[Illustration: HOW THE SUN-GODDESS WAS ENTICED OUT OF HER CAVE. ]

JAPANESE

FAIRY WORLD. 

STORIES FROM THE WONDER-LORE OF JAPAN. 

BY

WILLIAM ELLIOT GRIFFIS, AUTHOR OF "THE MIKADO'S EMPIRE. "

ILLUSTRATED BY OZAWA, OF TOKIO. 

LONDON:

TRÜBNER & CO. , LUDGATE HILL. 

1887. 

PREFACE. 

 The thirty-four stories included within this volume do not illustrate the bloody, revengeful or licentious elements, with which Japanese popular, and juvenile literature is saturated. These have been carefully avoided. 

 It is also rather with a view to the artistic, than to the literary, products of the imagination of Japan, that the selection has been made. From my first acquaintance, twelve years ago, with Japanese youth, I became an eager listener to their folk lore and fireside stories. When later, during a residence of nearly four years among the people, my eyes were opened to behold the wondrous fertility of invention, the wealth of literary, historic and classic allusion, of pun, myth and riddle, of heroic, wonder, and legendary lore in Japanese art, I at once set myself to find the source of the ideas expressed in bronze and porcelain, on lacquered cabinets, fans, and even crape paper napkins and tidies. Sometimes I discovered the originals of the artist's fancy in books, sometimes only in the mouths of the people and professional story-tellers. Some of these stories I first read on the tattooed limbs and bodies of the native foot-runners, others I first saw in flower-tableaux at the street floral shows of Tokio. Within this book the reader will find translations, condensations of whole books, of interminable romances, and a few sketches by the author embodying Japanese ideas, beliefs and superstitions. I have taken no more liberty, I think, with the native originals, than a modern story-teller of Tokio would himself take, were he talking in an American parlor, instead of at his bamboo-curtained stand in Yanagi Cho, (Willow Street, ) in the mikado's capital. 

 Some of the stories have appeared in English before, but most of them are printed for the first time. A few reappear from _The Independent_ and other periodicals. 

 The illustrations and cover-stamp, though engraved in New York by Mr. Henry W. Troy, were, with one exception, drawn especially for this work, by my artist-friend, Ozawa Nankoku, of Tokio. The picture of Yorimasa, the Archer, was made for me by one of my students in Tokio. 

 Hoping that these harmless stories that have tickled the imagination of Japanese children during untold generations, may amuse the big and little folks of America, the writer invites his readers, in the language of the native host as he points to the chopsticks and spread table, _O agari nasai_ W. E. G. SCHENECTADY, N. Y. , Sept. 28th, 1880. 

 CONTENTS. 

 I. The Meeting of the Star Lovers. 

 II. The Travels of Two Frogs. 

 III. The Child of the Thunder. 

 IV. The Tongue-cut Sparrow. 

 V. The Fire-fly's Lovers. 

 VI. The Battle of the Ape and the Crab. 

 VII. The Wonderful Tea-Kettle. 

 VIII. Peach-Prince and the Treasure Island. 

 IX. The Fox and the Badger. 

 X. The Seven Patrons of Happiness. 

 XI. Daikoku and the Oni. 

 XII. Benkei and the Bell. 

 XIII. Little Silver's Dream of the Shoji. 

 XIV. The Tengus, or the Elves with Long Noses. 

 XV. Kintaro, or the Wild Baby. 

 XVI. Jiraiya, or the Magic Frog. 

 XVII. How the Jelly-Fish Lost its Shell. 

 XVIII. Lord Cuttle-Fish Gives a Concert. 

 XIX. Yorimasa, the Brave Archer. 

 XX. Watanabé cuts off the Oni's Arm. 

 XXI. Watanabé Kills the Great Spider. 

 XXII. Raiko and the Shi Ten Doji. 

 XXIII. The Sazayé and the Tai. 

 XXIV. Smells and Jingles. 

 XXV. The Lake of the Lute and the Matchless Mountain. 

 The Waterfall of Yoro, or the Fountain of Youth. 

 XXVI. The Earthquake Fish. 

 XXVII. The Dream Story of Gojiro. 

 XXVIII. The Procession of Lord Long-Legs. 

 XXIX. Kiyohimé, or the Power of Love. 

 XXX. The Fisherman and the Moon-Maiden. 

 XXXI. The Jewels of the Ebbing and the Flowing Tide. 

 XXXII. Kai Riu O, or the Dragon King of the World Under the Sea. 

 XXXIII. The Creation of Heaven and Earth. 

 XXXIV. How the Sun Goddess was Enticed out of her Cave. 

 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 

 1. Kanamé holding down the great Earthquake Fish, _Stamp on cover_. 

 2. How the Sun-goddess was enticed out of her Cave, _Frontispiece_. 

 3. The Star-lovers Meeting on the Bridge of Birds, Faces page 6. 

 4. The Egg, Wasp and Mortar attack the Monkey, " " 54. 

 5. The Oni submitting to Peach Prince " " 70. 

 6. The Monkeys in Grief, " " 150. 

 7. Yorimasa and the Night-beast, " " 176. 

 8. The Fish Stall in Tokio, " " 204. 

 9. A Jingle for a Sniff, " " 206. 

 10. The Ascent of the Dragon's Gate, " " 234. 

 11. The Sorceress Melting the Bell, " " 262. 

 12. The Dragon King's Gift of the Tide Jewels, " " 288. 

THE MEETING OF THE STAR-LOVERS. 

One of the greatest days in the calendar of old Japan was the seventh ofJuly; or, as the Japanese people put it, "the seventh day of the seventhmonth. " It was a vermilion day in the almanacs, to which every childlooked forward with eyes sparkling, hands clapping, and fingers counting, as each night rolled the time nearer. All manner of fruits and othereatable vegetables were prepared, and cakes baked, in the household. Theboys plucked bamboo stalks, and strung on their branches bright-coloredribbons, tinkling bells, and long streamers of paper, on which poetrywas written. On this night, mothers hoped for wealth, happiness, goodchildren, and wisdom. The girls made a wish that they might becomeskilled in needlework. Only one wish a year, however, could be made. So, if any one wanted several things--health, wealth, skill in needlework, wisdom, etc. --they must wait many years before all the favors could begranted. Above all things, rainy weather was not desired. It was a "goodsign" when a spider spun his web over a melon, or, if put in a square boxhe should weave a circular web. Now, the cause of all this preparationwas that on the seventh of July the Herd-boy star and the Spinning Maidenstar cross the Milky Way to meet each other. These are the stars which wecall Capricornus and Alpha Lyra. These stars that shine and glitter sofar up in the zenith, are the boy with an ox and the girl with ashuttle, about whom the story runs as follows:

 * * * * *

On the banks of the Silver River of Heaven (which we call the Milky Way)there lived a beautiful maiden, who was the daughter of the sun. Her namewas Shokujo. She did not care for games or play, like her companions, and, thinking nothing of vain display, wore only the simplest of dress. Yet she was very diligent, and made many garments for others. Indeed, sobusy was she that all called her the Weaving or Spinning Princess. 

The sun-king noticed the serious disposition and close habits of hisdaughter, and tried in various ways to get her to be more lively. At lasthe thought to marry her. As marriages in the star-land are usuallyplanned by the parents, and not by the foolish lover-boys and girls, hearranged the union without consulting his daughter. The young man on whomthe sun-king thus bestowed his daughter's hand was Kingin, who kept aherd of cows on the banks of the celestial stream. He had always been agood neighbor, and, living on the same side of the river, the fatherthought he would get a nice son-in-law, and at the same time improve hisdaughter's habits and disposition. 

No sooner did the maiden become wife than her habits and characterutterly changed for the worse, and the father had a very vexatious caseof _tadashiku suguru_ ("too much of a good thing") on his hands. The wifebecame not only very merry and lively, but utterly forsook loom andneedle. She gave up her nights and days to play and idleness, and nosilly lover could have been more foolish than she. 

The sun-king became very much offended at all this, and thinking that thehusband was the cause of it, he determined to separate the couple. So heordered the husband to remove to the other side of the river of stars, and told him that hereafter they should meet only once a year, on theseventh night of the seventh month. To make a bridge over the flood ofstars, the sun-king called myriads of magpies, which thereupon flewtogether, and, making a bridge, supported him on their wings and backs asif it were a roadway of solid land. So, bidding his weeping wifefarewell, the lover-husband sorrowfully crossed the River of Heaven. Nosooner had he set foot on the opposite side than the magpies flew away, filling all the heavens with their chatter. The weeping wife andlover-husband stood for a long time wistfully gazing at each other fromafar. Then they separated, the one to lead his ox, the other to ply hershuttle during the long hours of the day with diligent toil. Thus theyfilled the hours, and the sun-king again rejoiced in his daughter'sindustry. 

But when night fell, and all the lamps of heaven were lighted, the loverswould come and stand by the banks of the starry river, and gaze longinglyat each other, waiting for the seventh night of the seventh month. 

At last the time drew near, and only one fear possessed the loving wife. Every time she thought of it her heart played pit-a-pat faster. What ifit should rain? For the River of Heaven is always full to the brim, andone extra drop of rain causes a flood which sweeps away even thebird-bridge. 

[Illustration: THE STAR-LOVERS MEETING ON THE BRIDGE OF BIRDS. ]

But not a drop fell. The seventh month, seventh night, came, and all theheavens were clear. The magpies flew joyfully in myriads, making one wayfor the tiny feet of the little lady. Trembling with joy, and with heartfluttering more than the bridge of wings, she crossed the River ofHeaven, and was in the arms of her husband. This she did every year. Thelover-husband stayed on his side of the river, and the wife came to himon the magpie bridge, save on the sad occasion when it rained. So everyyear the people hope for clear weather, and the happy festival iscelebrated alike by old and young. 

THE TRAVELS OF TWO FROGS. 

Forty miles apart, as the cranes fly, stand the great cities of Ozaka andKioto. The one is the city of canals and bridges. Its streets are full ofbustling trade, and its waterways are ever alive with gondolas, shootinghither and thither like the wooden shuttles in a loom. The other is thesacred city of the Mikado's empire, girdled with green hills and anine-fold circle of flowers. In its quiet, clean streets, laid out like achessboard, walk the shaven monks and gowned scholars. And very beautifulis Kioto, with pretty girls, and temple gardens, and castle walls, andtowers, and moats in which the white lotus blooms. 

 * * * * *

Long, long ago, in the good old days before the hairy-faced andpale-cheeked men from over the Sea of Great Peace (Pacific Ocean) came toJapan; before the black coal-smoke and snorting engine scared the whiteheron from the rice-fields; before black crows and fighting sparrows, which fear not man, perched on telegraph wires, or ever a railway wasthought of, there lived two frogs--one in a well in Kioto, the other in alotus-pond in Ozaka. 

Now it is a common proverb in the Land of the Gods (Japan) that "the frogin the well knows not the great ocean, " and the Kioto frog had so oftenheard this scornful sneer from the maids who came to draw out water, withtheir long bamboo-handled buckets that he resolved to travel abroad andsee the world, and especially the _tai kai_ (the great ocean). 

"I'll see for myself, " said Mr. Frog, as he packed his wallet and wipedhis spectacles, "what this great ocean is that they talk about. I'llwager it isn't half as deep or wide as well, where I can see the starseven at daylight. "

Now the truth was, a recent earthquake had greatly reduced the depth ofthe well and the water was getting very shallow. Mr. Frog informed hisfamily of his intentions. Mrs. Frog wept a great deal; but, drying hereyes with her paper handkerchief, she declared she would count the hourson her fingers till he came back, and at every morning and evening mealwould set out his table with food on it, just as if he were home. Shetied up a little lacquered box full of boiled rice and snails for hisjourney, wrapped it around with a silk napkin, and, putting his extraclothes in a bundle, swung it on his back. Tying it over his neck, heseized his staff and was ready to go. 

"_Sayonara_" ("Good-bye") cried he, as, with a tear in his eye, he walkedaway. 

"_Sayonara. Oshidzukani_" ("Good-bye. Walk slowly"), croaked Mrs. Frogand the whole family of young frogs in a chorus. 

Two of the froggies were still babies, that is, they were yet polywogs, with a half inch of tail still on them; and, of course, were carriedabout by being strapped on the back of their older brothers. 

Mr. Frog being now on land, out of his well, noticed that the otheranimals did not leap, but walked on their legs. And, not wishing to beeccentric, he likewise began briskly walking upright on his hind legs orwaddling on all fours. 

Now it happened that about the same time the Ozaka father frog had becomerestless and dissatisfied with life on the edges of his lotus-ditch. Hehad made up his mind to "cast the lion's cub into the valley. "

"Why! that _is_ tall talk for a frog, I must say, " exclaims the reader. "What did he mean?"

I must tell you that the Ozaka frog was a philosopher. Right at the edgeof his lotus-pond was a monastery, full of Buddhist monks, who every daystudied their sacred rolls and droned over the books of Confucius, tolearn them by heart. Our frog had heard them so often that he could (infrog language, of course) repeat many of their wise sentences and intoneresponses to their evening prayers put up by the great idol Amida. Indeed, our frog had so often listened to their debates on texts from theclassics that he had himself become a sage and a philosopher. Yet, asthe proverb says, "the sage is not happy. "

Why not? In spite of a soft mud-bank, plenty of green scum, stagnantwater, and shady lotus leaves, a fat wife and a numerous family; inshort, everything to make a frog happy, his forehead, or rather gullet, was wrinkled with care from long pondering of knotty problems, such asthe following:

The monks often come down to the edge of the pond to look at the pink andwhite lotus. One summer day, as a little frog, hardly out of his tadpolestate, with a small fragment of tail still left, sat basking on a hugeround leaf, one monk said to the other:

"Of what does that remind you?"

"The babies of frogs will become but frogs, " said one shaven pate, laughing. 

"What think you?"

"The white lotus flower springs out of the black mud, " said the other, solemnly, as both walked away. 

The old frog, sitting near by, overheard them and began to philosophize:"Humph! The babies of frogs will become but frogs, hey? If mud becomeslotus, why shouldn't a frog become a man? Why not? If my pet son shouldtravel abroad and see the world--go to Kioto, for instance--why shouldn'the be as wise as those shining-headed men, I wonder? I shall try it, anyhow. I'll send my son on a journey to Kioto. I'll 'cast the lion's cubinto the valley' (send the pet son abroad in the world, to see and study)at once. I'll deny myself for the sake of my offspring. "

Flump! splash! sounded the water, as a pair of webby feet disappeared. The "lion's cub" was soon ready, after much paternal advice, and muchcounsel to beware of being gobbled up by long-legged storks, and trod onby impolite men, and struck at by bad boys. "_Kio ni no inaka_" ("Even inthe capital there are boors") said Father Frog. 

Now it so happened that the old frog from Kioto and the "lion's cub" fromOzaka started each from his home at the same time. Nothing of importanceoccurred to either of them until, as luck would have it, they met on ahill near Hashimoto, which is half way between the two cities. Both werefootsore, and websore, and very tired, especially about the hips, onaccount of the unfroglike manner of walking, instead of hopping, as theyhad been used to. 

"_Ohio gozarimasu_" ("Good-morning") said the "lion's cub" to the oldfrog, as he fell on all fours and bowed his head to the ground threetimes, squinting up over his left eye, to see if the other frog waspaying equal deference in return. 

"_He, konnichi wa_" ("Yes, good-day") replied the Kioto frog. 

"_O tenki_" ("It is rather fine weather to-day") said the "cub. "

"_He, yoi tenki gozence_" ("Yes, it is very fine") replied the oldfellow. 

"I am Gamataro, from Ozaka, the oldest son of Hiki Dono, Sensui no Kami"(Lord Bullfrog, Prince of the Lotus-Ditch). 

"Your Lordship must be weary with your journey. I am Kayeru San ofIdomidzu (Sir Frog of the Well) in Kioto. I started out to see the 'greatocean' from Ozaka; but, I declare, my hips are so dreadfully tired that Ibelieve that I'll give up my plan and content myself with a look fromthis hill. "

The truth must be owned that the old frog was not only on his hind legs, but also on his last legs, when he stood up to look at Ozaka; while the"cub" was tired enough to believe anything. The old fellow, wiping hisface, spoke up:

"Suppose we save ourselves the trouble of the journey. This hill is halfway between the two cities, and while I see Ozaka and the sea you can geta good look of the Kio" (Capital, or Kioto). 

"Happy thought!" said the Ozaka frog. 

Then both reared themselves upon their hind-legs, and stretching upontheir toes, body to body, and neck to neck, propped each other up, rolledtheir goggles and looked steadily, as they supposed, on the places whichthey each wished to see. Now everyone knows that a frog has eyes mountedin that part of his head which is FRONT WHEN HE IS DOWN AND BACK WHEN HESTANDS UP. They are set like a compass on gimbals. 

Long and steadily they gazed, until, at last, their toes being tired, they fell down on all fours. 

"I declare!" said the old _yaze_ (daddy) "Ozaka looks just like Kioto;and as for 'the great ocean' those stupid maids talked about, I don't seeany at all, unless they mean that strip of river that looks for all theworld like the Yodo. I don't believe there is any 'great ocean'!"

"As for my part, " said the 'cub', "I am satisfied that it's all folly togo further; for Kioto is as like Ozaka as one grain of rice is likeanother. " Then he said to himself: "Old Totsu San (my father) is a fool, with all his philosophy. "

Thereupon both congratulated themselves upon the happy labor-savingexpedient by which they had spared themselves a long journey, muchleg-weariness, and some danger. They departed, after exchanging manycompliments; and, dropping again into a frog's hop, they leaped back inhalf the time--the one to his well and the other to his pond. There eachtold the story of both cities looking exactly alike; thus demonstratingthe folly of those foolish folks called men. As for the old gentleman inthe lotus-pond, he was so glad to get the "cub" back again that he neveragain tried to reason out the problems of philosophy. And to this day thefrog in the well knows not and believes not in the "great ocean. " Stilldo the babies of frogs become but frogs. Still is it vain to teach thereptiles philosophy; for all such labor is "like pouring water in afrog's face. " Still out of the black mud springs the glorious white lotusin celestial purity, unfolding its stainless petals to the smilingheavens, the emblem of life and resurrection. 

THE CHILD OF THE THUNDER. 

In among the hills of Echizen, within sight of the snowy mountain calledHakuzan, lived a farmer named Bimbo. He was very poor, but frugal andindustrious. He was very fond of children though he had none himself. Helonged to adopt a son to bear his name, and often talked the matter overwith his old dame. But being so dreadfully poor both thought it best notto adopt, until they had bettered their condition and increased the areaof their land. For all the property Bimbo owned was the earth in a littlegully, which he himself was reclaiming. A tiny rivulet, flowing from aspring in the crevice of the rocks above, after trickling over theboulders, rolled down the gully to join a brook in the larger valleybelow. Bimbo had with great labor, after many years, made dams orterraces of stone, inside which he had thrown soil, partly got from themountain sides, but mainly carried in baskets on the backs of himself andhis wife, from the valley below. By such weary toil, continued year inand year out, small beds of soil were formed, in which rice could beplanted and grown. The little rivulet supplied the needful water; forrice, the daily food of laborer and farmer, must be planted andcultivated in soft mud under water. So the little rivulet, which onceleaped over the rock and cut its way singing to the valley, now spreaditself quietly over each terrace, making more than a dozen descentsbefore it reached the fields below. 

Yet after all his toil for a score of years, working every day from thefirst croak of the raven, until the stars came out, Bimbo and his wifeowned only three _tan_ (3/4 acre) of terrace land. Sometimes a summerwould pass, and little or no rain fall. Then the rivulet dried up andcrops failed. It seemed all in vain that their backs were bent and theirforeheads seamed and wrinkled with care. Many a time did Bimbo have hardwork of it even to pay his taxes, which sometimes amounted to half hiscrop. Many a time did he shake his head, muttering the discouragedfarmer's proverb "A new field gives a scant crop, " the words of whichmean also, "Human life is but fifty years. "

One summer day after a long drought, when the young rice sprouts, justtransplanted were turning yellow at the tips, the clouds began to gatherand roll, and soon a smart shower fell, the lightning glittered, and thehills echoed with claps of thunder. But Bimbo, hoe in hand, was so gladto see the rain fall, and the pattering drops felt so cool andrefreshing, that he worked on, strengthening the terrace to resist thelittle flood about to come. 

 * * * * *

Pretty soon the storm rattled very near him, and he thought he had betterseek shelter, lest the thunder should strike and kill him. For Bimbo, like all his neighbors, had often heard stories of Kaijin, the god of thethunder-drums, who lives in the skies and rides on the storm, andsometimes kills people by throwing out of the clouds at them a terriblecreature like a cat, with iron-like claws and a hairy body. 

Just as Bimbo threw his hoe over his shoulder and started to move, aterrible blinding flash of lightning dazzled his eyes. It was immediatelyfollowed by a deafening crash, and the thunder fell just in front of him. He covered his eyes with his hands, but finding himself unhurt, uttered aprayer of thanks to Buddha for safety. Then he uncovered his eyes andlooked down at his feet. 

There lay a little boy, rosy and warm, and crowing in the most livelymanner, and never minding the rain in the least. The farmer's eyes openedvery wide, but happy and nearly surprised out of his senses, he picked upthe child tenderly in his arms, and took him home to his old wife. 

"Here's a gift from Raijin, " said Bimbo. "We'll adopt him as our own sonand call him Rai-taro, " (the first-born darling of the thunder). 

So the boy grew up and became a very dutiful and loving child. He was askind and obedient to his foster-parents as though he had been born intheir house. He never liked to play with other children, but kept all dayin the fields with his father, sporting with the rivulet and looking atthe clouds and sky. Even when the strolling players of the Dai Kagura(the comedy which makes the gods laugh) and the "Lion of Corea" came intothe village, and every boy and girl and nurse and woman was sure to beout in great glee, the child of the thunder stayed up in the field, orclimbed on the high rocks to watch the sailing of the birds and theflowing of the water and the river far away. 

Great prosperity seemed to come to the farmer, and he laid it all to thesweet child that fell to him from the clouds. It was very curious thatrain often fell on Bimbo's field when none fell elsewhere; so that Bimbogrew rich and changed his name to Kanemochi. He believed that the boyRaitaro beckoned to the clouds, and they shed their rain for him. 

A good many summers passed by, and Raitaro had grown to be a tall andhandsome lad, almost a man and eighteen years old. On his birthday theold farmer and the good wife made a little feast for their foster-child. They ate and drank and talked of the thunder-storm, out of which Raitarowas born. 

Finally the young man said solemnly:

"My dear parents, I thank you very much for your kindness to me, but Imust now say farewell. I hope you will always be happy. "

Then, in a moment, all trace of a human form disappeared, and floatingin the air, they saw a tiny white dragon, which hovered for a momentabove them, and then flew away. The old couple went out of doors to watchit, when it grew bigger and bigger, taking its course to the hills above, where the piled-up white clouds, which form on a summer's afternoon, seemed built up like towers and castles of silver. Towards one of thesethe dragon moved, until, as they watched his form, now grown to a mightysize, it disappeared from view. 

After this Kanemochi and his wife, who were now old and white-headed, ceased from their toil and lived in comfort all their days. When theydied and their bodies were reduced to a heap of white cinders in thestone furnace of the village cremation-house, their ashes were mixed, andbeing put into one urn, were laid away in the cemetery of the templeyard. Their tomb was carved in the form of a white dragon, which to thisday, in spite of mosses and lichens, may still be seen among the ancientmonuments of the little hamlet. 

THE TONGUE-CUT SPARROW. 

There was once an old man who had a wife with a very bad temper. She hadnever borne him any children, and would not take the trouble to adopt ason. So for a little pet he kept a tiny sparrow, and fed it with greatcare. The old dame not satisfied with scolding her husband hated thesparrow. 

Now the old woman's temper was especially bad on wash days, when her oldback and knees were well strained over the low tub, which rested on theground. 

It happened once that she had made some starch, and set it in a redwooden bowl to cool. While her back was turned, the sparrow hopped downon the edge of the bowl, and pecked at some of the starch. In a rage theold hag seized a pair of scissors and cut the sparrow's tongue out. Flinging the bird in the air she cried out, "Now be off. " So the poorsparrow, all bleeding, flew away. 

When the old man came back and found his pet gone, he made a great ado. He asked his wife, and she told him what she had done and why. Thesorrowful old man grieved sorely for his pet, and after looking in everyplace and calling it by name, gave it up as lost. 

Long after this, old man while wandering on the mountains met his oldfriend the sparrow. They both cried "Ohio!" (good morning, ) to eachother, and bowing low offered many mutual congratulations and inquiriesas to health, etc. Then the sparrow begged the old man to visit hishumble abode, promising to introduce his wife and two daughters. 

The old man went in and found a nice little house with a bamboo garden, tiny waterfall, stepping stone and everything complete. Then Mrs. Sparrowbrought in slices of sugar-jelly, rock-candy, sweet potato custard, and abowl of hot starch sprinkled with sugar, and a pair of chopsticks on atray. Miss Suzumi, the elder daughter brought the tea caddy and tea-pot, and in a snap of the fingers had a good cup of tea ready, which sheoffered on a tray, kneeling. 

"Please take up and help yourself. The refreshments are very poor, but Ihope you will excuse our plainness, " said Mother Sparrow. The delightedold man, wondering in himself at such a polite family of sparrows, ateheartily, and drank several cups of tea. Finally, on being pressed heremained all night. 

For several days the old man enjoyed himself at the sparrow's home. Helooked at the landscapes and the moonlight, feasted to his heart'scontent, and played _go_ (the game of 360 checkers) with Ko-suzumi thelittle daughter. In the evening Mrs. Sparrow would bring out therefreshments and the wine, and seat the old man on a silken cushion, while she played the guitar. Mr. Sparrow and his two daughters danced, sung and made merry. The delighted old man leaning on the velvet arm-restforgot his cares, his old limbs and his wife's tongue, and felt like ayouth again. 

On the fifth day the old man said he must go home. Then the sparrowbrought out two baskets made of plaited rattan, such as are used intraveling and carried on men's shoulders. Placing them before theirguest, the sparrow said, "Please accept a parting gift. "

Now one basket was very heavy, and the other very light. The old man, notbeing greedy, said he would take the lighter one. So with many thanks andbows and good-byes, he set off homewards. 

He reached his hut safely, but instead of a kind welcome the old hagbegan to scold him for being away so long. He begged her to be quiet, andtelling of his visit to the sparrows, opened the basket, while thescowling old woman held her tongue, out of sheer curiosity. 

Oh, what a splendid sight! There were gold and silver coin, and gems, andcoral, and crystal, and amber, and the never-failing bag of money, andthe invisible coat and hat, and rolls of books, and all manner ofprecious things. 

At the sight of so much wealth, the old hag's scowl changed to a smile ofgreedy joy. "I'll go right off and get a present from the sparrows, " saidshe. 

So binding on her straw sandals, and tucking up her skirts, and adjustingher girdle, tying the bow in front, she seized her staff and set off onthe road. Arriving at the sparrow's house she began to flatter Mr. Sparrow by soft speeches. Of course the polite sparrow invited her intohis house, but nothing but a cup of tea was offered her, and wife anddaughters kept away. Seeing she was not going to get any good-bye gift, the brazen hussy asked for one. The sparrow then brought out and setbefore her two baskets, one heavy and the other light. Taking the heavierone without so much as saying "thank you, " she carried it back with her. Then she opened it, expecting all kinds of riches. 

She took off the lid, when a horrible cuttle-fish rushed at her, and ahorned _oni_ snapped his tusks at her, a skeleton poked his bony fingersin her face, and finally a long, hairy serpent, with a big head andlolling tongue, sprang out and coiled around her, cracking her bones, andsqueezing out her breath, till she died. 

After the good old man had buried his wife, he adopted a son to comforthis old age, and with his treasures lived at ease all his days. 

THE FIRE-FLY'S LOVERS. 

In Japan the night-flies emit so brilliant a light and are so beautifulthat ladies go out in the evenings and catch the insects for amusement, as may be seen represented on Japanese fans. They imprison them in tinycages made of bamboo threads, and hang them up in their rooms or suspendthem from the eaves of their houses. At their picnic parties, the peoplelove to sit on August evenings, fan in hand, looking over the lovelylandscape, spangled by ten thousand brilliant spots of golden light. Eachflash seems like a tiny blaze of harmless lightning. 

One of the species of night-flies, the most beautiful of all, is a sourceof much amusement to the ladies. Hanging the cage of glittering insectson their verandahs, they sit and watch the crowd of winged visitorsattracted by the fire-fly's light. What brings them there, and why thefire-fly's parlor is filled with suitors as a queen's court withcourtiers, let this love story tell. 

 * * * * *

On the southern and sunny side of the castle moats of the Fukui castle, in Echizen, the water had long ago become shallow so that lotus liliesgrew luxuriantly. Deep in the heart of one of the great flowers whosepetals were as pink as the lining of a sea-shell, lived the King of theFire-flies, Hi-ō, whose only daughter was the lovely princessHotaru-himé. While still a child the himé (princess) was carefully keptat home within the pink petals of the lily, never going even to theedges except to see her father fly off on his journey. Dutifully shewaited until of age, when the fire glowed in her own body, and shone, beautifully illuminating the lotus, until its light at night was like alamp within a globe of coral. 

Every night her light grew brighter and brighter, until at last it was asmellow as gold. Then her father said:

"My daughter is now of age, she may fly abroad with me sometimes, andwhen the proper suitor comes she may marry whom she will. "

So Hotaru-himé flew forth in and out among the lotus lilies of the moat, then into rich rice fields, and at last far off to the indigo meadows. 

Whenever she went a crowd of suitors followed her, for she had thesingular power of attracting all the night-flying insects to herself. But she cared for none of their attentions, and though she spoke politelyto them all she gave encouragement to none. Yet some of the sheeny-wingedgallants called her a coquette. 

One night she said to her mother, the queen:

"I have met many admirers, but I don't wish a husband from any of them. Tonight I shall stay at home, and if any of them love me truly they willcome and pay me court here. Then I shall lay an impossible duty on them. If they are wise they will not try to perform it; and if they love theirlives more than they love me, I do not want any of them. Whoever succeedsmay have me for his bride. "

"As you will my child, " said the queen mother, who arrayed her daughterin her most resplendent robes, and set her on her throne in the heart ofthe lotus. 

Then she gave orders to her body-guard to keep all suitors at arespectful distance lest some stupid gallant, a horn-bug or a cockchaferdazzled by the light should approach too near and hurt the princess orshake her throne. 

No sooner had twilight faded away, than forth came the golden beetle, whostood on a stamen and making obeisance, said:--

"I am Lord Green-Gold, I offer my house, my fortune and my love toPrincess Hotaru. "

"Go and bring me fire and I will be your bride" said Hotaru-himé. 

With a bow of the head the beetle opened his wings and departed with astately whirr. 

Next came a shining bug with wings and body as black as lamp-smoke, whosolemnly professed his passion. 

"Bring me fire and you may have me for your wife. "

Off flew the bug with a buzz. 

Pretty soon came the scarlet dragon-fly, expecting so to dazzle theprincess by his gorgeous colors that she would accept him at once. 

"I decline your offer" said the princess, "but if you bring me a flash offire, I'll become your bride. "

Swift was the flight of the dragon-fly on his errand, and in came theBeetle with a tremendous buzz, and ardently plead his suit. 

"I'll say 'yes' if you bring me fire" said the glittering princess. 

Suitor after suitor appeared to woo the daughter of the King of theFire-flies until every petal was dotted with them. One after another in along troop they appeared. Each in his own way, proudly, humbly, boldly, mildly, with flattery, with boasting, even with tears, each proffered hislove, told his rank or expatiated on his fortune or vowed his constancy, sang his tune or played his music. To every one of her lovers theprincess in modest voice returned the same answer:

"Bring me fire and I'll be your bride. "

So without telling his rivals, each one thinking he had the secret alonesped away after fire. 

But none ever came back to wed the princess. Alas for the poor suitors!The beetle whizzed off to a house near by through the paper windows ofwhich light glimmered. So full was he of his passion that thinkingnothing of wood or iron, he dashed his head against a nail, and fell deadon the ground. 

The black bug flew into a room where a poor student was reading. His lampwas only a dish of earthenware full of rape seed oil with a wick made ofpith. Knowing nothing of oil the love-lorn bug crawled into the dish toreach the flame and in a few seconds was drowned in the oil. 

"Nan jaro?" (What's that?) said a thrifty housewife, sitting with needlein hand, as her lamp flared up for a moment, smoking the chimney, andthen cracking it; while picking out the scorched bits she found a roasteddragon-fly, whose scarlet wings were all burned off. 

Mad with love the brilliant hawk-moth, afraid of the flame yet determinedto win the fire for the princess, hovered round and round the candleflame, coming nearer and nearer each time. "Now or never, the princess ordeath, " he buzzed, as he darted forward to snatch a flash of flame, butsingeing his wings, he fell helplessly down, and died in agony. 

"What a fool he was, to be sure, " said the ugly clothes moth, coming onthe spot, "I'll get the fire. I'll crawl up _inside_ the candle. " So heclimbed up the hollow paper wick, and was nearly to the top, and insidethe hollow blue part of the flame, when the man, snuffing the wick, crushed him to death. 

Sad indeed was the fate of the lovers of Hi-ō's daughter. Some hoveredaround the beacons on the headland, some fluttered about the great waxcandles which stood eight feet high in their brass sockets in Buddhisttemples; some burned their noses at the top of incense sticks, or werenearly choked by the smoke; some danced all night around the lanterns inthe shrines; some sought the sepulchral lamps in the graveyard; onevisited the cremation furnace; another the kitchen, where a feast wasgoing on; another chased the sparks that flew out of the chimney; butnone brought fire to the princess, or won the lover's prize. Many losttheir feelers, had their shining bodies scorched or their wings singed, but most of them alas! lay dead, black and cold next morning. 

As the priests trimmed the lamps in the shrines, and the servant maidsthe lanterns, each said alike:

"The Princess Hotaru must have had many lovers last night. "

Alas! alas! poor suitors. Some tried to snatch a streak of green firefrom the cat's eyes, and were snapped up for their pains. One attemptedto get a mouthful of bird's breath, but was swallowed alive. A carrionbeetle (the ugly lover) crawled off to the sea shore, and found some fishscales that emitted light. The stag-beetle climbed a mountain, and in arotten tree stump found some bits of glowing wood like fire, but thedistance was so great that long before they reached the castle moat itwas daylight, and the fire had gone out; so they threw their fish scalesand old wood away. 

The next day was one of great mourning and there were so many funeralsgoing on, that Hi-marō the Prince of the Fire-flies on the north sideof the castle moat inquired of his servants the cause. Then he learnedfor the first time of the glittering princess. Upon this the prince whohad just succeeded his father upon the throne fell in love with theprincess and resolved to marry her. He sent his chamberlain to ask of herfather his daughter in marriage according to true etiquette. The fatheragreed to the prince's proposal, with the condition that the Princeshould obey her behest in one thing, which was to come in personbringing her fire. 

Then the Prince at the head of his glittering battalions came in personand filled the lotus palace with a flood of golden light. But Hotaru-himéwas so beautiful that her charms paled not their fire even in the blazeof the Prince's glory. The visit ended in wooing, and the wooing inwedding. On the night appointed, in a palanquin made of the whitelotus-petals, amid the blazing torches of the prince's battalions ofwarriors, Hotaru-himé was borne to the prince's palace and there, princeand princess were joined in the wedlock. 

Many generations have passed since Hi-marō and Hotaru-himé weremarried, and still it is the whim of all Fire-fly princesses that theirbase-born lovers must bring fire as their love-offering or lose theirprize. Else would the glittering fair ones be wearied unto death by theimportunity of their lovers. Great indeed is the loss, for in this questof fire many thousand insects, attracted by the fire-fly, are burned todeath in the vain hope of winning the fire that shall gain the cruel butbeautiful one that fascinates them. It is for this cause that each nightinsects hover around the lamp flame, and every morning a crowd of victimsdrowned in the oil, or scorched in the flame, must be cleaned from thelamp. This is the reason why young ladies catch and imprison thefire-flies to watch the war of insect-love, in the hope that they mayhave human lovers who will dare as much, through fire and flood, as they. 

THE BATTLE OF THE APE AND THE CRAB. 

In the land where neither the monkeys or the cats have tails, and thepersimmons grow to be as large as apples and with seeds bigger than amelon's, there once lived a land crab in the side of a sand hill. One dayan ape came along having a persimmon seed, which he offered to swap withthe crab for a rice-cake. The crab agreed, and planting the seed in hisgarden went out every day to watch it grow. 

By-and-by the ape came to visit the crab, and seeing the fine tree ladenwith the yellow-brown fruit, begged a few. The crab, asking pardon ofthe ape, said he could not climb the tree to offer him any, but agreed togive the ape half, if he would mount the tree and pluck them. 

So the monkey ran up the tree, while the crab waited below, expecting toeat the ripe fruit. But the monkey sitting on a limb first filled hispockets full, and then picking off all the best ones, greedily ate thepulp, and threw the skin and stones in the crab's face. Every once in awhile, he would pull off a green sour persimmon and hit the crab hard, until his shell was nearly cracked. At last the crab thought he would getthe best of the ape. So when his enemy had eaten his fill until he wasbulged out, he cried out, "Now Mister Ape, I dare you to come down head-foremost. You can't do it. "

So the ape began to descend, head downward. This was just what the crabwanted, for all the finest persimmons rolled out of his pockets on theground. The crab quickly gathered them up, and with both arms full ranoff to his hole. Then the ape was very angry. He kindled a fire, and blewthe smoke down the hole, until the crab was nearly choked. The poor crabto save his life had to crawl out. 

Then the monkey beat him soundly, and left him for dead. 

The crab had not been long thus, when three travelers, a rice-mortar, anegg, and a wasp found him lying on the ground. They carried him into thehouse, bound up his wounds and while he lay in bed they planned how theymight destroy the ape. They all talked of the matter over their cups oftea, and after the mortar had smoked several pipes of tobacco, a plan wasagreed on. 

So taking the crab along, stiff and sore as he was, they marched to themonkey's castle. The wasp flew inside, and found that their enemy wasaway from home. Then all entered and hid themselves. The egg cuddled upunder the ashes in the hearth. The wasp flew into the closet. The mortarhid behind the door. They then waited for the ape to come home. The crabsat beside the fire. 

Towards evening the monkey arrived, and throwing off his coat (which wasjust what the wasp wanted) he lighted a sulphur match, and kindling afire, hung on the kettle for a cup of tea, and pulled out his pipe for asmoke. Just as he sat down by the hearth to salute the crab, the eggburst and the hot yolk flew all over him and in his eye, nearly blindinghim. He rushed out to the bath-room to plunge in the tub of cold water, when the wasp flew at him and stung his nose. Slipping down, he fellflat on the floor, when the mortar rolled on him and crushed him todeath. Then the whole party congratulated the crab on their victory. Grateful for the friendship thus shown, the whole party, crab, mortar andwasp lived in peace together. 

The crab married the daughter of a rich crab that lived over the hill, and a great feast of persimmons was spread before the bride's relativeswho came to see the ceremony. By-and-by a little crab was born whichbecame a great pet with the mortar and wasp. With no more apes to plaguethem, they lived very happily. 

[Illustration: THE EGG, WASP AND MORTAR ATTACK THE MONKEY. ]

THE WONDERFUL TEA-KETTLE. 

A long time ago there was an old priest who lived in the temple ofMorinji in the province of Hitachi. He cooked his own rice, boiled hisown tea, swept his own floor and lived frugally as an honest priestshould do. 

One day he was sitting near the square fire-place in the middle of thefloor. A rope and chain to hold the pot and kettle hung down from thecovered hole in the ceiling which did duty as a chimney. A pair of brasstongs was stuck in the ashes and the fire blazed merrily. At the side ofthe fire-place, on the floor, was a tray filled with tiny tea-cups, apewter tea-caddy, a bamboo tea-stirrer, and a little dipper. The priesthaving finished sweeping the ashes off the edges of the hearth with alittle whisk of hawk's feathers, was just about to put on the tea when"suzz, " "suzz, " sang the tea-kettle spout; and then "pattari"--"pattari"said the lid, as it flapped up and down, and the kettle swung backwardsand forwards. 

"What does this mean?" said the old bonze. "_Naru hodo_, " said he, with astart as the spout of the kettle turned into a badger's nose with its bigwhiskers, while from the other side sprouted out a long bushy tail. 

"_Yohodo medzurashi_, " shouted the priest dropping the tea-caddy andspilling the green tea all over the matting as four hairy legs appearedunder the kettle, and the strange compound, half badger and half kettle, jumped off the fire, and began running around the room. To the priest'shorror it leaped on a shelf, puffed out its belly and began to beat atune with its fore-paws as if it were a drum. The old bonze's pupils, hearing the racket rushed in, and after a lively chase, upsetting pilesof books and breaking some of the tea-cups, secured the badger, andsqueezed him in a keg used for storing the pickled radishes called_daikon_, (or Japanese sauer-kraut. ) They fastened down the lid with aheavy stone. They were sure that the strong odor of the radishes wouldkill the beast, for no man could possibly survive such a smell, and itwas not likely a badger could. 

The next morning the tinker of the village called in and the priest toldhim about his strange visitor. Wishing to show him the animal, hecautiously lifted the lid of the cask, lest the badger, might after all, be still alive, in spite of the stench of the sour mess, when lo! therewas nothing but the old iron tea-kettle. Fearing that the utensil mightplay the same prank again, the priest was glad to sell it to the tinkerwho bought the kettle for a few iron cash. He carried it to his junkshop, though he thought it felt unusually heavy. 

The tinker went to bed as usual that night with his _andon_, or papershaded lamp, just back of his head. About midnight, hearing a strangenoise like the flapping up and down of an iron pot-lid, he sat up in bed, rubbed his eyes, and there was the iron pot covered with fur andsprouting out legs. In short, it was turning into a hairy beast. Goingover to the recess and taking a fan from the rack, the badger climbed upon the frame of the lamp, and began to dance on its one hind leg, wavingthe fan with its fore-paw. It played many other tricks, until the manstarted up, and then the badger turned into a tea-kettle again. 

"I declare, " said the tinker as he woke up next morning, and talked thematter over with his wife. "I'll just 'raise a mountain'" (earn myfortune) on this kettle. It certainly is a very highly accomplishedtea-kettle I'll call it the Bumbuku Chagama (The Tea-Kettle accomplishedin literature and military art) and exhibit it to the public. 

So the tinker hired a professional show-man for his business agent, andbuilt a little theatre and stage. Then he gave an order to a friend ofhis, an artist, to paint scenery, with Fuji yama and cranes flying in theair, and a crimson sun shining through the bamboo, and a red moon risingover the waves, and golden clouds and tortoises, and the Sumiyoshicouple, and the grasshopper's picnic, and the Procession of LordLong-legs, and such like. Then he stretched a tight rope of rice-strawacross the stage, and the handbills being stuck up in all the barbershops in town, and wooden tickets branded with "Accomplished and LuckyTea-Kettle Performance, Admit one, "--the show was opened. The house wasfull and the people came in parties bringing their tea-pots full of teaand picnic boxes full of rice and eggs, and dumplings, made of milletmeal, sugared roast-pea cakes, and other refreshments; because they cameto stay all day. Mothers brought their babies with them for the childrenenjoyed it most of all. 

Then the tinker, dressed up in his wide ceremonial clothes, with a bigfan in his hand, came out on the platform, made his bow and set thewonderful tea-kettle on the stage. Then at a wave of his fan, the kettleran around on four legs, half badger and half iron, clanking its lid andwagging its tail. Next it turned into a badger, swelled out its body andbeat a tune on it like a drum. It danced a jig on the tight rope, andwalked the slack rope, holding a fan, or an umbrella in his paw, stood onhis head, and finally at a flourish of his master's fan became a cold andrusty tea-kettle again. The audience were wild with delight, and as thefame of the wonderful tea-kettle spread, many people came from greatdistances. 

Year after year the tinker exhibited the wonder until he grew immenselyrich. Then he retired from the show business, and out of gratitude tookthe old kettle to the temple again and deposited it there as a preciousrelic. It was then named Bumbuku Dai Mio Jin (The Great Illustrious, Accomplished in Literature and the Military Art). 

PEACH-PRINCE, AND THE TREASURE ISLAND. 

Very long, long ago, there lived an old man and woman in a village near amountain, from which flowed a stream of purest water. This old coupleloved each other so dearly and lived together so happily, that theneighbors called them _oshi-dori fu-fu_ (a love-bird couple), after themandarin ducks which always dwell together in pairs, and are soaffectionate that they are said to pine and die if one be taken from theother. The old man was a woodcutter, and the old woman kept house, butthey were very lonely for they had no child, and often grieved over theirhard lot. 

One day while the man was out on the mountain cutting brush, his oldcrone took her shallow tub and clothes down to the brook to wash. She hadnot yet begun, when she saw a peach floating with its stem and two leavesin the stream. She picked up the fruit and set it aside to take home andshare it with her old man. When he returned she set it before him, notdreaming what was in it. He was just about to cut it open, when the peachfell in half, and there lay a little baby boy. The happy old couplerejoiced over him and reared him tenderly. Because he was their firstchild (taro) and born of a peach (momo) they called him Momotarō orPeach-Darling. 

The most wonderful thing in the child, was his great strength! Even whenstill a baby, he would astonish his foster-mother by standing on themats, and lifting her wash tub, or kettle of hot tea, which he wouldbalance above his head without spilling a drop. The little fellow grew tobe strong and brave and good. He was always kind to his parents and savedthem many a step and much toil. He practiced archery, wrestling, andhandling the iron club, until he was not afraid of anybody or anything. He even laughed at the oni, who, were demons living in the clouds or onlonely islands in the sea. Momotarō was also very kind to birds andanimals, so that they were very tame, and became his friends, knew himand called him by name. 

Now there was an island far out in the ocean, inhabited by onis withhorns in their heads, and big sharp tusks in their mouths, who ravagedthe shores of Japan and ate up the people. In the centre of the islandwas the giant Oni's castle, built inside a great cave which was full ofall kinds of treasures such as every one wants. These are:

1. The hat which makes the one who puts it on invisible. It looks justlike a straw hat, but has a tuft of fine grass on the top, and a pinkfringe like the lining of shells, around the brim. 

2. A coat like a farmer's grass rain-cloak, which makes the wearerinvisible. 

3. The crystal jewels which flash fire, and govern the ebb and flow ofthe tide. 

4. Shippō, or "the seven jewels, " namely gold and silver, branch of redcoral, agate, emerald, crystal and pearl. All together called _takaremono_, or precious treasures. 

Momotaro made up his mind to conquer these demons, and get theirtreasures. He prepared his weapons and asked the old woman to make himsome millet dumplings. So the old lady ground the millet seeds into meal, the old man kneaded the dough, and both made the dumplings which thelittle hero carefully stuck on skewers and stowed away in a bamboobasket-box. This he wrapped in a silk napkin, and flung it over hisshoulder. Seizing his iron club he stuck his flag in his back as the signof war. The flag was of white silk, crossed by two black bars at the top, and underneath these, was embroidered the device of a peach with a stemand two leaves floating on a running stream. This was his crest or_sashimono_ (banneret). Then he bade the old folks good-bye and walkedoff briskly. He took his little dog with him, giving him a milletdumpling now and then. 

As he passed along he met a monkey chattering and showing his teeth. Themonkey said, "Where are you going, Mr. Peach-Darling?"

"I'm going to the _oni's_ island to get his treasures. "

"What have you got good in your package?"

"Millet dumplings. Have one?"

"Yes, give me one, and I'll go with you, " said the monkey. 

So the monkey ate the dumpling, and boy, dog and monkey all trudged ontogether. A little further on a pheasant met them and said:

"Ohio, Momotarō, doko?" (Good morning, Mr. Peach-Prince, where are yougoing?). Peach-Prince told him, and at the same time offered him adumpling. This made the pheasant his friend. 

Peach-Prince and his little army of three retainers journeyed on untilthey reached the sea-shore. There they found a big boat into whichPeach-Prince with the dog and monkey embarked, while the pheasant flewover to the island to find a safe place to land, so as to take the onisby surprise. 

They quietly reached the door of the cave, and then Momotarō beat in thegate with his iron club. Rushing into the castle, he put the small onisto flight, and dashing forward, the little hero would nearly have reachedthe room where the giant oni was just waking up after a nights'drunkenness. With a terrible roar he advanced to gobble up Peach-Prince, when the dog ran behind and bit the oni in the leg. The monkey climbed uphis back and blinded him with his paws while the pheasant flew in hisface. Then Peach-Prince beat him with his iron club, until he begged forhis life and promised to give up all his treasures. 

The onis brought all their precious things out of the storehouse and laidthem on great tables or trays before the little hero and his little army. 

Momotaro sat on a rock, with his little army of three retainers aroundhim, holding his fan, with his hands akimbo on his knees, just as mightygenerals do after a battle, when they receive the submission of theirenemies. On his right sat kneeling on the ground his faithful monkey, while the pheasant and dog sat on the left. 

After the onis had surrendered all, they fell down on their hands andknees with their faces in the dust, and acknowledged Peach-Prince astheir master, and swore they would ever henceforth be his slaves. ThenPeach-Prince, with a wave of his fan bade them rise up and carry thetreasures to the largest ship they had, and to point the prow to theland. This done, Momotaro and his company got on board, and the onisbowed farewell. 

A stiff breeze sprang up and sent the ship plowing through the waters, and bent out the great white sail like a bow. On the prow was a longblack tassel like the mane of a horse, that at every lurch dipped in thewaves, and as it rose flung off the spray. 

The old couple becoming anxious after their Peach-Darling, had traveleddown to the sea shore, and arrived just as the treasure ship hove insight. Oh how beautiful it looked with its branches of red coral, andshining heaps of gold and silver, and the invisible coat and hat, thedazzling sheen of the jewels of the ebbing and the flowing tide, theglistening pearls, and piles of agate and crystal. 

[Illustration: THE ONI SUBMITTING TO PEACH PRINCE. ]

Momotaro came home laden with riches enough to keep the old couple incomfort all their lives, and he himself lived in great state. He knightedthe monkey, the dog and the pheasant, and made them his body-guard. Thenhe married a beautiful princess and lived happily till he died. 

THE FOX AND THE BADGER. 

There is a certain mountainous district in Shikoku in which a skillfulhunter had trapped or shot so many foxes and badgers that only a few wereleft. These were an old grey badger and a female fox with one cub. Thoughhard pressed by hunger, neither dared to touch a loose piece of food, lest a trap might be hidden under it. Indeed they scarcely stirred out oftheir holes except at night, lest the hunter's arrow should strike them. At last the two animals held a council together to decide what to do, whether to emigrate or to attempt to outwit their enemy. They thought along while, when finally the badger having hit upon a good plan, criedout:

"I have it. Do you transform yourself into a man. I'll pretend to bedead. Then you can bind me up and sell me in the town. With the moneypaid you can buy some food. Then I'll get loose and come back. The nextweek I'll sell you and you can escape. "

"Ha! ha! ha! _yoroshiu_, _yoroshiu_, " (good, good, ) cried both together. "It's a capital plan, " said Mrs. Fox. 

So the Fox changed herself into a human form, and the badger, pretendingto be dead, was tied up with straw ropes. 

Slinging him over her shoulder, the fox went to town, sold the badger, and buying a lot of _tofu_ (bean-cheese) and one or two chickens, made afeast. By this time the badger had got loose, for the man to whom he wassold, thinking him dead, had not watched him carefully. So scamperingaway to the mountains he met the fox, who congratulated him, while bothfeasted merrily. 

The next week the badger took human form, and going to town sold the fox, who made believe to be dead. But the badger being an old skin-flint, andvery greedy, wanted all the money and food for himself. So he whisperedin the man's ear to watch the fox well as she was only feigning to bedead. So the man taking up a club gave the fox a blow on the head, whichfinished her. The badger, buying a good dinner, ate it all himself, andlicked his chops, never even thinking of the fox's cub. 

The cub after waiting a long time for its mother to come back, suspectedfoul play, and resolved on revenge. So going to the badger he challengedhim to a trial of skill in the art of transformation. The badger acceptedright off, for he despised the cub and wished to be rid of him. 

"Well what do you want to do first? said Sir Badger. "

"I propose that you go and stand on the Big Bridge leading to the city, "said the cub, "and wait for my appearance. I shall come in splendidgarments, and with many followers in my train. If you recognize me, youwin, and I lose. If you fail, I win. "

So the badger went and waited behind a tree. Soon a daimio riding in apalanquin, with a splendid retinue of courtiers appeared, coming up theroad. Thinking this was the fox-cub changed into a nobleman, althoughwondering at the skill of the young fox, the badger went up to thepalanquin and told the person inside that he was recognized and had lostthe game. 

"What!" said the daimio's followers, who were real men, and surroundingthe badger, they beat him to death. 

The fox-cub, who was looking on from a hill near by, laughed in derision, and glad that treachery was punished, scampered away. 

THE SEVEN PATRONS OF HAPPINESS. 

Every child knows who the _Shichi fuku Fin_ or seven Patrons of Happinessare. They have charge of Long Life, Riches, Daily Food, Contentment, Talents, Glory, and Love. Their images carved in ivory, wood, stone, orcast in bronze are found in every house or sold in the stores or arepainted on shop signs or found in picture books. They are a jolly companyand make a happy family. On New Year's eve a picture of the Treasure-ship(Takaré-buné) laden with shippō (the seven jewels) and all the goodthings of life which men most desire is hung up in houses. The ship iscoming into port and the passengers are the seven happy fairies who willmake gifts to the people. These seven jewels are the same as those whichMomotaro brought back from the oni's island. 

First there is Fukoruku Jin the patron of Long Life or Length of Days. Hehas an enormously high forehead rounded at the top which makes his headlook like a sugar-loaf. It is bald and shiny. A few stray white hairssometimes sprout up, and the barber to reach them has to prop a ladderagainst his head to climb up and apply his razor. This big head comesfrom thinking so much. His eyebrows are cotton-white, and a long snowybeard falls down over his breast. 

Once in a while in a good humor he ties a handkerchief over his highslippery crown and allows little boys to climb up on top--that is ifthey are good and can write well. 

When he wants to show how strong and lively he is even though so old, helets Daikoku the fat fellow ride on top of his head, while he smokes hispipe and wades across a river. Daikoku has to hold on tightly or he willslip down and get a ducking. 

Usually the old shiny head is a very solemn gentleman, and walks slowlyalong with his staff in one hand while with the other he strokes his longeyebrows. The tortoise and the crane are always with him, for these arehis pets. Sometimes a stag with hair white with age, walks behind him. Every body likes Fukoruku Jin because every one wants to get his favorand live long; until, like a lobster, their backs are bent with age. At awedding you will always see a picture of white-bearded and shiny-patedFukoruku Jin. 

Daikoku is a short chubby fellow with eyes half sunk in fat but twinklingwith fun. He has a flat cap set on his head like the kind which babieswear, a loose sack over his shoulders, and big boots on his feet. Histhrone is two straw bags of rice, and his badge of office is a mallet orhammer, which makes people rich when he shakes it. The hammer is thesymbol of labor, showing that people may expect to get rich only by hardwork. One end of it is carved to represent the jewel of the ebbing andthe flowing tides, because merchants get rich by commerce on the sea andmust watch the tides. He is often seen holding the arithmetic frame onwhich you can count, do sums, subtract, multiply, or divide, by slidingballs up and down a row of sticks set in a frame, instead of writingfigures. Beside him is a ledger and day-book. His favorite animal is therat, which like some rich men's pets, eats or runs away with his wealth. 

The great silver-white radish called daikon, two feet long and as big asa man's calf is always seen near him because it signifies flourishingprosperity. 

He keeps his bag tightly shut, for money easily runs away when the purseis once opened. He never lets go his hammer, for it is only by constantcare that any one can keep money after he gets it. Even when he frolicswith Fukuroku Jin, and rides on his head, he keeps his hammer readyswinging at his belt. He has huge lop ears. 

Once in a while, when he wishes to take exercise, and Fukuroku Jin wantsto show how frisky he can be, even if he is old, they have a wrestlingmatch together. Daikoku nearly always beats, because Fukuroku Jin is sotall that he has to bend down to grip Daikoku, who is fat and short, andthus he becomes top-heavy. Then Daikoku gets his rival's long head underhis left arm, seizes him over his back by the belt, and throws him overhis shoulder flat on the ground. But if Fukuroku Jin can only get hold ofDaikoku's lop ears, both fall together. Then they laugh heartily and tryit again. 

Ebisu is the patron of daily food, which is rice and fish, and in oldtimes was chiefly fish. He is nearly as fat as Daikoku, but wears a courtnoble's high cap. He is always fishing or enjoying his game. When veryhappy, he sits on a rock by the sea, with his right leg bent under him, and a big red fish, called the tai, under his left arm. He carries astraw wallet on his back to hold his fish and keep it fresh. Often he isseen standing knee-deep in the water, pole in hand, watching for anibble. Some say that Ebisu is the same scamp that goes by the other nameof Sosanoō. 

Hotei is the patron of contentment, and of course is the father ofhappiness. He does not wear much clothing, for the truth is that all hisproperty consists of an old, ragged wrapper, a fan, and a wallet. He isas round as a pudding, and as fat as if rolled out of dough. His body islike a lump of _mochi_ pastry, and his limbs like _dango_ dumplings. Hehas lop ears that hang down over his shoulders, a tremendous double chin, and a round belly. Though he will not let his beard grow long, theslovenly old fellow never has it shaven when he ought to. He is a jollyvagabond, and never fit for company; but he is a great friend of thechildren, who romp over his knees and shoulders, pull his ears and climbup over his shaven head. He always keeps something good for them in hiswallet. Sometimes he opens it wide, and then makes them guess what isinside. They try to peep in but are not tall enough to look over theedge. He makes tops, paints pictures or kites for the boys, and is thechildren's greatest friend. When the seven patrons meet together, Hoteiis apt to drink more wine than is good for him. 

Toshitoku is almost the only one of the seven who never lays aside hisdignity. He has a very grave countenance. He is the patron of talents. His pet animal is a spotted fawn. He travels about a good deal to findand reward good boys, who are diligent in their studies, and men who arefitted to rule. In one hand he carries a crooked staff of bamboo, at thetop of which is hung a book or roll of manuscript. His dress is likethat of a learned doctor, with square cap, stole, and high-toed slippers. 

Bishamon is the patron of glory and fame. He is a mighty soldier, with agolden helmet, breastplate and complete armor. He is the protector ofpriests and warriors. He gives them skill in fencing, horsemanship andarchery. He holds a pagoda in one hand and a dragon sword in the other. His pet animal is the tiger. 

Six out of the jolly seven worthies are men. Benten is the only lady. Sheis the patron of the family and of the sea. She plays the flute and theguitar for the others, and amuses them at their feasts, sometimes evendancing for them. Her real home is in Riu Gu, and she is the Queen of theworld under the sea. She often dwells in the sea or ocean caves. Herfavorite animal is the snake, and her servants are the dragons. 

Once a year the jolly seven meet together to talk over old times, relatetheir adventures, and have a supper together. Then they proceed tobusiness, which is to arrange all the marriages for the coming year. Theyhave a great many hanks of red and white silk, which are the threads offate of those to be married: The white threads are the men, the red arethe women. At first they select the threads very carefully, and tie agreat many pairs or couples neatly and strongly together, so that thematches are perfect. All such marriages of threads make happy marriagesamong human beings. But by-and-by they get tired, and lazy, and insteadof tying the knots carefully, they hurry up the work and then jumble themcarelessly, and finally toss and tangle up all the rest in a muss. 

This is the reason why so many marriages are unhappy. 

Then they begin to frolic like big boys. Benten plays the guitar, andBishamon lies down on the floor resting with his elbows to hear it. Hoteidrinks wine out of a shallow red cup as wide as a dinner plate. Daikokuand Fukuroku Jin begin to wrestle, and when Daikoku gets his man down, hepounds his big head with an empty gourd while Toshitoku and Ebisu beginto eat tai fish. When this fun is over, Benten and Fukuroku Jin play agame of checkers, while the others look on and bet; except Hotei the fatfellow, who is asleep. Then they get ashamed of themselves for gambling, and after a few days the party breaks up and each one goes to his regularbusiness again. 

DAIKOKU AND THE ONI. 

A long while ago, when the idols of Buddha and his host of disciples cameto Japan, after traveling through China from India, they were very muchvexed because the people still liked the little black fellow namedDaikoku. Even when they became Buddhists they still burned incense toDaikoku, because he was the patron of wealth; for everybody then, as now, wanted to be rich. So the Buddhist idols determined to get rid of thelittle fat fellow. How to do it was the question. At last they calledYemma, the judge of the lower regions, and gave him the power to destroyDaikoku. 

Now Yemma had under him a whole legion of _oni_, some green, some black, others blue as indigo, and others of a vermillion color, which he usuallysent on ordinary errands. 

But for so important an expedition he now called Shino a very cunning oldfellow, and ordered him to kill or remove Daikoku out of the way. 

Shino made his bow to his master, tightened his tiger-skin belt aroundhis loins and set off. 

It was not an easy thing to find Daikoku, even though every oneworshipped him. So the oni had to travel a long way, and ask a great manyquestions of people, and often lose his way before he got any clue. Oneday he met a sparrow who directed him to Daikoku's palace, where amongall his money-bags and treasure piled to the ceiling, the fat andlop-eared fellow was accustomed to sit eating daikon radish, and amusehimself with his favorite pets, the rats. Around him was stored in strawbags his rice which he considered more precious than money. 

Entering the gate, the oni peeped about cautiously but saw no one. Hewent further on till he came to a large store house standing alone andbuilt in the shape of a huge rice-measure. Not a door or window could beseen, but climbing up a narrow plank set against the top edge he peepedover, and there sat Daikoku. 

The oni descended and got into the room. Then he thought it would be aneasy thing to pounce upon Daikoku. He was already chuckling to himselfover the prospect of such wealth being his own, when Daikoku squeaked outto his chief rat. 

"_Nedzumi san_, (Mr. Rat) I feel some strange creature must be near. Gochase him off the premises. "

Away scampered the rat to the garden and plucked a sprig of holly withleaves full of thorns like needles. With this in his fore-paw, he ran atthe oni, whacked him soundly, and stuck him all over with the sharpprickles. 

The oni yelling with pain ran away as fast as he could run. He was sofrightened that he never stopped until he reached Yemma's palace, when hefell down breathless. He then told his master the tale of his adventure, but begged that he might never again be sent against Daikoku. 

So the Buddhist idols finding they could not banish or kill Daikoku, agreed to recognize him, and so they made peace with him and to this dayBuddhists and Shintōists alike worship the fat little god of wealth. 

When people heard how the chief oni had been driven away by only a ratarmed with holly, they thought it a good thing to keep off all oni. Soever afterward, even to this day, after driving out all the bad creatureswith parched beans, they place sprigs of holly at their door-posts on NewYear's eve, to keep away the oni and all evil spirits. 

BENKEI AND THE BELL. 

On one of the hills overlooking the blue sky's mirror of Lake Biwa, stands the ancient monastery of Miidera which was founded over 1, 200years ago, by the pious mikado Tenchi. 

Near the entrance, on a platform constructed of stoutest timbers, standsa bronze bell five and a half feet high. It has on it none of thesuperscriptions so commonly found on Japanese bells, and though itssurface is covered with scratches it was once as brilliant as a mirror. This old bell, which is visited by thousands of people from all parts ofJapan who come to wonder at it, is remarkable for many things. 

Over two thousand years ago, say the bonzes, it hung in the temple ofGihon Shoja in India which Buddha built. After his death it got into thepossession of the Dragon King of the World under the Sea. When the heroToda the Archer shot the enemy of the queen of the Under-world, shepresented him with many treasures and among them this great bell, whichshe caused to be landed on the shores of the lake. Toda however was notable to remove it, so he presented it to the monks at Miidera. With greatlabor it was brought to the hill-top and hung in this belfry where itrung out daily matins and orisons, filling the lake and hill sides withsweet melody. 

Now it was one of the rules of the Buddhists that no woman should beallowed to ascend the hill or enter the monastery of Miidera. The bonzesassociated females and wicked influences together. Hence theprohibition. 

A noted beauty of Kioto hearing of the polished face of the bell, resolved in spite of the law against her sex to ascend the hill to dressher hair and powder her face in the mirror-like surface of the bell. 

So selecting an hour when she knew the priests would be too busy at studyof the sacred rolls to notice her, she ascended the hill and entered thebelfry. Looking into the smooth surface, she saw her own sparkling eyes, her cheeks, flushed rosy with exercise, her dimples playing, and then herwhole form reflected as in her own silver mirror, before which she dailysat. Charmed as much by the vastness as the brilliancy of the reflection, she stretched forth her hand, and touching her finger-tips to the bellprayed aloud that she might possess just such a mirror of equal size andbrightness. 

But the bell was outraged at the impiety of the woman's touch, and thecold metal shrank back, leaving a hollow place, and spoiling the evensurface of the bell. From that time forth the bell gradually lost itspolish, and became dull and finally dark like other bells. 

When Benkei was a monk, he was possessed of a mighty desire to steal thisbell and hang it up at Hiyeisan. So one night he went over to Miiderahill and cautiously crept up to the belfry and unhooked it from the greatiron link which held it. How to get it down the mountain was now thequestion. 

Should he let it roll down, the monks at Miidera would hear it bumpingover the stones. Nor could he carry it in his arms, for it was too bigaround (16 feet) for him to grasp and hold. He could not put his head init like a candle in a snuffer, for then he would not be able to see hisway down. 

So climbing into the belfry he pulled out the cross-beam with the ironlink, and hanging on the bell put the beam on his shoulder to carry it in_tembimbo_ style, that is, like a pair of scales. 

The next difficulty was to balance it, for he had nothing but his lanternto hang on the other end of the beam to balance the bell. It was aprodigiously hard task to carry his burden the six or seven milesdistance to Hiyeisan. It was "trying to balance a bronze bell with apaper lantern. "

The work made him puff and blow and sweat until he was as hungry as abadger, but he finally succeeded in hooking it up in the belfry atHiyeisan. 

Then all the fellow priests of Benkei got up, though at night, to welcomehim. They admired his bravery and strength and wished to strike the bellat once to show their joy. 

"No, I won't lift a hammer or sound a note till you make me some soup. Iam terribly hungry, " said Benkei, as he sat down on a cross piece of thebelfry and wiped his forehead with his cowl. 

Then the priests got out the iron soup-pot, five feet in diameter, andkindling a fire made a huge mess of soup and served it to Benkei. Thelusty monk sipped bowl after bowl of the steaming nourishment until thepot was empty. 

"Now, " said he, "you may sound the bell. "

Five or six of the young bonzes mounted the platform and seized the ropethat held the heavy log suspended from the roof. The manner of strikingthe bell was to pull back the log several feet, then let go the rope, holding the log after the rebound. 

At the first stroke the bell quivered and rolled out a most mournful andsolemn sound which as it softened and died away changed into the distinctmurmur:

"I want to go back to Miidera, I want to go back to Miidera, I want togo-o back to-o M-i-i-de-ra-ra-a-a-a. "

"Naru hodo" said the priests. "What a strange bell. It wants to go back. It is not satisfied with our ringing. "

"Ah! I know what is the matter" said the aged abbot. "It must besprinkled with holy water of Hiyeisan. Then it will be happy with us. Ho!page bring hither the deep sea shell full of sacred water. "

So the pure white shell full of the consecrated water was brought, together with the holy man's brush. Dipping it in the water the abbotsprinkled the bell inside and out. 

"I dedicate thee, oh bell, to Hiyeisan. Now strike, " said he, signallingto the bell-pullers. 

Again the young men mounted the platform, drew back the log with a lustypull and let fly. 

"M-m-m-mi-mi-de-de-ra-ra ye-e-e-e-ko-o-o-o-o" "(Miidera ye ko, I want togo back to Miidera)" moaned out the homesick bell. 

This so enraged Benkei that he rushed to the rope waved the monks asideand seizing the rope strained every muscle to jerk the beam its entirelength afield, and then let fly with force enough to crack the bell. Fora moment the dense volume of sound filled the ears of all like a storm, but as the vibrations died away, the bell whined out:

"Miidera-mi-mi-de-de-ra-a-a ye-e-e-ko-o-o-o-o. " "I want to go back toMiidera, " sobbed the bell. 

Whether struck at morning, noon or night the bell said the same words. Nomatter when, by whom, how hard or how gently it was struck, the bellmoaned the one plaint as if crying, "I want to go back to Miidera. " "Iwant to go back to Miidera. "

At last Benkei in a rage unhooked the bell, shouldered it beam and all, and set off to take it back. Carrying the bell to the top of Hiyeisan, heset it down, and giving it a kick rolled it down the valley towardMiidera, and left it there. Then the Miidera bonzes hung it up again. Since that time the bell has completely changed its note, until now it isjust like other bells in sound and behavior. 

LITTLE SILVER'S DREAM OF THE SHOJI. 

Ko Gin San (Miss Little Silver) was a young maid who did not care forstrange stories of animals, so much as for those of wonder-creatures inthe form of human beings. Even of these, however, she did not like todream, and when the foolish old nurse would tell her ghost stories atnight, she was terribly afraid they would appear to her in her sleep. 

To avoid this, the old nurse told her to draw pictures of a tapir, on thesheet of white paper, which, wrapped round the tiny pillow, makes thepillow-case of every young lady, who rests her head on two inches of abolster in order to keep her well-dressed hair from being mussed orrumpled. 

Old grannies and country folks believe that if you have a picture of atapir under the bed or on the paper pillow-case, you will not haveunpleasant dreams, as the tapir is said to eat them. 

So strongly do some people believe this that they sleep under quiltsfigured with the device of this long-snouted beast. If in spite of thisprecaution one should have a bad dream, he must cry out on awaking, "tapir, come eat, tapir, come eat"; when the tapir will swallow thedream, and no evil results will happen to the dreamer. 

Little Silver listened with both eyes and open mouth to this account ofthe tapir, and then making the picture and wrapping it around herpillow, she fell asleep. I suspect that the kowameshi (red rice) of whichshe had eaten so heartily at supper time, until her waist stringstightened, had something to do with her travels in dream-land. 

 * * * * *

She thought she had gone down to Ozaka, and there got on a junk andsailed far away to the southwest, through the Inland sea. One night thewater seemed full of white ghosts of men and women. Some of them werewalking on, and in, the water. Some were running about. Here and theregroups appeared to be talking together. Once in a while the junk wouldrun against one of them; and when Little Silver looked to see if he werehurt or knocked over, she could see nothing until the junk passed by, when the ghost would appear standing in the same place, as though theship had gone through empty air. 

Occasionally a ghost would come up to the side of the ship, and in asqueaky voice ask for a dipper. While she would be wondering what a ghostwanted to do with a dipper, a sailor would quietly open a locker, takeout a dipper having no bottom, and give one every time he was asked forthem. Little Silver noticed a large bundle of these dippers ready. Theghosts would then begin to bail up water out of the sea to empty it inthe boat. All night they followed the junk, holding on with one hand tothe gunwale, while they vainly dipped up water with the other, trying toswamp the boat. If dippers with bottoms in them had been given them, thesailors said, the boat would have been sunk. When daylight appeared theshadowy host of people vanished. 

In the morning they passed an island, the shores of which were high rocksof red coral. A great earthen jar stood on the beach, and around it laylong-handled ladles holding a half-gallon or more, and piles of verylarge shallow red lacquered wine cups, which seemed as big as the fullmoon. After the sun had been risen some time, there came down from overthe hills a troop of the most curious looking people. Many were short, little wizen-faced folks, that looked very old; or rather, they seemedold before they ought to be. Some were very aged and crooked, withhickory-nut faces, and hair of a reddish gray tint. All the others hadlong scarlet locks hanging loose over their heads, and streaming downtheir backs. Their faces were flushed as if by hard drinking, and theirpimpled noses resembled huge red barnacles. No sooner did they arrive atthe great earthen jar than they ranged themselves round it. The old onesdipped out ladles full, and drank of the wine till they reeled. Theyounger ones poured the liquor into cups and drank. Even the littleinfants guzzled quantities of the yellow saké from the shallow cups ofvery thin red-lacquered wood. 

Then began the dance, and wild and furious it was. The leather-faced oldsots tossed their long reddish-grey locks in the air, and pirouettedround the big saké jar. The younger ones of all ages clapped their hands, knotted their handkerchiefs over their foreheads, waved their dippers orcups or fans, and practiced all kinds of antics, while their scarlet hairstreamed in the wind or was blown in their eyes. 

The dance over, they threw down their cups and dippers, rested a fewminutes and then took another heavy drink all around. 

"Now to work" shouted an old fellow whose face was redder than hishalf-bleached hair, and who having only two teeth like tusks left lookedjust like an _oni_ (imp. ) As for his wife, her teeth had long ago fallenout and the skin of her face seemed to have added a pucker for every yearsince a half century had rolled over her head. 

Then Little Silver looked and saw them scatter. Some gathered shells andburned them to make lime. Others carried water and made mortar, whichthey thickened by a pulp made of paper, and a glue made by boiling fishskin. Some dived under the sea for red coral, which they hauled up bymeans of straw ropes, in great sprigs as thick as the branches of a tree. They quickly ran up a scaffold, and while some of the scarlet-headedplasterers smeared the walls, others below passed up the tempered mortaron long shell shovels, to the hand mortar-boards. Even at work they hadcasks and cups of saké at hand, while children played in the empty kegsand licked the gummy sugar left in some of them. 

"What is that house for?" asked Little Silver of the sailors. 

"Oh, that is the Kura (storehouse) in which the King of the Shōji storesthe treasures of life, and health, and happiness, and property, which menthrow away, or exchange for the saké, which he gives them, by makingfunnels of themselves. "

"Oh, Yes, " said Little Silver to herself, as she remembered how herfather had said of a certain neighbor who had lately been drinking hard, "he swills saké like a Shōji. "

She also understood why picnic or "chow-chow" boxes were often decoratedwith pictures of Shōji, with their cups and dippers. For, at thesepicnics, many men get drunk; so much so indeed, that after a while themaster of the feast orders very poor and cheap wine to be served to theguests. He also replaces the delicate wine cups of egg-shell porcelain, with big thick tea-cups or wooden bowls, for the guests when drunk, donot know the difference. 

She also now understood why it was commonly said of a Mr. Matsu, who hadonce been very rich but was now a poor sot, "His property has all gone tothe Shōji. "

Just then the ship in which she was sailing struck a rock, and the suddenjerk woke up Little Silver, who cried out, "Tapir, come eat; tapir, comeeat. "

No tapir came, but if he had I fear Little Silver would have been morefrightened than she was by her dream of the ghosts; for next morning shelaughed to think how they had all their work a-dipping water fornothing, and at her old nurse for thinking a picture of a tapir couldkeep off dreams. 

THE TENGUS, OR THE ELVES WITH LONG NOSES. 

(After Hokusai. )

Curious creatures are the tengus, with the head of a hawk and the body ofa man. They have very hairy hands or paws with two fingers, and feet withtwo toes. They are hatched out of eggs, and have wings and feathers, until full grown. Then their wings moult, and the stumps are concealedbehind their dress, which is like that of a man. They walk, when grownup, on clogs a foot high, which are like stilts, as they have but onesupport instead of two, like the sort which men wear. The tengus strutabout easily on these, without stumbling. 

The Dai Tengu, or master, is a solemn-faced, scowling individual with avery proud expression, and a nose about eight finger-breadths long. Whenhe goes abroad, his retainers march before him, for fear he might breakhis nose against something. He wears a long grey beard down to hisgirdle, and moustaches to his chin. In his left hand he carries a largefan made of seven wide feathers. This is the sign of his rank. He has amouth, but he rarely opens it. He is very wise, and rules over all thetengus in Japan. 

The Karasu or crow-tengu is a black fellow, with a long beak, in theplace where his nose and mouth ought to be. He looks as if some one hadsqueezed out the lower part of his face, and pulled his nose down so asto make a beak like a crow's. He is the Dai Tengu's lictor. He carriesthe axe of authority over his left shoulder, to chop bad people's headsoff. In his right fist is his master's book of wisdom, and roll ofauthority. Even these two highest in authority in Tengu-land are servantsof the great lord Kampira, the long-haired patron of sailors andmountaineers. 

The greatest of the Dai Tengu lived in Kurama mountain and taughtYoshitsuné. This lad, while a pupil in the monastery, would slip out inthe evening, when the priests thought him asleep, and come to the King ofthe Tengus, who instructed him in the military arts, in cunning, magic, and wisdom. Every night the boy would spread the roll of wisdom beforehim, and sit at the feet of the hoary-headed tengu, and learn thestrange letters in which tengu wisdom is written, while the long-nosedservant tengus, propped up on their stilt-clogs, looked on. The boy wasnot afraid, but quickly learned the knowledge which birds, beasts andfishes have, how to understand their language and to fly, swim and leaplike them. 

When a tengu stumbles and falls down on his nose, it takes a long whileto heal, and if he breaks it, the doctor puts it in splints like a brokenarm, until it straightens out and heals up again. 

Some of the amusements in Tengu-land are very curious. A pair of youngtengus will fence with their noses as if they were foils. Their faces arewell protected by masks, for if one tengu should "poke his nose" into theother's eye he might put it out, and a blind tengu could not walk about, because he would be knocking his nose against everything. 

Two old tengus with noses nearly two feet long, sometimes try thestrength of their face-handles. One fellow has his beak straight up inthe air like a supporting post, while the other sits a yard off with hiselastic nose stretched across like a tight-rope, and tied with twine atthe top of the other one's nose. On this tight nose-rope a little tenguboy, with a tiny pug only two inches long, dances a jig. He holds anumbrella in his hand, now dancing, and now standing upon one foot. Thetengu-daddy, whose nose serves as a tent-pole, waves his fan and sings asong, keeping time to the dance. 

There is another tengu who sometimes quarrels with his wife, and whenangry boxes her ears with his nose. 

A lady-tengu who is inclined to be literary and sentimental, writespoetry. When the mood seizes her she ties the pen to her nose, dips it inink and writes a poem on the wall. 

A tengu-painter makes a long-handled brush to whitewash the ceiling, bystrapping it to his nose. 

Sometimes the little tengus get fighting, and then the feathers fly asthey tear each other with their little claws which have talons on themshaped like a chicken's, but which when fully grown look like hands. 

All the big tengus are fond of trying the strength of their noses, andhow far they can bend them up and down without breaking. They have twofavorite games of which they sometimes give exhibitions. The player haslong strings of iron cash (that is, one hundred of the little iron coins, with a square hole in the centre). Several of these he slides on a ropelike buttons on a string, or counters on a wire. Then he lifts them offwith the tip of his nose. Sometimes his nose bends so much under theweight that the coins slip off. Whichever tengu can pick off the greaternumber of strings without letting any slip, wins the game, and is calledO-hana (The King of Noses). 

Another balances hoops and poles on his nose and throws balls through thehoops; or he poises a saucer of water on the tip of his nose withoutspilling a drop. Another fellow hangs a bell from the ceiling. Then, witha handkerchief tied loosely round his head, he pulls his nose back like asnapping-turtle's beak, and then suddenly lets go. His nose then strikesthe bell and rings it. It hurts very much, but he does not mind it. 

The tengus have one great fault. They love liquor too much. They oftenget drunk. They buy great casks of rice-wine, sling them round theirnecks, and drink out of long cups shaped like their faces, using the nosefor a handle. A drunken tengu makes a funny sight, as he staggers aboutwith his big wings drooping and flapping around him, and the featherstrailing in the mud, and his long nose limp, pendulous and groggy. 

When the master of the tengus wishes to "see the flowers, " which means togo on a picnic, he punishes his drunken servant by swinging the box ofeatables over the fellow's red nose. Putting the end over his shoulders, he compels the sot to come along. It sobers the fellow, for the weight onhis nose and the pulling on it hurts dreadfully, and often makes himsqueal. 

Oyama, a mountain near Tokio, is said to be full of these long-nosedelves, but many other mountains are inhabited by them, for they likelonely places away from men. 

Dancers often put on masks like the tengu's face and dance a curiousdance which they call the Tengu's quadrille. 

The tengus are very proud fellows, and think themselves above humanbeings. They are afraid of brave men, however, and never dare to hurtthem. They scare children, especially bad boys. They watch a boy tellinglies and catch him. Then the tengus pull out his tongue by the roots, andrun away with it. 

When a tengu walks, he folds his arms, throws back his head till his noseis far up in the air, and struts around as if he were a daimio. When aman becomes vain and carries his nose too high, the people say "He hasbecome a tengu. "

KINTARO, OR THE WILD BABY. 

Long, long ago, when the tallest fir trees on the Hakoné mountains wereno higher than a rice-stalk, there lived in that part of the range calledAshigara, a little ruddy boy, whom his mother had named Kintarō, orGolden Darling. He was not like other boys, for having no children toplay with, he made companions of the wild animals of the forest. 

He romped with the little bears, and often when the old she bear wouldcome for her cubs to give them their supper and put them to bed, Kintarōwould jump on her back and have a ride to her cave. He also put his armsaround the neck of the deer, which were not afraid of him. He was princeof the forest, and the rabbits, wild boars, squirrels and martens, pheasants and hawks were his servants and messengers. 

Although not much more than a fat baby, Kintarō wielded a big axe, andcould chop a snake to pieces before he had time to wriggle. 

Kintarō's father had been a brave soldier in Kiōto, who through themalice of enemies at court, had fallen into disgrace. He had loved abeautiful lady whom he married. When her husband died she fled eastwardto the Ashigara mountains, and there in the lonely forests in which nohuman being except poor woodcutters ever came, her boy was born. 

She lived in a cave, nourishing herself on roots and herbs. Thewoodcutters soon learned about the strange pair living wild butpeacefully in the woods, though they did not dream of her noble rank. Theboy was known among them as "Little Wonder, " and the woman as "The oldnurse of the mountain. "

Thus, all alone, the little fellow grew up, exercising himself daily, sothat even though a child he could easily wrestle with a bear. Among hisretainers were the tengus, though they were often rebellious anddisobedient, not liking to be governed by a boy. 

One day, an old mother-tengu, who had always laughed at the idea ofobeying a little dumpling of a fellow like Kintarō, flew up to her nestin a high fir tree. Kintarō watched to see where it was, and waited tillshe left it to go and seek for food. Then going up to the tree, he shookit with all his might, until the nest came tumbling down, and the twoyoung squabs of tengus with it. 

Now it happened that just at that time the great hero and imp-killer, Raikō, was marching through the mountains on his way to Kiōto. Seeingthat the ruddy little fellow was no ordinary child, he found out themother and heard her story. He then asked for the child and adopted himas his own. 

So Kintarō went off with Raikō and grew up to be a brave soldier, andtaking his father's name, he was known as Sakata Kintoki. His mother, however, remained in the mountains, and living to an extreme old age, wasalways known as "The old nurse of the mountains. "

 * * * * *

To this day, Kintaro is the hero of Japanese boys, and on their hugekites will usually be seen a picture of the little black-eyed ruddy boyof the mountains, with his axe, while around him are his wild playmates, and the young tengus rubbing their long noses, which were so nearlybroken by their fall. 

JIRAIYA, OR THE MAGIC FROG. 

Ogata was the name of a castle-lord who lived in the Island of the NineProvinces, (Kiushiu). He had but one son, an infant, whom the people inadmiration nicknamed Jiraiya (Young Thunder. ) During one of the civilwars, this castle was taken, and Ogata was slain; but by the aid of afaithful retainer, who hid Jiraiya in his bosom, the boy escaped and flednorthward to Echigo. There he lived until he grew up to manhood. 

At that time Echigo was infested with robbers. One day the faithfulretainer of Jiraiya being attacked, made resistance, and was slain bythe robbers. Jiraiya now left alone in the world went out from Echigo andled a wandering life in several provinces. 

All this time he was consumed with the desire to revive the name of hisfather, and restore the fortunes of his family. Being exceedingly brave, and an expert swordsman, he became chief of a band of robbers andplundered many wealthy merchants, and in a short time he was rich in men, arms and booty. He was accustomed to disguise himself, and go in personinto the houses and presence of men of wealth, and thus learn all abouttheir gates and guards, where they slept, and in what rooms theirtreasures were stored, so that success was easy. 

Hearing of an old man who lived in Shinano, he started to rob him, andfor this purpose put on the disguise of a pilgrim. Shinano is a veryhigh table-land, full of mountains, and the snow lies deep in winter. Agreat snow storm coming on, Jiraiya took refuge in a humble house by theway. Entering, he found a very beautiful woman, who treated him withgreat kindness. This, however, did not change the robber's nature. Atmidnight, when all was still, he unsheathed his sword, and goingnoiselessly to her room, he found the lady absorbed in reading. 

Lifting his sword, he was about to strike at her neck, when, in a flash, her body changed into that of a very old man, who seized the heavy steelblade and broke it in pieces as though it were a stick. Then he tossedthe bits of steel away, and thus spoke to Jiraiya, who stood amazed butfearless:

"I am a man named Senso Dojin, and I have lived in these mountains manyhundred years, though my true body is that of a huge frog. I can easilyput you to death but I have another purpose. So I shall pardon you andteach you magic instead. "

Then the youth bowed his head to the floor, poured out his thanks to theold man and begged to be received as his pupil. 

Remaining with the old man of the mountain for several weeks, Jiraiyalearned all the arts of the mountain spirits; how to cause a storm ofwind and rain, to make a deluge, and to control the elements at will. 

He also learned how to govern the frogs, and at his bidding they assumedgigantic size, so that on their backs he could stand up and cross riversand carry enormous loads. 

When the old man had finished instructing him he said "Henceforth ceasefrom robbing, or in any way injuring the poor. Take from the wicked rich, and those who acquire money dishonestly, but help the needy and thesuffering. " Thus speaking, the old man turned into a huge frog and hoppedaway. 

What this old mountain spirit bade him do, was just what Jiraiya wishedto accomplish. He set out on his journey with a light heart. "I can nowmake the storm and the waters obey me, and all the frogs are at mycommand; but alas! the magic of the frog cannot control that of theserpent. I shall beware of his poison. "

From that time forth the oppressed poor people rejoiced many a time asthe avaricious merchants and extortionate money lenders lost theirtreasures. For when a poor farmer, whose crops failed, could not pay hisrent or loan on the date promised, these hard-hearted money lenders wouldturn him out of his house, seize his beds and mats and rice-tub, and eventhe shrine and images on the god-shelf, to sell them at auction for atrifle, to their minions, who resold them at a high price for themoney-lender, who thus got a double benefit. Whenever a miser was robbed, the people said, "The young thunder has struck, " and then they were glad, knowing that it was Jiraiya, (Young Thunder. ) In this manner his namesoon grew to be the poor people's watchword in those troublous times. 

Yet Jiraiya was always ready to help the innocent and honest, even ifthey were rich. One day a merchant named Fukutaro was sentenced to death, though he was really not guilty. Jiraiya hearing of it, went to themagistrate and said that he himself was the very man who committed therobbery. So the man's life was saved, and Jiraiya was hanged on a largeoak tree. But during the night, his dead body changed into a bull-frogwhich hopped away out of sight, and off into the mountains of Shinano. 

At this time, there was living in this province, a young and beautifulmaiden named Tsunadé. Her character was very lovely. She was alwaysobedient to her parents and kind to her friends. Her daily task was to goto the mountains and cut brushwood for fuel. One day while thus busysinging at the task, she met a very old man, with a long white beardsweeping his breast, who said to her:

"Do not fear me. I have lived in this mountain many hundred years, but myreal body is that of a snail. I will teach you the powers of magic, sothat you can walk on the sea, or cross a river however swift and deep, as though it were dry land. "

Gladly the maiden took daily lessons of the old man, and soon was able towalk on the waters as on the mountain paths. One day the old man said, "Ishall now leave you and resume my former shape. Use your power to destroywicked robbers. Help those who defend the poor. I advise you to marry thecelebrated man Jiraiya, and thus you will unite your powers. "

Thus saying, the old man shrivelled up into a snail and crawled away. 

"I am glad, " said the maiden to herself, "for the magic of the snail canovercome that of the serpent. When Jiraiya, who has the magic of thefrog, shall marry me, we can then destroy the son of the serpent, therobber named Dragon-coil (Orochimaru). "

By good fortune, Jiraiya met the maiden Tsunadé, and being charmed withher beauty, and knowing her power of magic, sent a messenger withpresents to her parents, asking them to give him their daughter to wife. The parents agreed, and so the young and loving couple were married. 

Hitherto when Jiraiya wished to cross a river he changed himself into afrog and swam across; or, he summoned a bull-frog before him, whichincreased in size until as large as an elephant. Then standing erect onhis warty back, even though the wind blew his garments wildly, Jiraiyareached the opposite shore in safety. But now, with his wife's powers, the two, without any delay, walked over as though the surface was a hardfloor. 

Soon after their marriage, war broke out in Japan between the two famousclans of Tsukikagé and Inukagé. To help them fight their battles, andcapture the castles of their enemies, the Tsukikagé family besought theaid of Jiraiya, who agreed to serve them and carried their banner in hisback. Their enemies, the Inukagé, then secured the services ofDragon-coil. 

This Orochimaru, or Dragon-coil, was a very wicked robber whose fatherwas a man, and whose mother was a serpent that lived in the bottom ofLake Takura. He was perfectly skilled in the magic of the serpent, and byspurting venom on his enemies, could destroy the strongest warriors. 

Collecting thousands of followers, he made great ravages in all parts ofJapan, robbing and murdering good and bad, rich and poor alike. Lovingwar and destruction he joined his forces with the Inukagé family. 

Now that the magic of the frog and snail was joined to the one army, andthe magic of the serpent aided the other, the conflicts were bloody andterrible, and many men were slain on both sides. 

On one occasion, after a hard fought battle, Jiraiya fled and took refugein a monastery, with a few trusty vassals, to rest a short time. In thisretreat a lovely princess named Tagoto was dwelling. She had fled fromOrochimaru, who wished her for his bride. She hated to marry theoffspring of a serpent, and hoped to escape him. She lived in fear of himcontinually. Orochimaru hearing at one time that both Jiraiya and theprincess were at this place, changed himself into a serpent, anddistilling a large mouthful of poisonous venom, crawled up to the ceilingin the room where Jiraiya and his wife were sleeping, and reaching a spotdirectly over them, poured the poisonous venom on the heads of hisrivals. The fumes of the prison so stupefied Jiraiya's followers, andeven the monks, that Orochimaru, instantly changing himself to a man, profited by the opportunity to seize the princess Tagoto, and make offwith her. 

Gradually the faithful retainers awoke from their stupor to find theirmaster and his beloved wife delirious, and near the point of death, andthe princess gone. 

"What can we do to restore our dear master to life?" This was thequestion each one asked of the others, as with sorrowful faces andweeping eyes they gazed at the pallid forms of their unconscious masterand his consort. They called in the venerable abbot of the monastery tosee if he could suggest what could be done. 

"Alas!" said the aged priest, "there is no medicine in Japan to cure yourlord's disease, but in India there is an elixir which is a sureantidote. If we could get that, the master would recover. "

"Alas! alas!" and a chorus of groans showed that all hope had fled, forthe mountain in India, where the elixir was made, lay five thousand milesfrom Japan. 

Just then a youth named Rikimatsu, one of the pages of Jiraiya, arose tospeak. He was but fourteen years old, and served Jiraiya out ofgratitude, for he had rescued his father from many dangers and saved hislife. He begged permission to say a word to the abbot, who, seeing thelad's eager face, motioned to him with his fan to speak. 

"How long can our lord live, " asked the youth. 

"He will be dead in thirty hours, " answered the abbot, with a sigh. 

"I'll go and procure the medicine, and if our master is still livingwhen I come back, he will get well. "

Now Rikimatsu had learned magic and sorcery from the Tengus, orlong-nosed elves of the mountains, and could fly high in the air withincredible swiftness. Speaking a few words of incantation, he put on thewings of a Tengu, mounted a white cloud and rode on the east wind toIndia, bought the elixir of the mountain spirits, and returned to Japanin one day and a night. 

On the first touch of the elixir on the sick man's face he drew a deepbreath, perspiration glistened on his forehead, and in a few moments morehe sat up. 

Jiraiya and his wife both got well, and the war broke out again. In agreat battle Dragon-coil was killed and the princess rescued. For hisprowess and aid Jiraiya was made daimio of Idzu. 

Being now weary of war and the hardships of active life, Jiraiya was gladto settle down to tranquil life in the castle and rear his family inpeace. He spent the remainder of his days in reading the books of thesages, in composing verses, in admiring the flowers, the moon and thelandscape, and occasionally going out hawking or fishing. There, amid hischildren and children's children, he finished his days in peace. 

HOW THE JELLY-FISH LOST ITS SHELL. 

Parts of the seas of the Japanese Archipelago are speckled with thousandsof round white jelly-fish, that swim a few feet below the surface. Onecan see the great steamer go ploughing through them as through a field offrosted cakes. The huge paddle-wheels make a perfect pudding of thousandsof them, as they are dashed against the paddle-box and whipped into afroth like white of eggs or churned into a thick cream by the propellerblades. Sometimes the shoals are of great breadth, and then it veritablylooks as though a crockery shop had been upset in the ocean, and tenthousand white dinner-plates had broken loose. Around the bays andharbors the Japanese boys at play drive them with paddles into shoals, and sometimes they poke sticks through them. This they can do easily, because the jelly-fish has no jacket of shell or bone like the lobster, nor any skin like a fish, and so always has to swim naked, exposed to allkinds of danger. Sometimes great jelly-fishes, two or three feet indiameter, sail gaily along near the shore, as proud as thelong-handled-umbrella of a daimiō, and as brilliantly colored as aJapanese parasol. Floating all around their bodies, like the streamers ofa temple festival, or a court lady's ribbons, are their long tentacles orfeelers. No peacock stretching his bannered tail could make a finersight, or look prouder than these floating sun-fishes, or bladders ofliving jelly. 

But alas for all things made of water! Let but a wave of unusual force, or a sudden gust of wind come, and this lump of pride lies collapsed andstranded on the shore, like a pancake upset into a turnover, in whichbatter and crust are hopelessly mixed together. When found fresh, menoften come down to the shore and cutting huge slices of blubber, astransparent as ice, they eat the solid water with their rice, in lieu ofdrink. 

A jelly-fish as big as an umbrella, and weighing as much as a big boy, will, after lying a few hours in the sun leave scarcely a trace on thespot for their bodies are little more than animated masses of water. Atnight, however where a jelly-fish has stranded, the ground seems to crawland emit a dull fire of phosphorescence which the Japanese call "dragon'slight. "

But the jelly-fish once had a shell, and was not so defenceless, say thefairy tales. How it lost it is thus told. 

 * * * * *

In the days of old, the jelly-fish was one of the retainers in waitingupon the Queen of the World under the Sea, at her palace in Riu Gu. Inthose days he had a shell, and as his head was hard, no one dared toinsult him, or stick him with their horns, or pinch him with their claws, or scratch him with their nails, or brush rudely by him with their fins. In short, this fish instead of being a lump of jelly, as white andhelpless as a pudding, as we see him now, was a lordly fellow that couldget his back up and keep it high when he wished to. He waited on thequeen and right proud was he of his office. He was on good terms with theKing's dragon, which often allowed him to play with his scaly tail butnever hurt him in the least. 

One day the Queen fell sick, and every hour grew worse. The King becameanxious, and her subjects talked about nothing else but her sickness. There was grief all through the water-world; from the mermaids on theirbeds of sponge, and the dragons in the rocky caverns, down to the tinygudgeons in the rivers, that were considered no more than mere bait. Thejolly cuttle-fish stopped playing his drums and guitar, folded his sixarms and hid away moping in his hole. His servant the lobster in vainlighted his candle at night, and tried to induce him to come out of hislair. The dolphins and porpoises wept tears, but the clams, oysters andlimpets shut up their shells and did not even wiggle. The flounders andskates lay flat on the ocean's floor, never even lifting up their noses. The squid wept a great deal of ink, and the jelly-fish nearly melted topure water. The tortoise was patient and offered to do anything for therelief of the Queen. 

But nothing could be done. The cuttle-fish who professed to be "a kind ofa" doctor, offered the use of all his cups to suck out the poison, ifthat were the trouble. 

But it wasn't. It was internal, and nothing but medicine that could beswallowed would reach the disease. 

At last some one suggested that the liver of a monkey would be a specificfor the royal sickness, and it was resolved to try it. The tortoise, whowas the Queen's messenger, because he could live on both land and water, swim or crawl, was summoned. He was told to go upon earth to a certainmountain, catch a monkey and bring him alive to the Under-world. 

Off started the tortoise on his journey to the earth, and going to amountain where the monkeys lived, squatted down at the foot of a tree andpretended to be asleep though keeping his claws and tail out. There hewaited patiently, well knowing that curiosity and the monkey's love oftricks would bring one within reach of his talons. Pretty soon, a familyof chattering monkeys came running along among the branches overhead, when suddenly a young _saru_ (monkey) caught sight of the sleepingtortoise. 

"_Naru hodo_" (Is it possible?) said the long-handed fellow, "here's fun;let's tickle the old fellow's back and pull his tail. "

All agreed, and forthwith a dozen monkeys, joining hand over hand, made along ladder of themselves until they just reached the tortoise's back. (They didn't use their tails, for Japanese monkeys have none, exceptstumps two inches long). However, he who was to be the tail end of thisliving rope, when all was ready, crawled along and slipped over the wholeline, whispering as he slid:

"'Sh! don't chatter or laugh, you'll wake the old fellow up. "

Now the monkey expected to hold on the living pendulum by one long hand, and swinging down with the other, to pull the tortoise's tail, and seehow near he could come to his snout without being snapped up. For amonkey well knew that a tortoise could neither jump off its legs norclimb a tree. 

Once! Twice! The monkey pendulum swung back and forth without touching. 

Three! Four! The monkey's finger-nails scratched the tortoise's back. Yetold Hard Shell pretended to be sound asleep. 

Five! Six! The monkey caught hold of the tortoise's tail and jerked ithard. Old Tortoise now moved out its head a little, as if still only halfawake. 

Seven! Eight! This time the monkey intended to pull the tortoise's head, when just as he came within reach, the tortoise snapped him, held him inhis claws, and as the monkey pendulum swung back he lost his hold. In aninstant he was jerked loose, and fell head-foremost to the ground, halfstunned. 

Frightened at the loss of their end link, the other monkeys of the chainwound themselves up like a windlass over the branches, and squatting onthe trees, set up a doleful chattering. 

"Now, " says the tortoise, "I want you to go with me. If you don't, I'lleat you up. Get on my back and I'll carry you; but I must hold your pawin my mouth so you won't run away. "

Half frightened to death, the monkey obeyed, and the tortoise trotted offto the sea, swam to the spot over the Queen's palace, and in a fillip ofthe finger was down in the gardens of Riu Gu. 

Here, let me say, that according to another version of this story themonkeys assembled in force when they suspected what the tortoise had comeafter, and catching him napping turned him over on his back so that hecould not move or bite. Then they took his under shell off, so that hehad to travel back to Riu Gu and get another one. This last versionhowever is uncertain and it looks like a piece of invention tosuppose that the monkeys had a sufficient medical knowledge to make themsuspicious of the design of the tortoise on the monkey's liver. I preferthe regular account. 

[Illustration: THE MONKEYS IN GRIEF. ]

The Queen hearing of the monkey's arrival thanked the tortoise, andcommanded her cook and baker to feed him well and treat him kindly, forthe queen felt really sorry because he was to lose his liver. 

As for the monkey he enjoyed himself very much, and ran around everywhereamusing the star-fishes, clams, oysters and other pulpy creatures thatcould not run, by his rapid climbing of the rocks and coral bushes, andby rolling over the sponge beds and cutting all manner of antics. 

They had never before seen anything like it. Poor fellow! he didn'tsuspect what was to come. 

All this time however the jelly-fish pitied him in his heart, and couldhardly keep what he knew to himself. Seeing that the monkey, lonely andhomesick was standing by the shore of a pond, the jelly-fish squeezedhimself up near him and said:

"Excuse my addressing you, I feel very sorry for you because you are tobe put to death. "

"Why?" said the monkey, "What have I done?"

"Oh, nothing, " said the jelly-fish, "only our queen is sick and she wantsyour liver for medicine. "

Then if ever any one saw a sick looking monkey it was this one. As theJapanese say "his liver was smashed. " He felt dreadfully afraid. He puthis hands over his eyes, and immediately began to plan how to save bothhis liver and his life. 

After a while the rain began to fall heavily, and the monkey ran in outof the garden, and standing in the hall of the Queen's palace began toweep bitterly. Just then the tortoise, passing by, saw his captive. 

"What are you crying about?"

"Aita! aita!" cried the monkey, "When I left my home on the earth, Iforgot to bring my liver with me, but hung it upon a tree, and now it israining and my liver will decay and I'll die. Aita! aita!" and the poormonkey's eyes became red as a _tai_ fish, and streamed with tears. 

When the tortoise told the Queen's courtiers what the monkey had said, their faces fell. 

"Why, here's a pretty piece of business. The monkey is of no use withouthis liver. We must send him after it. "

So they dispatched the tortoise to the earth again, the monkey sittinga-straddle of his back. They came to the mountain again, and the tortoisebeing a little lazy, waited at the foot while the monkey scampered off, saying he would be back in an hour. The two creatures had become so wellacquainted that the old Hard Shell fully trusted the lively littlefellow. 

But instead of an hour the tortoise waited till evening. No monkey came. So finding himself fooled, and knowing all the monkeys would take thealarm, he waddled back and told the Queen all about it. 

"Then, " said the Queen after reprimanding her messenger for his sillyconfidence, "the monkey must have got wind of our intention to use hisliver, and what is more, some one of my retainers or servants must havetold him. "

Then the Queen issued an order commanding all her subjects to appearbefore the Dragon-King of the Sea. Whoever did this wicked thing, Kai RiuO would punish him. 

Now it happened that all the fish and sea animals of all sorts, thatswam, crawled, rolled or moved in any way, appeared before Kai Riu O, theDragon-King, and his Queen--all except the jelly-fish. Then the Queenknew the jelly-fish was the guilty one. She ordered the culprit to bebrought into her presence. Then publicly, before all her retainers andservants, she cried out:

"You leaky-tongued wretch, for your crime of betraying the confidence ofyour sovereign, you shall no longer remain among shell-fish. I condemnyou to lose your shell. "

Then she stripped off his shell, and left the poor jelly-fish entirelynaked and ashamed. 

"Be off, you tell-tale. Hereafter all your children shall be soft anddefenceless. "

The poor jelly-fish blushed crimson, squeezed himself out, and swam offout of sight. Since that time jelly-fishes have had no shells. 

LORD CUTTLE-FISH GIVES A CONCERT. 

Despite the loss of the monkey's liver, the queen of the World under theSea, after careful attention and long rest, got well again, and was ableto be about her duties and govern her kingdom well. The news of herrecovery created the wildest joy all over the Under-world, and from tearsand gloom and silence, the caves echoed with laughter, and thesponge-beds with music. Every one had on a "white face. " Drums, flutesand banjos, which had been hung up on coral branches, or packed away inshell boxes, were taken down, or brought out, and right merrily werethey struck or thrummed with the ivory _hashi_ (plectrum). The prettymaids of the Queen put on their ivory thimble-nails, and the Queen againlistened to the sweet melodies on the _koto_, (flat harp), while downamong the smaller fry of fishy retainers and the scullions of thekitchen, were heard the constant thump of the _tsutsumi_ (shoulder-drum), the bang of the taiko (big drum), and the loud cries of the dancers asthey struck all sorts of attitudes with hands, feet and head. 

No allusion was openly made either to monkeys, tortoises or jelly-fish. This would not have been polite. But the jelly-fish, in a distant pool inthe garden, could hear the refrain, "The rivers of China run into thesea, and in it sinks the rain. "

Now in the language of the Under-world people the words for "river, " and"skin, " (or "covering, ") and "China, " and "shell, " and "rain, " and"jelly, " are the same. So the chorus, which was nothing but a string ofpuns, meant, "The skin of the jelly-fish runs to the sea, and in it sinksthe jelly. "

But none of these musical performances were worthy of the Queen's notice;although as evidences of the joy of her subjects, they did very well. Agreat many entertainments were gotten up to amuse the finny people, butthe Queen was present at none of them except the one about to bedescribed. How and why she became a spectator shall also be told. 

One night the queen was sitting in the pink drawing-room, arrayed in herqueenly robes, for she was quite recovered and expected to walk out inthe evening. Everything in the room, except a vase of green and goldencolored sponge-plant, and a plume of glass-thread, was of a pink color. Then there was a pretty rockery made of a pyramid of pumice, full ofembossed rosettes of living sea-anemones of scarlet, orange, grey andblack colors, which were trained to fold themselves up like an umbrella, or blossom out like chrysanthemums, at certain hours of the day, or whentouched, behaving just like four o'clocks and sensitive plants. 

All the furniture and hangings of the rooms were pink. The floor was madeof mats woven from strips of shell-nacre, bound at the sides with an inchborder of pink coral. The ceiling was made of the rarest of pink shellswrought into flowers and squares. The walls were decorated with the samematerial, representing sea-scenes, jewels and tortoise shell patterns. Inthe _tokonoma_, or raised space, was a bouquet of sea-weed of richestdyes, and in the nooks was an open cabinet holding several of thequeen's own treasures, such as a tiara which looked like woven threads ofcrystal (Euplectella), and a toilet box and writing case made of solidpink coral. The gem of all was a screen having eight folds, on which wasdepicted the palace and throne-room of Riu Gu, the visit of Toda, and theprocession of the Queen, nobles and grandees that escorted the bravearcher, when he took his farewell to return to earth. 

The Queen sat on the glistening sill of the wide window looking out overher gardens, her two maids sitting at her feet. The sound of music waftedthrough the coral groves and crystal grottoes reached her ear. 

"_O medzurashi gozarimasu!_" "(How wonderful this is!)" exclaimed thequeen, half aloud. "What strange music is this? It is neither guitar, nor hand, nor shoulder drum, nor singing. It seems to be a mixture ofall. Hear! It sounds as if a band with many instruments was playing tothe accompaniment of a large choir of voices. "

True enough! It was the most curious music ever heard in Riu Gu, for totell the truth the voices were not in perfect accord, though all keptgood time. The sound seemed to issue from the mansion of LordCuttle-fish, the palace physician. The queen's curiosity was roused. 

"I shall go and see what it is, " said she, as she rose up. Suddenly sherecollected, and exclaimed:

"O, no, it would not be proper for me to be seen in public at this hourof the evening, and if it is in Lord Cuttle-fish's mansion, I could notenter without a retinue, No, it won't do for me, it's beneath mydignity, " said her majesty to herself as she went over to touch heranemones, while her maids fanned her, seeing their mistress flushed withexcitement, and fearing a relapse. 

Curiosity got the better of the queenly lady, and off she started withonly her two maids who held aloft over her head, the long pearl-handledfans made of white shark's fins. 

"Besides, " thought she, "perhaps the concert is outside, in the garden. If so, I can look down and see from the great green rock that overlooksit, and my lord Kai Riu O need not know of it. "

The Queen walked over her pebbled garden walk, avoiding the great highroad paved with white coral rock, and taking a by-path trimmed withfan-coral. The sound of the drums and voices grew louder, until as shereached the top of a green rock back of Lord Cuttle-fish's garden, thewhole performance was open to her view. 

It was so funny, and the queen was so overcome at the comical sight, thatshe nearly fell down and got the hysterics, laughing so heartily. Sheutterly forgot her dignity, and laughed till the tears ran down her face. She was so afraid she would scream out, that she nearly choked herself todeath with her sleeve, while her alarmed maids, though meaning nothing bytheir acts but friendly help, slapped her back to give her breath. 

There, at the top of a high green rock, all covered with barnacles, on ahuge tuft of sponge, sat Lord Cuttle-fish, playing on three musicalinstruments at once. His great warty speckled head, six feet high, like ahuge bag upside down, was bent forward to read the notes of his musicbook by the light of a wax candle, which was stuck in the feelers of aprickly lobster, and patiently held. Of his six pulpy arms one long oneran down like the trunk of an elephant, fingering along the pages of amusic book. Two others were used to play the guitar, one to grasp thehandle and pinch the strings, and the other to hold the ivory stick tostrike the strings. The tsutsumi (small double drum) was held on hisshoulder and neck, while still another arm curled up in a bunch, punchedit like a fist. Below him was a another, a bass drum, set in a frame, andin his last leg, or arm, was clutched a heavy drum-stick, which poundedout tremendous noise, if not music. There the old fellow sat with hishead bobbing, and all his six cuppy arms in motion, his rolling blue eyesogling the notes, and his mouth like an elephant's, screeching out thesong, which was made up of puns on 'tortoises, ' 'monkeys, ''jelly-fishes, ' 'livers' and 'shell, ' though the real words made anentirely different sense. 

All this time, in front of Lord Cuttle-fish, sat the lobster holding upthe light, like the _kurombo_, or black fellows who hold candles at theend of long-handled candle-sticks on the stage of the theatres so thatthe people may see the faces of the actors. 

But the audience, or rather the orchestra was the funniest part of all. They could hardly be called listeners, for they were all performers. Onthe left was the lusty red-faced _tai_ fish with its gills wide open, singing at the top, or rather at the bottom, of his throat, and beatingtime by flapping his wide fins. Just back of him was a little gudgeon, silent and fanning himself with a blue flat fan, having disgracefullybroken down on a high note. Next behind, on the right, was a long-nosedgar-fish singing alto, and proud of her slender form, with the last newthing in folding fans held in her fin. In the fore-ground squatted agreat fat frog with big bulging eyes, singing base, and leading the choirby flapping his webbed fingers up and down with his frightful cavern of amouth wide open. Next, sat the stately and dignified mackerel who wasrather scandalized at the whole affair, and kept very still, refusing tojoin in. At the mackerel's right fin, squeaked out the stupid flat-headed_fugu_ fish with her big eye impolitely winking at the servant-maid justbringing in refreshments; for the truth was, she was thirsty after somuch vocal exercise. The _fugu_ was very vain and always played thecoquette around the hooks of the fishermen who always liked to eat herbecause she was so sweet, yet her flesh was poison. 

"How strange it is that men will angle after that ugly hussy, when shepoisons them, " was the oft-repeated remark of the gar-fish. 

Just behind the herring, with one eye on Lord Cuttle-fish and one on thecoming refreshments, was the skate. The truth must be told that theentire right wing of the orchestra was very much demoralized by the smellof the steaming tea and eatables just about to be served. The suppon, (tortoise with a snout like a bird's beak, ) though he continued to sing, impolitely turned his head away from Lord Cuttle-fish, and his back tothe frog that acted as precentor. The sucker, though very homely, andbloated with fat, kept on in the chorus, and pretended not to notice thewaiter and her tray and cups. Indeed, Madame Sucker thought it quitevulgar in the tortoise to be so eager after the cakes and wine. 

In truth the concert had been long, and all were thirsty and ready for abite and a drink. 

Suddenly the music ceased, and the long clatter on the drum announced theend. Lord Cuttle-fish kicked over his drum, unscrewed his guitar, andpacked it away in his music box. He then slid along on his six slipperylegs to the refreshments, and actually amused the company by standing onhis head, and twirling his six cuppy arms around. 

At this Miss Mackerel was quite shocked, and whispered under her fan tothe gar-fish, "It is quite undignified. What would the Queen say if shesaw it?" not knowing that the Queen was looking on. 

Then all sat down on their tails, propped upright on one fin, andproduced their fans to cool themselves off. The lobster pulled off thecandle stump and ate it up, wiped his feelers, and joined the party. 

The liquid refreshments consisted of sweet and clear _saké_ (rice beer)tea, and cherry-blossom water. The solids were thunder-cakes, egg-cracknels, boiled rice, _daikon_ radishes and macaroni, lotus-root, _taro_, and side-dishes piled up with flies, worms, bugs and all kinds ofbait for the small fry--the finny brats that were to eat at the secondtable. The tea was poured by the servants of Lord Cuttle-fish. These werethe funniest little green _kappas_, or creatures half way between amonkey and a tortoise, with yellow eyes, hands like an ape, hair clippedshort on their heads, eyes like frogs, and a mouth that stretched fromear to ear Poor creatures! they were only too happy to know that thoughthey looked like monkeys their livers would not do for medicine. 

The Queen did not wait to see the end of the feast, but laughingheartily, returned to her palace and went to sleep. 

After helping himself with all the cups of his arms out of the tub ofboiled rice, until Miss Mackerel made up her mind that he was an _omeshigurai_, (rice glutton, ) and drinking like a shoal of fishes, LordCuttle-fish went home, coiled himself up into a ball, and fell asleep. Hehad a headache next morning. 

YORIMASA, THE BRAVE ARCHER. 

Genzan Yorimasa was a brave warrior and a very useful man who lived morethan eight thousand moons ago. On account of his valor and skill in theuse of the bow he was called to Kioto, and promoted to be chief guard ofthe imperial palace. At that time the emperor, Narahito, could not sleepat night, because his rest was disturbed by a frightful beast, whichscared away even the sentinels in armor who stood on guard. 

This dreadful beast had the wings of a bird, the body and claws of atiger, the head of a monkey, a serpent tail, and the crackling scales ofa dragon. It came after night, upon the roof of the palace, and howledand scratched so dreadfully, that the poor mikado losing all rest, grewweak and thin. None of the guards dare face it in hand-to-hand fight, andnone had skill enough to hit it with an arrow in the dark, though severalof the imperial corps of archers had tried again and again. When Yorimasareceived his appointment, he strung his bow carefully, and carefullyhoning his steel-headed arrows, stored his quiver, and resolved to mountguard that night with his favorite retainer. 

It chanced to be a stormy night. The lightning was very vivid, andKaminari, the thunder-god was beating all his drums. The wind swirledround frightfully, as though Fuden the wind-god was emptying all hisbags. Toward midnight, the falcon eye of Yorimasa saw, during a flash oflightning, the awful beast sitting on the "devil's tile" at the tip ofthe ridge-pole, on the north-east end of the roof. He bade his retainerhave a torch of straw and twigs ready to light at a moment's notice, toloosen his blade, and wet its hilt-pin, while he fitted the notch of hisbest arrow into the silk cord of his bow. 

Keeping his eyes strained, he pretty soon saw the glare now of one eye, now two eyes, as the beast with swaying head crept along the great roofto the place on the eaves directly under the mikado's sleeping-room. There it stopped. 

This was Yorimasa's opportunity. Aiming about a foot to the right ofwhere he saw the eye glare, he drew his yard-length shaft clear back tohis shoulder, and let fly. A dull thud, a frightful howl, a heavy bumpon the ground, and the writhing of some creature among the pebbles, toldin a few seconds time that the shaft had struck flesh. The next instantYorimasa's retainer rushed out with blazing torch and joined battle withhis dirk. Seizing the beast by the neck, he quickly despatched him, bycutting his throat. Then they flayed the monster, and the next morningthe hide was shown to his majesty. 

All congratulated Yorimasa on his valor and marksmanship. Many young men, sons of nobles and warriors, begged to become his pupils in archery. Themikado ordered a noble of very high rank to present to Yorimasa a famoussword named Shishi-no-ō, (King of Wild Boars), and to give him a lovelymaid of honor named Ayami, to wife. And so the brave and the fair weremarried, and to this day the fame of Yorimasa is like the"umé-také-matsu, " (plum-blossom, bamboo and pine), fragrant, green andever-during. 

[Illustration: YORIMASA AND THE NIGHT-BEAST. ]

WATANABE CUTS OFF THE ONI'S ARM. 

When the capital of Japan was the city of Kioto, and the mikado dwelt init with all his court, there lived a brave captain of the guard namedYorimitsu, who belonged to the famous Minamoto family. He was also calledRaiko, and by this name he is best known to all the boys and girls inGreat Japan. Under Captain Raiko were three brave guardsmen, one of whomwas named Watanabé Tsuna. The duty of these men-at-arms was to watch atthe gates leading to the palace. 

It had come to pass that the blossom capital had fallen in a dreadfulcondition, because the guards at the other gates had been neglected. Thieves were numerous and murders were frequent, so that every one in thecity was afraid to go out into the streets at night. Worse than all else, was the report that oni or imps were prowling around in the dark to seizepeople by the hair of the head. Then they would drag them away to themountains, tear the flesh off their bones, and eat them up. 

The worst place in the city, to which the horned imps came oftenest, wasat the south-western gate called the Rajo-mon. 

To this post of danger, Raiko sent Tsuna, the bravest of his guards. 

It was on a dark, rainy and dismal night, that Tsuna started, well-armed, to stand sentinel at the gate. His trusty helmet was knotted over hischin, and all the pieces of his armor were well laced up. His sandalswere girt tight to his feet, and in his belt was thrust the trusty sword, freshly ground, until its edge was like a razor's, and with it the ownercould cut asunder a hair floating in the air. 

Arriving at the red pillar of the gate, Tsuna paced up and down the stoneway with eyes and ears wide open. The wind was blowing frightfully, thestorm howled and the rain fell in such torrents that soon the cords ofTsuna's armor and his dress were soaked through. 

The great bronze bell of the temples on the hills boomed out the hoursone after another, until a single stroke told Tsuna it was the hour ofthe Rat (midnight). 

Two hours passed, and the hour of the Bull sounded (2 A. M. , ) still Tsunawas wide awake. The storm had lulled, but it was darker than ever. 

The hour of the Tiger (3 o'clock) rung out, and the soft mellow notes ofthe temple bell died away like a lullaby wooing one to sleep, spite ofwill and vow. 

The warrior, almost without knowing it, grew sleepy and fell into a doze. He started and woke up. He shook himself, jingled his armor, pinchedhimself, and even pulled out his little knife from the wooden scabbard ofhis dirk, and pricked his leg with the point of it to keep awake, but allin vain. Unconsciously overcome, he leaned against the gate-post, andfell asleep. 

This was just what the imp wanted. All the time he had been squatting onthe cross-piece at the top of the gate waiting his opportunity. He nowslid down as softly as a monkey, and with his iron-like claws grabbedTsuna by the helmet, and began to drag him into the air. 

In an instant Tsuna was awake. Seizing the hairy wrist of the imp withhis left hand, with his right he drew his sword, swept it round his head, and cut off the demon's arm. The oni, frightened and howling with pain, leaped up the post and disappeared in the clouds. 

Tsuna waited with drawn sword in hand, lest the oni might come again, butin a few hours morning dawned. The sun rose on the pagodas and gardensand temples of the capitol and the nine-fold circle of flowery hills. Everything was beautiful and bright. Tsuna returned to report to hiscaptain, carrying the oni's arm in triumph. Raiko examined it, and loudlypraised Tsuna for his bravery, and rewarded him with a silken sash. 

Now it is said that if an oni's arm be cut off it cannot be made to unitewith the body again, if kept apart for a week. So Raiko warned Tsuna tolock it up, and watch it night and day, lest it be stolen from him. 

So Tsuna went to the stone-cutters who made idols of Buddha, mortars forpounding rice, and coffers for burying money in to be hidden away in theground, and bought a strong box cut out of the solid stone. It had aheavy lid on it, which slid in a groove and came out only by touching asecret spring. Then setting it in his bed chamber, he guarded it day andnight, keeping the gate and all his doors locked. He allowed no one whowas a stranger to look at the trophy. 

Six days passed by, and Tsuna began to think his prize was sure, for werenot all his doors tight shut? So he set the box out in the middle of theroom, and twisting some rice-straw fringe in token of sure victory andrejoicing, he sat down in ease before it. He took off his armor and puton his court robes. During the evening, but rather late, there was afeeble knock like that of an old woman at the gate outside. 

Tsuna cried out, "Who's there?"

The squeaky voice of his aunt (as it seemed), who was a very old woman, replied "Me, I want to see my nephew, to praise him for his bravery incutting the oni's arm off. "

So Tsuna let her in and carefully locking the door behind her, helped theold crone into the room, where she sat down on the mats in front of thebox and very close to it. Then she grew very talkative, and praised hernephew's exploit, until Tsuna felt very proud. 

All the time the old woman's left shoulder was covered with her dresswhile her right hand was out. Then she begged earnestly to be allowed tosee the limb. Tsuna at first politely refused, but she urged, untilyielding affectionately he slid back the stone lid just a little. 

"This is my arm" cried the old hag, turning into an oni, and dragging outthe arm. 

She flew up to the ceiling, and was out of the smoke-slide through theroof in a twinkling. Tsuna rushed out of the house to shoot her with anarrow, but he saw only a demon far off in the clouds grinning horribly. He noted carefully however that the direction of the imps' flight was tothe north-west. 

A council was now held by Raiko's band, and it was decided that thelurking-place of the demons must be in the mountains of Oyé in theprovince of Tango. It was resolved to hunt out and destroy the imps. 

WATANABE KILLS THE GREAT SPIDER. 

During the time in which Watanabé was forming his plan to destroy theonis that lurked in the Oyé mountains, the brave Raiko fell sick, anddaily grew weaker and paler. When the demons found this out they sent thethree-eyed imp called Mitsumé Kozo, to plague him. 

This imp, which had a snout like a hog's, three monstrous blue eyes, anda mouth full of tusks, was glad that the brave soldier could no longerfight the onis. He would approach the sick man in his chamber, leerhorribly at him, loll out his tongue, and pull down the lids of his eyeswith his hairy fingers, until the sight sickened Raiko more and more. 

But Raiko, well or ill, always slept with his trusty sword under hispillow, and pretending to be greatly afraid, and to cower under thebed-clothes, the kozo grew bolder and bolder. When the imp was near thebed, Raiko drew his blade, and cut the oni across his huge double nose. This made the demon howl, and he ran away, leaving tracks of blood. 

When Tsuna and his band heard of their brave master's exploit, they cameto congratulate him, and offered to hunt out the demon and destroy him. 

They followed the red drops until they came to a cavern in the mountains. Entering this they saw in the gloom a spider six feet high, with legs aslong as a fishing-pole, and as thick as a daikon radish. Two greatyellow eyes glared at them like lamps. They noticed a great gaping woundas if done by a sword-cut on his snout. 

It was a horrible, nasty hairy thing to fight with swords, since to getnear enough, they would be in danger of the creature's claws. So Tsunawent and chopped down a tree as thick as a man's leg, leaving the rootson, while his comrades prepared a rope to tie up the monster like a flyin a web. Then with a loud yell Tsuna rushed at the spider, felled himwith a blow, and held him down with the tree and roots so he could notbite or use his claws. Seeing this, his comrades rushed in, and bound themonster's legs tight to his body so that he could not move. Drawing theirswords they passed them through his body and finished him. Returning intriumph to the city, they found their dear captain recovered from hisillness. 

Raiko thanked his brave warriors for their exploits, made a feast forthem, and gave them many presents. At this feast Captain Raiko told themthat he had received orders from the mikado to march against the oni'sden in Tango, slaughter them all, and rescue the prisoners he should findthere. Then he showed them his commission written in large letters, "I command you, Raiko, to chastise the onis. "

He also allowed them to examine the gold brocade bag, in which it waskept, and which one of the fair ladies of the court had made for him withher own tapering fingers. 

At this time many families in Kioto were grieving over the loss of theirchildren, and even while Tsuna had been away, several lovely damsels hadbeen seized and taken to the demon's den. 

Lest the onis might hear of their coming, and escape, the four trusty mendisguised themselves as Komuso or wandering priests of the mountains. They put on over their helmets, huge hats like wash-bowls, made of straw, woven so tightly that no one could see their faces. They covered theirarmor with very cheap and common clothes, and then after worshipping atthe shrines, began their march. 

RAIKO AND THE SHI-TEN DOJI. 

Quite pathless were the desolate mountains of Tango, for no one ever wentinto them except once in a while a poor woodcutter or charcoal-burner;yet Raiko and his men set out with stout hearts. There were no bridgesover the streams, and frightful precipices abounded. Once they had tostop and build a bridge by felling a tree, and walking across it over adangerous chasm. Once they came to a steep rock, to descend which theymust make a ladder of creeping vines. At last they reached a dense groveat the top of a cliff, far up to the clouds, which seemed as if it mightcontain the demon's castle. 

Approaching, they found a pretty maiden washing some clothes which hadspots of blood on them. They said to her, "Sister, Miss, why are youhere, and what are you doing?"

"Ah, " said she, with a deep sigh, "you must not come here. This is thehaunt of demons. They eat human flesh and they will eat yours. " "Lookthere" said she pointing to a pile of white bones of men, women andchildren, "You must go down the mountain as quickly as you came. " Sayingthis she burst into tears. 

But instead of being frightened or sorrowful, the brave fellows nearlydanced for joy. "We have come here for the purpose of destroying thedemons by the mikado's orders, " said Raiko, patting his breast, whereinside his dress in the damask bag was the imperial order. 

At this the maiden dried her tears and smiled so sweetly that Raiko'sheart was touched by her beauty. 

"But how came you to live among these cannibal demons, " asked Raiko. 

She blushed deeply as she replied sadly "Although they eat men and oldwomen, they keep the young maidens to wait on them. "

"It's a great pity" said Raiko, "but we shall now avenge our fellowsubjects of the mikado, as well as your shame and cruel treatment, if youwill show us the way up the cliff to the den. "

They began to climb the hill but they had not gone far before they met ayoung oni who was a cook in the great dōji's kitchen. He was carrying ahuman limb for his master's lunch. They gnashed their teeth silently, and clutched their swords under their coats. Yet they courteously salutedthe cook-demon, and asked for an interview with the chief. The demonsmiled in his sleeve, thinking what a fine dinner his master would makeof the four men. 

A few feet forward, and a turn in the path brought them to the front ofthe demon's castle. Among tall and mighty boulders of rock, which loomedup to the clouds, there was an opening in the dense groves, thicklycovered with vines and mosses like an arbor. From this point, the viewover the plains below commanded a space of hundreds of miles. In thedistance the red pagodas, white temple-gables and castle towers of Kiotowere visible. 

Inside the cave was a banqueting hall large enough to seat one hundredpersons. The floor was neatly covered with new, clean mats of sea-greenrice-straw, on which tables, silken cushions, arm-rests, drinking-cups, bottles and many other articles of comfort lay about. The stone wallswere richly decorated with curtains and hangings of fine silken stuffs. 

At the end of the long hall, on a raised dais, our heroes presentlyobserved, as a curtain was lifted, the chief demon, Shi-ten dōji, ofaugust, yet frightful appearance. He was seated on a heap of luxuriouscushions made of blue and crimson crape, stuffed with swan's down. He wasleaning on a golden arm-rest. His body was quite red, and he was roundand fat like a baby grown up. He had very black hair cut like a smallboy's, and on the top of his head, just peeping through the hair weretwo very short horns. Around him were a score of lovely maidens--thefairest of Kioto--on whose beautiful faces was stamped the misery theydared not fully show, yet could not entirely conceal. Along the wallother demons sat or lay at full length, each one with his handmaid seatedbeside him to wait on him and pour out his wine. All of them were ofhorrible aspect, which only made the beauty of the maidens moreconspicuous. Seeing our heroes walk in the hall led by the cook, each oneof the demons was as happy as a spider, when in his lurking hole he feelsthe jerk on his web-thread that tells him a fly is caught. All of them atonce poured out a fresh saucer of saké and drank it down. 

Raiko and his men separated, and began talking freely with the demonsuntil the partitions at one corner were slid aside, and a troop oflittle demons who were waiter-boys entered. They brought in a host ofdishes, and the onis fell to and ate. The noise of their jaws soundedlike the pounding of a rice mill. 

Our heroes were nearly sickened at the repast, for it consisted chieflyof human flesh, while the wine-cups were made of empty human skulls. However, they laughed and talked and excused themselves from eating, saying they had just lunched. 

As the demons drank more and more they grew lively, laughed till the caveechoed, and sang uproarious songs. Every time they grinned, they showedtheir terrible tusks, and teeth like fangs. All of them had horns, thoughmost of these were very short. 

The dōji became especially hilarious, and drank the health of every oneof his four guests in a skull full of wine. To supply him there was atub full of saké at hand, and his usual drinking-vessel was a dish whichseemed to Tsuma to be as large as a full moon. 

Raiko now offered to return the courtesies shown them by dancing "theKioto dance, " for which he was famous. Stepping out into the centre ofthe hall, with his fan in one hand, he danced gracefully and with suchwonderful ease, that the onis screamed with delight, and clapped theirhands in applause, saying they had never seen anything to equal it. Eventhe maidens, lost in admiration of the polished courtier, forgot theirsorrow, and felt as happy for the time as though they were at homedancing. 

The dance finished, Raiko took from his bosom a bottle of saké, andoffered it to the chief demon as a gift, saying it was the best wine ofSakai. The delighted dōji drank and gave a sip to each of his lordssaying, "This is the best liquor I ever tasted, you must drink the healthof our friends in it. "

Now Raiko had bought, at the most skillful druggists' in the capital, apowerful sleeping potion, and mixed it with the wine, which made it tastevery sweet. In a few minutes all the demons had dropped off asleep, andtheir snores sounded like the rolling thunder of the mountains. 

Then Raiko rose up and gave the signal to his comrades. Whispering to themaidens to leave the room quietly, they drew their swords, and with aslittle noise as possible cut the throats of the demons. No sound washeard but the gurgling of blood that ran out in floods on the floor. Thedōji lying like a lion on his cushions was still sleeping, the snoresissuing out of his nose like thunder from a cloud. The four warriorsapproached him and like loyal vassals as they were, they first turnedtheir faces towards Kioto, reverenced the mikado, and prayed for theblessing of the gods who made Japan. Raiko then drew near, and measuringthe width of the doji's neck with his sword found that it would be short. Suddenly, the blade lengthened of itself. Then lifting his weapon, hesmote with all his might and cut the neck clean through. 

In an instant, the bloody head flew up in the air gnashing its teeth androlling its yellow eyes, while the horns sprouted out to a horriblelength, the jaws opening and shutting like the edges of an earthquakefissure. It flew up and whirled round the room seven times. Then with arush it flew at Raiko's head, and bit through the straw hat and into theiron helmet inside. But this final effort exhausted its strength, it'smotions ceased and it fell heavily to the floor. 

Anxiously the comrades helped their fallen leader to rise, and examinedhis head. But he was unhurt, --not a scratch was on him. Then the heroescongratulated each other and after despatching the smaller demons, brought out all the treasure and divided it equally. Then they set thecastle on fire and buried the bones of the victims, setting up a stone tomark the spot. All the maidens and captives were assembled together, andin great state and pomp they returned to Kioto. The virgins were restoredto their parents, and many a desolate home was made joyful, and manymourning garments taken off. Raiko was honored by the mikado in beingmade a kugé (court noble, ) and was appointed Chief of the entire garrisonof Kiotō. Then all the people were grateful for his valor. 

THE SAZAYE AND THE TAI. 

Sazayé is a shell-fish, which is very proud of its shell. This is high, full of points like towers, and thick like a castle wall. When feeding, enjoying itself or moving around, its long neck and body are stretchedout before it, armed with its hard operculum, which is like an ironshield, or the end of a battering ram. The operculum fits the entrance toits shell like a trap door. As soon as any danger is near it pulls in itshead, and slams itself shut with a loud noise. 

On account of the hardness and thickness of his shell, the sazayé is theenvy of the soft-bodied fishes that covet his security. But on the otherhand the sazayé, though a slow moving creature, is apt to be too proud ofhis defence and trust too much to his fancied security. 

 * * * * *

One day a Tai (red fish) and a Herring were looking at the strong shellof the sazayé, and becoming quite envious, the Tai said:

"What a mighty strong castle you do live in, Mr. Sazayé. When you onceshut up your shell no one need even try to touch you. You are to beenvied sir. "

The Sazayé was tickled at the flattery, but pretending to be very humble, shook his head and said:

"It is very kind in you, my lords, to say so, but my little hut isnothing but a shell; yet I must say that when I lock my door I do notfeel any anxiety, and I really pity you poor fellows who have no shell atall. "

He had hardly got the last word out of his grisly throat, when suddenlythere was a great splash, and away darted the tai and herring, neverresting their fins or tails a moment till safe out of danger. 

The Sazayé drew in his flap in the twinkling of an eye, and keeping asquiet as possible, wondered what the noise was. Was it a stone, or a net, or a fish-hook? He wondered if the tai and herring were caught. 

"Surely they must be, " thought he. "However I'm safe, thanks to my castleshell, " he muttered. 

So drawing his trap tighter he took a long nap. When he woke up, quiterefreshed, he cautiously loosened his trap and peeped out. 

"How strange every thing looks, am I dreaming?" said he as he saw pilesof fish, clams, prawns and lobsters lying on a board all around him. 

"Ugh, what is that?" clapping himself shut as a great black-nosed andlong-whiskered dog poked his muzzle near him. 

Poor shell-fish! There he lay in a fishmonger's shop, with a slip ofpaper marked "ten cash, " (1-10 of a cent, ) on his back. A few hourslater, purchased by a laborer's wife for his dinner, he was stewing alongwith several of his relative's in his own juice. The castle, of which hewas so proud, serving first as a dinner-pot, then as a saucer, afterwhich it was thrown away in a heap and burned into lime. 

[Illustration: THE FISH STALL IN TOKIO. ]

SMELLS AND JINGLES. 

Yedo people are very fond of broiled eels. A rich merchant, namedKisaburo, who was very miserly with his money, once moved his quartersnext door to the shop of one Kichibei, who caught and cooked eels for aliving. During the night Mr. Kichibei caught his stock in trade, and inthe day-time served them, smoking hot, to his customers. Cut into piecesthree or four inches long, they were laid to sizzle on a grid-iron overred hot charcoal, which was kept in a glow by constant fanning. 

Kisaburo, wishing to save money, and having a strong imagination, dailytook his seat at meal time close to his neighbor's door. Eating hisboiled rice, and snuffing in the odors of the broiled eels, as they werewafted in, he enjoyed with his nose, what he would not pay for to put inhis mouth. In this way, as he flattered himself, he saved much money, andhis strong box grew daily heavier. 

Kichibei, the eel-broiler, on finding this out, thought he would chargehis stingy neighbor for the smell of his eels. So, making out his bill hepresented it to Kisaburo, who seemed to be much pleased. He called to hiswife to bring his iron-bound money box, which was done. Emptying out theshining mass of _kobans_ (oval gold pieces, worth five or six dollars), _ichi-bu_ and _ni-bu_ (square silver pieces, worth a quarter and a halfdollar respectively) he jingled the coins at a great rate, and thentouching the eel-man's bill with his fan, bowed, low and said with asmile:

[Illustration: A JINGLE FOR A SNIFF. ]

"All right, neighbor Kichibei, we are square now. "

"What!" cried the eel-frier, "are you not going to pay me?"

"Why yes, I have paid you. You have charged me for the smell of youreels, and I have paid you with the sound of my money. "

THE LAKE OF THE LUTE AND THE MATCHLESS MOUNTAIN. 

Of all the beautiful objects in "the land of the holy gods, " as theJapanese call their country, none are more beautiful than Fuji Mountainand Lake Biwa. The one is a great cone of white snow, the other is asheet of heaven-blue water, in shape like a lute with four strings. 

Sweeping from twenty square leagues of space out of the plain and risingtwelve thousand feet in air, Fuji, or Fusi Yama, casts its sunset shadowfar out on the ocean, and from fourteen provinces gleams the splendor ofits snowy crest. It sits like a king on his throne in the heart ofSuruga Province. 

One hundred and thirty miles to the west as the crane wings her flight, in the heart of Omi, is Biwa Ko, the lake of the lute. It is sixty mileslong and as blue as the sky whose mirror it is. Along its banks risewhite-walled castles and stretch mulberry plantations. On its bosom risewooded islands, white, but not with frost; for thousands of herons nestleon the branches of the trees, like lilies on their stems. Down under theblue depths, say the people, is the Dragon shrine (Riu Gu), where dwellthe dragon-helmed Kai Riu O, and his consort, the shell-crowned Queen ofthe World Under the Sea. 

Why do the pilgrims from all over the empire exclaim joyfully, whileclimbing Fuji's cinder-beds and lava-blocks, "I am a man of Omi"? Why, when quenching their thirst with the melted snow-water of Fuji crater, dothey cry out "I am drinking from Lake Biwa"? Why do the children claptheir hands, as they row or sail over Biwa's blue surface, and say: "I amon top of Fuji Yama"?

To these questions the Japanese legend gives answer. 

 * * * * *

When Heaven and earth were first created, there was neither Lake of Biwanor Mountain of Fuji. Suruga and Omi were both plains. Even for longafter men inhabited Japan and the Mikados had ruled for centuries therewas neither earth so nigh to heaven nor water so close to the Under-worldas the peaks of Fuji and the bottom of Biwa. Men drove the plow andplanted the rice over the very spot where crater and deepest depth noware. 

But one night in the ancient times there was a terrible earthquake. Allthe world shook, the clouds lowered to the earth, floods of water pouredfrom the sky, and a sound like the fighting of a myriad of dragons filledthe air. In the morning all was serene and calm. The sky was blue. Theearth was as bright and all was as "white-faced" as when the sun goddessfirst came out from her hiding in the cave. 

The people of Omi awoke, scarce expecting to find either earth or heaven, when lo! they looked on what had yesterday been tilled land or barrenmoor, and there was a great sheet of blue. Was it sky? Had a sheet of the"blue field of heaven" fallen down? Was it the ocean? They came near it, tasted it. It was fresh and sweet as a fountain-rill. They looked at itfrom the hill-tops, and, seeing its outline, called it "the lake of thefour-stringed lute. " Others, proud of their new possession, named it theLake of Omi. 

Greater still was the surprise of the Suruga people. The sailors, far outat sea, rubbed their eyes and wondered at the strange shape of thetowering white cloud. Was it the Iwakura, the eternal throne of Heaven, come down to rest on earth out of the many piled white clouds of heaven?Some thought they had lost their reckoning; but were assured when theyrecognized familiar landmarks on shore. Many a cottager woke up to findhis house, which lay in a valley the day before, was now far up on theslope, with the distant villages and the sea visible; while far, farabove shone the snowy head of a mountain, whose crown lay in the bluesky. At night the edges of the peak, like white fingers, seemed to pluckthe stars from the Milky Way. 

"What shall we call this new-born child of the gods?" said the people. And various names were proposed. 

"There is no other mountain so beautiful in all the earth, there's notits equal anywhere; therefore call it Fuji, (no two such), the peerless, the matchless mountain, " said one. 

"It is so tall, so comely, so grand, call it Fuji, (rich scholar, thelordly mountain), " said another. 

"Call it Fuji, (never dying, the immortal mountain), " said a third. 

"Call it, after the festal flower of joy, Fuji" (Wistaria) said another, as he decked the peak of his hat with the drooping clusters of the tenderblue blossom. "It looks blue and purple in the distance, just like thefuji flower. " Various as the meanings of the name were, they sounded allalike to the ear. So, without any quarreling, all agreed to call it Fujiand each to choose his own meaning. To this day, though many a learneddispute and the scratching of the written character on the sand withwalking stick, or on paper with pencil, or on the palm of the hand withforefinger takes place, all pronounce the name alike as they rave on thebeauties of Fuji Yama. 

So went forth into the countries bounding "the four seas" the belief thatthere was a white mountain of perfect form in Japan, and that whoeverascended it would live long and even attain immortality; and thatsomewhere on the mountain was hidden the elixir of immortality, which ifany one drank he would live forever. Now in one of the kingdoms offar-off China there lived a rich old king, who had abundance oftreasures, health, and many children. But he did not wish to die, and, hence, spent his days in studying the lore and arts of the alchemists, who believed they would finally attain to the transmutation of lead intogold, find the universal solvent of all things, the philosophers' stone, the elixir of life, and all the wondrous secrets which men in Europe longafterward labored to discover. 

Among the king's sages was one old man of mighty wisdom, who had heard ofthe immortal mountain of Japan, and, learning of the manner of itsappearance, concluded that the Japan Archipelago contained the FortunateIsles and in it was the true elixir of life. He divulged his secret tothe king, and advised him to make the journey to the Land of the RisingSun. 

Overjoyed at the good news and the faithfulness of his loyal sage, theking loaded him with gifts and honors. He selected five hundred of themost beauteous youths and virgins of his kingdom, and, fitting out afleet, sailed away to the Happy Isles of the East. Coasting along theshore until they recognized the glorious form of the mountain, theylanded and began the ascent. Alas! for the poor king. The rough sea andsevere storms had worn on his aged frame and the fatigues of the ascentwere so great, that before reaching the top he fainted away, and beforethe head of the procession had set foot on the crater edge the monarchwas dead. Sadly they gave up the search for the elixir of life, and, descending the mountain, buried their master in the Province of Kii. Then, in their exuberance of youth and joy, thinking little of the farfuture and wishing to enjoy the present, they separated in couples, married, and, disposing of their ship and cargo, settled in the country, and colonized the eastern part of Japan. 

Long afterward, when Buddhist believers came to Japan, one of them, climbing Fuji, noticed that around its sunken crater were eight peaks, like the petals of their sacred lotus flower. Thus, it seemed to them, Great Buddha had honored Japan, by bestowing the sacred symbol ofNirvana, or Heaven, on the proudest and highest part of Japan. So theyalso named it Fuji, "the sacred mountain"; and to this day all the worldcalls this sacred mountain Fuji, or Fusi Yama, while the Japanese peoplebelieve that the earth which sunk in Omi is the same which, piled to theclouds, is the lordly mountain of Suruga. 

THE WATERFALL OF YORO, OR THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH. 

Long, long, ago, when the oldest stork was young, there lived an agedwoodcutter and his son on the slopes of the mountain Tagi, in theprovince of Mino. They gained a frugal livelihood by cutting brushwood onthe hill-side, and carrying it in bundles on their back to sell in thenearest market town; for they were too poor to own an ox. With the moneythus received they bought rice and radishes, their daily food. 

Only once or twice a year, at New Year's and on the mikado's birthday, could they afford to treat themselves to a mess of bean-curd or freshfish. Yet the old man was very fond of rice-wine, and every week bought agourd full to keep his old blood warm. 

As the years rolled on the aged father's limbs became so stiff that hewas unable any longer to climb the mountains. So his son, now grown to bea sturdy man, cut nearly double the quantity of wood and thus kept thefamily larder full. The old man was so proud of his son that he dailystood at sunset in front of his rustic gate to welcome him back. And tosee the old daddy and the young stripling remove their headkerchiefs, andbow with hands on knees in polite fashion, bending their backs andsucking in their breath, out of respect to each other, and to hear theminquiring after one another's health, showering mutual compliments allthe time, one would have thought they had not seen each other for eightyears, instead of eight hours. 

One winter the snow fell long and thick, until all the ground in fieldand forest was covered several feet over. The bamboo branches bent withtheir weight of white, the pine boughs broke under their load, and eventhe stone idols along the wayside were covered up. At first, even withthe hardest work, the young woodcutter could scarcely get and sell woodto buy enough food to keep them both alive. He often went hungry himself, so that his father might have his warm wine. 

One day he went by another path up one of the mountain dells with hisrope basket strapped to his back, and the empty gourd-bottle at his belt. While gloomily grieving over his hard luck, the faint odor of rice-wineseemed borne on the breeze. 

He snuffed the air. It was no mistake. "Here's luck, surely, " said he, throwing down his bundle. 

Hurrying forward he saw a foaming waterfall tumbling over the rocks in athick stream. 

As he drew near, some of the spray fell on his tongue. He tasted it, smacked his lips and throwing down his cord and basket to the ground, filled his gourd and hastened home to his father. 

Every day, till the end of his father's life, did he come to thiswonderful cascade of wine, and thus the old man was nourished for many along year. 

The news of this fountain of youth spread abroad until it reached thecourt. The mikado, hearing of it, made a journey to Mino to see thewonderful waterfall. In honor of this event, and as a reward of filialpiety, the name of the year-period was changed to Yoro, (Nourishing OldAge). 

 * * * * *

To this day, many people young and old go out to enjoy picnic parties atthe foot of the waterfall; which now, however, runs honest water only, which makes the cheeks red; and not the wonderful wine that once tippedthe old daddy's nose with perpetual vermilion. 

THE EARTHQUAKE FISH. 

Mukashi, mukashi, (as most Japanese stories begin), long, long ago, whenthe gods came down from heaven to subdue the earth for the mikados, andcivilize the country, there were a great many earthquakes, and nothing tostop them. The world continually rocked, and men's houses and lives werenever safe. 

Now the two gods who were charged with the work of subduing thenortheastern part of the world were Kashima and Katori. Having done theirwork well, and quieted all the enemies of the Sun-goddess, they came tothe province of Hitachi. Kashima, sticking his sword into the earth, ranit through to the other side, leaving the hilt above the ground. In thecourse of centuries this mighty sword shrunk and turned to stone, and thepeople gave it the name of _Kanamé ishi_, (The rock of Kanamé). 

Now Kanamé means the rivet in a fan, that holds all the sticks together, and they gave the name "rivet-rock, " because it is the rivet that bindsthe earth together. No one could ever lift this rock except Kashima themighty one who first set it in the earth. 

Yet even Kashima never raises it, except to stop an earthquake of unusualviolence. When the earth quivers, it is because the great earthquake-fishor _jishin-uwo_ is restless or angry. This _jishin-uwo_ is a greatcreature something like a catfish. It is about seven hundred miles long, and holds the world on its back. Its tail is at Awomori in the north, and the base of its head is at Kioto, so that all Japan lies on top ofit. To his mouth are attached huge twirling feelers, which are just likethe hideous moustaches which the hairy-faced men from beyond the_Tai-kai_ (Pacific Ocean) wear on their lips. As soon as these begin tomove, it is a sign that the monster is in wrath. When he gets angry, andflaps his tail or bumps his head, there is an earthquake. When heflounders about or rolls over, there is terrible destruction of life andproperty on the surface of the earth above. 

In order to keep the earthquake-fish quiet, the great giant Kashima isappointed to watch him. His business is to stand near by, and when themonster becomes violent Kashima must jump up and straddle him, and holdhis gills, put his foot on his fin; and when necessary lift up the greatrock of Kanamé and hold him down with its weight. Then he becomesperfectly quiet, and the earthquake ceases. Hence the people sing thisearthquake verse:

 "No monster can move the Kanamé rock Though he tug at it never so hard, For over it stands, resisting the shock, The Kashima Kami on guard. "

Another verse they sing as follows:

 "These are things An earthquake brings; At nine of the bell they sickness fortell, At five and seven betoken rain, At four the sky is cleared thereby, At six and eight comes wind again. "

THE DREAM STORY OF GOJIRO. 

Only a few years ago there was a gentleman in Fukui, Japan, who had ason, a bright lad of twelve, who was very diligent at school and had madeastonishing progress in his studies. He was especially quick at learningChinese characters, of which every Japanese gentleman who wishes to becalled educated must know at least two thousand. For, although theChinese and Japanese are two very different languages, yet the Japanese, Coreans and Chinese use the same letters to write with, just as English, Germans, French and Spaniards all employ one and the same alphabet. 

Now Gojiro's father had promised him that when he read through fivevolumes of the Nihongi, or Ancient History of Japan, he would give himfor a present a book of wonderful Chinese stories. Gojiro performed histask, and his father kept his promise. One day on his return from ajourney to Kioto, he presented his son with sixteen volumes, all neatlysilk-bound, well illustrated with wood-cuts, and printed clearly on thin, silky mulberry paper, from the best wooden blocks. It will be rememberedthat several volumes of Japanese literature make but one of ours, as theyare much lighter and thinner than ours. 

Gojiro was so delighted with the wonderful stories of heroes andwarriors, travelers and sailors, that he almost felt himself in China. Heread far into the night, with the lamp inside of his musquito curtain;and finally fell asleep, still undressed, but with his head full of allsorts of Chinese wonders. 

He dreamed he was far away in China, walking along the banks of the greatYellow River. Everything was very strange. The people talked an entirelydifferent language from his own; had on different clothes; and, insteadof the nice shaven head and top-knot of the Japanese, every one wore along pigtail of hair, that dangled at his heels. Even the boats were of astrange form, and on the fishing smacks perched on projecting rails, satrows of cormorants, each with a ring around his neck. Every few minutesone of them would dive under the water, and after a while come strugglingup with a fish in its mouth, so big that the fishermen had to help thebird into the boat. The game was then flung into a basket, and thecormorant was treated to a slice of raw fish, by way of encouragementand to keep the bird from the bad habit of eating the live fish whole. This the ravenous bird would sometimes try to do, even though the ringwas put around his neck for the express purpose of preventing him fromgulping down a whole fish at once. 

It was springtime, and the buds were just bursting into flower. The riverwas full of fish, especially of carp, ascending to the great rapids orcascades. Here the current ran at a prodigious rate of swiftness, and thewaters rippled and boiled and roared with frightful noise. Yet, strangeto say, many of the fish were swimming up the stream as if their livesdepended on it. They leaped and floundered about; but every one seemed tobe tossed back and left exhausted in the river, where they panted andgasped for breath in the eddies at the side. Some were so bruisedagainst the rocks that, after a few spasms, they floated white and stiff, belly up, on the water, dead, and were swept down the stream. Still theshoal leaped and strained every fin, until their scales flashed in thesun like a host of armored warriors in battle. Gojiro, enjoying it as ifit were a real conflict of wave and fishes, clapped his hands withdelight. 

Then Gojiro inquired, by means of writing, of an old white-bearded sagestanding by and looking on: "What is the name of this part of the river?"

"We call it Lung Men, " said the sage. 

"Will you please write the characters for it, " said Gojiro, producing hisink-case and brush-pen, with a roll of soft mulberry paper. 

The sage wrote the two Chinese characters, meaning "The Gate of theDragons, " or "Dragons' Gate, " and turned away to watch a carp thatseemed almost up into smooth water. 

"Oh! I see, " said Gojiro to himself. "That's pronounced Riu Mon inJapanese. I'll go further on and see. There must be some meaning in thisfish-climbing. " He went forward a few rods, to where the banks trendedupward into high bluffs, crowned by towering firs, through the topbranches of which fleecy white clouds sailed slowly along, so near thesky did the tree-tops seem. Down under the cliffs the river ran perfectlysmooth, almost like a mirror, and broadened out to the opposite shore. Far back, along the current, he could still see the rapids shelving down. It was crowded at the bottom with leaping fish, whose numbers graduallythinned out toward the center; while near the top, close to the edge oflevel water, one solitary fish, of powerful fin and tail, breasted thesteep stream. Now forward a leap, then a slide backward, sometimesfurther to the rear than the next leap made up for, then steady progress, then a slip, but every moment nearer, until, clearing foam and ripple andspray at one bound, it passed the edge and swam happily in smooth water. 

It was inside the Dragon Gate. 

Now came the wonderful change. One of the fleecy white clouds suddenlyleft the host in the deep blue above, dipped down from the sky, andswirling round and round as if it were a water spout, scratched andfrayed the edge of the water like a fisher's troll. The carp saw anddarted toward it. In a moment the fish was transformed into a whitedragon, and, rising into the cloud, floated off toward Heaven. A streakor two of red fire, a gleam of terrible eyes, and the flash of whitescales was all that Gojiro saw. Then he awoke. 

"How strange that a poor little carp, a common fish that lives in theriver, should become a great white dragon, and soar up into the sky, tolive there, " thought Gojiro, the next day, as he told his mother of hisdream. 

"Yes, " said she; "and what a lesson for you. See how the carp persevered, leaping over all difficulties, never giving up till it became a dragon. Ihope my son will mount over all obstacles, and rise to honor and to highoffice under the government. "

"Oh! oh! now I see!" said Gojiro. "That is what my teacher means when hesays the students in Tokio have a saying, 'I'm a fish to day, but I hopeto be a dragon to-morrow, ' when they go to attend examination; and that'swhat Papa meant when he said: 'That fish's son, Kofuku, has become awhite dragon, while I am yet only a carp. '"

[Illustration: THE ASCENT OF THE DRAGON'S GATE. ]

So on the third day of the third month, at the Feast of Flags, Gojirohoisted the _nobori_. It was a great fish, made of paper, fifteen feetlong and hollow like a bag. It was yellow, with black scales and streaksof gold, and red gills and mouth, in which two strong strings werefastened. It was hoisted up by a rope to the top of a high bamboo pole onthe roof of the house. There the breeze caught it, swelled it out roundand full of air. The wind made the fins work, and the tail flap, and thehead tug, until it looked just like a carp trying to swim the rapids ofthe Yellow River--the symbol of ambition and perseverance. 

THE PROCESSION OF LORD LONG-LEGS. 

Lovely and bright in the month of May, at the time of rice-planting, wasthe day on which the daimio, Lord Long-legs, was informed by hischamberlain, Hop-hop, that on the morrow his lordship's retinue would bein readiness to accompany their worshipful Lord Long-legs on his journey. This Lord Long-legs was a daimio who ruled over four acres of rice-fieldin Echizen, whose revenue was ten thousand rice-stalks. His retainers, who were all grasshoppers, numbered over six thousand, while his courtconsisted only of nobles, such as Mantis, Beetle, and Pinching-bug. Themaids of honor who waited on his queen Katydid, were lady-bugs, butterflies, and goldsmiths, and his messengers were fire-flies anddragon-flies. Once in a while a beetle was sent on an errand; but thesestupid fellows had such a habit of running plump into things, and bumpingtheir heads so badly that they always forgot what they were sent for. Besides these, he had a great many servants in the kitchen--such asgrubs, spiders, toads, etc. The entire population of his dominion, including the common folks, numbered several millions, and ranked all theway from horse-flies down to ants, mosquitoes, and ticks. 

Many of his subjects were very industrious and produced fine fabrics, which, however, were seized and made use of by great monsters, calledmen. Thus the gray worms kept spinning-wheels in their heads. They had afashion of eating mulberry leaves, and changing them into fine threads, called silk. The wasps made paper, and the bees distilled honey. Therewas another insect which spread white wax on the trees. These were allretainers or friendly vassals of Lord Long-legs. 

Now it was Lord Long-legs' duty once a year to go up to Yedo to pay hisrespects to the great Tycoon and to spend several weeks in the Easternmetropolis. I shall not take the time nor tax the patience of my readersin telling about all the bustle and preparation that went on in theyashiki (mansion) of Lord Long-legs for a whole week previous tostarting. Suffice it to say that clothes were washed and starched, anddried on a board, to keep them from shrinking; trunks and baskets werepacked; banners and umbrellas were put in order; the lacquer on thebrass ornaments; shields and swords and spears were all polished; andevery little item was personally examined by the daimio's chiefinspector. This functionary was a black-and-white-legged mosquito, who, on account of his long nose, could pry into a thing further and see iteasier than any other of his lordship's officers; and, if anything wentwrong, he could make more noise over it than any one else. As for theretainers, down to the very last lackey and coolie, each one tried tooutshine the other in cleanliness and spruce dress. 

The Bumble-bee brushed off the pollen from his legs; and the humblerHoney-bee, after allowing his children to suck his paws, to get the honeysticking to them, spruced up and listened attentively to the orders readto him by the train-leader, Sir Locust, who prided himself on beingseventeen years old, and looked on all the others as children. He readfrom a piece of wasp-nest paper: "No leaving the line to suck flowers, except at halting-time. " The Blue-tailed Fly washed his hands and faceover and over again. The lady-bugs wept many tears, because they couldnot go with the company; the crickets chirped rather gloomily, becausenone with short limbs could go on the journey; while Daddy Long-legsalmost turned a somersault for joy when told he might carry a bundle inthe train. All being in readiness, the procession was to start at sixo'clock in the morning. The exact minute was to be announced by thetime-keeper of the mansion, Flea san, whose house was on the back ofNeko, a great black cat, who lived in the porter's lodge of the castle, near by. Flea san was to notice the opening or slits in the monster'smoony-green eyes, which when closed to a certain width would indicate sixo'clock. Then with a few jumps she was to announce it to a mosquitofriend of hers, who would fly with the news to the gate-keeper of theyashiki, one Whirligig by name. 

So, punctually to the hour, the great double gate swung wide open, andthe procession passed out and marched on over the hill. All the servantsof Lord Long-legs were out, to see the grand sight. They were down ontheir knees, saying: "O shidzukani, " (please go slowly). When theirmaster's palanquin passed, they bowed their heads to the dust, as wasproper. The ladies, who were left behind, cried bitterly, and soakedtheir paper handkerchiefs with tears, especially one fair brown creature, who was next of kin to Lord Long-legs, being an ant on his mother'sside. 

The procession was closed by six old daddies (spiders), marching two bytwo, who were a little stupid and groggy, having had a late supper, and ajolly feast the night before. When the great gate slammed shut, one ofthem caught the end of his foot in it, and was lamed for the rest of thejourney. This old Daddy Long-legs, hobbling along, with a bundle on hisback, was the only funny thing in the procession, and made much talkamong bystanders on the road. 

This is the order and the way they looked. First there went out, farahead, a plump, tall Mantis, with a great long baton of grass, which heswung to and fro before him, from right to left, (like a drum-major), crying out: "_Shitaniro_, down on your knees! Get down with you!" Whereatall the ants, bugs and lizards at once bent their forelegs, and thetoads, which were already squatting, bobbed their noses in the dust. Eventhe mud-turtles poked their heads out of the water to see what was goingon. All the worms and grubs who lived up in trees or tall bushes had tocome down to the ground. It was forbidden to any insect to remain on ahigh stalk of grass, lest he might look down on His Highness. Even theInch-worm had to wind himself up and stop measuring his length, while theline was passing. And in case of grubs or moths in the nest or cocoon, too young to crawl out, the law compelled their parents to cover themover with a leaf. It would be an insult to Lord Long-legs to look down onhim. Next followed two lantern-bearers, holding glow-worms for lanternsin their fore-paws. These were wrapped in cases made of leaves, whichthey took off at night. Behind were six fire-flies, well supplied withself-acting lamps, which they kept hidden somewhere under their wings. Next marched four abreast the band of little weevils, carrying theumbrellas of state, which were morning-glories--some open, some shut. Behind them strutted four green grasshoppers, who were spear-bearers, carrying pink blossoms. Just before the palanquin were two tall dandies, high lords themselves and of gigantic stature and imposing bellies, who, with arms akimbo and feelers far up in the air, bore aloft high over allthe insignia of their Lord Long-legs. All these fellows strutted along ontheir hind legs, their backs as stiff as a hemp stalk, their nosespointing to the stars, and their legs striding like stilts. The priest inhis robes, a praying beetle, who was chaplain, walked on solemnly. 

Meanwhile a great crowd of spectators lined the path; but all were ontheir knees. Frogs and toads blinked out of the sides of their heads. Thepretty red lizards glided out, to see the splendid show; worms stoppedcrawling; and all kinds of bugs ceased climbing, and came down from thegrass and flower-stalks, to bow humbly before the train of LordLong-legs. Bug mothers hastened, with their bug babies on their backs, down to the road, and, squatting down, taught their little nits to puttheir fore-paws politely together and bow down on their front knees. Noone dared to speak out loud; but the mole-cricket, nudging his fellowunder the wing, said: "Just look at that green Mantis! He looks as though'he would rush out with a battle-ax on his shoulder to meet a chariot. 'See how he ogles his fellow!"

"Yes; and just behold that bandy-legged hopper, will you? I could walkbetter than that myself, " said the other. 

"'Sh!" said the mole-cricket. "Here comes the palanquin. "

Everybody now cast a squint up under their eyebrows, and watched thepalanquin go by. It was made of delicately-woven striped grass, boundwith bamboo threads, lacquered, and finished with curtains of gauze, madeof dragon-fly wings, through which Lord Long-legs could peep. It wasborne on the shoulders of four stalwart hoppers, who, carrying rest-polesof grass, trudged along, with much sweat and fuss and wiping of theirforeheads, stopping occasionally to change shoulders. At their sidewalked a body-guard of eight hoppers, armed with pistils, and havingside-arms of sword-grass. They were also provided with poison-shoots, incase of trouble. Other bearers followed, keeping step and carrying theregalia, consisting of chrysanthemum stalks and blossoms. Then followed, in double rank, a long string of wasps, who were for show and nothingmore. Between them, inside, carefully saddled, bridled, and in fullhousings, was a horse-fly, led by a snail, to keep the restive animalfrom going at a too rapid pace. 

Three big, gawky helmet-headed beetles next followed, bearingrice-sprouts, with full heads of rice. 

"Oh! oh! look there!" cried a little grub at the side of the road. "Seethe little grasshopper riding on his father's back!"

"Hai, " said Mother Butterfly, putting one paw on her baby's neck, forfear of being arrested for making a noise. 

It was so. The little 'hopper, tired of long walking, had climbed on hisfather's back for a ride, holding on by the feelers and seeingeverything. 

Finally, toward the end of the procession, was a great crowd of common'hoppers, beetles, and bugs of all sorts, carrying the presents to begiven in Yedo, and the clothing, food and utensils for the use of LordLong-legs on the journey; for the hotels were sometimes very poor on theTokaido high road, and the daimio liked his comforts. Besides, it wasnecessary for Lord Long-legs to travel with proper dignity, as became adaimio. His messengers always went before and engaged lodging-places, asthe fleas, spiders and mosquitoes from other localities, who traveled upand down the great high road, sometimes occupied the places first. Theprocession wound up by the rear-guard of Daddy Long-legs, who preventedany insult or disrespect from the rabble. After the line had passed, insects could cross the road, traffic and travel were resumed, and theroad was cleared, while the procession faded from view in the distance. 

KIYOHIME, OR THE POWER OF LOVE. 

Quiet and shady was the spot in the midst of one of the loveliest valleylandscapes in the empire, near the banks of the Hidaka river, where stoodthe tea-house kept by one Kojima. It was surrounded on all sides byglorious mountains, ever robed with deep forests, silver-threaded withflashing water-falls, to which the lovers of nature paid many a visit, and in which poets were inspired to write stanzas in praise of the whitefoam and the twinkling streamlets. Here the bonzes loved to muse andmeditate, and anon merry picnic parties spread their mats, looped theircanvas screens, and feasted out of nests of lacquered boxes, drinking theamber saké from cups no larger nor thicker than an egg-shell, while thesound of guitar and drum kept time to dance and song. 

The garden of the tea-house was as lovely a piece of art as the florist'scunning could produce. Those who emerged from the deep woods of the loftyhill called the Dragon's Claw, could see in the tea-house garden a livingcopy of the landscape before them. There were mimic mountains, (ten feethigh), and miniature hills veined by a tiny, path with dwarfed pinegroves, and tiny bamboo clumps, and a patch of grass for meadow, and avalley just like the great gully of the mountains, only a thousand timessmaller, and but twenty feet long. So perfect was the imitation that eventhe miniature irrigated rice-fields, each no larger than achecker-board, were in full sprout. To make this little gem of nature inart complete, there fell from over a rock at one end a lovely littlewaterfall two feet high, which after an angry splash over the stones, rolled on over an absurdly small beech, all white-sanded and pebbled, threading its silver way beyond, until lost in fringes of lilies andaquatic plants. In one broad space imitating a lake, was a lotus pond, lined with iris, in which the fins of gold fish and silver carp flashedin the sunbeams. Here and there the nose of a tortoise protruded, whileon a rugged rock sat an old grandfather surveying the scene with one ortwo of his grand-children asleep on his shell and sunning themselves. 

The fame of the tea-house, its excellent fare, and special delicacy ofits mountain trout, sugar-jelly and well-flavored rice-cakes, drewhundreds of visitors, especially poetry-parties, and lovers of grandscenery. 

Just across the river, which was visible from the verandah of thetea-house, stood the lofty firs that surrounded the temple of the TendaiBuddhists. Hard by was the pagoda, which painted red peeped between thetrees. A long row of paper-windowed and tile-roofed dwellings to theright made up the monastery, in which a snowy eye-browed but rosy-facedold abbot and some twenty bonzes dwelt, all shaven-faced andshaven-pated, in crape robes and straw sandals, their only food beingwater and vegetables. 

Not the least noticeable of the array of stone lanterns, and bronzeimages with aureoles round their heads, and incense burners and holywater tanks, and dragon spouts, was the belfry, which stood on a stoneplatform. Under its roof hung the massive bronze bell ten feet high, which, when struck with a suspended log like a trip-hammer, boomedsolemnly over the valley and flooded three leagues of space with themelody which died away as sweetly as an infant falling in slumber. Thismighty bell was six inches thick and weighed several tons. 

In describing the tea-house across the river, the story of its sweetestcharm, and of its garden the fairest flower must not be left untold. Kiyo, the host's daughter, was a lovely maiden of but eighteen, asgraceful as the bamboo reed swaying in the breeze of a moonlit summer'seve, and as pretty as the blossoms of the cherry-tree. Far and widefloated the fame of Kiyo, like the fragrance of the white lilies ofIbuki, when the wind sweeping down the mountain heights, comesperfume-laden to the traveler. 

As she busied herself about the garden, or as her white socks slippedover the mat-laid floor, she was the picture of grace itself. When attwilight, with her own hands, she lighted the gay lanterns that hung infestoons along the eaves of the tea-house above the verandah, her brighteyes sparkling, her red petticoats half visible through hersemi-transparent crape robe, she made many a young man's heart glow witha strange new feeling, or burn with pangs of jealousy. 

Among the priests that often passed by the tea-house on their way to themonastery, were some who were young and handsome. 

It was the rule of the monastery that none of the bonzes should drinksaké (wine) eat fish or meat, or even stop at the tea-houses to talk withwomen. But one young bonze named "Lift-the-Kettle" (after a passage inthe Sanscrit classics) had rigidly kept the rules. Fish had never passedhis mouth; and as for saké, he did not know even its taste. He was verystudious and diligent. Every day he learned ten new Chinese characters. He had already read several of the sacred sutras, had made a goodbeginning in Sanskrit, knew the name of every idol in the temple of the3, 333 images in Kioto, had twice visited the sacred shrine of theCapital, and had uttered the prayer "Namu miō ho ren gé kiō, " ("Glory beto the sacred lotus of the law"), counting it on his rosary, five hundredthousand times. For sanctity and learning he had no peer among the youngneophytes of the bonzerie. 

Alas for "Lift-the-Kettle!". One day, after returning from a visit to afamous shrine in the Kuanto, (Eastern Japan), as he was passing thetea-house, he caught sight of Kiyohimé, (the "lady" or "princess" Kiyo), and from that moment his pain of heart began. He returned to his bed ofmats, but not to sleep. For days he tried to stifle his passion, but hisheart only smouldered away like an incense-stick. 

Before many days he made a pretext for again passing the house. Hopelessly in love, without waiting many days he stopped and entered thetea-house. 

His call for refreshments was answered by Kiyohimé herself!

As fire kindles fire, so priest and maiden were now consumed in one flameof love. To shorten a long story, "Lift-the-Kettle" visited the innoftener and oftener, even stealing out at night to cross the river andspend the silent hours with his love. 

So passed several months, when suddenly a change come over the youngbonze. His conscience began to trouble him for breaking his vows. In theterrible conflict between principle and passion, the soul of the priestwas tossed to and fro like the feathered seed-ball of a shuttlecock. 

But conscience was the stronger, and won. 

He resolved to drown his love and break off his connection with the girl. To do it suddenly, would bring grief to her and a scandal both on herfamily and the monastery. He must do it gradually to succeed at all. 

Ah! how quickly does the sensitive love-plant know the finger-tip touchof cooling passion! How quickly falls the silver column in the crystaltube, at the first breath of the heart's chill even though the words onthe lip are warm! Kiyohimé marked the ebbing tide of her lover's regard, and then a terrible resolve of evil took possession of her soul. Fromthat time forth, she ceased to be a pure and innocent and gentle virgin. Though still in maiden form and guise, she was at heart a fox, and as toher nature she might as well have worn the bushy tail of the slydeceiver. She resolved to win over her lover, by her importunities, andfailing in this, to destroy him by sorcery. 

One night she sat up until two o'clock in the morning, and then, arrayedonly in a white robe, she went out to a secluded part of the mountainwhere in a lonely shrine stood a hideous scowling image of Fudo, whoholds the sword of vengeance and sits clothed in fire. There she calledupon the god to change her lover's heart or else destroy him. 

Thence, with her head shaking, and eyes glittering with anger like theorbs of a serpent, she hastened to the shrine of Kampira, whose servantsare the long-nosed sprites, who have the power of magic and of teachingsorcery. Standing in front of the portal she saw it hung with votivetablets, locks of hair, teeth, various tokens of vows, pledges and marksof sacrifice, which the devotees of the god had hung up. There, in thecold night air she asked for the power of sorcery, that she might be ableat will to transform herself into the terrible _ja_, --the awfuldragon-serpent whose engine coils are able to crack bones, crush rocks, melt iron or root up trees, and which are long enough to wind round amountain. 

It would be too long to tell how this once pure and happy maiden, nowturned to an avenging demon went out nightly on the lonely mountains topractice the arts of sorcery. The mountain-sprites were her teachers, andshe learned so diligently that the chief goblin at last told her shewould be able, without fail, to transform herself when she wished. 

The dreadful moment was soon to come. The visits of the once lover-priestgradually became fewer and fewer, and were no longer tender hours oflove, but were on his part formal interviews, while Kiyohimé became moreimportunate than ever. Tears and pleadings were alike useless, andfinally one night as he was taking leave, the bonze told the maid that hehad paid his last visit. Kiyohimé then utterly forgetting all womanlydelicacy, became so urgent that the bonze tore himself away and fledacross the river. He had seen the terrible gleam in the maiden's eyes, and now terribly frightened, hid himself under the great temple bell. 

Forthwith Kiyohimé, seeing the awful moment had come, pronounced thespell of incantation taught her by the mountain spirit, and raised herT-shaped wand. In a moment her fair head and lovely face, body, limbs andfeet lengthened out, disappeared, or became demon-like, and afire-darting, hissing-tongued serpent, with eyes like moons trailed overthe ground towards the temple, swam the river, and scenting out the trackof the fugitive, entered the belfry, cracking the supporting columns madeof whole tree-trunks into a mass of ruins, while the bell fell to theearth with the cowering victim inside. 

Then began the winding of the terrible coils round and round the metal, as with her wand of sorcery in her hands, she mounted the bell. Theglistening scales, hard as iron, struck off sparks as the pressureincreased. Tighter and tighter they were drawn, till the heat of thefriction consumed the timbers and made the metal glow hot like fire. 

[Illustration: THE SORCERESS MELTING THE BELL. ]

Vain was the prayer of priest, or spell of rosary, as the bonzespiteously besought great Buddha to destroy the demon. Hotter and hottergrew the mass, until the ponderous metal melted down into a hissing poolof scintillating molten bronze; and soon, man within and serpent without, timber and tiles and ropes were nought but a few handfuls of white ashes. 

THE FISHERMAN AND THE MOON-MAIDEN. 

Pearly and lustrous white, like a cloud in the far-off blue sky, seemedthe floating figure of the moon-maiden, as she flew to earth. She was oneof the fifteen glistening virgins that wait attendant upon the moon inher chambers in the sky. Looking down from her high home to the earth, she became enraptured with the glorious scenery of Suruga's ocean shore, and longed for a bath in the blue waters of the sea. 

So this fairy maid sped to the earth one morning early, when the moonhaving shone through the night was about to retire for the day. The sunwas rising bright and red over the eastern seas, flushing the mountainsand purpling the valleys. Out amid the sparkling waves the ships sailedtoward the sun, and the fishermen cast their nets. 

It was in early spring, when the air was full of the fragrance of plumblossoms, and the zephyrs blew so softly that scarce a bamboo leafquivered, or a wave lapsed with sound on the silvery shore. 

The moon-maiden was so charmed with the scenery of earth, that she longedto linger above it to gaze tranquilly. Floating slowly through the air, she directed her course to the pine groves that fringe the strand nearCape Miwo. Lying at the base of Fuji mountain, whose snowy crown glistensabove, fronting the ocean, whose blue plain undulates in liquid glorytill it meets the bending sky, the scenery of Miwo is renownedeverywhere under the whole heavens, but especially in the land which themikado's reign blesses with peace. 

Full of happiness, the fairy maiden played sweet music from her flute, until the air was full of it, and it sounded to the dweller on earth likethe sweet falling of rain drops on the thirsty ground. Her body shedsweet fragrance through the air, and flowers fell from her robes as shepassed. Though none saw her form, all wondered. 

Arriving over a charming spot on the sea shore, she descended to thestrand, and stood at the foot of a pine tree. She laid her musicalinstrument on a rock near by, and taking off her wings and feathered suithung them carefully on the pine tree bough. Then she strolled off alongthe shore to dip her shining feet in the curling waves. 

Picking up some shells, she wondered with innocent joy at the richtints, which seemed more beautiful than any color in the moon-world. Withone, a large smooth scallop, she was particularly pleased; for inside onevalve was a yellow disc, and on its mate was a white one. 

"How strange, " said she. "Here is the sun, and there is the moon. I shallcall this the _Tsuki-hi-kai_--'sun and moon shell', " and she put them inher girdle. 

It chanced that near the edge of the pine grove, not far away, theredwelt a lone fisherman, who, coming down to the shore, caught a whiff ofsweet perfume such as had never before delighted his nostrils. What couldit be? The spring zephyrs, blowing from the west, seemed laden with thesweet odor. 

Curiosity prompted him to seek the cause. He walked toward the pine tree, and looking up, caught sight of the feathery suit of wings. Oh! how hiseyes sparkled. He danced for joy, and taking down the robe carried it tohis neighbors. All were delighted, and one old man said that the fairymust herself be near by. He advised the man to seek until he found her. 

So with feathered robe in hand the fisherman went out again to thestrand, and took his place near the pine tree. He had not waited longbefore a lovely being, with rose-tinted white skin and of perfect form, appeared. 

"Please good sir, give me back my feathered robe, " said she, in a sadvoice of liquid sweetness, though she seemed greatly frightened. 

"No, I must keep it as a sacred treasure, a relic from a heavenlyvisitor, and dedicate it in the shrine yonder as a memorial of an angel'svisit" said the fisherman. 

"Oh, wicked man, what a wretched and impious thing to rob an inhabitantof heaven of the robe by which she moves. How can I fly back to my homeagain?"

"Give me your wings, oh ye wild geese that fly across the face of themoon, and on tireless pinions seek the icy shores in spring time, andsoar unwearied homeward in autumn. Lend me your wings. "

But the wild geese overhead only whirred and screamed, and bit theirsprays of pine which they carried in their mouth. 

"Oh, ye circling gulls, lend me but for a day your downy wings. I amprisoner here", cried the weeping fairy. 

But the graceful gulls hovering for a moment swept on in widening circlesout to farther sea. 

"Oh, breezes of the air which blow whither ye list! Oh, tide of oceanwhich ebbs and flows at will! Ye may move all, but I am prisoner here, devoid of motion. Oh, good sir have pity and give me back my wings, "cried the moon-maiden, pressing her hands together in grief. 

The fisher's heart was touched by the pathos of her voice and theglittering of her tears. 

"I'll give back your winged-robe if you'll dance and make music for me", said he. 

"Oh, yes, good sir, I will dance and make music, but first let me put onmy feather-robe for without it I have no power of motion. "

"Oh, yes", said the suspicious mortal, "If I give you back your wingsyou'll fly straight to heaven. "

"What! can you not believe the word of a heavenly being, withoutdoubting? Trust me in good faith and you'll lose nothing. "

Then with shamed face the fisherman handed to the moon-maiden herfeathered robe, which she donned and began to dance. She poured out suchsweet strains from her upright flute that with eye and ear full ofrapture, the fisherman imagined himself in heaven. Then she sang a sweetsong in which she described the delights of life in the moon and thepleasure of celestial residence. 

The fisherman was so overjoyed that he longed to detain the fairy. Hebegged her to dwell with him on earth, but in vain. As he looked, he sawher rising. A fresh breeze, rippling the face of the sea, now sprang up, and wafted the pearly maiden over the pine-clad hills and past Fujimountain. All the time sweet music rained through the air until, as thefisherman strained his eyes toward the fresh-fallen snow on Fuji'screst, he could no longer distinguish the moon-maiden from the fleecyclouds that filled the thin air. 

Pondering long upon the marvelous apparition, the fisherman resolved tomark the spot where the fairy first descended to earth. So he prevailedupon the simple villagers to build a railing of stone around the nowsacred pine. 

Daily they garlanded the old trunk with festoons of tasseled and twistedrice-straw. Long after, when by the storms of centuries the old pine, inspite of bandages and crutches, and tired of wrestling with the blast, fell down like an old man, to rise no more, a grateful posterity clearedthe space and built the shrine of Miwo, which still dots with its sacredenclosure the strand of Suruga on which the fairy danced. 

THE JEWELS OF THE EBBING AND THE FLOWING TIDE. 

Chiuai was the fourteenth mikado of the Land of the Gods (Japan). Hiswife, the empress, was named Jingu, or Godlike Exploit. She was a wiseand discreet lady and assisted her husband to govern his dominions. Whena great rebellion broke out in the south island called Kiushiu, themikado marched his army against the rebels. The empress went with him andlived in the camp. One night, as she lay asleep in her tent, she dreamedthat a heavenly being appeared to her and told her of a wonderful landin the west, full of gold, silver, jewels, silks and precious stones. Theheavenly messenger told her if she would invade this country she wouldsucceed, and all its spoil would be hers, for herself and Japan. 

"Conquer Corea!" said the radiant being, as she floated away on a purplecloud. 

In the morning the empress told her husband of her dream, and advised himto set out to invade the rich land. But he paid no attention of her. Whenshe insisted, in order to satisfy her, he climbed up a high mountain, andlooking far away towards the setting sun, saw no land thither, not evenmountain peaks. So, believing that there was no country in that directionhe descended, and angrily refused to set out on the expedition. Shortlyafter, in a battle with the rebels the mikado was shot dead with anarrow. 

The generals and captains of the host then declared their loyalty to theempress as the sole ruler of Japan. She, now having the power, resolvedto carry out her daring plan of invading Corea. She invoked all the_kami_ or gods together, from the mountains, rivers and plains to gettheir advice and help. All came at her call. The kami of the mountainsgave her timber and iron for her ships; the kami of the fields presentedrice and grain for provisions; the kami of the grasses gave her hemp forcordage; and the kami of the winds promised to open his bag and let outhis breezes to fill her sails toward Corea. All came except Isora, thekami of the sea shore. Again she called for him and sat up waiting allnight with torches burning, invoking him to appear. 

Now, Isora was a lazy fellow, always slovenly and ill-dressed, and whenat last he did come, instead of appearing in state in splendid robes, herose right out of the sea-bottom, covered with mud and slime, with shellssticking all over him and sea-weed clinging to his hair. He gruffly askedwhat the empress wanted. 

"Go down to Riu Gu and beg his majesty Kai Riu O, the Dragon King of theWorld Under the Sea, to give me the two jewels of the tides, " said theimperial lady. 

Now among the treasures in the palace of the Dragon King of the WorldUnder the Sea were two jewels having wondrous power over the tides. Theywere about as large as apples, but shaped like apricots, with three ringscut near the top. They seemed to be of crystal, and glistened and shotout dazzling rays like fire. Indeed, they appeared to seethe and glowlike the eye of a dragon, or the white-hot steel of the sword-forger. One was called the Jewel of the Flood-Tide, and the other the Jewel ofthe Ebb-Tide. Whoever owned them had the power to make the tidesinstantly rise or fall at his word, to make the dry land appear, or thesea overwhelm it, in the fillip of a finger. 

Isora dived with a dreadful splash, down, down to Riu Gu, and straightwaypresented himself before Kai Riu O. In the name of the empress, he beggedfor the two tide-jewels. 

The Dragon King agreed, and producing the flaming globes from his casket, placed them on a huge shell and handed them to Isora, who brought thejewels to Jingu, who placed them in her girdle. 

The empress now prepared her fleet for Corean invasion. Three thousandbarges were built and launched, and two old kami with long streaminggray hair and wrinkled faces, were made admirals. Their names were SuwaDaimiō Jin (Great Illustrious, Spirit of Suwa) and Sumiyoshi Daimiō Jin, the kami who lives under the old pine tree at Takasago, and presides overnuptial ceremonies. 

The fleet sailed in the tenth month. The hills of Hizen soon began tosink below the horizon, but no sooner were they out of sight of land thana great storm arose. The ships tossed about, and began to butt each otherlike bulls, and it seemed as though the fleet would be driven back; whenlo! Kai Riu O sent shoals of huge sea-monsters and immense fishes thatbore up the ships and pushed their sterns forward with their greatsnouts. The shachihoko, or dragon-fishes, taking the ship's cables intheir mouths towed them forward, until the storm ceased and the oceanwas calm. Then they plunged downwards into the sea and disappeared. 

The mountains of Corea now rose in sight. Along the shore were gatheredthe Corean army. Their triangular fringed banners, inscribed withdragons, flapped in the breeze. As soon as their sentinels caught sightof the Japanese fleet, the signal was given, and the Corean line of wargalleys moved gaily out to attack the Japanese. 

The empress posted her archers in the bows of her ships and waited forthe enemy to approach. When they were within a few hundred sword-lengths, she took from her girdle the Jewel of the Ebbing Tide and cast theflashing gem into the sea. It blazed in the air for a moment, but nosooner did it touch the water, than instantly the ocean receded fromunder the Corean vessels, and left them stranded on dry land. TheCoreans, thinking it was a tidal wave, and that the Japanese ships werelikewise helpless in the undertow, leaped out of their galleys and rushedover the sand, and on to the attack. With shouting and drawn swords theiraspect was terrible. When within range of the arrows, the Japanese bowmenopened volleys of double-headed, or triple-pronged arrows on the Coreans, and killed hundreds. 

But on they rushed, until near the Japanese ships, when the empresstaking out the Flood-Tide Jewel, cast it in the sea. In a snap of thefinger, the ocean rolled up into a wave many tens of feet high andengulfed the Corean army, drowning them almost to a man. Only a few wereleft out of the ten thousand. The warriors in their iron armor sank deadin the boiling waves, or were cast along the shore like logs. TheJapanese army landed safely, and easily conquered the country. The kingof Corea surrendered and gave his bales of silk, jewels, mirrors, books, pictures, robes, tiger skins, and treasures of gold and silver to theempress. The booty was loaded on eighty ships, and the Japanese armyreturned in triumph to their native country. 

KAI RIU O, THE DRAGON KING OF THE WORLD UNDER THE SEA. 

Soon after her arrival at home, the empress Jingu gave birth to a son, whom she named Ojin. He was one of the fairest children ever born of animperial mother, and was very wise and wonderful even when an infant. Hewas a great favorite of Takénouchi, the prime minister of the empress. Ashe grew up, he was full of the _Yamato Damashii_, or the spirit ofunconquerable Japan. 

This Takénouchi was a very venerable old man, who was said to be threehundred and sixty years old. He had been the counsellor of five mikados. He was very tall, and as straight as an arrow, when other old men werebent like a bow. He served as a general in war and a civil officer inpeace. For this reason he always kept on a suit of armor under his longsatin and damask court robes. He wore the bear-skin shoes and thetiger-skin scabbard which were the general's badge of rank, and also thehigh cap and long fringed strap hanging from the belt, which marked thecourt noble. He had moustaches, and a long beard fell over his breastlike a foaming waterfall, as white as the snows on the branches of thepine trees of Ibuki mountain. 

Now the empress, as well as Takénouchi, wished the imperial infant Ojinto live long, be wise and powerful, become a mighty warrior, beinvulnerable in battle, and to have control over the tides and the oceanas his mother once had. To do this it was necessary to get back the TideJewels. 

So Takénouchi took the infant Ojin on his shoulders, mounted the imperialwar-barge, whose sails were of gold-embroidered silk, and bade his rowersput out to sea. Then standing upright on the deck, he called on Kai Riu Oto come up out of the deep and give back the Tide Jewels to Ojin. 

At first there was no sign on the waves that Kai Riu O heard. The greensea lay glassy in the sunlight, and the waves laughed and curled abovethe sides of the boat. Still Takénouchi listened intently and waitedreverently. He was not long in suspense. Looking down far under thesparkling waves, he saw the head and fiery eyes of a dragon mountingupward. Instinctively he clutched his robe with his right hand, and heldOjin tightly on his shoulder, for this time not Isora, but the terribleKai Riu O himself was coming. 

What a great honor! The sea-king's servant, Isora, had appeared to awoman, the empress Jingu, but to her son, the Dragon King of the WorldUnder the Sea deigned to come in person. 

The waters opened; the waves rolled up, curled, rolled into wreaths andhooks and drops of foam, which flecked the dark green curves with silverybells. First appeared a living dragon with fire-darting eyes, longflickering moustaches, glittering scales of green all ruffled, withterrible spines erect, and the joints of the fore-paws curling out jetsof red fire. This living creature was the helmet of the Sea King. Nextappeared the face of awful majesty and stern mien, as if with reluctantcondescension, and then the jewel robes of the monarch. Next rose intoview a huge haliotis shell, in which, on a bed of rare gems from the deepsea floor, glistened, blazed and flashed the two Jewels of the Tides. 

Then the Dragon-King spoke, saying:

"Quick, take this casket, I deign not to remain long in this upper worldof mortals. With these I endow the imperial prince of the Heavenly lineof the mikados of the Divine country. He shall be invulnerable in battle. He shall have long life. To him I give power over sea and land. Of this, let these Tide-Jewels be the token. "

Hardly were these words uttered when the Dragon-King disappeared with atremendous splash. Takénouchi standing erect but breathless amid thecrowd of rowers who, crouching at the boat's bottom had not dared so muchas to lift up their noses, waited a moment, and then gave the command toturn the prow to the shore. 

Ojin grew up and became a great warrior, invincible in battle andpowerful in peace. He lived to be one hundred and eleven years old, andwas next to the last of the long lived mikados of Everlasting GreatJapan. 

 * * * * *

To this day Japanese soldiers honor him as the patron of war, and pray tohim as the ruler of battle. 

When the Buddhist priests came to Japan they changed his name to HachimanDai Bosatsu, or the "Great Buddha of the Eight Banners. " On many a hilland in many a village of Japan may still be seen a shrine to his honor. Often when a soldier comes back from war, he will hang up a tablet orpicture-frame, on which is carved a painting or picture of the two-edgedshort sword like that which Ojin carried. Many of the old soldiers whofought in armor wore a little silver sword of Ojin set as a frontlet totheir helmets, for a crest of honor. On gilded or lacquered Japanesecabinets and shrines, and printed on their curious old, and new greenbackpaper money, are seen the blazing Jewels of the Tides. On their gold andsilver coins the coiled dragon clutches in his claws the Jewels of theEbbing and the Flowing Tide. One of the iron-clad war ships of theimperial Japanese navy, on which floats proudly the red sun-banner of theEmpire of the Rising Sun, is named Kōgō (Empress) after the Amazonempress who in the third century carried the arms of the Island Empireinto the main land of Asia, and won victory by her mastery over theebbing and the flowing tides. 

[Illustration: THE DRAGON KING'S GIFT OF THE TIDE JEWELS. ]

THE CREATION OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. 

Of old the Heavens and the Earth were not separated. Land and water, solids and gases, fire and stone, light and darkness were mixed together. All was liquid and turbid chaos. 

Then the mighty mass began to move from within. The lighter particles ofgas and air began to rise, forming the sky and heavens. The heavy partssank and cohered, becoming the earth. The water formed the four seas. Then there appeared something like a white cloud floating between heavenand earth. Out of this came forth three beings--The Being of the Middleof Heaven, The High August Being, and The Majestic Being. These three"hid their bodies. "

Out of the warm mould of the earth something like a rush sprouted up. Itwas clear and bright like crystal. From this rush-sprout came forth abeing whose title is "The Delightful and Honorable Rush-Sprout. " Nextappeared another being out of the buds of the rush-sprout whose name is"The Honorable Heaven-born. " These five beings are called "the heavenlygods. "

Next came into existence four pairs of beings viz. : (1) The Being Sprungfrom the First Mud, and The Being of the Sand and Mud; (2) The Being withHands and Feet Growing, and the Being Having Breath; (3) The Male Being, and the Female Being of the Great Place (the earth); (4) The Being ofComplete Perfection, and the Being who cried out "Strange and Awful" toher mate. 

Thus the last pair that came into existence were the first man and womancalled Izanagi and Izanami. 

It is said that the other pairs of beings before Izanagi and Izanami wereonly their imperfect forms or the processes through which they passedbefore arriving at perfection. 

These two beings lived in the Heavens. The world was not yet well formed, and the soil floated about like a fish in the water, but near thesurface; and was called "The Floating Region. " The sun, earth and moonwere still attached to each other like a head to the neck, or arms to thebody. They were little by little separating, the parts joining themgrowing thinner and thinner. This part, like an isthmus, was called"Heaven's Floating Bridge. " It was on this bridge that Izanagi andIzanami were standing when they saw a pair of wagtails cooing and billingsweetly together. The heavenly couple were so delighted with the sightthat they began to imitate the birds. Thus began the art of love, whichmortals have practiced to this day. 

While talking together on this Bridge of Heaven, they began to wonder ifthere was a world beneath them. They looked far down upon the green seas, but could see nothing! Then Izanagi took his long jeweled spear andplunged it into the turbid mass, turning it round and round. As he liftedit up, the drops which trickled from it hardened into earth of their ownaccord; and thus dry land was formed. As Izanagi was cleansing his spearthe lumps of muck and mud which had adhered to it flew off into space, and were changed into stars and comets. 

[It is said that by turning his spear round and round, Izanagi set theEarth revolving in daily revolutions]. 

To the land thus formed, they gave the name of "The Island of theCongealed Drop, " because they intended to create a large archipelago andwished to distinguish this as the first island. They descended fromHeaven on the floating bridge and landed on the island. Izanagi struckhis tall spear in the ground making it the axis of the world. He thenproceeded to build a palace around the spear which formed the centralpillar. [This spot was formerly at the North pole, but is now at Eshima, off the central eastern coast of Japan]. They then resolved to walk roundthe island and examine it. This done, they met together. Izanami criedout, "What a lovely man!" But Izanagi rebuked her for speaking first, andsaid they must try it again. Then they walked round the island once more. When they met, Izanami held her tongue while Izanagi said, "What a lovelywoman!"

Being now both in good humor, they began the work of creating Japan. Thefirst island brought up out of the water was Awaji; and then the mainisland. After that, eight large islands were created, whence comes one ofthe names of Japan, "The Empire of the Eight Great Islands. " Six smallerislands were also produced. The several thousand islets which make up thearchipelago of Everlasting Great Japan were formed by the spontaneousconsolidation of the foam of the sea. 

After the country was thus formed the divine pair created eight millionsof earthly gods or kami, and the ten thousand different things on theearth. Vegetation sprang up over all the land, which was however stillcovered with mist. So Izanagi created with his breath the two gods, maleand female of the wind. All these islands are the children of Izanagi andIzanami, and when first born were small and feeble, but gradually grewlarger and larger, attaining their present size like human beings, whichare at first tiny infants. 

As the gradual separation of the land and sea went on, foreign countrieswere formed by the congealing of the foam of the sea. The god of fire wasthen born of Izanami, his mother. This god often got very angry at anyone who used unclean fire. Izanami then created by herself the gods ofmetals, of clay and of fresh water. This latter was told always to keepthe god of fire quiet, and put him out when he began to do mischief. 

Izanagi and Izanami, though married but a short time, began to quarrel, for Izanami had once told her husband not to look at her when she hidherself. But Izanagi did not do what she requested, but intruded on herprivacy when she was unwell, and stared at her when she wished to bealone. Izanami then got very angry, and went down to the lower world ofdarkness, and disappeared. 

In the dark world under the earth Izanami stayed a long time, and afterlong waiting, Izanagi went after her. In the darkness of the Under-worldhe was horrified at what he saw, and leaving his consort below, tried toescape to the earth again. 

In his struggles several gods were created, one of them coming out of hisstaff. When he got up to daylight, he secured a large rock to close upthe hole in the earth. Turning this rock into a god, he commanded him towatch the place. He then rushed into the sea and continued washing for along time to purify himself. In blowing out from his lungs the pollutedair inhaled in the Under-world, the two evil gods sprang forth from hisbreath. As these would commit great harm and wickedness, Izanagi createdtwo other gods to correct their evil. But when he had washed his eyes andcould see clearly again, there sprang out two precious and lovely beings;one from his left eye, being a rare and glistening maiden, whom heafterwards named Ama Térasu, or "The Heaven Illuminating Spirit. " Fromhis right eye appeared Susa no O, the "Ruler of the Moon. " Being now pureagain, and having these lovely children, Izanagi rejoiced and said, "Ihave begotten child upon child, and at the end of my begetting, I havebegotten me two jewel-children. " Now the brightness of the person of themaiden Ama Térasu was beautiful, and shone through Heaven and Earth. Izanagi, well pleased, said: "Though my children are many, none of themis like this wonder-child. She must not be kept in this region. " Sotaking off the necklace of precious stones from his neck and rattling it, he gave it to her, saying, "Rule thou over the High Plain of Heaven. "

At that time the distance between Heaven and Earth was not very great, and he sent her up to the blue sky by the Heaven-uniting Pillar, on whichthe Heavens rested like a prop. She easily mounted it, and lived in thesun, illuminating the whole Heavens and the Earth. The Sun now graduallyseparated from the Earth, and both moved farther and farther apart untilthey rested where they now are. 

Izanagi next spoke to Susa no O the Ruler of the Moon, and said, "Rulethou over the new-born Earth and the blue Waste of the Sea, with itsMultitudinous Salt Waters. "

[So then the Heavens and the Earth and Moon were created and inhabited. And as Japan lay directly opposite the sun when it separated from theEarth, it is plain that Japan lies on the summit of the globe. It iseasily seen that all other countries were formed by the spontaneousconsolidation of the ocean foam, and the collection of mud in the variousseas. The stars were made to guide warriors from foreign countries to thecourt of the Mikado, who is the true Son of Heaven]. 

HOW THE SUN GODDESS WAS ENTICED OUT OF HER CAVE. 

When the far-shining goddess, on account of the evil pranks of herbrother, Susa no O, the Ruler of the Moon, hid herself in a cave, therewas no more light, and heaven and earth were plunged into darkness. 

A council of all the gods was held in the dry bed of one of the rivers[which we call the Milky Way] in the fields of Heaven. The question ofhow to appease the anger of the goddess was discussed. A long-headed andvery wise god was ordered to think out a plan to entice her forth fromthe cave. 

After due deliberation, it was resolved that a looking-glass should bemade to tempt her to gaze at herself, and that tricks should be played toarouse her curiosity to come out and see what was going on. 

So setting to work with a will, the gods forged and polished a mirror, wove cloth for beautiful garments, built a pavilion, carved a necklace ofjewels, made wands, and tried an augury. 

All being ready, the fat and rosy-cheeked goddess of mirth with face fullof dimples, and eyes full of fun, named Uzumé, was selected to lead thedance. She had a flute made from a bamboo cane by piercing holes betweenthe joints, while every god in the great orchestra had a pair of flathard wood clappers, which he struck together. 

She bound up her long flowing sleeves with a creeper vine, and made forherself a baton of twigs of bamboo grass, by which she could direct themotions of the musicians. This she held in one hand while in the otherwas a spear wound round with grass, on which small bells tinkled. Greatbonfires were lighted in front of the cave, so that the audience of godscould see the dance. A large circular box which resounded like a drumwhen trod on, was set up for Uzumé to dance upon. The row of cocks nowbegan to crow in concert. 

All being ready, the Strong-handed god who was to pull the sun-goddessout of the cave, as soon as overcome by her curiosity she should peepforth, hid himself beside the stone door of the cave. Uzumé mounted thebox and began to dance. As the drum-box resounded, the spirit of follyseized her, and she began to chant a song. 

Becoming still more foolish, Uzumé waved her wand wildly, loosened herdress, and danced till she had not a stitch of clothing left on her. Thegods were so amused at her foolishness that they all laughed, until theheavens shook as with claps of thunder. 

The Sun-goddess within the cave heard all these strange noises; thecrowing of the cocks, the hammering on the anvil, the chopping of wood, the music of the koto, the clappering of the hard wood, the tinkling ofthe bells, the shouting of Uzumé and the boisterous laughter of the gods. Wondering what it all meant, she peeped out. 

As she did so the Doubly Beautiful goddess held up the mirror. 

The Far-Shining one seeing her own face in it was greatly astonished. Curiosity got the better of fear. She looked far out. Instantly thestrong-handed god pulled the rocky door open, and seizing her hand, dragged her forth. Then all the heavens and earth were lightened, thetrees and grass became green again, and the goddess of colors resumed herwork of tinting the flowers. The gloom fled from all eyes, and humanbeings again became "white-faced. "

Thus the calamity which had befallen heaven and earth, by the sun-goddesshiding in the cave became a means of much benefit to mortals. For bytheir necessity the gods were compelled to invent the arts ofmetal-working, weaving, carpentry, jeweling and many other usefulappliances for the human race. They also on this occasion first made useof music, dancing, the Dai Kagura (The comedy which makes the gods laugh)and many of the games which the children play at the present time. 

 * * * * *

JAPANESE FAIRY WORLD - TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES

Place names and proper names have various spelling throughout thebook. These have been left as written in the original book. Apart fromthose items listed below, all parochial, unusual and non-standardspelling, grammar and punctuation has been left as printed in theoriginal book. 

The use of the macron above the letter "O" in names throughout thebook is inconsistent. The same name may appear either with or withouta macron or the macron may appear above different letters when thesame name is printed in different places through the book. This hasbeen left as printed in the original book. 

Inconsistencies between the table of contents and the Chapter headingshave been made consistent with the text. That is, the table ofcontents has been changed to reflect the heading of the Chapter. 

 XV

 KINTARO, THE WILD BABY. (in table of contents) has been changed to KINTARO, OR THE WILD BABY. (as it appears in chapter heading). 

 XXXI

 The Tide Jewels (in table of contents) has been changed to THE JEWELS OF THE EBBING AND THE FLOWING TIDE. (as it appears in chapter heading). 

 between XXV and XXVI

 THE WATERFALL OF YORO, OR THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH. - has been added to table of contents. This chapter appears in the book, but was not listed in the table of contents. 

The following typographical, spelling and grammatical errors have beenidentified and corrected as detailed below. 

 Preface - changed "tattoed" to "tattooed" in Some of these stories I first read on the [tattoed] limbs and bodies of the native foot-runners, page 7 - changed "staid" to "stayed" in The lover-husband [staid] on his side of the river, and the wife came to him on the magpie bridge, save on the sad occasion when it rained. 

 page 18 - changed "phoilosophy" to "philosophy" in Then he said to himself: "Old Totsu San (my father) is a fool, with all his [phoilosophy]. "

 page 29 - changed "dragoon" to "dragon" in Their tomb was carved in the form of a white [dragoon], which to this day, in spite of mosses and lichens, may still be seen among the ancient monuments of the little hamlet. 

 page 31 - changed "sarely" to "sorely" in The sorrowful old man grieved [sarely] for his pet, and after looking in every place and calling it by name, gave it up as lost. 

 page 59 - changed "shinning" to "shining" in with Fuji yama and cranes flying in the air, and a crimson sun [shinning] through the bamboo, page 61 - changed "masters'" to "master's" in It danced a jig on the tight rope, and walked the slack rope, holding a fan, or an umbrella in his paw, stood on his head, and finally at a flourish of his [masters'] fan became a cold and rusty tea-kettle again. 

 page 100 - changed "way" to "away" in For a moment the dense volume of sound filled the ears of all like a storm, but as the vibrations died [way], the bell whined out

 page 136 - changed "faught" to "fought" in On one occasion, after a hard [faught] battle, Jiraiya fled and took refuge in a monastery, with a few trusty vassals, to rest a short time

 page 160 - changed "crysanthemums" to "chrysanthemums" in or blossom out like [crysanthemums]

 page 162 - changed "accompainment" to "accompaniment" in It sounds as if a band with many instruments was playing to the [accompainment] of a large choir of voices. "

 page 170 - changed "maccaroni" to "macaroni" in The solids were thunder-cakes, egg-cracknels, boiled rice, daikon radishes and [maccaroni]

 page 174 - changed "midado's" to "mikado's" in the beast with swaying head crept along the great roof to the place on the eaves directly under the [midado's] sleeping-room. 

 page 175 - changed "markmanship" to "marksmanship" in All congratulated Yorimasa on his valor and [markmanship]. 

 page 206 - changed "ells" to "eels" in Eating his boiled rice, and snuffing in the odors of the broiled [ells], as they were wafted in, he enjoyed with his nose, what he would not pay for to put in his mouth. 

 page 207 - changed "ells" to "eels" in "Why yes, I have paid you. You have charged me for the smell of your [ells], and I have paid you with the sound of my money. "

 page 212 - changed "suprise" to "surprise" in Greater still was the [suprise] of the Suruga people. 

 page 224 - changed "neans" to "means" in Now Kanamé [neans] the rivet in a fan, that holds all the sticks together, and they gave the name "rivet-rock, " because it is the rivet that binds the earth together. 

 page 227 - changed "dilligent" to "diligent" in Only a few years ago there was a gentleman in Fukui, Japan, who had a son, a bright lad of twelve, who was very [dilligent] at school and had made astonishing progress in his studies. 

 page 238 - changed "vessals" to "vassals" in These were all retainers or friendly [vessals] of Lord Long-legs. 

 page 247 - changed "crysanthemum" to "chrysanthemum" in Other bearers followed, keeping step and carrying the regalia, consisting of [crysanthemum] stalks and blossoms. 

 page 264 - changed "attendent" to "attendant" in She was one of the fifteen glistening virgins that wait [attendent] upon the moon in her chambers in the sky. 

 page 272 - changed "villiagers" to "villagers" in So he prevailed upon the simple [villiagers] to build a railing of stone around the now sacred pine. 

 page 275 - changed "darling" to "daring" in She, now having the power, resolved to carry out her [darling] plan of invading Corea. 

 page 280 - changed "engulphed" to "engulfed" to In a snap of the finger, the ocean rolled up into a wave many tens of feet high and [engulphed] the Corean army, drowning them almost to a man

 page 302 - changed "too" to "to" in All being ready, the Strong-handed god who was [too] pull the sun-goddess out of the cave, as soon as overcome by her curiosity she should peep forth, hid himself beside the stone door of the cave. 

 page 304 - changed "carpentery" to "carpentry" in For by their necessity the gods were compelled to invent the arts of metal-working, weaving, [carpentery], jeweling and many other useful appliances for the human race.