at one blow, but, horrible to relate, -instead of falling to the ground, it flew up into the air in a great -rage. It hung over Raiko for a moment snorting flames of fire, and then -swooped down as if it would bite off the warrior's head, but it was -daunted by the glittering star on his helmet, and drew back and gazed in -surprise at the transformed man. Raiko was scorched by the demon's -flaming breath. Once more he raised his long sword and striking the -terrible head brought it to the ground at last. - -The noise of the combat and the triumphant shouts of the warriors awoke -the other demons, who roused themselves as quickly as their stupefied -senses allowed them. They were in a great fright, and without waiting to -get their iron clubs, they made a rush upon Raiko. But they were too -late. His five braves dashed in and attacked them right and left, until -in a few minutes there was not one left to tell the tale of the -destruction which had come down upon them like the autumn whirlwind upon -the leaves of the forest glades. - -The captive princesses, when they saw that their captors were all slain, -jumped about with gladness, waving their long sleeves to and fro, as the -tears of joy streamed down their pale faces. They ran to Raiko and -caught hold of his sleeves and praised him, saying: "Oh! Raiko Sama, -what a brave and noble knight you are! We are indeed grateful to you for -having saved our lives. Never have we seen such a wonderful warrior." -And with many such expressions of joy they gathered round the knight, -and their merry voices were now heard, instead of the groans of the -dying cannibals. - -Now that Shutendoji was vanquished with all his horde, the way was quite -open for Raiko and his men to take the fair captives away from the -castle of horror and make their way back to the capital as soon as -possible. - -[Illustration: THE HEAD FLEW UP INTO THE AIR] - -First of all Raiko tied up the head of Shutendoji with a strong rope and -told the five brave knights to carry it. Then, followed by the -princesses, the little band left Mount Oye forever and set out on the -homeward journey. When they reached Kyoto the news of Raiko's return -spread like fire, and the people came out in crowds to welcome the -heroes. - -When the parents of the long-lost damsels saw their daughters again, -they felt as if they must be dreaming. It seemed too good to be true -that the dear and cherished ones should be restored to them safe and -well, and they overwhelmed Raiko with praise and with precious gifts. - -Raiko took the head of Shutendoji to the Emperor and told him of all -that had happened to him. You may be sure that when His Majesty heard of -the success which had crowned Raiko and his expedition, he awarded him -great praise and merit and bestowed upon him higher Court rank than -ever. - -In all the country, far and near, Raiko's name was in every one's mouth, -and he was acknowledged to be the greatest warrior in the land. Even in -the lonely country places there was not one poor farmer who did not know -of the brave deeds of the great general. - -Ever since then his portrait is familiar to the boys of Japan, for it is -often painted on their kites. - - -[1] Raiko, or Yorimitsu. Both names are written with the same -ideographs. Raiko is the Chinese pronunciation, and Yorimitsu the -Japanese rendering. - -[2] Hakama, a divided skirt, part of the Japanese costume. - - - - -KIDOMARU THE ROBBER, RAIKO THE BRAVE, AND THE GOBLIN SPIDER - - -You have just read of the brave knight Raiko's exploits at Oyeyama and -how he rid the country of the demons who haunted the city of Kyoto and -terrified the inhabitants of the Flower Capital (as that city was -sometimes called) by their terrible deeds. - -There are other interesting stories about him and his fearless -warrior-retainers which you may like to hear. - -It was not long after Raiko's exploits at Oyeyama that the country rang -with the name of Kidomaru, a robber and highwayman, who, by his -notorious deeds of cruelty and robbery, had caused his name to be feared -and hated by all, both young and old. - -One evening Raiko with his attendants was returning home from a day's -hunting, when he happened to pass the house of his younger brother -Yorinobu. The warrior had had a long day out; and having still a good -distance to ride before he would reach his own house the thought of a -good meal and friendly company, just then, when he was tired and very -hungry, was pleasant to contemplate in the lonely hour of twilight. So -he called a halt outside the house and sent in word to his brother that -he, Raiko, was passing by, and that if Yorinobu had any refreshment to -offer his brother, he would call in and stay the night there, as he was -tired out on his way back from a day's hunt. - -Now in Japan an elder brother or sister commands respect from the -younger members of the family, and so Yorinobu was very pleased that -Raiko, his elder brother, had condescended to call upon him. - -The servant soon returned with the message that Yorinobu was only too -pleased to receive Raiko; that he had ordered a feast to be prepared -that evening in honour of an unusual event, and as he was alone, nothing -could be more opportune or give him greater joy than that his elder -brother should have chanced to come by. He humbly begged Raiko that he -would deign to share the feast, such as it was, and to pardon the -poorness of his hospitality. - -Raiko was very pleased with his brother's gracious reception. He quickly -flung the reins to his groom, dismounted from his horse, and entered the -house, wondering what could be the occasion of Yorinobu's ordering a -banquet for himself. When the warrior was shown into the room he found -Yorinobu seated on the mats drinking _sake_, as the servants were -bringing in the first dishes of the dinner. When the salutations were -over, Yorinobu handed Raiko his wine-cup. Raiko took it, and having -drained it, asked what his brother meant by the feast he had promised -him and what was the occasion of it. Yorinobu laughed as if with -triumph, and wheeling round on his cushion pointed out into the garden. - -Raiko then looked in the direction indicated by his brother's hand, and -saw, tied up to a large pine tree, a young man who could not be much -over thirty and of extraordinary strength. The face of the captive -expressed hate and ferocity, his body was of an enormous build, while -his arms and legs were like trunks of pine trees, so large and brown and -muscular were they. His hair was a rough and matted shock, and the eyes -glared as if they would start from their sockets. Indeed to Raiko the -wild creature looked more like a demon than a human being. - -"Well, Yorinobu!" said Raiko, "the occasion of your feast is to say the -least unusual; it must certainly have given you some sport to catch that -wild creature; but tell me who he is that you have got tied up out -there." - -"Have you not heard of Kidomaru, the notorious robber?" answered -Yorinobu. "There he is! One of my men captured him out on the hills; he -found him asleep. The town has long been clamouring for him. He has a -big score to settle at last. For to-night I intend to keep him tied up -like that, and to-morrow I shall hand him over to the law! Come, let us -be merry, for the dinner is served!" - -Raiko clapped his hands when he heard of the great feat Yorinobu and his -men had accomplished in catching the fearful robber, the terror of whose -lawless deeds had long held the people of Kyoto trembling with fear and -dread. The outlaw Kidomaru was caught at last and by his own brother -Yorinobu! This was an event of rejoicing and congratulation for the -family. - -"You have certainly done a meritorious service to your country," said -he, "but it is ridiculous to tie such a creature up with a rope only. -You might just as well think of tying up a wild cow with a fine -kite-string. It would be less dangerous. Take my advice, Yorinobu, put a -strong iron chain round him, or the murderer will soon be at large -again." - -Yorinobu thought his brother's advice wise, so he clapped his hands. -When the servant came to answer the summons, he ordered him to bring an -iron chain. When this was brought, he went into the garden, followed by -Raiko and his men, and wound it round Kidomaru's body several times, -securing it at last to a post with a padlock. - -Kidomaru up to this time had rejoiced at his light bonds. He was so -strong that he knew he could easily break a rope, and he had waited but -for the nightfall to make good his escape under cover of the darkness. -You can imagine how great was his anger at Raiko's interference, which -was the cause of his being treated with so much severity that his -projected escape would now be difficult. - -"Hateful man!" muttered Kidomaru to himself. "I will surely punish you -for what you have done to me! Remember!" and he threw evil glances at -Raiko. - -But the brave warrior cared little for the wild robber's malignant -glances; he only laughed when he noticed them, and, as the chain was -drawn tighter round the robber, he said: "That's right! That chain will -hold him sure enough! You must run no risk of his escaping this time!" - -Then he and Yorinobu returned to the house, and dinner was served and -the two brothers made merry the whole evening, talking over old times, -and it was late before they retired to rest. - -Now Kidomaru knew that Raiko slept in Yorinobu's house, and he made up -his mind to try to slay him that night, for he was mad with wrath at -what Raiko had done to him. - -"He shall see what I can do!" growled Kidomaru to himself, shaking his -rough and shaggy head like a big long-haired terrier. He waited quietly -till every one in the house had gone to rest and all was silent. Then -Kidomaru arose, cramped and stiff from sitting tied up so long. With a -mighty effort he flung out his great arms, laughing defiance at the -chain that bound him. So great was his strength that no second effort -was needed; the chain broke and fell clanking to the ground at once, and -Kidomaru, like a large hound, shook himself free from his bonds. Softly -as a mouse he approached the house and climbed on to the roof, and with -one tremendous blow from his huge fist, he broke through the tiles and -the boards to the ceiling. His plan was to jump down upon Raiko while he -lay sleeping, and taking him unawares suddenly to cut off his head. But -the warrior had lain down to rest expecting such an attack, and he had -slept but lightly. As soon as he heard the noise above him, he was wide -awake in an instant, and to warn his enemy he coughed and cleared his -throat. Kidomaru was a man of fierce and dauntless character, and he was -not in the least thrown back in his purpose by finding that Raiko was -awake. He went on with his work of making a hole large enough in the -ceiling to let himself through to the room beneath. - -Raiko now sat up and clapped his hands loudly to summon his men, who -slept in an adjoining room. Watanabe, the chief man-at-arms, came out to -see what his master wanted. - -"Watanabe," said Raiko, "my sleep has been disturbed by something moving -in the ceiling. It may be a weasel, for weasels are noisy creatures. It -cannot be a rat, for a rat is not large enough to make so much noise. At -any rate, it seems impossible to sleep to-night, so saddle the horses -and get all the men ready to start. I will get up and ride out to the -Temple of Mount Kurama. I want all the men to accompany me." - -Perched between the roof and the ceiling, the robber heard all this, and -said to himself: "What ho! Raiko goes to Kurama! That is good news! -Instead of wasting my time here like a rat in a trap, I will set out for -Kurama immediately and get there before those stupid men can, and I will -waylay them and kill them all." So Kidomaru crawled out on the roof -again, let himself down to the ground, and hurried with all the speed he -could make to Kurama. - -A large plain had to be crossed in going from the city to Kurama, and -here a number of wild cattle had their home. When Kidomaru, on his way -to Kurama, came to this spot, a plan flashed across his mind by which he -could steal a march on Raiko. He soon caught one of the big oxen a blow -on the head. Three blows one after the other, and the ox fell dead at -the robber's feet. Kidomaru then proceeded to strip off its skin. It was -very hard work, but he managed to do it quickly, so strong was he, and -then throwing the hide over himself he lay down completely disguised, a -man in a bull's hide, and waited for Raiko and his men to come. - -He had not long to wait. Raiko, followed by his four braves, soon came -in sight. The warrior reined in his horse when he came to the plain and -saw the cattle. He turned to his men and said: "Here is a place where we -may find some sport. Instead of going on to Kurama, let us stay here and -have some hunting! Look at the wild cattle!" - -The four retainers with one accord all gladly agreed to their chief's -proposal, for they loved sport and adventure just as much as Raiko and -were glad of an excuse to show their skill as huntsmen. The sun was just -rising, and the prospect of a fine morning added zest to the pastime. -Each man prepared his bow and arrows in readiness to begin the chase. - -But the cattle, thus disturbed, did not enjoy the sport. Man's play was -their death indeed. One of their number had been killed by Kidomaru, and -now they were attacked by Raiko and his men, who came riding furiously -into their midst, shooting at them with bows and arrows. With angry -snorts, whisking their tails on high and butting with their horns, they -ran to right and left. In the general stampede that followed their -attack, the hunters noticed that one animal lay still in the tall -grass. At first they thought it must be either lame or ill, so they took -no notice of it, and left it alone till Raiko came riding up. He went up -and looked at it carefully, and then ordered one of his men to shoot it. - -The man obeyed, and taking his bow, shot an arrow at the recumbent -animal. The arrow did not hit the mark; for, to the astonishment of the -four hunters, the hide was flung aside and out stepped the robber -Kidomaru. - -"You, Raiko! It is you, is it?" exclaimed he. "Do you know that I have a -spite against you?" and with these words he darted forward and attacked -Raiko with a dagger. But Raiko did not even move in his saddle. He drew -his sword and, adroitly guarding himself, exchanged two or three strokes -with the robber, and then slashed off his head. But wonderful to relate, -so strong was the will that animated Kidomaru that though his head was -cut off, his body stood up straight and firm till his right arm, still -holding the dagger, struck at Raiko's saddle. Then, and not till then, -it collapsed. It is said that the warriors were all greatly impressed by -the malevolent spirit of the robber, which was strong enough to stir the -body to action even after the head had been severed from the shoulders. - -Such was the death of the notorious robber Kidomaru, at the hands of the -brave warrior Raiko who was awarded much praise for the clever way in -which he drew Kidomaru out as far as Kurama to kill him. He had -understood from Kidomaru's evil glances that the robber planned to kill -him, and he thus avoided causing trouble in his brother's house. In this -instance, as always, Raiko displayed wisdom and bravery. - -No sooner, however, was Kidomaru killed, than news was brought to the -capital that another man had arisen who imitated Kidomaru in his daily -deeds of robbery and other wicked acts. This robber's name was -Kakamadare. - -One bright moonlight night, Kakamadare was waiting on the plain between -Kyoto and Kurama for travellers to come that way, hoping that luck would -bring some rich man into his clutches. Presently he heard some one -coming towards him playing on a flute. Thinking this somewhat strange, -he hid himself in the grass and waited to see who would appear. The -sweet music drew nearer and nearer, and then the player came in view. -The light of the moon made everything as clear as day, and the robber -saw a handsome _samurai_ of soldierly aspect, dressed in beautiful -silken robes and wearing a long sword at his side. - -"Now's my opportunity; I'm in luck to-night," thought the robber, as he -rose from his hiding-place and stealthily followed the flute-player. As -he kept step by step behind him, Kakamadare drew his sword in readiness -several times to cut down his prey, and waited for the chance to strike. - -All at once the _samurai_ turned and looked steadily at the robber, who -began to tremble. Then the knight calmly and coolly resumed his playing, -as if utterly indifferent to the danger which threatened him. Once more -the robber followed, with the intention of cutting the man down, but the -opportunity for which he waited never came; each time his hand went up -with his sword, it as quickly fell to his side. A spirit of high and -noble purpose seemed to emanate from the knight, which cowed the man -behind and made him weak. For so great is the virtue of the sword that -in Japan it is an acknowledged fact that all noble swordsmen had this -power of subduing lesser natures by the spiritual grace which went forth -from them. Indeed the belief in the occult power of the sword was great, -and it was said that no bad man could keep the possession of a fine -blade. - -Kakamadare could not strike. He could not tell the cause of his -weakness. He thought that it might be the influence of the music. He -found himself listening to the gentle strains of the flute, and admiring -the skill with which the man played. He noticed the firm and fearless -air of the knight as he walked and his great nerve. The man knew himself -to be followed by a robber, yet he showed not the least concern. -Kakamadare tried to turn back now, but he found that he could do -nothing but follow the man in front of him. In this way the strange pair -reached the town. Kakamadare now made a great effort to break the spell, -and was on the point of turning back and trying to escape from the -strange, compelling presence, when to his astonishment the _samurai_ -suddenly wheeled round upon him and said: "Kakamadare, I thank you for -your trouble! You have given me a safe escort!" - -At this the robber became so terrified that he fell down on his knees -and was unable to move or speak for some moments. At last, so soon as -his tongue found utterance, he said: "I know not who you are, but I beg -you to forgive me! I would have killed you!" - -He then confessed everything to the knight. He told him of his many -deeds of robbery and violence which had made him feared and hated by the -people, who thought that he must be a demon, for so cruel and relentless -was he that he never showed mercy even to the poorest peasant. "I have -never met any one like you," Kakamadare went on to say. "I promise to -give up my life as a robber, and I beg you to take me into your service -as one of the humblest of your retainers." - -The knight led the man home, and gave him some good clothes, telling him -that when he again got into straits and wanted money or clothes, he -might come a second time to the house, but that it was unwise to show -such contempt for others as to enter into an encounter where he himself -might be the injured party. - -This kindness and mercy touched the man's heart, and from that day he -became a reformed man and a law-abiding citizen. - -The knight was none other than Hirai, one of the warriors who -accompanied Raiko in his successful expedition against the demons of -Oyeyama. There is a saying that "Brave generals make brave soldiers," -and it is quite true. Raiko was a man of great sagacity and courage, and -his band of braves and the knight Hirai, of whom we have just read, were -like their master. There were no men in the whole of Japan braver than -they. This proves the truth of the old adage. - -There is another story about the General Raiko which you may like to -hear. The sword with which Raiko slew Kidomaru was called the Kumokiri, -or Spider-cutting Sword, and about the naming of this blade there is an -interesting story. - -It happened at one time that Raiko was unwell and was obliged to keep -his room. Every night at about twelve a little acolyte would come to his -bedside, and in a kind and gentle way pour out and give him some -medicine to take. Raiko noticed that he did not know the boy, but as -there were many underlings in the servants' quarters whom he never saw, -this did not strike him as strange. But Raiko, instead of recovering, -found himself growing weaker and weaker, and especially after taking the -medicine he always felt worse. - -At last one day he spoke to his head servant and asked him who it was -that brought him medicine every night, but the attendant answered that -he knew nothing about the medicine and that there was no acolyte in the -house. - -Raiko now suspected some supernatural snare. "Some malevolent being is -taking advantage of my illness and trying to bewitch me or to cause my -death. When the boy comes again to-night I will find out his real form. -He may be a fox or goblin in disguise!" said Raiko. - -So he waited for the appearance of the acolyte, wondering what the -strange incident could mean. - -When midnight came, the boy, as usual, appeared, bringing with him the -usual cup of medicine. The knight calmly took the cup from the boy and -said, "Thank you for your trouble!" but instead of swallowing the false -medicine, he threw it, cup and all, at the boy's head. Then jumping up -he seized the sword that lay beside his bed and cut at the impostor. As -the blade fell, the acolyte screamed with rage and pain, then, with a -movement as quick as lightning, before he turned to escape from the -room, he threw something at the knight, which, marvellous to relate, as -he threw, spread outwards pyramidically into a large white sticky web -which fell over Raiko and clung to him so that he could hardly move. -Raiko whirled his sword round and cut the clinging meshes and freed -himself; again the goblin threw a web over him, and again Raiko cut the -enmeshing threads away; once more the huge spider's web--for such it -was--was thrown over him, and then the goblin fled. Raiko called for his -men and then sank exhausted on his bed. - -His chief retainer, answering the summons, met the acolyte in the -corridor, and thinking it strange that an unknown priest, however young, -should come from his master's room at that hour of the night, stopped -him with drawn sword. - -The goblin answered not a word, but threw his entangling web over the -man and mysteriously disappeared. - -Now thoroughly alarmed, the retainer hastened to Raiko. Great was his -consternation when he saw his master, with the meshes of the goblin's -web still clinging to him. - -"See!" exclaimed Raiko, pointing to the threads still clinging to his -man and himself, "a goblin spider has been here!" - -He then gave orders to hunt down the goblin, but the thing could nowhere -be found. On the white mats and along the corridors they found as they -searched red drops of blood, which showed that the creature had been -wounded. - -Raiko's men followed the red trail, out into the garden, across the city -to the hills, till they came to a cave, and here the blood-drops ceased. -Groans and cries of pain issued from the cave, so the warriors felt sure -that they had come to the end of their hunt. - -"The goblin is surely hiding in that cave!" they all said. Drawing their -swords, they entered the cave and found a monster spider writhing with -pain and bleeding from a deep sword-cut on the head. They at once killed -the creature and carried it to Raiko. - -The knight had often heard stories of these dreadful spiders, but had -never seen one before. - -"It was this goblin spider then that wanted to prey upon me! The net -that was thrown over me was a spider's web! Of all my adventures this is -the strangest!" said Raiko. - -That night Raiko ordered a banquet to be prepared for all his retainers -in honour of the event, and he drank to the health of his five brave -men. - -From that time the acolyte never appeared and Raiko recovered his health -and strength at once. - -Such is the story of the _Kumokiri_ Sword. _Kumo_ means "spider," and -_kiri_ means "cutting," and it was so named because it cut to death the -goblin spider who haunted the brave knight Raiko. - - -[Illustration: THEY ENTERED THE CAVE AND FOUND A MONSTER SPIDER] - - - - -THE STORY OF THE POTS OF PLUM, CHERRY, AND PINE - - -Long, long ago, in the reign of the Emperor Go-Fukakusa, there lived a -famous Regent of the name of Saimyoji Tokiyori. Of all the Hojo Regents -he was the wisest and justest, and was known far and wide among the -people for his deeds of mercy. At the age of thirty, Tokiyori resigned -the regency in favour of his son Tokimune, who was only six years old. -He then retired to a monastery for several years. Sometimes stories -reached his ears of the miscarriage of justice, of the cruelty of the -officials under him, and of the suffering of the peasants, and he -determined to find out for himself if all these things were true. It was -the desire of his life to see the people governed wisely and justly and -impartially, to deal reward and punishment fairly alike to the rich and -the poor, to the great and the lowly. After much thought he decided that -the best way to achieve his end would be to find out for himself the -condition of the people, so he determined that he would disguise himself -and travel about amongst them unknown. He had it given out that he was -dead, and had a mock funeral performed with all the pomp and ceremony -due to his exalted rank. He then left Kamakura disguised as a travelling -priest unknown to any one. - -After journeying from place to place, he came one day to Sano, in the -province of Kozuki. It was in the depth of winter, and on this day he -found himself overtaken by a heavy snowstorm. There were no houses near. -Tokiyori then ascended a hill, but even from that height, search as he -might, he could see no sign of any dwelling, near or far. Confused and -lost, he wandered about for hours. The darkness began to fall when he -found himself in a hilly district. Tired and hungry, he resigned himself -to passing the night under the shelter of a tree, when suddenly he -espied in the distance the brown line of a thatch-roofed cottage -breaking the white slope at the foot of the nearest hill. He made his -way quickly towards it and knocked at the closed storm-doors. - -Tokiyori heard some one move within and then come to the porch. The -storm-shutter was pushed aside and a beautiful woman looked out. - -"I have lost my way in the storm, and know not what to do! Will you be -so kind as to give me the shelter of your roof this night?" said -Tokiyori. - -The woman scanned the traveller from head to foot. Then she said: "I am -very sorry for you. I would willingly give you shelter, but my husband -being absent I must not let you in. You had better go on to the next -village of Yamamoto, which is very near, and there you will find a good -inn and accommodation for travellers!" - -"You are right," answered Tokiyori; "but alas! I am so tired that I can -walk no more. For pity's sake, let me sleep on the verandah or in your -storehouse; for so much shelter I shall be grateful." - -"I am indeed sorry to refuse you," answered the woman; "but in the -absence of my husband I must not give shelter to a strange traveller. -Were he at home, he would with pleasure take you in and give you lodging -for the night. Try to make your way to the next village." - -Tokiyori, greatly impressed by her virtuous and modest behaviour, bowed -and said as he took his leave: "There is no help for it! I must try to -reach Yamamoto, since you cannot shelter me to-night." - -So the ex-Regent of Kamakura, spent and cold and hungry, turned once -more to meet the inclement weather. He took the direction pointed out to -him and plodded on through the snow. But alas! the storm had increased -in violence, and the snow fell faster and faster, and the wind howled -across the white drifts, whirling clouds of snow in his face till at -last he found it impossible to go on. He stood still in the storm, not -knowing what to do. Exerting all his strength, he found it difficult to -put one foot before the other. Just as he began to give himself up for -lost, he heard a voice calling him from behind. - -"Stop! stop!" at first faintly, then gradually the cries grew nearer and -more distinct. - -Wondering who else could be out in such merciless weather, Tokiyori -turned in the direction whence the cries came and saw a man beckoning to -him to turn back. - -"Are you calling me?" asked Tokiyori. - -"Yes indeed," replied the man; "I am the husband of the woman who turned -you away from that cottage just now. I regret that I was not at home to -offer you the poor hospitality that is all I have to give. Please turn -back with me. I can at least give you shelter for the night, though my -house is only a small hut. You will be frozen to death if you go on in -this storm." - -The priest rejoiced when he heard these kind words, and as he turned -back with his host he uttered many words of thanks. When they entered -the porch, the woman whom he had already seen came forward and welcomed -the stranger cordially, apologizing for her former behaviour. - -"I pray you pardon me," she said, bowing to the ground, "for my rude -words a short time ago; but now that my husband has returned I hope you -will pass the night under our humble roof. I beg you not to be angry -with me, knowing the custom of these times." - -"Don't mention it, my good woman," replied the priest in disguise. "It -was quite right of you to refuse me admittance in your husband's -absence. I admire your prudent conduct." - -While the priest and the hostess were thus exchanging civilities, her -husband had entered the little sitting-room and arranged some cotton -cushions on the mat. Having done this, he came out to usher in the -guest. - -"Thank you," answered the priest, taking off his snow-covered hat and -rain-coat; and, slipping his feet out of the sandals, he entered the -house. - -The host turned again to his guest and said: "Now, as you see, I am a -very poor man and I cannot give you a good dinner such as the rich can -offer, but to our coarse, simple fare, such as it is, you are very -welcome." - -The priest bowed to the ground and said that he would be grateful for -any food that would stay his hunger; he had walked all day in the cold -and had eaten nothing since breaking his fast in the early morning. - -Meanwhile the wife busied herself in the kitchen, and as it was now the -hour of sunset, the meal was soon ready to be served. The priest noticed -that millet instead of rice filled the bowls, and that there was not a -sign of fish in the soup, which was made of vegetables only. The -disguised ex-Regent had never eaten such coarse food in his life before, -for millet is the poorest peasant's fare; but "Hunger needs no sauce," -says the proverb, and so Tokiyori was surprised to find with how great a -relish he could eat what was set before him, for he was ravenously -hungry. Never had food tasted so sweet to him before. He long remembered -the sensation of pleasant surprise as he partook of the first mouthful. -The good wife waited on them during the meal, according to Japanese -custom. - -When supper was over, they all sat round the hearth, talking of the good -old times and telling each other amusing stories to while away the time. -The hours flew quickly by and it was midnight before the host and his -guest knew it. The fire had burned very low without their noticing it, -and they began to shiver with cold. The host turned to the fuel-box, but -all the charcoal and wood had been burned up. Then the host arose, and, -regardless of the falling snow and the bitter cold, went into the garden -and brought thence three pots of dwarfed trees, for the training of -which Japanese gardeners are famous all the world over. - -"On such a winter's night a good fire is necessary for the entertainment -of a traveller, but, alas! all the charcoal has been used up and I have -no more in the house. To warm you before you retire I will therefore -bum these trees!" - -"What!" said the astonished guest, for he saw that the trees were of no -common kind, but were of some value, for they were old, and their -training showed the skill of an experienced gardener; "these pine, plum, -and cherry trees are too good to be used as fuel--they are finely -trained. No! no! you mustn't burn them for me--they are far too -valuable!" - -"Don't trouble yourself," said the host. "I loved them once when I was -rich and had many more such valuable trees in my possession. But now -that I am ruined and living in this miserable condition, of what use are -such trees to me, pray tell me?" and with these words he began to break -up the trees and to put the pieces on the fire. "If they could speak, I -am sure they would say how pleased they were to be used for such a good -purpose as your comfort!" - -The disguised ex-Regent smiled as he watched the kind man break up his -pet trees, and make up the fire. Since Tokiyori had first entered the -house, small and poverty-stricken though it was, he had felt that his -host was no common farmer as he pretended to be; that he must be a man -in reduced circumstances. - -"I feel sure," said the priest, "that you are no farmer by birth; indeed -in you I recognize the a courtesy and breeding of a _samurai_ [a -knight]. Will you add one more favour to the rest you have shown me this -night and tell me your real name?" - -"Alas," answered the farmer in disguise, "I cannot do so without shame." - -"Do not trifle with me," said the priest, "for I am very much in -earnest. Tell me who you are. I should very much like to know." - -Pressed so earnestly to reveal himself, the host could no longer refuse. - -"Since you wish so earnestly to know, I will tell who I am, without -reserve," he answered. "I am no farmer, as you rightly guessed. I am in -reality a _samurai_, and my name is Sano Genzaemon Tsuneyo." - -"Indeed? Are you Sano Genzaemon Tsuneyo? I have heard of you. You are a -_samurai_ of high rank, I know. But tell me, how is it that you are now -in such reduced circumstances?" - -"Oh, that is a long story," replied Sano. "It was through the dishonesty -of an unworthy relation. He seized my property, little by little, -without my knowing it, and one day I found that he had taken everything -and that I was left with nothing except this farmhouse and the land on -which it stands." - -"I am sorry for you," said Tokiyori; "but why haven't you brought a -lawsuit against your relation? Were you to do that, I am sure you would -recover your lost property." - -"Oh yes, I have thought of that," said the farmer; "but now that -Tokiyori, the just Regent, has died, and as Tokimune his successor is -very young, I felt that it was useless to present my petition, so that I -determined to resign myself to poverty. But though I live and work like -a farmer, in heart and soul I am still a _samurai_. Should war break out -or even a call to arms be sounded, I shall be the first to go to -Kamakura, wearing my armour, dilapidated and torn though it may be, -carrying my halberd, rusty as it is, and riding my old horse, emaciated -and unpresentable though he is, and I will do glorious deeds once more -and die a knight's death. I never for one moment forget my ambition. -This alone buoys me up through all my trouble and poverty," he added -cheerfully, looking up at his listener with a smile. - -"Your purpose is a good one, and worthy of a true _samurai_," said the -priest, and he smiled and looked at the knight intently. "I prophesy -that you will rise in life in the near future, and I feel sure that I -shall see you and congratulate you at Kamakura on obtaining your heart's -desire." - -While they were talking, the night had passed and day began to break. -The snow had ceased to fall, and as Sano and his guest rose to open the -storm-doors, the sun rose bright and shining on a silvered world. - -The priest went to put on his rain-coat and hat. - -"Thank you," he said, "for all the kindness and hospitality you have -shown me. I will say good-bye. Now that the storm has ceased, I need -trespass no longer on your goodness; I will be getting on my way!" - -"Oh," said the knight, "why need you hurry so? At least stay one more -day with us, for you seem to me no longer a stranger but a friend, and I -am loth to see you depart." - -"Thank you," replied the priest, "but I must hurry on. I take my leave, -however, with the firm conviction that fate will give us the pleasure of -meeting again ere long. Remember my words. Good-bye!" And thus speaking, -with several bows the priest turned from the porch and wended his way -through the snow. - -When he had gone the knight remembered that he had forgotten to ask the -traveller's name, so he and his wife would probably never know who the -sympathetic stranger was. - -The next spring the Government at Kamakura issued a proclamation calling -upon all knights to present themselves in battle-array before the -Regent. When Sano Genzaemon heard of this, he thought that some -extraordinary event must have taken place. What it was he could not -imagine. But he was a knight and must answer the summons promptly. Here -might be the chance of proving his knightly prowess, for which he had -been waiting so long, hidden away in obscurity and the poverty of his -circumstances. The only thing that weighed him down was the thought that -he had no money either to buy a new suit of armour or a good horse. No -hesitation, however, showed itself in the despatch with which he -hastened to Kamakura, clothed only in his suit of shabby armour, a rusty -halberd in hand, and riding an old broken-down horse, unattended by any -servant. - -When Sano reached Kamakura, he found the city crowded with warriors who -were riding in from all parts of the country. There were thousands of -great and eminent _samurai_ clothed from head to foot in beautiful -armour, their suits, their helmets, and their swords glittering with -ornamentation of silver and gold. It was a goodly sight that the sun -shone on that day, framed by the great pine trees against the background -of the glimmering sea beyond. The pride of life and race were there, the -hauteur of birth and rank, the glory and parade of war, the glinting of -helmet and clanking of steel,--every knight's armour was composed of -fine metal scales woven and held together by silken threads of ruby, -emerald, scarlet, sapphire, and gold. Each knight wore his favourite -colour, and as the ranks moved into the sunlight or fell into the shade -the whole formed an army of moving splendour, the brilliant and -variegated colouring of which was like a river of rich and magnificent -brocade. - -As Sano, clothed in his shabby armour and riding his broken-down horse, -rode in amongst the bright phalanx of warriors, how they all jeered and -scoffed at him and his horse! But Sano cared little for their scorn, the -consciousness that he was a _samurai_ as good as most of them bore him -up, and he laughed to himself at their pride and swagger. - -"These men wear fine armour, it is true," he said to himself, "but they -have lost the true _samurai_ spirit; their hearts are corrupt or they -would not glory so in appearance; though my armour cannot compare with -theirs, yet in loyalty I can never be outdone, even by them, braggers -though they be." - -As these thoughts passed through his mind, Sano saw a herald approaching -the gay concourse of knights. He rode a richly caparisoned horse, and he -held aloft a banner bearing the house-crest of the Regent. The warriors, -their armour and their swords clanging as they moved, parted to the -right and left, leaving a road for him to pass. As he rode up their -lines he called aloud: "The Regent summons to his presence the knight -who wears the shabbiest armour and who rides the most broken-down -horse!" - -When Sano heard these words he thought: - -"There is no soldier here but myself clothed in old armour. Alas! the -Governor will reprimand it me for daring to appear in such a state. It -can't be helped; come what will, I obey the summons--such is my duty!" - -So with a sinking heart Sano, the dilapidated knight, followed the -herald to the Governor's house. Here the messenger announced that the -knight Sano Genzaemon had come in answer to the proclamation summoning -the poorest-clothed knight to the Regent. - -"I am the poorest knight here, so the required man can be none other -than myself," said Sano, as he bowed low to the retainers who came out -to receive him at the porch. - -Sano was then ushered along endless corridors and through spacious -rooms. At last the ushering officer knelt on the polished wood outside a -large room, and, pushing back the white paper screen, told him to enter. -The knight found himself in the presence of the handsome young General -Tokimune. On his head he wore a helmet with golden horns and the small -plates of his armour were woven together with silken threads of scarlet. - -The young General bowed to the knight in answer to his prostrations and -said: "Are you the knight Sano Genzaemon Tsuneyo?" - -"Yes, I am he," answered Sano. - -"Then," answered the young man, "I have to present you to some one!" -and he made a sign to an attendant. - -Upon this the servant pushed open the screens of an inner room, and the -Regent Saimyoji Tokiyori, who had been reported dead for a year, was -revealed, magnificently dressed in his robes of office. Over his armour -he wore a sacerdotal robe of rich brocade, and on his head a white -head-dress. - -Bewildered by all the strange things that were happening to him, and -fearful of he knew not what, the knight had kept his face to the ground. -He heard the rattle of armour and the swish of heavy silk moving towards -him over the mats, and he wondered if it were not all a dream. - -Then a voice said: "Oh, Sano Genzaemon--is it you? It is long since I -saw you! Look up! Don't be afraid! Don't you know me?" - -The poor knight knew at once that he had heard that voice before, and at -last found courage to raise his head and to look at the resplendent -figure that addressed him. - -An exclamation of surprise burst from the lips of Sano, for he -recognized in the personage who addressed him the priest whom he had -sheltered on the night of the great snowstorm a year agone. - -"You are surely," said Sano after a pause, "the travelling priest who -passed that night of the great snowstorm under my roof last year, are -you not?" - -"Yes, I am that priest, and also I am the Regent Saimyoji Tokiyori." - -"Oh!" exclaimed Sano, bowing to the ground, "pardon my rudeness to you -that night, for I did not know who my august visitor was," and his heart -filled with fear at the remembrance of his unceremonious behaviour on -that occasion. - -Then the ex-Regent spoke again, and this time solemnly: "Sir Sano, you -have no need to apologize, far from that. Do you remember what you said -to me that night when the snowstorm took me to your house? You told me -that through unfortunate circumstances you were now obliged to work like -a farmer, yet if ever the occasion arose that should sound the call of -knights to arms, you would, regardless of your shabby accoutrements, -answer the summons and come forth in the spirit of a _samurai_ to do -glorious deeds worthy of your sword once more before you died! Herewith -I give you back the thirty villages in the district of Sano, of which -you were robbed by your unworthy kinsman. And do you think I have -forgotten your kind action when you burned your precious trees, the last -relics of your prosperous past, to minister to my comfort during that -terrible storm? The glow of that fire remains in my heart to this day. -By way of expressing my thanks for your hospitality that cold and dreary -night, in return for the _Matsu_ [pine tree], I am going to give you -the village of _Matsu-ida_, in the province of Kodzuke; in the place of -the _Ume_ [plum tree], the village of _Umeda_, in the province of Kaga; -and for the _Sakura_ [cherry tree], you shall have _Sakurai_, a village -in the province of Etchiu." - -As the knight listened to these golden words of fortune, which dropped -like jewels from the mouth of the beneficent Regent, it seemed to him as -if he must be dreaming, it was all so unexpected. He could not speak, -for the tears rose to his eyes, and sobs of joy choked his utterance. -When at last he looked up, he was alone. He made his way out of the -mansion as in a trance, oblivious of all around him. The news of his -promotion and of the favour he enjoyed in the estimation of the Regent -had already spread outside, and the men who had laughed and jeered at -him before now smiled graciously and bowed respectfully as he passed -along the ranks. - -So Sano Genzaemon returned to Kodzuke, not as a poor farmer, but as a -lord under the special favour of the Regent, having won the esteem of -all his countrymen by his knightly conduct in adversity. - -All rejoiced that faithfulness, honesty, and kindness had received their -just reward, and none more than the good Regent Tokiyori. - - - - -SHIRAGIKU, OR WHITE CHRYSANTHEMUM - - -On the outskirts of a remote village at the foot of Mount Aso, in -Kiushiu, a bell was slowly pealing from a Buddhist temple. It was the -season of autumn and the twilight was falling fast. Over the lonely -place and the gloom of the deepening dusk of night the solemn music, -reverberating across the hills, seemed to toll the transientness of all -things earthly. - -Not far from the temple was a small cottage. At the door stood a young -girl anxiously waiting for her father to come home. From time to time -she wiped away the tears which fell from her eyes, and her face and -attitude expressed great sorrow. She was but fifteen years of age, and -as she stood there, a young and slender figure, she looked like a -cherry-blossom of spring in the falling rain. - -She was alone, for her father had gone out to hunt some days before and -had never returned, and she had had no tidings whatever of him since. -She and her father were all in all to each other; her mother was dead -and her elder brother was only a name to her; she could not remember -him; he had run away from home when she was a small child, and no one -knew what had become of him since. - -As White Chrysanthemum, her heart full of sorrow and foreboding, watched -and waited for her father's return, she started at everything,--at the -leaves falling from the trees, at the sighing of the wind in their -branches, at the dropping of the water from the bamboo pipe which -brought the hill-stream to the house; as these different sounds from -time to time caught her ear expectation made her hope that they might be -the footsteps of her father coming home. But the hours passed by and -still he did not return. - -As the mists rose and the clouds began to close over the mountain, the -loneliness of the scene was deepened by the plaint of insects chirruping -in the grass, and by the slow pattering on the broad banana palm leaves -of the rain just beginning to fall. - -At last the dreariness and stillness of approaching night oppressed the -girl so much that she could bear it no longer, and she made up her mind -to go in search of her father. - -It was a sad sight to see her as she ran out from the bamboo gate and -turned to give a last look at the little home nestling in the shelter of -the pine trees. Then resolutely she turned away and set her face towards -the mountain path. On her head she wore a large mushroom-shaped -rainhat, and with a stick in her hand she began to climb up the rough -thorny pass into the depths of the mountains, as they towered range upon -range one above the other and were lost in the distance and blackness of -night. - -The rain fell more and more heavily, and as the girl stumbled up the -steep pass she had often to wring her sleeves, which were now wet with -rain as well as with tears. So absorbed was White Chrysanthemum in the -thought of finding her father, whom she had watched climb this very road -three mornings before, that she hardly noticed that the storm gave signs -of lifting. Suddenly the rain ceased, the clouds cleared, and the moon -shone brightly. The change in the weather at last roused the girl to -look about her, and she saw that the path now led her downward to the -valley. With a sigh of relief she quickened her pace. - -She had walked for about two hours when she saw at some distance in -front of her a single yellow ray of light shining through the gloom. Had -she come to a house where she might possibly hear tidings of her father? -As this hope dawned upon her, she eagerly hastened towards the light. - -She soon reached an old Buddhist temple standing in the shadow of a -group of pines and cryptomerias. From within came a voice chanting the -Buddhist scriptures. Who could it be studying in so remote a place at -that hour of the night? - -Shiragiku entered the gate and in the moonlight which made everything -visible saw that the whole place was in a dilapidated condition; the -fence was falling in many places, weeds grew all over the garden and -between the flagstones, as if no one ever trod the path; even the posts -which supported the gate shook in the wind. - -White Chrysanthemum walked up to the porch and knocked on the heavy -wooden door. Not until she had knocked and called several times did she -hear any stir within; then some one answered in a subdued voice, the -storm-shutters were pushed aside, and a young bonze appeared. He started -when his eyes fell upon the girl, and he stared at her silently as if -wondering who she could be or what had brought her there at that hour. - -Shiragiku, seeing his scrutiny, drew near and said in a low sweet voice: -"I am looking for my father. He went out hunting some days ago and has -never come back. I am indeed sorry to trouble you, but will you be so -kind as to tell me if any one has come to this temple either for rest or -food within the last two or three days?" - -The girl spoke so quietly and looked at him so gently that the young -bonze was reassured in a moment. Her evident distress appealed to him, -and when he looked at her again he saw that she was as beautiful as a -flower; her skin was white as snow, her jet-black hair, disordered by -the storm through which she had passed, fell like the graceful branches -of a willow tree over her shoulders; her large almond eyes were sad and -full of tears, and as he gazed upon her it seemed to him that she could -not belong to the earth, that she must be a _tennin_--an angel from the -Buddhist Heaven. He asked her to enter the temple and said: "Tell me who -you are and whence you come, and what brings you out this stormy night. -I will listen to your story if you will tell it to me." - -The wind had risen again and was blowing in gusts round the temple and -whistling through the chinks and crannies of the old building, while -from the garden came the mournful cries of an owl. The desolation and -strangeness of the place touched the girl's sorrow to the quick, and she -burst into tears. As soon as she was able to speak, she wiped her eyes -and said between her sobs: "I am the daughter of a certain _samurai_ of -Kumamoto City. Our house was once rich and prosperous, and our hearts -were full of joy; we lived happily, knowing nothing whatever of care or -sorrow. When the war[1] broke out all was changed; the grass round our -house was stained with blood, and even the wind smelt of blood; -families were scattered far and wide from the homes where they were -born, and the air was rent with the cries of parents seeking their lost -children and of children calling for their parents who could no longer -hear them. Pity is no word to express the feeling which filled the heart -at these sights. My father likewise went to the war, and my mother then -escaped with me as far as Mount Aso. There she found a tiny cottage in -the shadow of the temple, and with the money she had managed to bring -with her we lived as best we could. As we were afterward told, my father -fought with the rebels. When we heard that, we were greatly astonished, -and our sleeves were never dry with wiping away our tears. Day by day, -morning, noon, and night, we waited, hoping that my father would -return--thus the summer passed. Autumn came and the wild geese flew -across the sky in flocks toward the south, but there came no news of my -father. My mother pined away with grief and anxiety, till at last she -died. Thus before we knew whether my father was alive or dead, I was -left alone in life. I felt as if I were dreaming in a dream. Whenever I -think of that time my heart is pierced with sorrow. My days were passed -in weeping at my misfortunes and in bemoaning my unhappy fate. Had it -not been for the kindness of neighbours in the village, I should not -have been able to live. - -"Last spring my father came back and found me out. I told him of my -mother's death. Since then he has never ceased to grieve. I tried to -cheer him by telling him that it was the fate of all mortals to die, but -my words brought him little comfort, and in this sad way we passed our -time. The other day he went out hunting, and since then has never -returned. Again, I was left alone with no one to look to for help. -Unable to bear the loneliness any longer, I started out this evening to -look for him and have come thus far. Our family name is Honda, my name -is Shiragiku, my father's name is Akitoshi, my mother's name was Take, -and my elder brother's Akihide. I can hardly remember Akihide, for when -I was a small child he ran away, fearing my father's anger because of -his bad conduct. But though he left us, my mother and I never forgot -him. In the morning when it rained and in the winter evenings when the -wind blew chill we longed for him to come again to the shelter of his -home, but from that day to this we have heard nothing of him and know -not what has become of him. My mother gave me many messages for him, -firmly believing that one day we should meet again, and that he would -yet fulfil his duty as a son and restore our house to its former -prosperity and happiness. In this hope she died." - -As Shiragiku proceeded with her story the young bonze listened with -eager attention. At these words his face changed with sudden emotion, -and the tears fell from his eyes. After some moments he said to her: -"Poor, poor girl! Your story is a very sad one, and I feel for you in -your many troubles. You can go no further to-night; rest here in peace -until the dawn!" - -As he spoke it seemed to Shiragiku that his voice was familiar to her, -and though she could not remember having seen him before, yet for some -unaccountable reason she felt that he was no stranger. His manner was so -kind and gentle and sympathetic as he went and came bringing food for -her supper and quilts for her to sleep upon, that memories of her early -home and childhood stirred her heart. Her thoughts went out to the -runaway brother; if he would only return he would be about the same age -as the young bonze, and surely as good as he to any one in distress. -Glad was she to have found a place of rest for the night. With many -humble prostrations she thanked her host for his hospitality, and -apologized for all the trouble she had given him. - -When he withdrew, bidding her "good-night," she knelt in supplication -before the shrine at the end of the room, where Amida Buddha and -Kwannon, the Goddess of Mercy, reigned in peace above the lotus and the -burning of incense. Only through the mercy of the gods could she hope -to find her father, only through their help would her long-lost brother -ever come back to those who waited for him year after year. For many -minutes she knelt on, praying earnestly, then, worn out with grief and -fatigue, she rose from her knees and lay down to fall fast asleep. - -At the hour when the hush of night is deepest, Shiragiku saw her father -enter the room and draw near her pillow. The tears stood in his eyes and -in a sad voice he said: "Shiragiku, I have fallen over a precipice, and -now I am at the bottom of a chasm many hundred feet deep. Here the -brambles and bamboo grass grow so thick that I am unable to find my way -out of the jungle. I may not live till the morrow, so I came to see you -for the last time in this world." - -As soon as he had finished speaking, White Chrysanthemum stretched out -her hands and tried to catch hold of his sleeves to detain him, crying: -"Father! father!" But with the sound of her own voice she awoke. - -She sprang up expecting to see her father, but there was nothing in the -room except the night-lantern glimmering faintly. While she was -wondering whether the vision were a dream or a reality, the dawn began -to break and the beating of a drum throbbed through the temple. White -Chrysanthemum rose soon after sunrise, ate the simple breakfast of rice -and bean-soup she found slipped into her room, and quickly left the -temple. She did not wait to see the kind priest, though he had asked her -to do so, saying that he would do what he could to help her; for she had -remembered his diffidence the night before, and thought that very likely -he belonged to a sect which forbade its priests to converse with the -world, and she felt sorry that she had disturbed him. - -Her dream was so vividly real to her that it seemed as if she heard her -father calling to her for help; so making all possible speed she set but -once more with the faith and simplicity of childhood to find him. Far -off in the woods the bark of a fox could be heard, while along the path -the cloudy tufts of the _obana_[2] rustled as she passed. Shiragiku -shivered as the cold morning wind pierced through her body. As she -pursued her way along the rough mountain pass wild creatures scuttled -away, frightened, from before her into the woods, and overhead the birds -sang to each other in the trees. - -At last she reached the top of the pass, to find it covered with clouds, -and it seemed to White Chrysanthemum as if they must carry her away with -them in their onward sweep. She sat down on a stone to recover her -breath, for the climb had been steep. In a few minutes the mists began -to clear away. She stood up and looked about her, hoping that she might -find some trace of her father, but as far as eye could reach nothing but -mountains, range after range, could be seen riding one above the other -in the blue sky. - -Suddenly a noise in the bushes behind her made White Chrysanthemum -start, and before she could flee a band of robbers rushed out upon her. -They seized and bound her tightly. She cried out for help, but only the -echoes answered her. Down the mountain they led her till they reached -the valley; for a whole day they hurried her along till they came to a -strange-looking house. - -This was in such a neglected condition that moss covered the walls, and -it was so closely shut up that the sunbeams never entered the rooms. - -As they approached the place, a man who seemed to be the chief of the -band came out, and as he caught sight of the maiden, said with an evil -smile: "You've brought a good prize this time!" - -The robbers now untied Shiragiku's hands and led her into the house and -then into a room where dinner was prepared, with rice and fish and wine -in great quantities. Then they all sat down, and as they began to eat, -it seemed to her that they were a lot of demons. The chief passed some -food to her and pressed her to eat. The long walk in the bracing air of -the autumn day had made Shiragiku so hungry that in spite of her fear -and distress she was glad of the food. At last, when she had finished -her meal, he turned to her and said: "That you We been caught by my men -and brought here must be the work of fate. So now you must look upon me -as your husband and serve me all your life. I have a good _koto_ [the -Japanese harp] which I keep with great care, and to show your gratitude -for this marriage you will have to play before me often and to cheer me -with your songs, for I am fond of music. If you refuse to obey me, I -will make your life as hard as climbing a mountain of swords or walking -through a forest of needles." - -Shiragiku felt that she would rather die than marry this man, but she -could not refuse to play the _koto_ for him. The _koto_ was brought by -one of the men at a word of command from the chief and placed before the -girl, who began to strike the chords, her tears falling fast the while. -She played so well that even those hard-hearted robbers were touched by -her music, and one or two of them whispered together that hers was a -hard fate and they wished that they could find some means of saving her. - -Outside the house in the shadow of a large tree stood a young man, -watching all that went on and listening to the music. By the voice of -the singer as she sang, he knew that the player was she whom he sought. -No sooner did the music stop than he rushed into the house and attacked -the robbers with great fury. Anger gave strength to his onslaught, and -the bandits were so taken by surprise that they were paralyzed with fear -and offered no resistance. In a few minutes the chief was killed, while -two others lay senseless on the mats, and the rest ran away. - -Then the young man, who was dressed in the black vestments of a priest, -took the trembling girl by the hand and led her to a window, through -which the moonlight streamed. As Shiragiku gazed up in gratitude and -wonder at her deliverer, she saw that he was none other than the young -priest of the temple, who had been so kind to her the night before. - -"Don't be afraid!" he said quietly and soothingly; "don't be afraid! I -am no stranger, I am your brother Akihide. Now I will tell you my story, -so listen to me. You cannot remember me, for you were only a little -child of three when my bad conduct roused my father's anger and I ran -away from home and started for the capital. I embarked on a small vessel -and after sailing along for several days I reached Waka-no-ura, passing -the island of Awaji on the way. From Waka-no-ura I proceeded on foot. It -was the close of spring and the cherry-blossoms were falling, and the -ground was covered with the pink snow of their petals; but there was -nothing of the joy of spring in my heart, which was heavy at the -thought of my parents' displeasure and the fearful step I had just -taken. As soon as I reached the capital, I put myself under the charge -of a priest and went through a severe course of study, for I had already -repented of my idle ways and longed to do better. Under my good master's -guidance I learned the way of virtue. My heart was softened by -knowledge, and when I remembered the love of my parents, I regretted my -evil past and never did the sun go down but I wept in secret over it. So -the years went by. At last the pain of homesickness became so great that -I determined to return home and beg my parents' forgiveness. I hoped and -planned to devote myself to them in their old age and to make amends in -the future for the shortcomings of the past. But insurmountable -difficulties beset me in my new-formed purpose. War had broken out, and -the face of the country was entirely changed. Cities were turned into -wildernesses, weeds grew tall and thick all over the roads, and when I -reached our province it was impossible to find either the old home or -any one who could give me the slightest clue as to the whereabouts of -you all. Life became a burden to me. You may imagine something of what I -felt, but my tongue fails to describe my misery. I was desolate with no -one belonging to me, so I resolved to forsake the world and become a -priest, and after wandering about I took up my abode in that old temple -where you found me. But even the religious life could not still my -remorse. I was haunted by the fear of what had become of my father and -mother and sister. Were they alive or were they dead? Should I ever see -them again? These were the questions which tormented me ceaselessly. -Morning and evening I prayed before the shrine in the room where you -slept last night--prayed that I might have news of you all. Great is -the mercy of Buddha! Imagine the mingled joy and sorrow I felt when you -came yesterday and told me of all that had happened since I left home. I -was about to make myself known to you, but I was too ashamed to do so. -It was, however, harder for me to conceal my secret than it would have -been to tell it, for I longed to do so with my whole heart and soul. In -the morning when I came to the room and found you gone, I followed after -you in fear lest you should fall into the hands of the bandits who haunt -these hills and thus it was that I saved you. You can never know how -glad I am to have done this for you, but alas! I am ashamed to meet my -father because of the remembrance of the past! Had I done my duty as a -son, had I never run away wickedly from home, how much suffering I might -have saved my mother and you, poor Shiragiku! Terrible indeed is my -sin!" And with these words the young man drew out a short sword and was -about to take his own life. - -When Shiragiku saw what he was going to do, she gave a loud cry, and -springing to his side seized his hands with all her strength, and -stopped him from doing the dread deed. With tender sisterly words she -tried to comfort him, telling him that she knew his father had forgiven -him, and was living in the daily hope of his return--that the happiness -and solace he could now give him in his old age would more than atone -for the past; she begged him to remember his mother's dying prayer that -he would establish their house and keep up the ancestral rites before -the family shrine when his parents were dead. As she spoke, he desisted -from his desperate purpose. The peace of night and the stillness of the -moonlit world around them brought balm to both their troubled hearts, -and as they bade each other good-night the silence was unbroken save for -the cry of the wild geese as they flew across the sky. - -In the early morning the brother and sister left the house, hand in -hand. They had not gone far when they heard pursuing footsteps, and -looking back they saw two or three of the men who had escaped the night -before coming after them. Akihide bade his sister run for her life, -while he stayed behind and engaged the robbers in a fight and so gave -her time to escape. - -Shiragiku did as she was told and fled through the woods under cover of -the trees. On and on she went, till at last she reached a place of -safety out of sight. But her heart, beating wildly with fear, was behind -with her brother, wondering what had happened to him, whether he had -vanquished the bandits or had been killed by them. Who can describe her -anxiety? She had found her brother only to lose him in this sad and -uncertain way. Afraid to retrace her steps, yet anxious to know what had -become of him, she climbed to the nearest hill-top to try if she could -see anything of him, but around her there was nothing but hills and pine -woods. - -As she looked about her, she saw near by a little shrine, and, overcome -with the terror of all that had befallen her within the last two days, -she made her way towards it with trembling steps, and kneeling down -offered up a fervent prayer for help and for her brother's and father's -safety. - -An old man who was cutting down trees in the forest saw her weeping -there, and his heart filled with pity for the young girl. He drew near -and asked her to tell him what was the matter. On hearing her sad story -he led her to his home, saying that he would take care of her. - -It was a quiet mountain place in the woods. The ground was covered with -pine needles, the chrysanthemums round the humble cottage were fading, -and the bell-insects were feebly tinkling in the grass, for the last -days of autumn were passing. - -Here in this retired spot Shiragiku lived in peace. The old wood-cutter -and his wife, having no children of their own, loved her as a daughter, -for such she seemed to them, so amiable, patient, and helpful in all her -ways was she, and they told her that they hoped she would remain with -them to the end of their days. Shiragiku did her utmost to show her -gratitude to the old couple for their kindness to her, but she never -ceased to think of her father and brother and to look forward to the -time when they would once more be a united family. In spite of all -discouragements she cherished this hope. Now and again she implored the -old man to let her go and look for them; but he would not permit this, -saying that it was not safe for an unprotected girl to roam the hills, -that if she did so she would be sure to fall into the hands of robbers -again, and that it was far wiser for her to wait till her father and -brother found her than for her to seek them, not knowing where they -were. Her reverence for old age made her obey him, and she waited in -patience, hoping each day she rose that her father and brother would -find her before the evening came. - -During these quiet years she grew in beauty day by day and passed from -girlhood into the bloom of early womanhood. The poor cotton robe--all -that the wood-cutter could give her-in no wise hid her loveliness. She -was like a fine chrysanthemum shining among the wild flowers of the -plain. - -She was soon the acknowledged beauty of the place, and one spring the -village chief sought her in marriage. The wood-cutter, out of respect to -the suitor's position, at once gave his consent. - -When, however, the old man told Shiragiku of what he planned for her, -her dismay was great. She begged him with tears to make excuses for her; -she told him that she could not think of marriage till she had found her -father. But he would not listen, saying that it was the best thing for -her now to be settled in life. - -That night the girl covered her face with her sleeves and wept long and -bitterly when she lay down to rest. - -"How can I obey the old man?" she sobbed to herself. "No, never-never! I -remember now more vividly than ever what my mother told me when she was -dying. 'You are not my own child, Shiragiku,' she said; 'one day many -years ago I was returning from a visit to a temple. When passing through -a field, I found a little baby crying in the midst of some white -chrysanthemums. Who can have been so wicked as to forsake such a lovely -child? I said to myself; there must be some reason for this! I carried -the little one home and brought her up as my own child. You are that -child. Praying for blessings on you, I named you _Shira-Giku_, because -I found you in a bed of white chrysanthemums. There is also something -else I must tell you before I die. There is some one in the world to -whom you must look as your brother and husband; he is none other than -our son, who ran away rather than meet the anger of his father. We have -never heard of him since he left, but if he is still living I am sure he -will come back to his family. Your father and I--your adopted -parents--have always destined you for him; it is my last behest that you -should refuse all other men and wait to marry our son, for come back I -am sure he will one day; then live a happy life together in the old -home, praying for our souls when we have left this world.' My mother's -words are still in my ears. I hear them more clearly than ever," she -sobbed to herself. "I owe her my life; how can I disobey her bidding? -And yet how can I refuse to do as the old wood-cutter asks, for he has -been as a parent to me these last three years? What shall I do? Oh! what -shall I do?" - -Day by day the old man pressed her to accept the suitor and day by day -in great perplexity she put him off. At last, seeing no way of escape -from being unfilial to the memory of her mother and from fulfilling the -old man's wish, she made up her mind to die and put an end to the -struggle. - -At this time the _nakodo_ (go-between) of the marriage came and -presented her with a roll of brocade for the _obi_ (wide sash) and of -damask silk for the _kimono_, the betrothal gift of the bridegroom. The -old man and his wife rejoiced at what they considered her good fortune -and regarded the matter as settled, and the neighbours came to -congratulate them and to catch a glimpse of the chosen bride of their -chief. - -Shiragiku, however, had made up her mind. That night during a rainstorm -she stole out from the wood-cutter's cottage. She looked back wistfully -many times at the place which had fed and sheltered her for so long; but -she told herself that there was no other way than this, for she must -hold as sacred law her mother's last behest. In the despair of the last -few weeks, when this unexpected marriage was being forced upon her, she -had lost the hope of finding her father and brother again; but she would -die rather than marry a stranger against her foster mother's dying wish. - -The night was dark, for the sky was clouded. Down the empty street of -the village Shiragiku hurried with the tightly closed thatch-roofed -cottages on either side. Out across the silent stretches of rice-fields -she ran till she reached the blackness of a pine wood, seeking for some -spot where she could die. - -The roar of water at last reached her ears, and she knew that she had -come to a river. The moaning of the wind in the pine trees sounded to -her like the voices of pursuers. She stopped to look around, but there -was no one to be seen. The path leading down to the river grew rougher -and darker as she entered the shadow of the trees, but Shiragiku never -faltered in her determination to reach its bank. At last the water -glimmered like a wide white ribbon in the gloom of night. - -"I will now die," said Shiragiku, weeping; "but alas! how sad my father -and brother will be when they hear of my death. Forgive me," she cried -aloud, "oh, my father, oh, elder brother, that I die first. I will await -your coming beside my mother in Heaven." - -Shiragiku now reached the edge of the bank and was about to dash down -into the river with a prayer to Buddha on her lips when she found -herself caught from behind and a familiar voice said to her: "Wait a -moment! Tell me who you are and why you seek to take your life." - -It was her brother Akihide. She gazed up at him in the dim light of the -moon just coming forth from the clouds. They both clasped each other by -the arms and burst into tears. - -"Little sister!" "Elder brother!" cried the sister and brother both -together in that shock of simultaneous recognition. In the speechless -moments which followed they heard the sound of a flute from the village -near by break the silence of the night--they watched the rain cease and -the stars shine out one by one. Akihide led Shiragiku to a large -stone; here they sat down and told each other all that had happened -since they last parted. - -[Illustration: SHIRAGIKU WAS ABOUT TO DASH DOWN INTO THE RIVER] - -While they were talking the day broke; together they watched the sun -rise in splendour and glisten and glow in thousands of rain-drops on the -trees and grass around them. - -"Let us go and tell the kind old wood-cutter and his wife all that has -happened," said White Chrysanthemum, smiling through her tears; "I must -bid him farewell and we must thank him, for indeed I owe him my life." - -They walked to the village and went at once to the old man and told him -their story. Shiragiku begged him to forgive her for not doing as he -wished. Then Akihide told him that it had been his mother's dying wish -that he should marry White Chrysanthemum and keep up the family name. -With tears the brother and sister thanked the old couple for their -ever-to-be-remembered kindness to White Chrysanthemum in her distress. -They promised to come and see them whenever they could and to let them -know all that happened to them in the future, a promise which they -faithfully kept. They at last took leave with many gentle words on both -sides. - -Then Akihide and Shiragiku began a happy journey homewards, walking over -the hills by day, and passing the night at some farmhouse or cottage -they came to on their way. - -When the brother and foster sister reached the little house in the -valley at the foot of Mount Aso, it was early in the month of May; the -cuckoos were singing, and the air was fragrant with the scent of -orange-blossoms. In spite of the years of desertion and neglect, the -tiny home still stood safe and firm as when Shiragiku had left it, -though the grass had grown tall and thick in the garden and moss covered -the roof. The sun was shining brightly over all, and the balm and -gladness of the spring morning rested on their young souls. - -For a moment White Chrysanthemum paused at the bamboo gate and said: -"This is our home, elder brother!" Then quickly they ran down the -garden, quickly they pushed back the paper screen of the entrance and -entered. Were they waking or were they dreaming? Who should they see -coming forward to meet them but their father, whom they had almost given -up as dead. For a moment they were all silent. It seemed as if their -hearts must burst with inexpressible joy. - -"Father! Father!" cried Akihide and Shiragiku together, "is it really -you? Are you safe and well?" - -"Children, my children!" cried the astonished father, "have I found you -at last?" - -Then Akihide knelt before his father, and with his face bowed to the -ground, confessed everything, and begged his father's forgiveness for -the past. He told him all--how bitterly he had repented his behaviour, -how hard he had tried to make a new life for himself, how long he had -searched for his parents in vain, his one wish being to make amends, how -wonderfully he had met Shiragiku when he had at last despaired of ever -finding any one of his family again, of all that had happened since her -coming to the temple. - -The father listened gravely to the long sad story; then with gentle -words he forgave his son; he bade him to cease all self-reproach, and as -he spoke the kind words his eyes grew dark with unshed tears. When -Shiragiku told her story he commended her filial piety, her courage, and -her patience. Now that they had as by a miracle of the gods found each -other again, nothing should ever separate them. - -Thus the little family found again the vanished happiness of other -years. - -Shiragiku now busied herself preparing the evening meal, and as she -filled her father's and her brother's wine-cup the father told them all -that had happened to him. - -"When I went out hunting three years ago, I fell over a precipice, and -found myself at the bottom of a chasm a hundred or more feet deep. I was -quite unable to get out, so I lived on wild fruits and stream water for -many days. - -"One morning I chanced to see a band of monkeys climbing the chasm by -means of a large wistaria-vine which formed a bridge from side to side. -I followed their example and soon found myself free on the hillside once -more. I returned here with all haste, only to find that Shiragiku had -disappeared. Imagine my distress. I inquired of every one in the -village, but no one had seen her go away, and there was no one who could -tell me anything about her. There was but one thing left for me to do -and that was to try and find her. So I set out walking through province -after province, looking for her, but all in vain. At last I gave up my -quest as hopeless and returned here only yesterday." - -The joy of the little family was great beyond all words. This unexpected -meeting--the utmost desire of their souls--was a happiness which took -away their breath and left them silent with wonder and thankfulness. -Only one thing saddened them--that the good mother, who had died of -grief and anxiety, could not be present to share in this joyous reunion, -and to know that her prayer was answered and that the long-lost son had -returned to his family. But she was not forgotten--they spoke of her and -missed her. Shiragiku rose and opened the little shrine standing in a -closed recess at the end of the room, and taking some sticks of incense -set them burning before the name-tablet set up in memory of her mother; -for though Shiragiku now knew that she was not really her own mother, -yet she always thought of her as such, for she had known no other. -Father and son and adopted daughter then knelt and with hands clasped -and bowed heads prayed before the little altar. - -Shiragiku now fetched and tuned her _koto_ (harp) and sang the songs she -knew her father liked to hear. This done, she accompanied her brother, -while he paced through some stately measures of the classic dance. The -father, calling Akihide and Shiragiku to his side, told them that he -wished them to marry, as his wife had always planned. - -He was now an old man, he said, and could not expect to live much -longer, and before his death it was his ardent wish to see his house -established. - -He then named an early date for the wedding. Akihide, having only -entered upon a religious novitiate, was able to obey his father without -breaking any vows. He bowed his willingness and Shiragiku blushed -happily. She was content in fulfilling her good foster mother's last -behest. - -Now the sun set, a crane cried on the hill at the back of the house, and -the stars came out one by one in the soft and darkening turquoise of a -May twilight, and peace and joy reigned in the home and the hearts of -the three wanderers. - - -[1] The war of the Restoration. - -[2] An autumn grass (Miscanthus sinensis). - - - - -THE PRINCESS OF THE BOWL - - -Long, long ago, in old Japan, there lived near Katano, in the Kawachi -Province, a prince named Bitchu-no-Kami Minetaka or Lord Minetaka, as we -should say in English. He was not only a very wealthy man, but it was -reported that his house was full of rare and wonderful treasures. He was -also a learned man and the master of many accomplishments. His life was -passed in the luxurious leisure of the rich, and he knew nothing of care -or want--perhaps he hardly realized what such words meant. - -But above all the treasures in his storehouse, beyond the wealth of his -revenue which came pouring in year by year in bushels of rice, he prized -his only child, his daughter. The prince and his wife brought this -daughter up with great love and tenderness as if she were some rare -flower or fragile butterfly. So beautiful indeed was the young girl that -in looking at her their friends and relations wondered whether the Sun -Goddess Amaterasu had not come to earth again in the form of the little -Princess. - -Nothing came to mar the happiness of this united little family till the -daughter was fifteen years of age. Then suddenly the mother, who had -never known a day's illness in her whole life, was taken ill. At first -it seemed to be but a slight cold, but her health, instead of getting -better, only grew worse and worse. She felt that she would never recover -and that her end was very near, so she called her daughter beside her -pillow, and, taking a large lacquer bowl from the bedside, she placed it -on her daughter's head, saying: "My poor little child, I want you always -to wear this bowl. At your innocent age you can understand nothing of -the world in which I must leave you motherless. I pity you with all my -heart; ah! if you were at least seventeen or eighteen years old I could -die with more peace of mind. I am indeed loath to go, leaving you behind -so young. Try to be a good daughter and never forget your mother." - -The woman's tears fell fast as she spoke, and her voice was broken with -sobs while she stroked her little girl's hand. But things are not as one -wishes in this life. All the doctor's skill could not save the mother; -she died and left her daughter behind motherless in the world. - -Words cannot tell the grief of the bereaved father and child, it was so -great. At last, after some time had passed and the ordinary routine of -life in Prince Minetaka's household was resumed, the father noticed the -bowl which his daughter wore on her head and which fell so low as -completely to hide her face; and calling her to him tried to take off -the unsightly head gear. But his efforts were in vain. All the retainers -and then the servants were summoned to see what they could do, but no -one could remove the bowl; it stuck fast to the child's head. No one -could understand the mystery. The bowl had been put on most simply; why -could it not be as easily taken off? This was the question which the -whole household asked again and again. - -And the young Princess, besides sorrowing for the loss of her mother, -was greatly troubled at the knowledge that, though born physically -perfect, she was now quite disfigured for life in having to wear the -ugly bowl which her mother for some unknown reason had placed on her -head. If no one succeeded in taking the bowl off, she might have to wear -it her whole life. That would indeed be a terrible affliction. But in -spite of all she never forgot her mother even for a moment, but carried -in her heart the memory of her love and care through every hour of the -livelong day. Every morning, as soon as she rose from her bed on the -mats, she placed the little cup of tea and the bowl of rice before the -tablet bearing her mother's name in the household shrine, and having set -the incense burning she would kneel and pray for the happiness of her -mother's soul. - -The days passed into weeks, the weeks grew into months, yet the dutiful -daughter never failed morning or evening thus to pray for her lost -mother. - -In the mean time the family relations often came to advise her father, -Prince Minetaka, to marry again. - -"It is not good for you to be alone," they said. "Marry a suitable woman -and entrust her with the keeping of your house and the care of your -young daughter, who is now of an age when she most needs a woman's -care." - -At first Prince Minetaka would not listen to them, the memory of his -dead wife was too fresh and his sorrow too keen for him to be able to -lend a willing ear to their persuasion. He felt that it was a reproach -to her he had loved even to think of putting another woman in her place. -But as the months went by he found himself much tried with the affairs -of the household, and was often so perplexed that he thought perhaps it -might be better to listen to the advice of his meddling relations. So -without thinking much about the future he decided to take a second wife. - -His friends were glad to find that their persuasions were of avail at -last, and with the help of go-betweens they arranged that he should -marry a certain lady of noble family whom they deemed worthy and -suitable in all respects. - -So the soothsayers were consulted and a lucky day chosen for the -marriage, and the new wife was then installed in Prince Minetaka's home -amidst the congratulations of both families. The little Princess alone -was sorrowful in her inmost heart at seeing some one take her mother's -place; but it would be unfilial to her father to show that for one -instant she did not approve of his second marriage, so she hid her -unhappiness and smiled. - -On seeing the little Princess for the first time, the stepmother was -shocked at the deformity of the bowl, and said to herself that never had -she even dreamed that there could be any one in the world doomed to be -such an ugly cripple. She not only despised but hated her stepchild from -the moment that she saw her. This new wife was indeed a very different -woman from her predecessor, whose heart was so good and kind towards all -who came near her that the idea of disliking, much less hating any one -was impossible to her. - -A year passed by and the stepmother gave birth to a child. Jealousy for -her own infant daughter now made her hate her stepchild more and more. -It was her great desire to see her own daughter first in Prince -Minetaka's affection, and in order to attain her utterly selfish end she -knew she must oust her stepchild from the house. To begin with, she -determined to estrange the father from the little Princess by telling -him unfavourable stories of her behaviour and her character. It is -needless to say that she invented these stories. - -The Bowl-Wearing Princess soon understood that her stepmother hated her. -Her grief and anxiety seemed to her more than she could bear. There was -no one in the house in whom she could confide, and she knew that to -complain of her stepmother to any one, even to her father, would be -undutiful. What was she to do in her trouble? To whom could she go but -to her own mother? So as often as she could she went to her grave. Here -she would kneel and pour out the woe that filled her heart. - -"O mother, why must I live on in the world with this ugly bowl on my -head? My stepmother truly has a reason for hating such a child about the -house. Now that she has a daughter of her own, all the more must she -want to get rid of me! And my father, who used to love me so much, he -too will surely soon give all his love to his new daughter and forget -me! Alas! Alas! the only place that is left to me to come to without -fear of dislike is the side of my own dead mother. O mother, sitting -upon the lotus leaves in Paradise, receive me now upon the same leaf. -Oh! that I might thus escape the sorrow of this world and enter upon the -way of Buddha!" - -But the Boundary of Life and Death separated the mother and child, and -though she prayed earnestly and with tears, lifting her whole heart and -soul up in her despair, no answer came to her eagerly listening ear. As -she knelt in the little graveyard only the sound of the wind sighing in -the pine trees answered her. But the thought that she had told her -mother everything comforted her as she returned home. - -The stepmother was told of her stepdaughter's frequent visits to the -graveyard, and instead of being touched with pity for the motherless -girl, she made use of the occasion still further to slander the child to -her husband. - -"I am told that the Bowl-Wearer, your daughter, goes to her mother's -grave and curses me and my child because of her jealousy! What do you -think of that? Hasn't she a wicked heart?" - -Day by day she watched the little girl wend her way from the house to -the graveyard and day by day she repeated in her husband's ear her -pretended fears. In her heart she knew quite well that it was only love -and unhappiness that sent her unfortunate stepchild to the grave of her -mother. At last she said that she was afraid of the evil that might -befall her and her child through the Bowl-Wearer's malice; she had -decided that they could no longer live together in the same house. - -The father, who had hitherto never listened much to his wife's tales, -was at last persuaded by her importunity into believing them true. So in -an evil hour he summoned his daughter and said: "What is this I hear, -wicked daughter? Your deformity has long since been a source of -irritation to me, but as long as you behaved well, I put up with it. Now -I am told that you go every day to the grave of your mother to curse my -wife and her innocent little child. It is impossible for me to keep -under my roof any one who is so crippled not only in body but in mind as -you are. Go wherever you will from to-day, but longer in this house you -shall not stay!" - -While the father was speaking these terrible words the stepmother sat -behind him, smiling in derision at the poor little Princess and in -triumph at the success of her wicked stratagem. - -"Woe to the Bowl-Wearing Princess!" - -The servants, at the command of her father, took off her silken robes -and put on her a miserable common cotton gown, such as beggars wear, and -drove her out into the road. - -The Princess was altogether bewildered at the suddenness of her -misfortune. - -She felt like a wanderer in an unknown land, lost in the darkness of -night. So distracted was she at first that she could only stand still in -the middle of the street, not knowing which way to turn. But people, -passing by, stared at her so that she soon realized that she must not -stand like that all day, so she began to move whither her feet led her. - -In this way she came to the bank of a large river. As she stood and -looked at the flowing water, she could not help thinking that it would -be far better for her to become the dust of the river-bed than endure -the hardships of her present lot. Would it not be better to die and so -join her mother than wander about like a beggar from place to place -begging her rice? With this thought she made up her mind to drown -herself. But the roar of the river was so great as it dashed over the -boulders of its rocky bed that the maiden hesitated at first. Then, -summoning up all her courage with a desperate effort, she jumped in. - -Strange to say, however, the bowl, which had hitherto been such a curse -to her, was now a blessing. It lifted her head clear above the water and -would not let her sink. As she floated down the stream a fishing-boat -came by. The fisherman, seeing a big bowl rising out of the water, -lifted it up. His surprise was great when underneath the bowl he found a -human being. Thinking it to be some strange monster, he threw it upon -the bank. - -The poor girl was at first stunned by her fall. When she came to -herself, she said that it was a pity she could not die as she had -wished. She got up from the ground and, in a miserable plight, for her -clothes were dripping with water, began to walk on, and after some time -she found herself in the streets of a town. - -Here the people, as soon as they saw her, began to point the finger of -scorn at her, and to jeer and laugh at the strange-looking bowl on her -head. - -"Oh! oh! do you see this queer creature with the bowl coming down from -the mountains? Look! Look!" Then as some of them came nearer they said: -"It is strange that a monster should have such beautiful hands and feet. -What a pity this creature was not born a woman!" - -Just then the lord of the district passed by on his way home from the -hunt. Seeing the gathering of people, he stopped and inquired what was -the matter. His retainers pointed out the Bowl-Wearer to him. From the -grace of her slender form, and the modesty of her bearing, Lord Yamakage -judged her to be a young woman, though he could not of course see her -face, which was completely hidden by the bowl. He ordered the -Bowl-Wearer to be brought to him. Two or three of his retainers went to -execute his orders, and came back bringing the poor unhappy Princess -with them. - -"Tell me the truth," said Lord Yamakage to the girl; "who or what are -you?" - -"I am the daughter of one Minetaka by name, and my home is near Katano. -My mother, when dying, placed this bowl on my head, and since her death -it has become so firmly fixed there that no one can take it off, and I -am obliged to wear it always, as you see me now. Because of the -unsightliness of my appearance I have been driven away from my home. No -one takes pity on me, and I am forced to wander from place to place -without knowing where to lay my head at night." - -"Well, well!" said the kind man. "Your story is truly a pitiful one. I -will take the bowl off for you!" - -When he had said these words, Lord Yamakage ordered his retainers to -pull off the bowl from the girl's head. The men, one and all, tried to -free the Princess from the obnoxious bowl, but it stuck so obstinately -to her head that all their efforts were useless. It even uttered loud -cries and groans of pain as they tugged at it. Every one was dumbfounded -at the inexplicable mystery, and at last they all began to laugh. - -When Lord Yamakage saw that there was nothing to be done to help her, he -spoke to the Bowl-Wearer again. "Where are you going to spend to-night?" - -"I am quite homeless," answered the Bowl-Wearer, in a heartbroken way, -"and I do not know where I shall lay my head to-night. There is no one -in the wide world to take pity on me, and every one who sees me either -jeers or runs away because of the bowl on my head." - -Lord Yamakage felt his heart fill with pity and said: "It may bring luck -to have such a strange creature in my house!" Then he turned to the girl -and said: "How would you like to come home with me for the present, -Bowl-Wearer?" - -And with these words he gave her in charge of his attendants, who took -her with them to their lord's house. - -It was an easy matter to take her to the house, but not so easy to find -her a place there. His wife objected to her becoming a waiting-maid, -saying that no one could bear the sight of so strange a creature about. -So the servants at last took her to the bath-room, and told her that she -must fetch and carry the water and look after the fire for heating the -bath. This was to be her work! - -As the little Princess had never done such rough work in the whole of -her life, she suffered much in obeying these cruel orders; but she -resigned herself to her fate and tried with all humility and patience to -perform her hard task faultlessly. - -But her lot was far from being a happy one, even though she had found -the safe shelter of Lord Yamakage's home. The young and uncouth -tradesmen, coming on errands to the house, made fun of her, some even -trying to peep under the bowl to get a glimpse of the beautiful face -beneath. While she was thus persecuted in the daytime, in the evening -the servants gave her no rest with their peremptory orders. "Hot water -here!" "Cold water there!" "Get the bath ready!" and so on. - -The poor girl bore all this rude usage patiently; but as she went about -her work she could not help remembering the old times of her happy -childhood, spent under the loving care of her own dear mother, of the -honoured place she had held in her father's household till within the -last few days; and as she carried the hot water or stoked the bath-fire -she pretended that those fast-falling tears of sadness were caused by -the fumes of charcoal and the steam which rose from the hot water. When -she crept weeping to bed at night it seemed to her as if the past day -must be an evil dream. - -Lord Yamakage had four sons. The three elder ones were married to -daughters of three of the leading men of the province. The youngest son, -Saisho, was still unmarried. He had been away for some time in the gay -smart capital of Kyoto. But now he returned to his home. - -Now every time he went to take his bath or called for hot water, he saw -the Bowl-Wearing maiden, and, as he had a kind and compassionate heart, -he could not but be touched by her unhappy appearance, and her modest -and gentle behaviour and her quickness and diligence at her work. - -Whenever he had an opportunity he spoke to the Bowl-Wearer, and to his -surprise he found that she was no servant, that she spoke in the refined -language of his class, and though so young she was well read in the -literature and poetry of her country, and could answer a literary -allusion wittily and to the point. When at last she told him something -of her sad story, he knew, though she did not tell him, that she -belonged to some family of high rank. From this time on he often spoke -to the girl, and he found that the stolen conversations with her grew to -be the chief pleasure of the day. - -One day he managed to take a sly peep under the bowl. The face, even -though overshadowed by the huge cover, was of such rare beauty that he -fell madly in love with the Princess, and made up his mind that none -other than the Bowl-Wearer should be his wife. - -His mother soon heard of Saisho's friendship for her husband's protege, -and when she learned that he had promised to marry her she forbade him -to think of such a thing. She at first thought that her son could not be -in earnest, but when she sent for Saisho and asked him seriously if what -she had been told was true, he answered: "I really and truly intend to -make the Bowl-Wearer my wife!" - -His mother was not a little angry at his determined front. How could -Saisho fall in love with a girl with a bowl on her head? Who ever heard -of such ridiculous nonsense? - -Then she sent for her son's nurse, the woman who had nursed him from the -day he was born, and together they tried to deter him from his purpose. - -Saisho was obliged to listen to all they had to say, but did not answer -them. He could not say "Yes" to their demand that he should give up all -idea of marrying the Bowl-Wearer, and he knew that if he firmly said -"No" he would raise up such a storm of opposition that no one could tell -how it would end. He knew that the life of the Bowl-Wearer was a truly -pitiable one, and his determination to marry her and help her out of all -her difficulties remained unchanged. His mother soon saw that her son -would by no means listen to her persuasions, and her anger was great -towards the Bowl-Wearer. She almost made up her mind to drive her from -the house before her husband could know what happened. - -Saisho, on hearing this, told her that if the girl was driven away he -would go with her. The mother's distraction can be imagined, for she was -thwarted in every way. She at last said that the Bowl-Wearer was a -wicked witch who had thrown her spells over Saisho and would not leave -him till she had compassed his death. - -She determined if possible to separate them by fair means or foul. For -a long time she pondered over the matter, and at last hit upon a -stratagem which she trusted would rid the house of the presence of the -obnoxious girl. Her plan she called "The Comparison of the Brides." She -would hold in the house a family council of all the relations, and -assemble the wives of her three elder sons, and before the whole -gathering compare them with the Bowl-Wearer whom Saisho had elected to -marry. If the Bowl-Wearer had any self-respect she would be too -conscious of her deformity and her poverty, and too ashamed to make an -appearance,--would leave the house to escape from the ordeal. What an -excellent plan! Why had she never thought of this before? - -So the mother sent messengers post-haste to all the family and -relations, requesting their presence at a "Bride Comparing Ceremony" and -a feast which would close the ceremony. - -When Saisho heard of this he was greatly troubled, for he knew what it -meant. His mother meant to drive the girl he loved from the house by -comparing her with his brothers' rich and pretty wives. What was to be -done? How could he help the poor Bowl-Wearer? - -The little Princess saw how unhappy he was, and blamed herself, she was -so sorry for him. - -"It is all because of me that this trouble has come to you. Instead of -happiness I have only brought you worry. Woe is me! It is better that I -go away at once," said the girl. - -Saisho told her at once that he would never let her go alone; that if -she went he would go with her. - -At last the day fixed for the ceremony of the "Comparison of the Brides" -came round. Saisho and the unhappy little Bowl-Wearer rose before the -dawn, and taking each other by the hand left the house together. - -Notwithstanding his love for the Bowl-Wearer and his resolve to marry -her at whatever cost, Saisho was very sad at the thought of leaving his -parents in this way. He told himself that they would never forgive his -obstinacy and probably would refuse to see him again, so this parting -was probably forever. He felt at each step as if his heart was torn -backwards. With slow steps he and the Bowl-Wearer, hand in hand, wended -their way down the garden. No sooner, however, did they put their feet -outside the gate than the bowl on the girl's head burst with a loud -noise and fell in a thousand pieces upon the ground. - -What untold joy for both of them! Saisho, too astonished to speak, -looked for the first time full on the girl's face. The beauty of the -damsel was so dazzling that he could compare it only to the glory of the -full moon as it rides triumphantly above the clouds on the fifteenth -night of September. Her figure, too, now that the dwarfing bowl had -gone, was more graceful than anything he had ever seen. The young -lovers, too happy for words at this unexpected deliverance, could do -nothing but gaze at each other. - -The mother's purpose in covering her daughter's head with the hideous -bowl was at last made clear. Fearing that her daughter's beauty would -prove to be a peril to her, with no mother to watch over her, she had -hidden it thus, and the intensity of her wish had assumed supernatural -power, so that all attempts to remove it were useless till the moment -came when it was no longer needed; then it broke off of its own accord. - -At last the lovers stooped to pick up the pieces of the bowl, when to -their amazement they found the ground strewn with treasures and all that -a bride could possibly need for her portion. There were many gold -_kanzashi_ (ornamental pins for the hair), silver wine-cups, many -precious stones and gold coins, and a wedding-garment of twelve folded -_kimono_, and a _hakama_ of brilliant scarlet brocade. - -"Oh, surely," said the Princess, "these treasures must be what my mother -prepared for my marriage portion. Indeed a mother's tender love is above -everything!" - -She wept with mingled feelings of joy and pain,--pain of the remembrance -of her mother and joy at her present unlooked-for deliverance and the -certainty of future happiness. - -Saisho told her that there was now no need for her to leave the house. -She was not only a richly dowered bride, but now that her face was no -longer hidden by the hideous bowl, so beautiful that even a king would -be proud to wed her. She need no longer fear to be present at the coming -ceremony and feast. So they both turned back, and hastened to prepare -for the trial which awaited the Bowl-Wearer, but Bowl-Wearer now no -longer. - -As soon as day broke, the house was full of movement, servants hurrying -to and fro to usher in and wait upon the relations, who now began to -arrive. The murmur of their chattering was like the sound of breaking -waves on a distant shore, and the object of all this talk was nothing -else than the poor little Princess. The servants told every one that she -was in her room getting ready for the approaching feast, and they all -thought it strange that she had not fled away for shame. Little did they -dream of all that had happened to her! - -At last the hour of the "Bride Comparing Ceremony" arrived. The family -and the relations all took their places at the upper end of the big -guest-hall of thirty mats. - -First entered the bride of the eldest son. She was only twenty-two years -of age, and as it was the season of autumn, she wore a brightly coloured -kimono and walked into the room in a stately fashion, with her scarlet -hakama trailing over the cream mats behind her. Her costume was indeed -beautiful to behold! To her parents-in-law she brought gifts of ten -rolls of rich silk and two suits of the ceremonial gown called _kosode_ -(each _kosode_ consisting of twelve long _kimono_ folded one over the -other), all of which she placed on a fine lacquer tray to present them. - -Next came the bride of the second son. She was twenty years of age, and -was of the aristocratic type of beauty, thin and slender, with a long -pale oval face. She wore a heavy silk robe, and over this a flowing gown -of gold brocade. Her _hakama_ was embroidered profusely with crimson -plum-blossoms. She came into the room quietly, with a gentle bearing, -and offered as her gifts of presentation thirty suits of silk robes to -her husband's parents. - -Then came the bride of the third son. She was only eighteen years of -age. Quite different from the first two proud beauties, she was very -pretty and dainty, and though small had more sweetness and charm in her -manner than her sisters. Her dress was of rich silk embroidered with -cherry-blossoms. She presented thirty pieces of rare and handsome crape -to her parents-in-law. - -The three sat side by side in their conscious pride and prosperity, -their beauty enhanced by the sheen and splendour of their silken gowns. -As the father and mother, uncles and aunts and relations, all gazed -upon them, no one could say who deserved the palm of superiority, for -they were all lovely. - -At the lower end of the room, far away from every one else, was placed a -torn mat. It was the seat destined for the Bowl-Wearer. - -"We have seen the three elder brides of the house, and they are all so -handsome and so beautifully robed that we are sure there are no women to -compare with them in the whole province," said the relations. "Now it is -the turn of the Bowl-Wearer, who aspires to marry the youngest son of -the house. When she comes in with that ridiculous bowl on her head, let -us greet her with a burst of laughter!" - -The roomful of people eagerly waited for the Bowl-Wearer to come, even -as the birds sitting on the eaves of a house long for the morning. The -three brides were also curious to see the cripple girl of whom they had -heard so much. How dared such a creature aspire to become their sister? -they haughtily asked each other. - -But the mother felt differently. She in no wise wished to see the girl -appear, for she had arranged this day's ceremony, hoping that the -Bowl-Wearer, knowing herself to be a deformed beggar-maid, would be too -ashamed to appear before such a grand company and would flee away rather -than face the trial. On asking the servants, however, she was told that -she was still in the house, and she wondered what the girl could be -doing, and almost regretted what she had done. - -Lord Yamakage and his wife at last grew impatient and sent word to the -Bowl-Wearer that she was to hasten, as every one was waiting for her. - -The servants went to the back of the house where the Bowl-Wearer had her -little room of three mats, and gave her the message. - -"I am coming now," she answered from within the paper screens. - -The Princess now came out and entered the room of the "Bride Comparing -Ceremony," where every one was waiting for her. She was only sixteen -years of age, but so beautiful that she reminded them of the weeping -cherry-blossoms in the dew of a spring morning. Her hair was as black as -the sheen on a raven's wing, and her face was lovelier far than that of -any human being they had ever seen. Her under-robes were of rich white -silk, and her upper kimono was purple, embroidered with white and pink -plum-blossoms. As the stars pale before the fuller glory of the moon, so -the three elder brides shrank into insignificance beside the dazzling -beauty of this maiden. - -To all it seemed as if one of the _Amatsu Otome_ (heavenly virgins) who -wait upon the Goddess of Mercy had glided into the room. They had -expected to see a poverty-stricken girl with a large bowl stuck upside -down on the top of her head, and they were lost in astonishment when -they beheld the Princess in all the radiance of her loveliness and the -splendour of her rich clothes. - -The Princess was about to sit down in the seat left for her, but Lord -Yamakage made a place for her beside his wife, saying that he could not -allow her to sit in such a lowly spot. She now presented to her -father-in-law a silver wine-cup on a gold pedestal, with one hundred -_rye_ (old _yen_ in gold), and thirty rolls of silk which she brought in -on a beautiful tray. To his wife she presented the rarest and most -delectable fruit of ancient Japan, Konan oranges and Kempo pears, and -one hundred pieces of coloured cloth which she put upon a gold stand. - -In her surpassing beauty, in the grace of her carriage, in the richness -of her costume, in the sumptuousness of the gifts to her parents, she -left the other brides far and away behind. Speechless with wonder and -admiration, every one present could not but gaze at her. Before the -Bowl-Wearer had appeared, the three elder brides had seemed beautiful -enough, but now the difference was as marked as when a sparkling jewel -is placed side by side with a crystal; and as the crystal suffers from -the comparison, so did they. - -Saisho's elder brothers were looking between the cracks of the sliding -screens, and they were filled with envy at Saisho and his good fortune -in becoming the husband of such a beautiful princess, for such they now -felt she must be. Not even her rivals could deny that she was -bewilderingly fair to look upon; but they whispered among themselves -that unless she were skilled in all womanly accomplishments, for all her -beauty she would be no better than a common man's daughter. She must -play on the _koto_ at once. No one could perform on that instrument -without years of instruction. If they waited till the next day, who -knows, she was so clever that she might get Saisho to teach her. So the -jealous brides proposed aloud that they should all play a quartette; the -eldest would play the _biwa_ (lute), the second the _sho_ (flute), the -third the _tsuzumi_ (a kind of a small drum beaten with the hand), and -they asked the Bowl-Wearer to join them and play the _koto_ (harp). - -The Princess, who was very modest, at first refused; but on second -thoughts, she said to herself: "They ask me to do this because they wish -to try me, thinking me to be ignorant of such accomplishments. Well, -then, I will play, for my mother taught me." She pulled the _koto_ near -her, and slipping the ivory tips on her fingers began to stroke chords. -The astonishment of every one was great, for she played with great -skill. - -Saisho, who had hidden himself in the room behind a lacquer cabinet, and -was watching with the utmost eagerness all that went on, could hardly -keep in his hiding-place, he was so delighted. - -The three brides, who were quite put out of countenance, for their -performance could in no wise be compared to that of the little Princess, -now proposed that she should write a poem. - -"Write a poem, a _tanka_ [a poem of thirty-one syllables], which shall -describe the character of each season, such as the blooming of the peach -and the cherry-blossom in the spring, the orange and wistaria in summer, -and the beauty of the chrysanthemum in autumn." - -"Oh," said the Bowl-Wearer, "this is indeed a task too difficult for me. -Is there nothing else you will give me to do instead of this? I can take -care of the bath-room, and pull up water from the well, and heat the -bath. Since this is my daily occupation, how is it possible that I -should even know how to write a poem, much less compose one?" She -blushed as she spoke. - -But her rivals insisted, and so at last she took up a poem card and a -brush and wrote:-- - - Haru wa hana, - Natsu wa tachibana, - Aki wa kiku, - Izure to wakete, - Tsuyu ya okuran. - - The cherry-blossom of spring, - The orange-flower of summer, - The autumn chrysanthemum, - Perplexed between them all, - Alike on each the dew may fall. - -She showed not the least hesitation in writing these lines, and her -handwriting was so beautiful that even the famous Tofu[1] and her brush -could not have surpassed it. The three brides retired from the room, -grumbling and speaking evil of the Bowl-Wearer. - -"She must be a witch," they said. "Probably the spirit of the ancient -Tamamono Maye!" - -Lord Yamakage, now quite pleased with her, handed her a cup of _sake_. -He gave his full consent to her marrying his son Saisho, and bestowed -upon them as a settlement twenty-three hundred _cho_ of land, together -with twenty-four servants to wait upon them, and for their bridal -chamber he allotted them the Hall of Bamboos. - -So Saisho and the Bowl-Wearer were at last married, and all their -troubles ended. Never was there such a merry wedding, such a lovely -bride, or such a happy bridegroom. The days flew into weeks, the weeks -flew into months, for the flight of time is unnoticed when one is happy. - -At last one day Saisho said to his wife: "I cannot believe you to be the -daughter of a common man. Will you not tell me who your father is? I -should like to know. Whatever wrong you have suffered, why hide your -parentage any longer?" - -The Princess knew that if she told her husband the truth, the name of -her cruel stepmother would have to be mentioned, and it would be most -unfilial to speak of the woman's cruelty, for she was her father's wife, -so she decided not to tell Saisho to what family she belonged. She made -some excuse, saying that he should know all in good time, and begged him -to wait a little longer. - -[Illustration: SAISHO AND THE BOWL-WEARER WERE AT LAST MARRIED] - -When they had been happily married for a year, she gave birth to a son. -The bliss of the faithful young couple now seemed complete. Yet with her -ever-growing happiness her thoughts turned more and more to her father. -What had happened to him in these past years? How she longed to show him -her little son! She said to herself that if this were granted she would -be the happiest woman in the whole world. - -Now let us turn back and see what happened to Lord Minetaka and his -wicked wife. As time went on, her vicious disposition only became worse. -At last it became so unbearable that all the servants took their leave. -There was now no one left to care for her child or the house, and the -fortunes of the family gradually declined. Lord Minetaka became poorer -and poorer. Where once in the days of the first wife there had been -sweet peace and harmony, discord now reigned in the house. - -Lord Minetaka grew weary of his life. He decided to leave his home and -set out on a pilgrimage. He started at last to wander on foot from -province to province and from temple to temple, learning from the -priests all he could of Buddhist lore. He had plenty of time for -reflection; and no longer harassed by a scolding wife, he began to -ponder over his past life. No words can tell how much he regretted -having listened to her slanderous stories about his little daughter; and -when he thought of how he had allowed her to be driven from her home, -like an outcast or a beggar, his nights were sleepless. - -He asked himself every day what could have happened to her all this -time. He would search for her through the length and the breadth of the -land, and if she were still alive, he told himself that he would surely -meet with her again. In every temple he came to he prayed that he might -find her, wheresoever she might be. On and on he wandered over the -country, stopping for the night at the different villages he came to on -his way. - -At last he reached the famous Kwannon of the Hatsuse Temple, of the -Yamato Province. Kwannon, the Goddess of Mercy, grants to mortals -whatever they need the most, the greatest desire of their hearts. Here -Minetaka ardently prayed for his lost daughter, prayed that she might be -preserved from all ill, and that Kwannon would mercifully grant them a -speedy meeting. - -Saisho and his wife were devoted to this very temple, and often used to -visit it to offer thanksgiving for their mutual happiness, and to pray -for their children. Now this day, as was their wont, they had come with -their three little sons and some of their retainers. The little boys -were beautifully dressed in silk and crape, and the whole party had the -appearance of a nobleman and his retinue. - -The retainers went up the temple steps first to clear the way, and found -a pilgrim before the temple shrine lost in earnest prayer. - -"Oh, pilgrim!" they cried, "out of the way! Our lord comes to worship, -make way instantly!" - -The man, hearing himself spoken to in this way, got up and looked at the -approaching party, moving aside at the same time to let them pass. He -was travel-stained and worn out with fatigue, and it was easy to see -that he was broken down by some sorrow. As the little boys passed him, -he looked at them eagerly, and as he did so the tears fell from his -eyes. One of the retainers, who thought his behaviour strange, asked the -pilgrim why he wept. - -"Those children," answered Lord Minetaka, for it was he, "remind me so -much of my daughter, for whom I am searching, that when I looked at -their faces the tears fell in spite of myself;" and he told the man all -that had happened, glad for once to find a sympathetic listener on his -lonely wanderings. - -When the Princess heard the story, she told the retainers to bring the -pilgrim to her. As soon as they led him to her a glance was enough for -her to recognize that, aged and emaciated as he was, the pilgrim was -none other than her father. - -"I am the Bowl-Wearer!" she exclaimed quickly, catching hold of her -father's sleeve and bursting into tears, overcome with joy and filial -affection at this unexpected meeting. - -Saisho congratulated his wife and her father on their happy reunion, and -after many bows and salutations on both sides, he said: "I felt sure -that my wife was of noble birth, though she always remained silent when -I questioned her as to her parentage. Now I understand it all. So, after -all, she is the daughter of Lord Minetaka of Katano." - -He then insisted that his father-in-law should give up his wanderings -and make his home with them for the rest of his days. - -So Lord Minetaka at last found his good daughter married to one of his -own rank, and so happy that even in dreams he could have wished for -nothing better for her. What a joyous home-coming it was that day for -the Bowl-Wearer, as she led her father back with her and presented her -three little sons to him, and showed him her beautiful home, and told -him how good and faithful her husband had been to her while she was only -the unhappy and despised Bowl-Wearer! - -They all felt that their cup of happiness was full, and lived together -more harmoniously than ever, and in their mutual joy all past sorrow was -forgotten. - -Such is the story of the Bowl-Wearing Princess, which is told from -grandmother to mother and from mother to daughter in all households in -Japan. - - -[1] Tofu. A lady famous for her beautiful handwriting. - - - - -THE STORY OF LAZY TARO - - -Long, long ago, in the province of Shinano there lived a lad called -Monogusa Taro. Monogusa was not his surname. The word means "lazy," or -"good-for-nothing," and he was so nicknamed because by nature he was so -lazy that he would not even take the trouble to pick up anything that -was lying in the way. When the neighbours asked him to do something for -them, saying, "Do this," or "Do that," he would shrug his shoulders and -say, "It is really too much bother," and go away without attempting to -obey, or even wishing to be kind to those about him. - -At last all turned their backs on him, and would have nothing to do with -him. Strange to say, no one knew who his father or mother was, or from -where he had come. He seemed to be a waif and stray that had drifted -into the province of Shinano, and yet there was an air about him which -excited interest and respect. - -But this lazy lad, Monogusa Taro, had his dreams and ambitions. He -wanted to live in a large house. In his imagination he pictured this -house like a _daimio's_ palace. It was to stand in its own grounds and -be closed by four high walls, with large roofed gates opening out on -three sides of it. In the park-like garden he would have four miniature -lakes, laid out in the four directions, north, south, east, and west, -and each pond was to have an island in its centre, and dainty arched -bridges were to span the distances between the islands and the shores of -the little lakes. And oh! how beautiful the garden should be, with its -miniature hills and valleys, its tiny bamboo forests and dwarfed pine -trees, its rivulets and dells with little cascades. And he would keep -all kinds of singing-birds in the garden, the nightingale and the lark -and the cuckoo. And the house itself was to be large, with spacious -rooms hung with costly tapestries of brocade, and the ceilings were to -be inlaid with rare wood of fine markings, and the pillars supporting -the corridors must be adorned with silver and gold. And he would eat off -costly trays of lacquer, and the dishes and bowls should be of the -finest porcelain, and the servants who glided through the rooms to serve -him should be beautiful maidens clothed in silk and crape and brocade, -daughters of ancient families, glad to enter his house, so that they -might learn the etiquette and manners of a princely house. Such were the -day-dreams and visions of Lazy Taro. Once or twice he spoke of these -things to a kind neighbour who brought him food and little gifts, but -he was laughed to scorn for his pains, and so he kept silent henceforth -and dreamed only for himself. - -But he had to come down to stern reality. Instead of the grand palace -that he dreamed of building, he had to content himself with a little -shed by the roadside. Instead of the fine pillars of his visionary -palace he put up four bamboo posts; and in place of the grand walls he -hung up pieces of grass matting; and instead of the fine cream-white -mats on which the foot glides softly and noiselessly, he spread a common -straw mat. Here Lazy Taro lay day and night doing nothing, neither -working nor begging for his living, only dreaming away the hours and -building castles in the air of what he would do and have if only he were -rich. - -One day a near neighbour who felt sorry for the lad sent him by his -servant a present of five rice-dumplings. Lazy Taro was delighted. He -was in one of his dreamy moods and ate up four of them, without thinking -what he was about. When he came to the last one, somehow he suddenly -felt unwilling to part with it. He held it in his hand, and looked at it -for some minutes. It took him a long time to make up his mind whether he -would eat it or keep it. At last he decided to keep it until some one -was kind enough to send him something else. Lazy Taro, having made up -his mind on this point, lay down on his straw mat again to dream away -the hours with his foolish visions of future grandeur and to play with -the remaining rice-dumpling which he still held in his hand. He was -tossing it up and down when it slipped from his hand and went rolling -into the road. - -"How tiresome!" said Taro, looking after it wistfully as it lay in the -dusty road; but he was so terribly lazy that he would not stir out of -his place to pick it up. - -"It is too much trouble," said Lazy Taro; "some one is sure to come -along and pick it up for me." - -So he lay in his shed and watched the dumpling in the road. When a dog, -however, came along or a crow flew down to steal it, he drove them away -by making a noise or by flapping his sleeves at them. - -On the third day after this, the Governor of the District passed by on -his way home from hawking. He rode a fine horse and was followed by a -number of retainers. Now as Lazy Taro lay in his shed he saw the -Governor and his suite coming. - -"Now this is lucky!" said Taro. He did not care whether the approaching -man was the Governor of the Province or a daimio or not. When the -Governor was opposite the door of the hut Taro raised his voice and -called out to the rider, asking him to pick up his dumpling and bring it -to him. No notice whatever was taken of him. The procession of riders -went slowly by the hut. Then Taro called out still more loudly to make -them hear. - -"Ho, there!" he shouted, "will no one do what I ask? It can't be much -trouble to get down from your horse and pick up that dumpling for me!" - -Still no one heeded him. - -Then Taro got angry and shouted still more loudly: "What a lazy person -you must be!" - -Thus Taro arrogantly found fault with others, entirely forgetful of his -own laziness, and talked to those older and better than himself in this -hateful way. Had the Governor, whose attention was now directed to the -little shed by the roadside, been an ordinary man, he would have given -orders to his men to kill the presumptuous fellow on the spot; for a -_samurai_ of high rank in old Japan, in his domain and along the road, -possessed the power of life and death over the lower classes. When a -lord or any great dignitary rode abroad, the peasants and the farmers -bowed themselves in the dust as he passed by. They dared not lift up -their heads on pain of death. - -But this Governor was an unusual man, and renowned throughout the -district for his goodness and mildness of disposition. His curiosity too -was aroused at the queer proceeding. He had heard of the strange -Monogusa Taro, and he concluded that the boy in the hut must be he. So -the Governor got down from his horse, and sitting on a stool that one -of his retainers placed for him opposite the hut, said: "Are you -Monogusa Taro of whom the people talk?" - -Taro, not in the least afraid, answered boldly that he was. He did not -even move from his position on the mat to bow to the great man. He -behaved just as indifferently as if he were a lord speaking to a -servant. - -"You are indeed an interesting fellow," said the Governor. "Now tell me -what do you do to earn a living?" - -"As my name tells you," answered Lazy Taro, "I do nothing. I lie in this -shed night and day. I am Lazy Taro!" - -"Then you must get little to eat!" said the Governor. - -"It is exactly as you say!" answered Taro; "when the neighbours bring me -food, I eat it; but when I get nothing I lie in this shed night and day -just like this, sometimes for three and four and five days without -eating!" - -"I am very sorry for you," said the Governor. "Now if I give you a piece -of ground, will you till it and grow your own rice and vegetables? What -you do not want you might sell to the neighbours and so make a little -money." - -"You are very kind," answered Taro, "and I thank you; but it is too much -trouble to till the ground to get my own rice. Why should I when I can -get people to give me just enough to live upon? No, thank you, I beg to -be excused." - -"Well," said the Governor, "if you don't like the idea of tilling the -ground, I will give you some money to start in business. What do you say -to that?" - -"That would be too much trouble too, so I will remain as I am," said -Taro. - -The kind-hearted Governor could not but be astonished at the -good-for-nothing boy's answer, but he was a man of great patience, and -he felt sorry for Monogusa Taro. - -"You are," he said, "as everyone says, the laziest man in the whole of -Japan. In all my experience of all sorts and conditions of men, never -have I come across such a don't-care, happy-go-lucky creature as -yourself--but as it is your nature, I suppose there is no help for it. -Your condition is a pitiful one. I can't let you starve in my district ---which you certainly will do if you go on like this." - -Then the kind-hearted Governor took out a piece of paper from his -sleeve, and on this paper with brush and Indian ink he wrote an order to -the effect that the people of his dominion of Shinano were to provide -Monogusa Taro twice daily with three go of rice and a little _sake_ once -a day to cheer his spirits. Whoever disobeyed the order must quit the -district at once. This order the Governor had published and made known -throughout the whole province. - -To the people of the province it seemed a strange command, and they were -lost in amazement; but however strange they thought it, they had to obey -the Governor's order. So from that day on Taro was taken care of and fed -by his neighbours with rice and _sake_ daily. - -Time slipped slowly by in the rustic place, and for three years Taro -lived in ease and plenty, as free from care as the birds of the air. To -all appearance he was perfectly satisfied with himself and his useless -life, and he seemed to desire nothing better. - -At the end of three years the feudal _Daimio_ of Shinano, who always -lived in the capital, advertised for a man-servant who was young and -strong. One of Taro's kindest neighbours suggested that this was a good -opportunity for Taro to make a beginning and that he ought to apply for -the place. But others shook their heads and said that Taro was a -good-for-nothing fellow, who would never do any good in the world--he -would only be a trouble wherever he went. - -"Look," they said, "how he behaved to the good Governor, how he -dared--just think of it--to ask that great man to pick up the -rice-dumpling he had dropped in the road, because he was too atrociously -lazy to move out of his shed to get it for himself! Had the Governor -been any one else, he would have had him sworded to death on the Spot." - -But in spite of all the neighbours' croaking and grumbling, the first -man persisted in his idea that the right thing for Taro to do was to try -for the place, regardless of opposition. To every one who raised an -objection, he answered wisely: "Don't you know the saying that 'Stupid -people and scissors depend on the way they are used for their -usefulness'; so even this Lazy Taro may change for the better if he is -taken up to the capital and made to work. Let us all persuade him to go -into service, and let him for pity's sake have a try at something or -other. Who knows but this may prove the turning-point in his life? Taro -may yet become a useful hard-working man in time, if he is given his -proper chance." - -When the proposal was first made to Taro, he was very unwilling to do as -he was told. He said he knew nothing of the ways of a lord's house; and -how could he work, seeing that he was Lazy Taro, who had never done a -stroke of work in his life? But his neighbours and friends were -determined to make him go. Every day they came to his shed, and talked -to him, persuadingly, and at last Taro came round to reason and said -that, to please them, he would at any rate go and try to do his best--if -he failed, he couldn't help it. When Taro said this, his friends were -delighted, and said they would help him get ready. They gave him decent -clothes in which to make an appearance at the _Daimio's_ house and then -some money for the journey. In this way Lazy Taro left the rural -province of Shinano, where he had lived for so many years, and started -for the capital of Kyoto. Just as Tokyo is the seat of government -nowadays, so Kyoto was in olden times. The Emperor--the Son of Heaven, -as he was called--dwelt there in a magnificent palace, and all the great -_daimios_ lived near him in state, surrounded by their retainers. The -streets of the Imperial City were beautifully built and spotlessly -clean, and the houses were far grander than Taro had ever dreamed -of--with great sloping roofs and picturesque gates and park-like gardens -enclosing them. Very different indeed was the capital from the province -of Shinano, from which Taro had come. - -The Japanese have a saying, "As different as the moon and the turtle," -and what can be more utterly different from the Queen of Night, riding -above the clouds in her own bewitching radiance and beauty, attended by -innumerable stars, than the mud-burrowing turtle, who may sometimes be -seen crawling out from his slime to dry his back in the sunshine? As -Taro walked through the streets of the city of Kyoto, he thought of the -old proverb, and he said to himself that the Lady Moon was Kyoto and the -turtle his old-fashioned Shinano. - -Then he noticed how fair of skin the people he met were, for the -citizens of Kyoto are famous for their white complexions; and some say -it is the purity of the water that gives them such fair skins, while -others say that they are of a different race from the yellow-skinned -people of the rest of Japan. And how elegantly every one was dressed! - -Taro looked down at himself, and saw how dark his skin was, how long his -nails, and how rough his clothes were. For the first time in his life he -felt ashamed of himself, and repented of his past laziness. - -Now he remembered that one of his neighbours in Shinano, kinder and more -thoughtful than the rest, had put in his bamboo basket a silken suit of -clothes, saying that Taro would be sure to want it in the capital, and -that when Taro got on, as he felt sure, somehow or other, that he would, -he might pay him back. Recollecting this, Taro stopped at a teahouse and -changed his rough cotton suit for the silken one. Then he inquired for -the residence of Nijo-Dainagon, the Lord of Shinano, and having made his -way there, he entered the large gate and presented himself at the porch, -saying that he had come in answer to an advertisement of the Lord of -Shinano for a servant, and he begged to be made use of. - -When the lord of the house heard that a man had come from his own -province to ask for the vacant place in his household, he came out -himself to see Taro, and thanked him for his trouble in coming such a -long way. - -"Work well and diligently, and you will not find service in my house -hard or bad!" said Lord Nijo. - -Now, strange to relate, from the time that Lazy Taro was taken into the -service of this _Daimio_, a great change came over him. He was from this -time forth like another man. He showed great eagerness to please those -set over him and worked with great industry. Before any one else was -astir in the big household, he arose and swept the garden; he ran -errands more quickly than the other servants, and sat up late at night -to guard the gate. When Lord Nijo went out, Taro was the first to put -his sandals ready, and the most eager to accompany him. So assiduous, so -earnest was he in all he did, that his master was much impressed by his -faithfulness and industry. - -"How true is the proverb," said the _Daimio_, "that even the beautiful -lotus blooms in the slime of the pond, and that precious gems are found -in the sand. Who would have dreamt that this rustic would turn out to -be such a jewel of a servant? This Monogusa Taro is a clever fellow, -quite unlike any countryman I have ever seen." - -In this way Lazy Taro won the favour of his master, who gradually -promoted him from the position of a menial servant to the higher service -of a retainer. - -One day, soon after his promotion, Taro had been summoned to the inner -apartments to wait upon O Hime San, or the Honourable Princess, the -_Daimio's_ daughter. As he moved across the room, he fell over the -Princess's _koto_ and broke it. - -Now the Japanese have always considered it a virtue to repress their -feelings, whether they be feelings of joy or feelings of sorrow. No -matter what happens, one must learn to present an impassive countenance -to the world, whether the heart be bounding with joy or withering with -pain. Instead of making a display of your emotion, control it and -compose a poem or a beautiful sentence. Such is the training and -etiquette instilled by custom, and more especially amongst the upper -classes are these rules rigidly observed. - -Now the Princess was a very high-born damsel, so, though she was sorely -grieved when she saw that Taro had broken her favourite _koto_, instead -of betraying any anger or impatience, she expressed her grief in an -impromptu verse and repeated aloud:-- - - Kiyo yori wa - [Oh! from to-day] - Waga nagusami ni - [For my amusement] - Nani ka sen? - [What shall I do?] - -Then Taro, who was very, very sorry for the accident and for the -displeasure he knew he must have caused the Princess, was moved to the -heart, and the words of apology and regret suddenly rose to his lips, in -the form of the second half of the Princess's poem, and he said:-- - - Kotowari nareba - Mono mo iwarezu. - -This has two meanings, because of the play on the first word _kotowari_, -which means either a broken _koto_ or an excuse. So Taro's couplet meant -first that there was indeed good reason for the Princess's sorrow, and -that he had no excuse to offer; and secondly, that as the _koto_ was -broken, he had no words wherewith to excuse himself. - -The _Daimio_ was sitting in the adjoining room and heard Taro answer his -daughter in verse. His astonishment at finding that Taro was a poet was -great. "Certainly, appearances are deceptive," said the _Daimio_ to -himself. - -Now the next time that the Daimio went to Court, thinking to amuse the -Palace circles with Taro's story, he told them first how he had taken a -"potato-digger" (Japanese expression for a country bumpkin) into his -service, and then he told of the progress of the transformation of the -rough rustic, who had proved himself to be such a jewel, into a valuable -retainer, and last, and most astonishing of all, how Taro had turned out -to be a poet. Every one in the Palace listened to the tale with much -interest, and said that Taro's story was like a novel. - -At last this story reached the ears of the Emperor, who felt interested -in the poetical rustic, and he thought that he would like to see Taro; -for literary and poetic talent has always been held in high esteem in -Japan and has in a special manner enjoyed royal patronage. The Emperor -sent word to Lord Nijo that he was to bring Taro to the Palace. - -So the next time that Lord Nijo went up to the Palace he ordered Taro to -accompany him. So Taro at last had the highest honour that could befall -a mortal, for he was commanded to enter the august presence of the Son -of Heaven. - -The Emperor sat on a dais behind the closely slatted bamboo blinds, with -cords and tassels of gold and purple, so that he could see and not be -seen, for he was thought to be too sacred for the eyes of his subjects -to fall on him. - -The _Daimio_ Nijo prostrated himself before the throne three times, and -then presented Taro. The Emperor, from behind the screen that hid him -from view, deigned at last to speak, and this is what he said:-- - -"I hear that you are a poet. Therefore compose a verse for me on the -spot!" - -Taro obeyed without any hesitation whatsoever. Looking about him for a -moment for inspiration, he happened to glance into the garden, where he -saw a nightingale alight on a blossoming plum tree, and begin to warble. -So he made the nightingale and the plum tree the subject of his poem:-- - - Uguisu no - Nuretaru koe no - Kokoyuru wa - Ume no hanagasa - Moru ya harusame. - -The meaning of this little poem of thirty-one syllables is that the -nightingale's voice sounds tearful or moist because the flower-umbrella -of the plum-blossoms lets through the spring rain, which damps the body -of the bird sitting among the branches. - -The Emperor was pleasingly impressed with Taro's talent and facility in -expressing his graceful thoughts, and addressed him again, saying: "I -hear you came from Shinano? How do you call plum-blossoms [ume-no-hana] -there?" - -Then Taro answered the royal question again, saying in verse:-- - - Shinano ni wa - Baika to iu mo - Ume no hana - Miyako no koto wa - Ikaga aruran. - -"In Shinano we call the plum-blossom '_baika_,' but of what they may -call it in the capital I know nothing." - -In this way Taro humbly confessed his ignorance of the ways of the -capital. - -"You are indeed a clever poet," said the Emperor, "and you must be -descended from a good family. Tell me who was your father? Do you know?" - -"I have no ancestors that I know of!" said Taro. - -"Then I shall command that the Governor of Shinano make inquiries about -you," said the Emperor; and therewith he commanded his courtiers to -despatch a messenger to the far-away province of Shinano, with -instructions to find out all he could about Lazy Taro and his parents. - -After some time the Governor of Shinano learned through an old priest -who Monogusa Taro really was, and the discovery was a startling one. - -It appeared that many years before, a Prince of the Imperial House had -been banished from Court circles and had come to the Temple of Zenkoji -in Shinano. The Prince was accompanied by his consort. The royal young -couple made this pilgrimage to pray Heaven for a child, for they were -both sorrowful at being childless. Their prayers were answered by the -birth of a son within the year. This son was Taro. When the infant was -but three years old, his parents died and the child was left with no one -but the old priest to take care of him. When Taro was only seven years -old, he strayed away from his guardian and was lost. - -The royal couple had kept their secret well, and the old priest had only -discovered who Taro was by finding some letters hidden away behind the -Buddhist altar. Taro was the grandson of the Emperor Kusabuka, the -second son of the Emperor Nimmu, the fifty-third Emperor of Japan. -Taro's father had been banished for some misdemeanour at Court, and had -hidden himself in disgrace in the rustic province of Shinano in the -heart of the country, far from the gay capital and all who knew him. -Thus it was that no one knew where Monogusa Taro had come from, who he -was, or anything about him at all, and he had grown up like a common -peasant, ignorant of his high estate and the exalted circle to which he -belonged. - -You may imagine the surprise of the Emperor when he learned that Taro -was descended from the Royal Family. It was no wonder that he had shown -such noble qualities as faithful service to his lord and love of poetry. -His Majesty now bestowed upon Taro the highest official rank, and made -him Governor of the provinces of Shinano and Kai. - -Now Monogusa Taro returned to Shinano, the old province which had -harboured him in his days of poverty--in great state he returned. No -longer as Lazy Taro, the good-for-nothing rascal who lived in a straw -shed, content with living upon the charity of his neighbours and -friends, or whoever chose to take pity upon him, but as the new -Governor, the man who through industry and faithfulness had won the -esteem of Lord Nijo, and who through him was presented at Court. Once at -Court, his talent for writing verses had aroused the interest of the -Emperor, whose inquiries had established his high birth. - -And so, greater than all expectations and more wonderful than dreams, -had the transformation of Lazy Taro been. No longer a despised beggar by -the roadside, he was now an honoured man, created new Lord of the -Province by the Emperor. Nor did he now forget in these changed -circumstances the kindness that had been shown to him in former times. -He repaid and rewarded all those who had ministered to his wants in the -days of his vagrancy; he forgot no one--neither those who had given him -rice, nor those who had interested themselves in his going to Kyoto, nor -those who had prepared him for his journey. He paid a visit to his old -friend and benefactor, the ex-Governor, now retired from active -service, and took him many handsome gifts. His visions of a fine house -were now realized, for he lived in just such a palace as he had seen in -his day-dreams by the wayside. The palace had sloping roofs, just as you -see in old Japanese pictures; it stood in the midst of beautiful -gardens, surrounded by high walls and approached by three large gates. -Lord Nijo gave him one of his daughters in marriage, and Monogusa Taro -lived happily to the great age of one hundred and twenty years, and he -left the world beloved, honoured, and lamented by all who knew him. Such -is the wonderful and happy-ending story of Lazy Taro. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Warriors of Old Japan and Other Stories, by -Yei Theodora Ozaki - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WARRIORS OF OLD JAPAN *** - -***** This file should be named 41437.txt or 41437.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/1/4/3/41437/ - -Produced by Marc D'Hooghe at http://www.freeliterature.org -(Images generously made available by the Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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