 Chapter 0 of Ancient Tales and Folklore of Japan This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Ancient Tales and Folklore of Japan by Richard Gordon Smith Preface The stories in this volume are transcribed from voluminous illustrated diaries, which have been kept by me for some twenty years, spent in travel and in sport, in many lands. The last nine of them almost entirely in Japan, while collecting subjects of natural history for the British Museum, trawling and dredging in the inland sea, sometimes with success, sometimes without, but in the end contributing to the treasury some fifty things new to science, and, according to Sir Edwin Ray Lancaster, adding greatly to the knowledge of Japanese ethnology, as may be supposed, such a life has brought me into close contact with the people, the fisher, the farmer, the priest, the doctor, the children, and all others from whom there is a possibility of extracting information. Many and weird are the tales I have been told. In this volume the publishers prefer to have a mixture, stories of mountains, of trees, of flowers, of places in history, and legends. For the general results obtained in my diaries, I have to thank our late minister in Tokyo, Sir Ernest Soto, the ministers and vice ministers of foreign affairs, and of agriculture, who gave me many letters of introduction, my dear friend Mr. Hattori, governor of Hiogo Prefecture, the translators of the original notes and manuscripts, often roughly written in Japanese, among whom are Mr. Ando, Mr. Matuzaki, and Mr. Watanabe, and Mr. Mono Yuki, who drew and painted the illustrations from sketches of my own, which must often have graded on his artistic ideas, keeping him awake in reflection on the crudeness of the European sense of art. To my faithful interpreter, Yuki Igawa, also are due my thanks for continual efforts to find what I wanted, and to many Japanese peasants and fishermen, whose good nature, kindness, and hospitality have endeared them to me forever. Well, is it that they, so worthy a people, have so worthy a sovereign? R. Gordon Smith June 1908 End of Chapter 0 B.C. Ancient Tales and Folk War of Japan by Richard Gordon Smith The Golden Hairpin Footnote, this story savers of Botan Doro, or Peony Lantern Story, told both by Mitford and Lafcadio Hearn. In this instance, however, the spirit of the dead sister passes into the body of the living one, assumes her form, leaves her sick and ill for over a year, and then allows her to reappear, as if she had never been ill at all. It is the first story of its kind, I have heard. Footnote Up in the northern city of Sendai, whence come the best of Japanese soldiers, there lived a samurai named Hassanuma. Hassanuma was rich and hospitable, and consequently much thought of and well-liked. Some 35 years ago his wife presented him with a beautiful daughter, their first child, whom they named Ko, which means small, when applied to a child, much as we say Little Mary or Little Jane. Her full name was really Hasukou, which means Little Lily, but here we will call her Ko for short. Exactly on the same date, Saito, one of Hassanuma's friends, and also a samurai, had the good fortune to have a son. The fathers decided that, being such old friends, they would wed their children to each other when old enough to marry. They were very happy over the idea, and so were their wives. To make the engagement of the babies more binding, Saito handed to Hassanuma a golden hairpin, which had long been in his family, and said, Here, my old friend, take this pin. It shall be a token of betrothal from my son, whose name shall be Kanojo, to your little daughter Ko, both of whom are now aged two weeks only. May they live long and happy lives together. Hassanuma took the pin, and handed it to his wife, to keep. Then they drank sake to the health of each other, and to the bride and bridegroom of some twenty years thence. A few months after this, Saito, in some way, caused his pleasure to his feudal lord, and, being dismissed from service, left Sendai with his family, wither no one new. Seventeen years later, Oko-san was, with one exception, the most beautiful girl in all Sendai. The exception was her sister, Oke, just a year younger, and as beautiful as herself. Many were the suitors for Oko's hand, but she would have none of them, being faithful to the engagement made for her by her father when she was a baby. True, she had never seen her betrothed, and, which seemed more curious, neither she nor her family had ever once heard of the Saito family since they left Sendai over sixteen years before. But that was no reason why she, a Japanese girl, should break the word of her father, and therefore Oko-san remained faithful to her unknown lover, though she soared greatly at his non-appearance. In fact, she secretly suffered so much thereby that she sickened, and three months later died, to the grief of all who knew her and her family's serious distress. On the day of Oko-san's funeral, her mother was seen to the last attentions paid to the corpses, and smoothing her hair with the golden pin given to Oko, footnote, O means honorable miss, san means miss, either will do, but Ko is the name. End footnote. By Saito, in behalf of his son Konjo, when the body had been placed in its coffin, the mother thrust the pin into the girl's hair, saying, Dearest daughter, this is the pin given as a memento to you by your betrothed, Konjo, let it be a pledge to bind your spirits in death as it would have been in life, and may you enjoy endless happiness, I pray. And thus praying, no doubt, Oko's mother thought that Konjo also must be dead, and that their spirits would meet, but it was not so. For two months after these events, Konjo himself, now eighteen years of age, turned up at Sintai, calling first on his father's old friend, Hassanuma, O the bitterness and misfortune of it all, said the latter, only two months ago my daughter Ko died. Had you but come before then, she would have been alive now, and never even sent a message. We never heard a word of your father or of your mother. Where did you all go when you left here? Tell me the whole story. Sir, answered the grief-strecked Konjo, what you tell me of the death of your daughter, whom I had hoped to marry, sickened my heart, for I, like herself, have been faithful and hoped to marry her, and thought daily of her. When my father took my family away from Sintai, he took us to Yido, and afterwards we went north to Yezo Island, where my father lost his money and became poor. He died in poverty. My poor mother did not long survive him. I have been working hard to try and earn enough money to marry your daughter Ko, but I have not made more than enough to pay my journey down to Sintai. I felt at my duty to come and tell you of my family's misfortune and my own. The old samurai was much touched by this story. He saw that the most unfortunate of all had been Konjo. Konjo, he said, often I have thought and wondered to myself, were you honest or were you not? Now I find that you have been truly faithful and honest to your father's pledge, but you should have written. You should have written. Because you did not do so, sometimes we thought, my wife and I, that you must be dead, but we kept this thought to ourselves and never told Kosan, go to our boot stand, footnote, family shrine, and footnote, open the doors of it and burn a joss stick to Kosan's mortuary tablet. It will please her spirit. She longed and longed for your return and died of that same longing. For love of you, her spirit will rejoice to know that you have come back for her. Konjo did as he was bid, bowing reverently three times before the mortuary tablet of O. Kosan. He muttered a few words of prayer in her behalf and then lit the incense stick and placed it before the tablet. After this exhibition of sincerity, Hasunuma told the young fellow that he should consider him as an adopted son and that he must live with them. He could have the small house in the garden. In any case, whatever his plans for the future might be, he must remain with them for the present. This was a generous offer, worthy of a samurai. Konjo gratefully accepted it and became one of the family. About a fortnight afterwards, he settled himself in the little house at the end of the garden. Hasunuma, his wife and their second daughter, O. K., had gone by command of the Daimo to the Hygen, a religious ceremony held in March. Hasunuma also always worshipped at his ancestral tombs at best time. Towards the dusk of evening, they were returning in their panquins. Konjo stood at the gate to see them pass as was proper and respectful. The old samurai passed first and was followed by his wife's panquin and then by that of O. K. As this last pass the gate, Konjo thought he heard something fall causing a metallic sound. After the palakuin had passed he picked it up without any particular attention. It was the golden hairpin but of course, though Konjo's father had told him of the pin, Konjo had no idea that this was it and therefore he thought nothing more than that it must be O. K. Sons. He went back to his little house, closed it for the night and was about to retire when he heard a knock at the door. Who is there? he shouted. What do you want? There came no answer and Konjo laid down on his bed thinking himself to have been mistaken. But there came another knock louder than the first and Konjo jumped out of bed and lit the Ando, footnote, lamp, and footnote. If not a fox or a badger thought he it must be some evil spirit come to disturb me. On opening the door with the Ando in one hand and a stick in the other Konjo looked out into the dark and there to his astonishment he beheld a vision of female beauty the like of which he had never seen before. Who are you What do you want? I am O. K. San O. Ko's younger sister answered the vision though you have not seen me I have several times seen you and I have fallen so madly in love with you that I can think of nothing else but you when you picked up my golden pin tonight on our return I had dropped it to serve as an excuse to come to you and knock you must love me in return for otherwise I must die. This heated and outrageous declaration scandalized poor Konjo moreover he felt that it would be doing his kind host Hassanuma a great injustice to be receiving his younger daughter at this hour of the night and make love to her he expressed himself forcibly in these terms if you will not love me as I love you then I shall take my revenge said O. K. by telling my father that you got me to come here by making love to me and that you then insulted me poor Konjo he was in a nice mess what he feared most of all was that the girl would do as she said that the samurai would believe her and that he would be a disgraced and villainous person he gave way therefore to the girl's request night after night she visited him until nearly a month had passed during this time Konjo had learned to love dearly the beautiful O. K. talking to her one evening he said my dearest O. K. I do not like this secret love of ours is it not better that we go away if I asked your father to give you to me in marriage he would refuse as I was betrothed to your sister yes answered O. K. that is what I also have been wishing let us leave this very night and go to Ishii Komaki the place where you have told me lives a faithful servant of your late fathers called Kinzo yes Kinzo is his name and Ishii Komaki is the place let us start as soon as possible having thrust a few clothes into a bag they started secretly and late that night and duly arrived at their destination Kinzo was delighted to receive them and pleased to show how hospitable he could be to his late master's son and the beautiful lady they lived very happily for a year then one day O. K. said I think we ought to return to my parents now if they were angry with us at first they will have got over the worst of it we have never written they must be getting anxious as to my fate as they grow older yes we ought to go Kinzo agreed long had he felt the injustice he was doing hasenuma next day they found themselves back in Sendai and Kinzo could not help feeling a little nervous as he approached the samurai's house they stopped at the outer gate and O. K. said to Kinzo I think it will be better for you to go in and see my father and mother first if they get very angry show them this golden pin Kinzo stepped boldly up to the door and asked for an interview with the samurai before the servant had time to return Kinzo heard the old man shout Kinzo-san, why of course bring the boy in at once Kinzo himself came out to welcome him my dear boy said the samurai right glad am I to see you back again I am sorry you did not find your life with us good enough you might have said you were going but there I suppose you take after your father in these matters and prefer to disappear mysteriously you are welcome back at all events Kinzo was astonished at this speech and answered but sir I have come to beg your pardon for my sin what sin have you committed queried the samurai in great surprise and drawing himself up in a dignified manner Kinzo then gave a full account of his love affair with Okie from beginning to end he told it all and as he proceeded the samurai showed signs of impatience do not joke sir my daughter Okie-san is not a subject for jokes and untruths she has been as one dead for over a year so ill that we have with difficulty growl into her mouth moreover she has spoken no word and show no sign of life I am neither stating what is untrue nor joking said Kinzo if you but send outside you will find Okie in the palakwin in which I left her a servant was immediately sent to see and returned stating that there was neither palakwin nor anyone at the gate Kinzo seeing that the samurai was now beginning to look perplexed and angry drew the golden pin from his clothes saying see if you doubt me and think I am lying here is the pin which Okie told me to give to you big who reached a footnote an exclamation such as great Scott and footnote exclaimed Okie's mother how came this pin into your hands I myself put it into Kosan's coffin just before it was closed the samurai and konjo stared at each other and the mother at both neither knew what to think or what to say or do imagine the general surprise when the sick Okie walked into the room having risen from her bed as if she had never been ill for a moment she was the picture of health and beauty how is this asked the samurai almost shouting how is it Okie that you have come from your sick bed dressed and with your hair done and looking as if you had never known a moment of illness I am not Okie but the spirit of Okoe was the answer I was most unfortunate in dying before the return of konjo san for I had lived until then I should have become quite well and been married to him as it was my spirit was unhappy it took the form of my dear sister Okie and for a year has lived happily in her body with konjo it is appease now and about to take its real rest there is one condition however konjo which I must make said the girl turning to him you must marry my sister Okie if you do this my spirit will rest truly in peace and then Okie will become well and strong will you promise to marry Okie the old samurai his wife and konjo were all amazed at this the appearance of the girl was that of Okie but the voice and manners were those of Okoe then there was the golden hairpin as further proof the mother knew it well she had placed it in Ko's hair just before the tub coffin was closed nobody could un-deceive her on that point but said the samurai at last konjo has been dead and buried for more than a year now that you should appear to us puzzles us all why should you trouble us so I have explained already resumed the girl my spirit could not rest until it had lived with konjo whom it knew to be faithful it has done this now and is prepared to rest my only desire is to see konjo marry my sister hasenuma his wife and konjo held a consultation they were quite prepared that Okie should marry and konjo did not object all things being settled the ghost girl held out her hand to konjo saying this is the last time you will touch the hand of Oko farewell my dear parents farewell to you all I am about to pass away then she fainted away and seemed dead and remained thus for half an hour while the others overcome with the strange and weird things which they had seen and heard sat round her uttering a word at the end of the half an hour the body came to life and standing up said dear parents I have no more fear for me I am perfectly well again but I have no idea how I got down from my sick room in this costume or how it is that I feel so well several questions were put to her but it was quite evident that Okie knew nothing of what had happened nothing of the spirit of Oko-san or of the golden hairpin a week later she and konjo were married and the golden hairpin was given to a shrine at Shogama to which until quite recently crowds used to go and worship End of Chapter 1 Recording by Linda Marie Nielsen Vancouver, BC Chapter 2 of Ancient Tales and Folklore of Japan This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Linda Marie Nielsen Vancouver, BC Ancient Tales and Folklore of Japan by Richard Gordon Smith The Spirit of the Willow Tree About 1,000 years ago but according to the dates of the story 744 years ago the Temple of San Jogan-jin was founded that was in 1132 San-ju San-jin-do means hall of 33 spaces and there are said to be over 33,333 figures of the goddess Kawanon the goddess of mercy in the temple today Before the temple was built the village nearby stood a Willow Tree of great size it marked the plain ground of all the village children who swung on its branches and climbed on its limbs it afforded shade to the aged in the heat of summer and in the evenings when work was done many were the village lads and lasses showed eternal love under its branches the trees seemed an influence for good to all even the weary traveler could sleep peacefully and almost dry under its branches alas even in those times men were often ruthless with regard to trees one day the villagers announced an intention to cut it down to build a bridge across the river there lived in the village a young farmer named Hatero a great favourite who had lived near the old tree all his days as his forefathers had done and he was greatly against cutting it down such a tree should be respected thought he had it not braved the storms hundreds of years in the heat of summer what pleasure it afforded the children did it not give to the weary shelter and to the love smitten a sense of romance all these thoughts Hatero impressed upon the villagers soon then approve you're cutting it down he said I will give you as many of my own trees to require to build the bridge you must leave this dear old willow alone forever the villagers readily agreed they also had a secret veneration for the old tree Hatero was delighted and readily found wood with which to build the bridge some days Hatero returning from his work accompanied by the willow a beautiful girl instinctively he bowed to her she returned the bow they spoke together of the tree its age and beauty they seemed in fact to be drawn towards each other by a common sympathy Hatero was sorry when she said that she must be going and she made him good day evening his mind was far from being fixed on the ordinary things of life who was the lady under the willow tree how I wish I could see her again thought he there was no sleep for Hatero that night he had caught the fever of love next day he was at his work early and he remained at it working doubly hard so as to try and forget the lady of the willow tree but on his way home in the evening behold there was the lady again this time she came forward to greet him in the most friendly way welcome good friend she said come and rest under the branches of the willow you love so well for you must be tired Hatero readily accepted this invitation and not only did he rest but also he declared his love day by day after this the mysterious girl whom no others had seen used to meet Hatero and at last she promised to marry him if he asked no questions as to her parents or friends I have none she said I can only promise to be a good and faithful wife and tell you that I love you with all my heart and soul call me then hego footnote meaning goith or willow end note and I will be your wife next day Hatero took hego to his house and they were married a son was born to them in a little less than a year and became their absorbing joy there was not a moment of their spare time in which either Hatero or his wife was not playing with the child whom they called chiyoto it is doubtful if a more happy home could have been found in all Japan than the house of Hatero with his good wife hego and their beautiful child alas where in this world has complete happiness ever been known to last even did the gods permit this the laws of man would not Kiyoto had reached the age of five years the most beautiful boy in the neighborhood the emperor Toba decided to build in Kyoto an immense temple to Kawanan he would contribute a thousand and one images of the goddess of mercy now in 1907 as we said at the beginning this temple is known as Sanjusen Gendo and contains three thousand three hundred and thirty three images the ex emperor Toba's wish having become known orders were given by the authorities to collect timber for the building of the vast temple and so it came to pass this of the big willow tree were numbered for it would be wanted with many others to form the roof Hatero tried to save the tree again by offering every other he had on his land for nothing but that was in vain even the villagers became anxious to see their willow tree built into the temple with good luck they thought and in any case be a handsome gift of theirs towards the great temple the fatal time arrived one night when Hatero and his wife and child had retired to rest and were sleeping Hatero was awakened by the sound of axes chopping to his astonishment his beloved wife sitting up in her bed gazing earnestly at him while tears rolled down her cheeks and she was sobbing bitterly my dearest husband she said with choking voice pray listen to what I tell you now and do not doubt me this is unhappily not a dream when we married do not ask me my history and you have never done so but I said I would tell you some day if there should be a real occasion to do so unhappily that occasion has now arrived my dear husband I am no less a thing than a spirit of the willow tree you loved and so saved six years ago it was to repay you for this great kindness that I appear to you in human form under the tree hoping that I could live with you and make you happy for your whole life alas it cannot be they are cutting down the willow how I feel every stroke of their axes I must return to die for I am part of it my heart breaks to think also of leaving my darling child Chiyodo and of his great sorrow when he knows that his mother is no longer in the world comfort him dearest husband he is old enough and strong enough to be with you now without a mother and yet not suffer I wish you both long lives of prosperity farewell my dearest I must be off to the willow for I hear them striking with their axes harder and harder and it weakens me each blow they give he taro awoke his child just as he go disappeared wondering to himself if it were not a dream no it was no dream Chiyodo awakening stretched his arms in the direction his mother had gone crying bitterly and imploring her to come back my darling child said he taro she has gone she cannot come back come let us dress funeral your mother was the spirit of the great willow a little later at the break of day he taro took Chiyodo by the hand and led him to the tree on reaching it they found it down and already lopped off its branches the feelings of he taro may be well imagined strange in spite of united efforts the men were unable to move the stem a single inch towards the river in which it was to be floated to Chiyodo on seeing this he taro addressed the men my friends said he the dead trunk of the tree which you are trying to move contains a spirit of my wife perhaps if you allow my little son Chiyodo to help you it will be more easy for you and he would like to help in showing his last respects to his mother the woodcutters were fully agreeable and much to their astonishment as Chiyodo came to the back end of the log and pushed it with his little hand the timber glided easily towards the river his father singing the wow an uta footnote poetical song in footnote there is a well known song or ballad in the uta style said to have sprung from this event it is sung to the present day by men drawing heavy weights or doing hard labor mother narrow can mother mother mother mother mother mother mother mother mother mother footnote it is not sad to see the little fellow from the dew of the kumano willow and is thus far butting well heave ho, heave ho pull hard my lads in footnote in waka no warra the laborers sing a working or hauling song which also is said to have sprung from this story of the yangani waka no say waka no orani wa meishoga gozaru ichini gongen ni ni kama shushi ma se ni saguri matzu shini shiogama yo yoy yoy tona footnote in waka no warra in waka no warra first gongen second tama shushi ma third the pine tree with its hanging branches fourth comes shiogama is it not good good in footnote a third uta this story and is often applied to small children helping the wagon could not be drawn when it came to the front of hitaro's house so his little five-year-old boy chiyodo was obliged to help and they sang muzen narrow kana motoha kumano suwa de so datte aitaru kono midioro yoy yo tona footnote it is not sad to see the little fellow who sprang from the dew of the komono below and is thus far budding well heave-ho, heave-ho pull hard my lads and footnote end of chapter 2 recording by linda mary nielson vancouver bc chapter 3 of ancient tales and folklore of japan this is a libravox recording all libravox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libravox.org recording by david mckay ancient tales and folklore of japan by richard gordon smith ghost of the violet well told to me by shofukuta fukuka in the wild province of yamato or very near to its borders is a beautiful mountain known as yoshinoyama it is not only known for its abundance of cherry blossom in the spring but it is also celebrated in relation to more than one bloody battle in fact yoshino might be called the staging place of historical battles many say when in yoshino we are walking on history because yoshino itself is history near yoshino mountain lay another known as subosaka and between them is the valley of shimizutani in which is the violet well at the approach of spring in this tani or hollow the grass assumes a perfect emerald green while moss grows luxuriously over rocks and boulders towards the end of april great patches of deep purple wild violets show up in the lower parts of the valley while up the sides pink and scarlet azaleas grow in a manner which beggars description some thirty years ago a beautiful girl of the age of seventeen named shinge was wending her way up shimizutani accompanied by four servants all were out for a picnic and all of course were in search of wildflowers oh shinge san was the daughter of a daimyo who lived in the neighborhood every year she was in the habit of having this picnic and coming to shimizutani at the end of april to hunt for her favorite flower the purple violet sumire the five girls carrying bamboo baskets were eagerly collecting flowers enjoying the occupation as only japanese girls can they raced in their rivalry to have the prettiest basketful there not being so many purple violets as were wanted oh shinge san said let us go to the northern end of the valley where the violet well is naturally the girls assented and off they all ran each eager to be there first laughing as they went oh shinge outran the rest and arrived before any of them and aspiring a huge bunch of her favorite flowers of the deepest purple and very sweet in smell anxious to pick them before the others came as she stretched out her delicate hand to grasp them oh horror a great mountain snake raised his head from beneath his shady retreat so frightened was oh shinge san she fainted away on the spot in the meanwhile the other girls had given up the race thinking it would please their mistress to arrive first they picked what they most fancied chased butterflies thankfully fifteen minutes after oh shinge san had fainted on seeing her thus laid out on the grass a great fear filled them that she was dead and their alarm increased when they saw a large green snake coiled near her head they screamed as do most girls amid such circumstances but one of them matzu who did not lose her head so much as the others threw her basket of flowers at the snake not liking the bombardment uncoiled himself and slid away hoping to find a quieter place then all four girls bent over their mistress they rubbed her hands and threw water on her face but without effect oh shinge's beautiful complexion became paler and paler while her red lips assumed the purplish hue that is a sign of approaching death the girls were heartbroken tears coursed down their faces they did not know what to do for they could not carry her what a terrible state of affairs just at that moment they heard a man's voice close behind them do not be so sad I can restore the young lady to consciousness if you will allow me they turned and saw a remarkably handsome youth standing on the grass not ten feet away he appeared as an angel from heaven without saying more the young man approached the prostrate figure of oh shinge and taking her hand in his felt her pulse none of the servants liked to interfere in this breach of etiquette he had not asked permission but his manner was so gentle and sympathetic that they could say nothing the stranger examined oh shinge carefully keeping silence having finished he took out of his pocket a little case of medicine and putting some white powder from this into a paper said I am a doctor from a neighboring village and I have just been to see a patient at the end of the valley by good fortune I return this way and am able to help you and save your mistress's life give her this medicine while I hunt for and kill the snake oh Matsusan forced the medicine along with a little water into her mistress's mouth and in a few minutes she began to recover shortly after this the doctor returned carrying the dead snake on a stick is this the snake you saw lying by your young mistress he asked yes yes they cried that is the horrible thing then said the doctor it is lucky I came for it is very poisonous and I fear your mistress would soon have died had I not arrived and been able to give her the medicine ah I see that it is already doing the beautiful young lady good on hearing the young man's voice oh shinge san sat up pray sir did I ask to whom I am indebted for bringing me thus back to life she asked the doctor did not answer but in a proud and manly way contended himself by smiling and bowing low and respectfully after the Japanese fashion and departed as quietly and unassumingly as he had arrived disappearing in the sleepy mist which always appears in the afternoons of springtime in the shimizu valley the four girls helped their mistress home but indeed she wanted little assistance for the medicine had done her much good and she felt quite recovered oh shinge's father and mother were very grateful for their daughter's recovery but the name of the handsome young doctor remained a secret to all except the servant girl matzu for four days oh shinge remained quite well but on the fifth day for some cause or another she took to her bed she did not sleep and did not wish to talk but only to think and think neither father nor mother could make out what her illness was there was no fever doctors were sent for one after another but none of them could say what was the matter all they saw was that she daily became weaker asano zembei shinge's father was heartbroken and so was his wife they had tried everything and failed to do the slightest good to poor oh shinge one day oh matzu's son craved an interview with asano zembei who by the by was the head of all his family a daimyo and great grandee zembei was not accustomed to listen to servants opinions but knowing that oh matzu was faithful to his daughter and loved her very nearly as much as he did himself he consented to hear her and oh matzu was ushered into his presence oh master said the servant if you will let me find a doctor for my young mistress i can promise to find one who will cure her where on earth will you find such a doctor have we not had all the best doctors in the province and some even from the capital where do you propose to look for one oh matzu answered ah master my mistress is not suffering from an illness which can be cured by medicines not even if they be given by the court nor are doctors of much use there is however one that i know of who could cure her my mistress's illness is of the heart the doctor i know of can cure her it is for love of him that her heart suffers it has suffered so from the day when he saved her life from the snake bite then oh matzu told particulars of the adventure at the picnic which had not been told before for oh shinge had asked her servants to say as little as possible fearing they would not be allowed to go to the valley of the violet well again what is the name of this doctor asked asano zembe and who is he sir answered oh matzu he is doctor yoshisawa a very handsome young man of most courtly manners but he is of low birth being only of the eta begin note the eta are the lowest people or cast in japan skinners and killers of animals end note please think master of my young mistresses burning heart full of love for the man who saved her life and no wonder for he is very handsome and has the manners of a proud samurai the only cure for your daughter sir is to be allowed to marry her lover oh shinge's mother felt very sad when she heard this she knew well perhaps by experience of the illnesses caused by love she wept and said to zembe I am quite with you in sorrow my lord at the terrible trouble that has come to us but I cannot see my daughter die thus let us tell her we will make inquiries about the man she loves and see if we can make him our son-in-law in any case it is the custom to make full inquiries which will extend over some days and in this time our daughter may recover somewhat and get strong enough to hear the news that we cannot accept her lover as our son-in-law zembe agreed to this and omatsu promised to say nothing to her mistress of the interview oh shinge's son was told by her mother that her father though he had not consented to the engagement had promised to make inquiries about yoshisawa oh shinge took food and regained much strength on this news and when she was strong enough some ten days later she was called into her father's presence accompanied by her mother my sweet daughter said zembe I have made careful inquiries about dr. yoshisawa your lover deeply as it grieves me to say so it is impossible that I your father the head of our whole family can consent to your marriage with one of so low a family as yoshisawa who in spite of his own goodness has sprung from the Eita I must hear no more of it such a contract would be impossible for the asano family no one ventured to say a word to this in Japan the head of a family's decision is final poor oh shinge bowed to her father and went to her own room where she wept bitterly omatsu the faithful servant doing her best to console her next morning to the astonishment of the household oh shinge san could nowhere be found search was made everywhere even dr. yoshisawa joined in the search on the third day after the disappearance one of the searchers looked down at the violet well and saw poor oh shinge's floating body two days later she was buried and on that day yoshisawa threw himself into the well the people say that even now on wet stormy nights they see the ghost of oh shinge san floating over the well while some declare that they hear the sound of a young man weeping in the valley of shimizutani End of Chapter 3 Recording by David McKay Chapter 4 of Ancient Tales and Folklore of Japan This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by David McKay Ancient Tales and Folklore of Japan by Richard Gordon Smith Ghost Story of the Flute's Tomb Told to me by Fukuga Long ago at a small and out-of-the-way village called Kumedamura about eight miles to the southeast of Sakai City in Itsumo province there was made a tomb or Flute's Tomb and to this day many people go thither to offer up prayer and to worship bringing with them flowers and incense sticks which are deposited as offerings to the spirit of the man who was buried there All the year round people flock to it there is no season at which they pray more particularly than at another The Fuezuka Tomb is situated on a large pond called Kumedamura some five miles in circumference and all the places around this pond are known as of Kumedapond from which the village of Kumeda took its name Whose tomb can it be that attracts such sympathy? The tomb itself is a simple stone pillar with nothing artistic to recommend it neither is the surrounding scenery interesting it is flat and ugly until the mountains of Kyushu are reached I must tell as well as I can the story of whose tomb it is between 70 and 80 years ago there lived near the pond in the village of Kumedamura a blind ama or shampooer called Yoichi Yoichi was extremely popular in the neighborhood being very honest and kind besides being quite a professor in the art of massage a treatment necessary to almost every Japanese it would be difficult indeed to find a village that had not its ama Yoichi was blind and like all men of his calling carried an iron wand or stick also a flute or fuizuka the stick to feel his way about with and the flute to let people know he was ready for employment so good an ama was Yoichi he was nearly always employed and consequently fairly well off having a little house of his own and one servant who cooked his food a little way from Yoichi's house was a small tea house placed upon the banks of the pond one evening April 5th, cherry blossom season just at dusk Yoichi was on his way home having been at work all day his road led him by the pond there he heard a girl crying piteously he stopped and listened for a few moments and gathered from what he heard that the girl was about to drown herself just as she entered the lake Yoichi caught her by the dress and dragged her out who are you and why in such trouble is to wish to die he asked I am Aseo the tea house girl she answered you know me quite well you must know also that it is not possible for me to support myself out of the small pittance which is paid by my master I have eaten nothing for two days now and am tired of my life come come said the blind man dry your tears I will take you to my house and do what I can to help you five years of age and I am told still a fair looking girl perhaps you will marry in any case I will take care of you and you must not think of killing yourself come with me now and I will see that you are well fed and the dry clothes are giving you so Yoichi led Aseo to his home a few months found them wedded to each other were they happy well they should have been of kindness but she was unlike her husband she was selfish bad tempered and unfaithful in the eyes of Japanese infidelity is the worst of sins how much more than is it against the country spirit when advantage is taken of a husband who is blind some three months after they had been married and in the heat of August there came to the village a company of actors among them Aseo Aseo who was very fond of a play spent much of her time and her husband's money in going to the theater in less than two days she had fallen violently in love with Tamataro she sent him money hardly earned by her blind husband she wrote to him love letters begged him to allow her to come and visit him and generally disgraced her sex things went from bad to worse the secret meetings of Aseo and the actor scandalized the neighborhood as in most such cases the husband knew nothing about them frequently when he went home the actor was in his house but kept quiet and Aseo let him out secretly even going with him sometimes everyone felt sorry for Yoiichi but none like to tell him of his wife's infidelity one day Yoiichi went to shampoo a customer who told him of Aseo's conduct Yoiichi was incredulous but yes it is true said the son of his customer even now the actor Tamataro was with your wife so soon as you left your house he slipped in this he does every day and many of us see it we all feel sorry for you in your blindness and should be glad to help you to punish her Yoiichi was deeply grieved for he knew that his friends were in earnest but though blind he would accept no assistance to convict his wife he trudged home as fast as his blindness would permit making as little noise as possible with his staff on reaching home Yoiichi found the front door fastened from the inside he went to the back and found the same thing there there was no way of getting in without breaking a door and making a noise Yoiichi was much excited now for he knew that his guilty wife and her lover were inside and he would have liked to kill them both great strength came to him and he raised himself bit by bit at the top of the roof he intended to enter the house by letting himself down through the Temmado begin note hold in the roof of a Japanese house in place of a chimney end note unfortunately the straw rope he used in doing this was rotten and gave way precipitating him below where he fell on the kinuta begin note a hard lock of wood used in stretching cotton cloth end note he fractured his skull and died instantly Asaiyo and the actor hearing the noise went to see what had happened and were rather pleased to find poor Yoiichi dead they did not report the death until next day when they said that Yoiichi had fallen downstairs and thus killed himself they buried him with indecent haste and hardly with proper respect Yoiichi having no children his property according to the Japanese law went to his bad wife and only a few months passed before Asaiyo and the actor were married apparently they were happy though none in the village of Kume-da had any sympathy for them all being disgusted at their behavior to the poor, blind, shampooer Yoiichi months passed by without event of any interest in the village no one bothered about Asaiyo and her husband and they bothered about no one else being sufficiently interested in themselves the scandal mongers had become tired and like all nine day wonders the history of the blind Amma Asaiyo and Tamataro had passed into silence however it does not do to be assured when the spirit of the injured dead goes unevenged up in one of the western provinces at a small village called Minato lived one of Yoiichi's friends who was closely connected with him this was Okuda Ichibe he and Yoiichi had been to school together they had promised when Ichibe went up to the north west always to remember each other and to help each other in time of need and when Yoiichi had become blind Ichibe came down to Kume-da and helped to start Yoiichi in his business of Amma which he did by giving him a house to live in a house which had been bequeathed to Ichibe again fate decreed that it should be in Ichibe's power to help his friend at that time news traveled very slowly and Ichibe had not immediately heard of Yoiichi's death or even of his marriage judged then of his surprise one night on a waking to find standing near his pillow the figure of a man whom by and by he recognized as Yoiichi why Yoiichi I am glad to see you he said but how late at night you have arrived why did you not let me know you were coming I should have been up to receive you but never mind I will call a servant and everything shall be ready as soon as possible in the meantime be seated and tell me about yourself and how you traveled so far to have come through the mountains another wild country from Kume-da is hard enough at best but for one who is blind it is wonderful I am no longer a living man answered the ghost of Yoiichi for such it was I am indeed your friend Yoiichi spirit and I shall wander about until I can be avenged for a great ill which has been done me I have come to beg of you to help me that my spirit may go to rest if you listen I will tell my story and you can then do as you think best Ichibe was very much astonished not to say a little nervous to know that he was in the presence of a ghost but he was a brave man and Yoiichi his friend he was deeply grieved to hear of Yoiichi's death and realized that the restlessness of his spirit showed him to have been injured Ichibe decided not only to listen to the story but also to revenge Yoiichi and said so the ghost then told all that had happened since he had been set up in the house at Kume-da-mura he told of his success as a masseur of how he had saved the life of Asayo how he had taken her to his house and subsequently married her of the arrival of the accursed acting company which contained the man who had ruined his life of his own death and hasty burial and of the marriage of Asayo and the actor I must be avenged will you help me to rest in peace he said in conclusion Ichibe promised then the spirit of Yoiichi disappeared and Ichibe slept again next morning Ichibe thought he must have been dreaming but he remembered the vision and the narrative so clearly that he perceived them to have been actual suddenly turning with the intention to get up he caught sight of the shine of a metal flute close to his pillow it was the flute of a blind ama it was marked with Yoiichi's name Ichibe resolved to start for Kame-da-mura and ascertain locally all about Yoiichi in those times when there was no railway and a rickshaw only here and there travel was slow Ichibe took 10 days to reach Kame-da-mura he immediately went to the house of his friend Yoiichi and was there told the whole history again but naturally in another way Asayo said yes he saved my life we were married and I helped my blind husband in everything one day alas he mistook the staircase for a door falling down and killing himself now I am married to his great friend an actor called Tamataro whom you see here Ichibe knew that the ghost of Yoiichi was not likely to tell him lies and to ask for vengeance unjustly therefore he continued talking to Asayo and her husband listening to their lies and wondering what would be the fitting procedure ten o'clock passed thus and eleven at twelve o'clock when Asayo for the sixth or seventh time was assuring Ichibe that everything possible had been done for her blind husband a windstorm suddenly arose and in the midst of it was heard the sound of the ama's flute just as Yoiichi played it it was so unmistakably his that Asayo screamed with fear at first distant the rumor and nearer approached the sound until at last it seemed to be in the room itself at that moment a cold puff of air came down the Temmado and the ghost of Yoiichi was seen standing beneath it a cold white glimmering and sad faced wreath Tamataro and his wife tried to get up and run out of the house but they found that their legs would not support them so full were they of fear Tamataro seized a lamp and flung it at the ghost but the ghost was not to be moved the lamp passed through him and broke setting fire to the house which burned instantly the wind fanning the flames Ichibe made his escape but neither Asayo nor her husband could move and the flames consumed them in the presence of Yoiichi's ghost their cries were loud and piercing Ichibe had all the ashes swept up and placed in a tomb he had buried in another grave the flute of the blind ama and erected on the ground where the house had been a monument sacred to the memory of Yoiichi it is known as Fuizuka no Kuaidan the flute ghost tomb End of Chapter 4 Recording by David McKay Chapter 5 of Ancient Tales and Folklore of Japan This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by David McKay Ancient Tales and Folklore of Japan by Richard Gordon Smith A Haunted Temple in Inaba Province Begin note In many stories in manuscript volumes I have told of Shito Dama or Astral Spirits So much evidence have I got from personal acquaintances as to their existence and even frequent occurrence that I almost believe in them myself Some say that there are two shapes the roundish oblong tadpole shape and the more square-fronted eyed shape Priests declare the shapes and sexes to be all alike indistinguishable from each other as in number two My Hunter, Otoav Itami who with his son saw the old barber's wife Shito Dama after she had died declared that the shape was like an egg with a tail At Tsubo-une, near Inaba two or three dozen people who had seen the Shito Dama of a death man and that of a fisher girl there declared both to be square-fronted Again, at Toshishima the old men declare that there was a carpenter whose Shito Dama appeared five or six times some fifteen years ago and that it was red instead of having the ordinary phosphorescent smoky white appearance Shito Dama, I take it is the astral form that a spirit can assume if it wishes to wander the earth after death This is the story of a dissatisfied spirit which haunted a temple and also showed itself as a ghost End note About the year 1680 there stood an old temple on a wild pine-clad mountain near the village of Kisaichi in the province of Inaba The temple was far up in a rocky ravine So high and thick were the trees they kept out nearly all daylight even when the sun was at its highest As long as the old men of the village could remember the temple had been haunted by a Shito Dama and the skeleton ghost they thought of some former priestly occupant Many priests had tried to live in the temple and make it their home but all had died No one could spend a night there and live At last, in the winter of 1701 there arrived in the village of Kisaichi a priest who was on a pilgrimage His name was Jogen and he was a native of the province of Kai Jogen had come to see the haunted temple He was fond of studying such things Though he believed in the Shito Dama form of spiritual return to earth he did not believe in ghosts As a matter of fact he was anxious to see a Shito Dama and moreover wished to have a temple of his own In this wild mountain temple with a history which fear and death prevented people from visiting or priests inhabiting he thought that he had to put it in vulgar English a real good thing Thus he had found his way to the village on the evening of a cold December night and had gone to the inn to eat his rice and to hear all he could about the temple Jogen was no coward On the contrary, he was a brave man and made all inquiries in the calmest manner Sir said the landlord Your holiness must not think of going to this temple for it means death Many good priests have tried to stay the night there and everyone has been found next morning dead or has died shortly after daybreak without coming to his senses It is no use, sir, trying to defy such an evil spirit as comes to this temple I beg you, sir, to give up the idea Badly as we want a temple here we wish for no more deaths and often think of burning down this old haunted one and building anew Jogen, however, was firm in his resolve to find and see the ghost Kind, sir, he answered Your wishes are for my preservation but it is my ambition to see a shito dama and, if prayers can quiet it to reopen the temple to read its legends from the old books that must lie hidden therein and to be the head priest of it generally The innkeeper, seeing that the priest was not to be dissuaded gave up the attempt and promised that his son should accompany him as guide in the morning and carry sufficient provisions for a day Next morning was one of brilliant sunshine and Jogen was out of bed early making preparations Kosa, the innkeeper's 20 year old son was tying up the priest's bedding and enough boiled rice to last him nearly two full days It was decided that Kosa after leaving the priest at the temple should return to the village For he, as well as every other villager refused to spend a night at the weird place but he and his father agreed to go see Jogen on the morrow or, as someone grimly put it to carry him down and give him an honorable funeral and a decent burial Jogen entered fully into this joke and shortly after left the village with Kosa carrying his things and guiding the way The gorge in which the temple was situated was very steep and wild Great moss clad rocks lay strewn everywhere When Jogen and his companion had got halfway up they sat down to rest and eat Soon they heard voices of persons ascending and near long The innkeeper and some eight or nine of the village elders presented themselves We have followed you said the innkeeper to try once more to dissuade you from running to assure death True, we want the temple opened and the ghosts appeased but we do not wish it at the cost of another life Please, consider I cannot change my mind answered the priest Besides, this is the one chance of my life Your village elders have promised me that if I am able to appease the spirit and reopen the temple I shall be the head priest of the temple which must hereafter become celebrated Again, Jogen refused to listen to advice and laughed at the villagers' fears Shouldering the packages that had been carried by Kosa he said, go back with the rest and find my own way now easily enough I shall be glad if you return tomorrow with carpenters for no doubt the temple is in sad want of repairs both inside and out Now, my friends, until tomorrow farewell Have no fear for me, I have none for myself The villagers made deep bows They were greatly impressed by the bravery of Jogen and hoped that he might be spared to become their priest and then began to continue his ascent The others watched him as long as he remained in view and then retraced their steps to the village Kosa thanking the good fortune that had not necessitated his having to go to the temple with the priest and return in the evening alone With two or three people he felt brave enough but to be here in the gloom of this wild forest and near the haunted temple alone no that was not in his line As Jogen climbed he came suddenly inside of the temple which seemed to be almost over his head so precipitous were the sides of the mountain and the path filled with curiosity the priest pressed on in spite of his heavy load and some fifteen minutes later arrived panting on the temple platform or terrace which like the temple itself had been built on driven piles and scaffolding At first glance Jogen recognized that the temple was large but lack of attention had caused it to fall into great dilapidation Rank grasses grew high about its sides fungi and creepers abounded on the damp sodden posts and supports so rotten in fact did these appear the priest mentioned in his written notes that evening that he feared the spirits less than the state of the posts which supported the building Cautiously Jogen entered the temple as a remarkably large and fine gilded figure of Buddha besides figures of many saints there were also fine bronzes and vases drums from which the parchment had rotted off incense burners or coros and other valuable or holy things behind the temple were the priest's living quarters evidently before the ghost's time the temple must have had some five or six priests ever present to it and to the people who came to pray the gloom was oppressive and as the evening was already approaching Jogen thought himself of light unpacking his bundle he filled a lamp with oil and found temple sticks for the candles which he had brought with him having placed one of these on either side of the figure of Buddha he prayed earnestly for two hours by which time it was quite dark then he took a simple meal of rice and settled himself to watch and listen in order that he might see inside and outside the temple at the same time he had chosen the gallery concealed behind an old column he waited in his heart disbelieving in ghosts but anxious as his note said to see a shido dama for some two hours he heard nothing the wind, such little as there was sighed round the temple and through the stems of the tall trees an owl hooded from time to time bats flew in and out a fungusy smell pervaded the air suddenly near bindite Jogen heard a rustling in the bushes below him as if somebody were pushing through he thought it was a deer or perhaps one of the large red-faced apes so fond of the neighborhood of high and deserted temples perhaps even it might be a fox or a badger the priest was soon undeceived at the place whence the sound of the rustling leaves had come he saw the clear and distinct shape of the well-known shido dama it moved first one way and then another in a hovering and jerky manner and from it a voice as of distant buzzing proceeded but horror of horrors what was that standing among the bushes the priest's blood ran cold there stood the luminous skeleton of a man in loose priest's clothes with glaring eyes and a parchment skin at first it remained still but as the shido dama rose higher and higher the ghost moved after it sometimes visible sometimes not higher and higher came the shido dama until finally the ghost stood at the base of the great figure of buddha and was facing jogan cold beads of sweat stood out on the priest's forehead the marrow seemed to have frozen in his bones he shook so that he could hardly stand biting his tongue to prevent screaming he dashed for the small room in which he had left his bedding and having bolted himself in proceeded to look through a crack between the boards there was the figure of the ghost still seated near the buddha but the shido dama had disappeared none of jogan's senses left him but fear was paralyzing his body and he felt himself no longer capable of moving no matter what should happen he continued in a lying position to look through the hole the ghost sat on turning only its head sometimes to the right sometimes to the left looking upwards for full an hour this went on then the buzzing sound began again and the shido dama reappeared circling and circling round the ghost's body until the ghost vanished apparently having turned into the shido dama and after circling round the holy figure three or four times it suddenly shot out of sight next morning kosa and five men came up to the temple they found the priest alive but paralyzed he could neither move nor speak he was carried to the village dying before he got there much use was made of the priest's notes no one else ever volunteered to live at the temple which two years later was struck by lightning and burned to the ground in digging among the remains searching for bronzes and metal buddhas villagers came upon a skeleton only a foot deep near the bushes whence Jogen had first heard the sounds of rustling undoubtedly the ghost and shido dama were those of a priest who had suffered a violent death and could not rest the bones were properly buried and masses said and nothing has since been seen of the ghost all that remains of the temple are the moss-grown pedestals which formed the foundations end of chapter 5 recording by David McKay Chapter 6 of Ancient Tales and Folklore of Japan this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Linda Marie Nielsen Vancouver, B.C. Tales and Folklore of Japan by Richard Gordon Smith a carp gives a lesson in perseverance between the years 1750 and 1760 there lived in Kyoto a great painter named Okyo Mary Yuma Okyo his paintings were such as to fetch high prices in those days Okyo had not only many admirers in consequence but had also many pupils who strove to copy his style among them was one named Rose II who eventually became the best of all when first Rose II went to Okyo's to study he was without exception the dullest and most stupid pupil that Okyo had ever had to deal with his learning was so slow the pupils who had entered as students under Okyo a year and more after Rose II overtook him he was one of those plotting but unfortunate use who work hard harder perhaps than most and seemed to go backwards as if the gods were against them footnote one day my old painter Boos II was talking with me about Japan's greatest painters and of one of them he told a strange story it was interesting in one thing especially and that was that the name of Rose II I could not find mentioned in Louise Gantz's book though of course Mary Yama Oiko was five names are given as those of the best pupils of Okyo but Rose II was not mentioned I wrote to my friend the local governor the authority on Japanese paintings his answer was you are quite right Rose II was one of Oiko's best pupils perhaps the best in footnote I have the deepest sympathy with Rose II I myself became a bigger fool day by day as I worked I remember the more manifestly a fool I became Rose II however was in the end successful having been greatly encouraged by his observations of the perseverance of a carp many of the pupils who entered Oiko's school after Rose II had left having become quite good painters Rose II was the only one who had made no progress whatever for three years so disconsole it was he and so little encouragement did his master offer that at last crass fallen and sad he gave up the hopes he had of becoming a great painter and quietly left the school one evening intending either to go home or to kill himself on the way all that night he walked and halfway into the next when tired out from want of sleep and of food he flung himself down on the snow under the pine trees some hours before dawn Rose II awoke hearing a strange noise not 30 paces from him he could not make it out but sat up and glancing towards the place whence the sound of splashing water came as the day broke he saw that the noise was caused by a large carp which was persistently jumping out of the water evidently trying to reach a piece of senbi a biscuit made of rice and salt lying on the ice of a pond which Rose II found himself for full three hours the fish must have been jumping thus unsuccessfully cutting and bruising himself against the edges of the ice until the blood flowed and many scales had been lost Rose II watched it persistently with admiration the fish tried every imaginable device sometimes it would make a determined attack on the ice where the biscuit lay from underneath by charging directly upwards at other times it would jump high in the air and hope that by falling on the ice bit by bit would be broken away until it should be able to reach the senbi and indeed the carp did thus break the ice until at last he reached the prize bleeding and hurt but still rewarded for brave perseverance Rose II much impressed watch the fish swim off with the food and reflected yes he said to himself this has been a moral lesson to me I will be like this carp I will not go home until I have gained my object as long as there is breath in my body I will work to carry out my intention I will labor harder than ever and no matter if I do not progress in my efforts until I attain my end or die after this resolve Rose II visited the neighboring temple and prayed for success also he thanked the local deity that he had been enabled to see through the carp's perseverance the line that a man should take in life Rose II then returned to Kyoto and to his master Okyo told the story of the carp and his determination Okyo was much pleased and did his best for his backward pupil this time Rose II progressed he became a well known painter the best man Okyo ever taught as good in fact as his master ended by being one of Japan's greatest painters Rose II took for crest the leaping carp End of Chapter 6 Recording by Linda Marie Nielsen, Vancouver, B.C. This is it, Librovox.org Ancient Tales and Folklore of Japan by Richard Gordon Smith Chapter 7 Legends Told by a Fisherman on Lake Biwa at Zizi While upfishing on Lake Biwa and later shooting in the vicinity shooting is not allowed on the lake itself the water being considered a holy place Zizi my headquarters. At the edge of the lake, just there stands the cottage of an old, old fisherman and his sons. They have made a little harbor for their boats, but they cultivate no ground, their cottage standing in wild grass near a solitary willow. The reason of this is that they are rich, or comparatively so, being the owners of an immense fish trap, which runs out into the lake nearly a mile, and is a disgrace to all civilized ideas of conservation. They bought the rights from the Daimio, who owned Zizi Castle a hundred years or more ago. This is my own guess at the date, for I never asked or noted it. The trap catches enough to keep the whole of four families comfortable. Two or three interesting little legends—truths the old senior fisherman called them—I got either from himself or from his son while visiting his trap, or sitting under his willow, fishing myself for stories. Surely the Dhanasan could not be interested in the simple old stories of bygone days, even my sons do not care for them nowadays. I care for anything of interest, I said, and you will greatly please me by telling me any fisherman's legends of hereabouts, or even of the northwestern end of the lake, if you know any. Well, there is our fireball, said the old fisherman. This is a curious and unpleasant thing. I have seen it many times myself. I will begin with that. Legend. Many years ago there was a Daimio who had constructed at the foot of the southern spur of Mount Hiei a castle, the ruins of which may still be seen just to the north of the military barracks of the 9th Regiment in Otsu. The name of the Daimio was Akechi Mitsuhide, and it is his shito dama that we see now in wet weather on the lake. It is called the spirit of Akechi. The reason of it is this. When Akechi Mitsuhide defended himself against the Toyotomi, he was closely invested, but his castle held out bravely and could not be taken in spite of Toyotomi's greater forces. As time went on, the besiegers became exasperated and prevailed upon a bad fisherman from Magisa village to tell where was the source of water which supplied Akechi's castle. The water having been cut off, the garrison had to capitulate, but not before Akechi and most of his men had committed suicide. From that time, in rain or in rough weather, there has come from the castle a fireball, six inches in diameter or more. It comes to weak vengeance on fishermen and causes many wrecks leading boats out of their course. Sometimes it comes almost into the boat. One sufficient in struck it with a bamboo pole breaking it up into many fiery bits, and on that occasion many boats were lost. In full it is called the spider fire of the spirit of the dead Akechi. That is all, sir, that I can tell of it, except that I often have seen it myself and feared it. That is very interesting, said I, and quite what I like. Can you tell me any more? Perhaps if Dona-sound found interest in that simple story, he would like to know the reason of why we always have such a terrible storm over the lake on February 25th, so I will tell of that also. Legend. Long ago there lived in the village of Komatsu, on the southeastern side of the lake, a beautiful girl called Otani. She was the daughter of a wealthy farmer, and of a studious nature as far as it was possible for a girl to be so in those days. That is to say she was forever wishing to learn and to know things, which were not always within the province of women to know. With the intention of inquiring and learning she frequently crossed the lake in a boat alone to visit a certain talented and clever young monk, who was the chief priest at one of the smaller temples situated at the foot of Mount Haesan, just over there where you are looking now. So deeply impressed was Otani-san with the priest's knowledge She lost her heart and fell in love with him. Her visits became more frequent. Often she crossed the lake alone in spite of her parents' protests, when the waves were too high for the safety even of a hardy fisherman like myself. At last Otani could resist no longer. She felt that she must tell the good priest of her love for him, and see if she could not persuade him to renounce the church and run away with her. The monk was greatly sorrowed and did not quite know what to say or how to put the girl off. At last he thought that he would give her an impossible task. Knowing that the weather on Lake Weba toward the end of February is nearly impossible, as far as the navigation of small boats is concerned, he said, probably not for a moment, meaning it seriously, Otani-san, if you successfully crossed the lake on the evening of February 25th in a washing tub, it might be possible that I should cast off my robes and forget my calling to carry out your wishes. Otani did not think of the impossible, nor did she quite understand the depth of the priest's meaning. Young and foolish as she was with her blind love, she sculled herself home, thinking that the next time she crossed the lake it would be in the washing tub, and to carry off the young priest as her husband. She was supremely happy. At last the 25th of February arrived, Otani had taken care that the best and largest washing tub had been left near the borders of the lake. After dark she embarked in her frail craft, and without the least fear started. When she was about halfway across a fearful storm broke over Haiei Mountain. The waves arose and the wind blew with blinding force. Moreover the light that was usually burning on the Haiei-san side of the lake, which the priest had promised should be especially bright this night, had been blown out. It was not long before poor Otani's tub was capsized, and in spite of her efforts to keep afloat she sank beneath the waves to rise no more. It is said by some that the priest himself put out the light so as to cut off the last possible chance of Otani's reaching the bottom, being overzealous in his thoughts of good and evil. Since the night that Otani was drowned every 25th of February has been wild and stormy, and fishermen fear to be out on that day. People say that the cause is the dissatisfied spirit of poor Otani, who though she did not fear death, died disconsole at being deceived by the monk she loved. The washing tub that Otani used drifted ashore Kinohama Village in eastern Omi. It was picked up by Gensuki, a matchmaker, who split it up and made matches of it. When this became known to the villagers of Kinohama, including Gensuki himself, they resolved that every 25th of February should be a holiday and that a prayer should be said at their shrine for the spirit of Otani. They called the day Choya, dealers in matches festival, and on it no men work. That is a capital story, said I to the fishermen, but I should greatly have liked to put the monk in another tub on the following 25th of February and anchored him out so that he should be sure of being drowned in the same way. Does the Dhanasan know why all the little papers are tied in the black rocks at Ishiyama-dera? No, I do not, I answered. And moreover, when I went there no one would or could tell me. Well, it is not an uninteresting story and I will tell it to you, for it is short. Legend. As the Dhanasan has been to Ishiyama-dera, he will know about the temple and monastery which has a history 1100 years long, but few people know the real reason why the bits of paper with prayers on them are tied to the black rocks. The origin, or the reason of tying these paper prayers, Usubinokami as they are called, is pretty. The suicide for the romance of love can make it so. Many years ago in Baba Street of Otsu, then known as Shibaya Street, there was a tea house called Kagiga, which kept very beautiful geisha. Among them was one named Otagahana, whose loveliness surpassed all imagination. Though scarcely seventeen, her heart was no longer her own. It had gone as completely to her lover Denbei as had his to her. It is difficult to imagine how this desperate affair came about at first, for Denbei was only the cleric of a rice merchant in Otsu and had put a little money to spend on geisha, especially in such an expensive tea house as Kagiga. Jealousy and unhappiness crept into the heart of Denbei, not on account of any unfaithfulness on the part of Otagahana son, but because he felt jealous of others, being well enough off, to go to the Kagiga tea house and hear her sing and see her dance while they ate costly dinners. So much do these sorrows tell upon Denbei's heart at last he used to falsify his master's account books, frequently taking money, which he spent of course at the Kagiga tea house in seeing the beloved Otagahana. This state of affairs could not last long, and when Denbei told Otagahana how he had procured the money to come and see her, she was shocked beyond measure. My dearest, she said, the wrong which you have done out of love for me is sure to be discovered, and even if it were not it would be wrong. Our love is so great that there remains but one chance for our future happiness. Shinju. Suicide together. Nothing else will enable us to become united, for if I ran away with you you would soon recapture me, most probably before a day and a night had passed. Will you leave with me tonight? said Denbei. I will meet you at two o'clock in the morning when all are asleep, down at that flat growing pine tree near the east end of the town. From there we will go to Ishiyama Dera, and after praying at that holy temple to our good Kwanan we will do Shinju in the Hotaru Dani, Firefly Valley, and our souls will depart together. Denbei bowed to his sweetheart, and spoke words of gratitude for her faithfulness in recognizing his love for her as the cause of his sin, and he promised that at the appointed hour he would meet her by the pine tree near the lake and take her off to Ishiyama, there to carry out their final act and die together. To save time, Donasan, in telling this story, it is only necessary to say that Denbei and Otagahana met, and that after passing over the flat and uninteresting plain known as Oatsu, they reached and passed the Seta Bridge, and that shortly after, about daybreak, they found themselves at Ishiyama. There, in one of the tea houses, they remained some hours in bliss, and then went to the temple to pray to Kwanan. Then they went to the Hotaru Dani, and after embracing each other for the last time on this earth, they each wrote a prayer on a piece of paper, twisted it into a piece of string, and fastened it into a double knot with their thumbs and little fingers through a small hole bored in the soft black rocks. Their being able to do this successfully was taken as an omen that all would be well with them after death, and was an answer to their prayer. Their spirits passed away together just as the leaves of fragrant flowers blown off by autumn winds passed together under Seta Bridge. That, Dhanasan, is the origin and reason of tying these pieces of paper to the black rocks and other places at Ichiyama-dera. The custom is still followed by many country folks who go to worship and pray for the spirits of Denbe'i and Otagahana in the Firefly Valley itself.