yorimasa
a long time ago a certain emperor became seriously ill. he was unable to sleep at night owing to a most horrible and unaccountable noise he heard proceeding from the roof of the palace, called the purple hall of the north star. a number of his courtiers decided to lie in wait for this strange nocturnal visitor. as soon as the sun set they noticed that a dark cloud crept from the eastern horizon, and alighted on the roof of the august palace. those who waited in the imperial bed-chamber heard extraordinary scratching sounds, as if what had at first appeared to be a cloud had suddenly changed into a beast with gigantic and powerful claws.
night after night this terrible visitant came, and night after night the emperor grew worse. he at last became so ill that it was obvious to all those in attendance upon him that unless something could be done to destroy this monster the emperor would certainly die.
at last it was decided that yorimasa was the one knight in the kingdom valiant enough to relieve his majesty of these terrible hauntings. yorimasa accordingly made elaborate preparations for the fray. he took his best bow and steel-headed arrows, donned his armour, over which he wore a hunting-dress, and a ceremonial cap instead of his usual helmet.
yorimasa slays the vampire.
at sunset he lay in concealment outside the palace. while he thus waited thunder crashed overhead, lightning blazed in the sky, and the wind shrieked like a pack of wild demons. but yorimasa was a brave man, and the fury of the elements in no way daunted him. when midnight came he saw a black cloud rush through[pg 39] the sky and rest upon the roof of the palace. at the north-east corner it stopped. once more the lightning flashed in the sky, and this time he saw the gleaming eyes of a large animal. noting the exact position of this strange monster, he pulled at his bow till it became as round as the full moon. in another moment his steel-headed arrow hit its mark. there was an awful roar of anger, and then a heavy thud as the huge monster rolled from the palace roof to the ground.
yorimasa and his retainer ran forward and despatched the fearful creature they saw before them. this evil monster of the night was as large as a horse. it had the head of an ape, and the body and claws were like those of a tiger, with a serpent's tail, wings of a bird, and the scales of a dragon.
it was no wonder that the emperor gave orders that the skin of this monster should be kept for all time as a curiosity in the imperial treasure-house. from the very moment the creature died the emperor's health rapidly improved, and yorimasa was rewarded for his services by being presented with a sword called shishi-wo, which means "the king of lions." he was also promoted at court, and finally married the lady ayame, the most beautiful of ladies-in-waiting at the imperial court.
yoshitsune and benkei
we may compare yoshitsune with the black prince or henry v., and benkei with "little john, will scarlet, and friar tuck rolled in one." yoshitsune would have seemed a very remarkable hero had not his faithful henchman, benkei, also figured in japanese history and legend. as it is we are forced to admit that benkei was far and away the greater man. he not[pg 40] only towered in stature above his companions, but he rose above his brethren in courage, wit, resource, and a wonderful tenderness. here was a man who could slay a hundred men with absolute ease, and with the same quiet assurance expound the buddhist scriptures. he could weep over yoshitsune when, by way of strategy, he found it necessary to severely beat him, and with infinite gentleness render assistance when his lord's wife gave birth to a son. there was yet another side to benkei's versatile character—his love of a practical joke. the bell incident, referred to elsewhere, is a case in point, and his enormous feast at the expense of a number of priests another; but if he had his joke he never failed to pay for the laugh to the full. benkei remarked on one occasion: "when there is an unlucky lot to draw my lord sees to it that i am the one to get it." this was certainly true. benkei always made a point of doing the dirty work, and when his master asked him to do anything benkei's only complaint was that the task was not sufficiently difficult, though as a matter of fact it was often so dangerous that it would have frightened a dozen less gifted heroes.
we are told that when benkei was born he had long hair, a complete set of teeth, and, moreover, that he could run as swiftly as the wind. benkei was too big for a modest japanese home. when he struck jin-saku's anvil that useful object sank deep into the earth, and for firewood he would bring a great pine-tree. when benkei was seventeen years old he became a priest in a buddhist temple; but that did not prevent him from having a thrilling escapade with a beautiful young girl called tamamushi. we soon find our hero breaking away from love and priestcraft, and entirely devoting his attention to the exciting adventures of a[pg 41] lawless warrior. here, for the moment, we must leave him, and give the story of yoshitsune, and how he had the good fortune to meet and retain the service and friendship of benkei till his dying day.
yoshitsune and the taira
yoshitsune's father, yoshitomo, had been killed in a great battle with the taira. at that time the taira clan was all-powerful, and its cruel leader, kiyomori, did all he could to destroy yoshitomo's children. but the mother of these children, tokiwa, fled into hiding, taking her little ones with her. with characteristic japanese fortitude, she finally consented to become the wife of the hated kiyomori. she did so because it was the only way to save the lives of her children. she was allowed to keep yoshitsune with her, and she daily whispered to him: "remember thy father, minamoto yoshitomo! grow strong and avenge his death, for he died at the hands of the taira!"
when yoshitsune was seven years of age he was sent to a monastery to be brought up as a monk. though diligent in his studies, the young boy ever treasured in his heart the dauntless words of his brave, self-sacrificing mother. they stirred and quickened him to action. he used to go to a certain valley, where he would flourish his little wooden sword, and, singing fragments of war-songs, hit out at rocks and stones, desiring that he might one day become a great warrior, and right the wrongs so heavily heaped upon his family by the taira clan.
one night, while thus engaged, he was startled by a great thunderstorm, and saw before him a mighty giant with a long red nose and enormous glaring eyes, bird-like claws, and feathered wings. bravely standing his ground, yoshitsune inquired who this giant might be, and was informed that he was king of the tengu—that[pg 42] is, king of the elves of the mountains, sprightly little beings who were frequently engaged in all manner of fantastic tricks.
the king of the tengu was very kindly disposed towards yoshitsune. he explained that he admired his perseverance, and told him that he had appeared upon the scene with the meritorious intention of teaching him all that was to be learnt in the art of swordsmanship. the lessons progressed in a most satisfactory manner, and it was not long before yoshitsune could vanquish as many as twenty small tengu, and this extreme agility stood yoshitsune in very good stead, as we shall see later on in the story.
now when yoshitsune was fifteen years old he heard that there lived on mount hiei a very wild bonze (priest) by the name of benkei. benkei had for some time waylaid knights who happened to cross the gojo bridge of kyoto. his idea was to obtain a thousand swords, and he was so brave, although such a rascal, that he had won from knights no less than nine hundred and ninety-nine swords by his lawless behaviour. when the news of these doings reached the ears of yoshitsune he determined to put the teaching of the king of the tengu to good use and slay this benkei, and so put an end to one who had become a terror in the land.
one evening yoshitsune started out, and, in order to establish the manner and bearing of absolute indifference, he played upon his flute till he came to the gojo bridge. presently he saw coming towards him a gigantic man clad in black armour, who was none other than benkei. when benkei saw the youth he considered it to be beneath his dignity to attack what appeared to him to be a mere weakling, a dreamer who could play excellently, and no doubt write a pretty poem about the moon, which was then shining in the sky, but one[pg 43] who was in no way a warrior. this affront naturally angered yoshitsune, and he suddenly kicked benkei's halberd out of his hand.
yoshitsune and benkei attacked by a ghostly company of the taira clan.
yoshitsune and benkei fight
benkei gave a growl of rage, and cut about indiscriminately with his weapon. but the sprightliness of the tengu teaching favoured yoshitsune. he jumped from side to side, from the front to the rear, and from the rear to the front again, mocking the giant with many a jest and many a peal of ringing laughter. round and round went benkei's weapon, always striking either the air or the ground, and ever missing its adversary.
at last benkei grew weary, and once again yoshitsune knocked the halberd out of the giant's hand. in trying to regain his weapon yoshitsune tripped him up, so that he stumbled upon his hands and knees, and the hero, with a cry of triumph, mounted upon the now four-legged benkei. the giant was utterly amazed at his defeat, and when he was told that the victor was none other than the son of lord yoshitomo he not only took his defeat in a manly fashion, but begged that he might henceforth become a retainer of the young conqueror.
from this time we find the names of yoshitsune and benkei linked together, and in all the stories of warriors, whether in japan or elsewhere, never was there a more valiant and harmonious union of strength and friendship. we hear of them winning numerous victories over the taira, finally driving them to the sea, where they perished at dan-no-ura.
we get one more glimpse of dan-no-ura from a legendary point of view. yoshitsune and his faithful henchman arranged to cross in a ship from the province[pg 44] of settsu to saikoku. when they reached dan-no-ura a great storm arose. mysterious noises came from the towering waves, a far-away echo of the din of battle, of the rushing of ships and the whirling of arrows, of the footfall of a thousand men. louder and louder the noise grew, and from the lashing crests of the waves there arose a ghostly company of the taira clan. their armour was torn and blood-stained, and they thrust out their vaporous arms and tried to stop the boat in which yoshitsune and benkei sailed. it was a ghostly reminiscence of the battle of dan-no-ura, when the taira had suffered a terrible and permanent defeat. yoshitsune, when he saw this great phantom host, cried out for revenge even upon the ghosts of the taira dead; but benkei, always shrewd and circumspect, bade his master lay aside the sword, and took out a rosary and recited a number of buddhist prayers. peace came to the great company of ghosts, the wailing ceased, and gradually they faded into the sea which now became calm.
legend tells us that fishermen still see from time to time ghostly armies come out of the sea and wail and shake their long arms. they explain that the crabs with dorsal markings are the wraiths of the taira warriors. later on we shall introduce another legend relating to these unfortunate ghosts, who seem never to tire of haunting the scene of their defeat.
the goblin of oyeyama
in the reign of the emperor ichijo many dreadful stories were current in kyoto in regard to a demon that lived on mount oye. this demon could assume many forms. sometimes appearing as a human being, he would steal into kyoto, and leave many a home destitute of well-loved sons and daughters. these young men and women he took back to his mountain[pg 45] stronghold, and, sad to narrate, after making sport of them, he and his goblin companions made a great feast and devoured these poor young people. even the sacred court was not exempt from these awful happenings, and one day kimitaka lost his beautiful daughter. she had been snatched away by the goblin king, shutendoji.
when this sad news reached the ears of the emperor he called his council together and consulted how they might slay this dreadful creature. his ministers informed his majesty that raiko was a doughty knight, and advised that he should be sent with certain companions on this perilous but worthy adventure.
raiko accordingly chose five companions and told them what had been ordained, and how they were to set out upon an adventurous journey, and finally to slay the king of the goblins. he explained that subtlety of action was most essential if they wished for success in their enterprise, and that it would be well to go disguised as mountain priests, and to carry their armour and weapons on their backs, carefully concealed in unsuspicious-looking knapsacks. before starting upon their journey two of the knights went to pray at the temple of hachiman, the god of war, two at the shrine of kwannon, the goddess of mercy, and two at the temple of gongen.
when these knights had prayed for a blessing upon their undertaking they set out upon their journey, and in due time reached the province of tamba, and saw immediately in front of them mount oye. the goblin had certainly chosen the most formidable of mountains. mighty rocks and great dark forests obstructed their path in every direction, while almost bottomless chasms appeared when least expected.
just when these brave knights were beginning to[pg 46] feel just a little disheartened, three old men suddenly appeared before them. at first these newcomers were regarded with suspicion, but later on with the utmost friendliness and thankfulness. these old men were none other than the deities to whom the knights had prayed before setting out upon their journey. the old men presented raiko with a jar of magical saké called shimben-kidoku-shu ("a cordial for men, but poison for goblins"), advising him that he should by strategy get shutendoji to drink it, whereupon he would immediately become paralysed and prove an easy victim for the final despatch. no sooner had these old men given the magical saké and proffered their valuable advice than a miraculous light shone round them, and they vanished into the clouds.
once again raiko and his knights, much cheered by what had happened, continued to ascend the mountain. coming to a stream, they noticed a beautiful woman washing a blood-stained garment in the running water. she was weeping bitterly, and wiped away her tears with the long sleeve of her kimono. upon raiko asking who she was, she informed him that she was a princess, and one of the miserable captives of the goblin king. when she was told that it was none other than the great raiko who stood before her, and that he and his knights had come to kill the vile creature of that mountain, she was overcome with joy, and finally led the little band to a great palace of black iron, satisfying the sentinels by telling them that her followers were poor mountain priests who sought temporary shelter.
after passing through long corridors raiko and his knights found themselves in a mighty hall. at one end sat the awful goblin king. he was of gigantic stature, with bright red skin and a mass of white hair. when raiko meekly informed him who they were,[pg 47] the goblin king, concealing his mirth, bade them be seated and join the feast that was about to be set before them. thereupon he clapped his red hands together, and immediately many beautiful damsels came running in with an abundance of food and drink, and as raiko watched these women he knew that they had once lived in happy homes in kyoto.
raiko and the enchanted maiden.
when the feast was in full progress raiko took out the jar of magic saké, and politely begged the goblin king to try it. the monster, without demur or suspicion, drank some of the saké, and found it so good that he asked for a second cup. all the goblins partook of the magic wine, and while they were drinking raiko and his companions danced.
the power of this magical drink soon began to work. the goblin king became drowsy, till finally he and his fellow goblins fell fast asleep. then raiko sprang to his feet, and he and his knights rapidly donned their armour and prepared for war. once more the three deities appeared before them, and said to raiko: "we have tied the hands and feet of the demon fast, so you have nothing to fear. while your knights cut off his limbs do you cut off his head: then kill the rest of the oni (evil spirits) and your work will be done." then these divine beings suddenly disappeared.
raiko slays the goblin
raiko and his knights, with their swords drawn, cautiously approached the sleeping goblin king. with a mighty sweep raiko's weapon came crashing down on the goblin's neck. no sooner was the head severed than it shot up into the air, and smoke and fire poured out from the nostrils, scorching the valiant raiko. once more he struck out with his sword, and this time the horrible head fell to the floor, and never moved[pg 48] again. it was not long before these brave knights despatched the demon's followers also.
there was a joyful exit from the great iron palace. raiko's five knights carried the monster head of the goblin king, and this grim spectacle was followed by a company of happy maidens released at last from their horrible confinement, and eager to walk once again in the streets of kyoto.
the goblin spider
some time after the incident mentioned in the previous legend had taken place the brave raiko became seriously ill, and was obliged to keep to his room. at about midnight a little boy always brought him some medicine. this boy was unknown to raiko, but as he kept so many servants it did not at first awaken suspicion. raiko grew worse instead of better, and always worse immediately after he had taken the medicine, so he began to think that some supernatural force was the cause of his illness.
at last raiko asked his head servant if he knew anything about the boy who came to him at midnight. neither the head servant nor any one else seemed to know anything about him. by this time raiko's suspicions were fully awakened, and he determined to go carefully into the matter.
when the small boy came again at midnight, instead of taking the medicine, raiko threw the cup at his head, and drawing his sword attempted to kill him. a sharp cry of pain rang through the room, but as the boy was flying from the apartment he threw something at raiko. it spread outward into a huge white sticky web, which clung so tightly to raiko that he could hardly move. no sooner had he cut the web through with his sword than another enveloped him. raiko[pg 49] then called for assistance, and his chief retainer met the miscreant in one of the corridors and stopped his further progress with extended sword. the goblin threw a web over him too. when he at last managed to extricate himself and was able to run into his master's room, he saw that raiko had also been the victim of the goblin spider.
the goblin spider was eventually discovered in a cave writhing with pain, blood flowing from a sword-cut on the head. he was instantly killed, and with his death there passed away the evil influence that had caused raiko's serious illness. from that hour the hero regained his health and strength, and a sumptuous banquet was prepared in honour of the happy event.
another version
there is another version of this legend, written by kenko hoshi, which differs so widely in many of its details from the one we have already given that it almost amounts to a new story altogether. to dispense with this version would be to rob the legend of its most sinister aspect, which has not hitherto been accessible to the general reader.[1]
on one occasion raiko left kyoto with tsuna, the most worthy of his retainers. as they were crossing the plain of rendai they saw a skull rise in the air, and fly before them as if driven by the wind, until it finally disappeared at a place called kagura ga oka.
raiko and his retainer had no sooner noticed the disappearance of the skull than they perceived before them a mansion in ruins. raiko entered this dilapidated building, and saw an old woman of strange aspect.[pg 50] "she was dressed in white, and had white hair; she opened her eyes with a small stick, and the upper eyelids fell back over her head like a hat; then she used the rod to open her mouth, and let her breast fall forward upon her knees." thus she addressed the astonished raiko:
"i am two hundred and ninety years old. i serve nine masters, and the house in which you stand is haunted by demons."
having listened to these words, raiko walked into the kitchen, and, catching a glimpse of the sky, he perceived that a great storm was brewing. as he stood watching the dark clouds gather he heard a sound of ghostly footsteps, and there crowded into the room a great company of goblins. nor were these the only supernatural creatures which raiko encountered, for presently he saw a being dressed like a nun. her very small body was naked to the waist, her face was two feet in length, and her arms "were white as snow and thin as threads." for a moment this dreadful creature laughed, and then vanished like a mist.
raiko heard the welcome sound of a cock crowing, and imagined that the ghostly visitors would trouble him no more; but once again he heard footsteps, and this time he saw no hideous hag, but a lovely woman, "more graceful than the willow branches as they wave in the breeze." as he gazed upon this lovely maiden his eyes became blinded for a moment on account of her radiant beauty. before he could recover his sight he found himself enveloped in countless cobwebs. he struck at her with his sword, when she disappeared, and he found that he had but cut through the planks of the floor, and broken the foundation-stone beneath.
at this moment tsuna joined his master, and they perceived that the sword was covered with white[pg 51] blood, and that the point had been broken in the conflict.
raiko slays the goblin of oyeyama.
after much search raiko and his retainer discovered a den in which they saw a monster with many legs and a head of enormous size covered with downy hair. its mighty eyes shone like the sun and moon, as it groaned aloud: "i am sick and in pain!"
as raiko and tsuna drew near they recognised the broken sword-point projecting from the monster. the heroes then dragged the creature out of its den and cut off its head. out of the deep wound in the creature's stomach gushed nineteen hundred and ninety skulls, and in addition many spiders as large as children. raiko and his follower realised that the monster before them was none other than the mountain spider. when they cut open the great carcass they discovered, within the entrails, the ghostly remains of many human corpses.
the adventures of prince yamato take
king keiko bade his youngest son, prince yamato, go forth and slay a number of brigands. before his departure the prince prayed at the shrines of ise, and begged that ama-terasu, the sun goddess, would bless his enterprise. prince yamato's aunt was high-priestess of one of the ise temples, and he told her about the task his father had entrusted to him. this good lady was much pleased to hear the news, and presented her nephew with a rich silk robe, saying that it would bring him luck, and perhaps be of service to him later on.
when prince yamato had returned to the palace and taken leave of his father, he left the court accompanied by his wife, the princess ototachibana, and a number of staunch followers, and proceeded to the southern[pg 52] island of kiushiu, which was infested by brigands. the country was so rough and impassable that prince yamato saw at once that he must devise some cunning scheme by which he might take the enemy unawares.
having come to this conclusion, he bade the princess ototachibana bring him the rich silk robe his aunt had given him. this he put on under the direction, no doubt, of his wife. he let down his hair, stuck a comb in it, and adorned himself with jewels. when he looked into a mirror he saw that the disguise was perfect, and that he made quite a handsome woman.
thus gorgeously apparelled, he entered the enemy's tent, where kumaso and takeru were sitting. it happened that they were discussing the king's son and his efforts to exterminate their band. when they chanced to look up they saw a fair woman coming towards them.
kumaso was so delighted that he beckoned to the disguised prince and bade him serve wine as quickly as possible. yamato was only too delighted to do so. he affected feminine shyness. he walked with very minute steps, and glanced out of the corner of his eyes with all the timidity of a bashful maiden.
kumaso drank far more wine than was good for him. he still went on drinking just to have the pleasure of seeing this lovely creature pouring it out for him.
when kumaso became drunk prince yamato flung down the wine-jar, whipped out his dagger, and stabbed him to death.
takeru, when he saw what had happened to his brother, attempted to escape, but prince yamato leapt upon him. once more his dagger gleamed in the air, and takeru fell to the earth.
prince yamato and takeru.
"stay your hand a moment," gasped the dying[pg 53] brigand. "i would fain know who you are and whence you have come. hitherto i thought that my brother and i were the strongest men in the kingdom. i am indeed mistaken."
"i am yamato," said the prince, "and son of the king who bade me kill such rebels as you!"
"permit me to give you a new name," said the brigand politely. "from henceforth you shall be called yamato take, because you are the bravest man in the land."
having thus spoken takeru fell back dead.
the wooden sword
when the prince was on his way to the capital he encountered another outlaw named idzumo takeru. again resorting to strategy, he professed to be extremely friendly with this fellow. he cut a sword of wood and rammed it tightly into the sheath of his own steel weapon. he wore this whenever he expected to meet takeru.
on one occasion prince yamato invited takeru to swim with him in the river hinokawa. while the brigand was swimming down-stream the prince secretly landed, and, going to takeru's clothes, lying on the bank, he managed to change swords, putting his wooden one in place of the keen steel sword of takeru.
when takeru came out of the water and put on his clothes the prince asked him to show his skill with the sword. "we will prove," said he, "which is the better swordsman of the two."
nothing loath, takeru tried to unsheath his sword. it stuck fast, and as it happened to be of wood it was, of course, useless in any case. while the brigand was thus struggling yamato cut off his head. once again cunning had served him, and when he had returned to[pg 54] the palace he was feasted, and received many costly gifts from the king his father.
the "grass-cleaving-sword"
prince yamato did not long remain idle in the palace, for his father commanded him to go forth and quell an ainu rising in the eastern provinces.
when the prince was ready to depart the king gave him a spear made from a holly-tree called the "eight-arms-length-spear." with this precious gift prince yamato visited the temples of ise. his aunt, the high-priestess, again greeted him. she listened with interest to all her nephew told her, and was especially delighted to know how well the robe she had given him had served in his adventures.
when she had listened to his story she went into the temple and brought forth a sword and a bag containing flints. these she gave to yamato as a parting gift.
the sword was the sword of murakumo, belonging to the insignia of the imperial house of japan. the prince could not have received a more auspicious gift. this sword, it will be remembered, once belonged to the gods, and was discovered by susa-no-o.
after a long march prince yamato and his men found themselves in the province of suruga. the governor hospitably received him, and by way of entertainment organised a deer-hunt. our hero for once in a way was utterly deceived, and joined the hunt without the least misgiving.
the prince was taken to a great and wild plain covered with high grass. while he was engaged in hunting down the deer he suddenly became aware of fire. in another moment he saw flames and clouds of smoke shooting up in every direction. he was surrounded by fire, from which there was, apparently, no[pg 55] escape. too late the guileless warrior realised that he had fallen into a trap, and a very warm trap too!
our hero opened the bag his aunt had given him, set fire to the grass near him, and with the sword of murakumo he cut down the tall green blades on either side as quickly as possible. no sooner had he done so than the wind suddenly changed and blew the flames away from him, so that eventually the prince made good his escape without the slightest burn of any kind. and thus it was that the sword of murakumo came to be known as the "grass-cleaving-sword."
the sacrifice of ototachibana
in all these adventures the prince had been followed by his faithful wife, the princess ototachibana. sad to say, our hero, so praiseworthy in battle, was not nearly so estimable in his love. he looked down on his wife and treated her with indifference. she, poor loyal soul, had lost her beauty in serving her lord. her skin was burnt with the sun, and her garments were soiled and torn. yet she never complained, and though her face became sad she made a brave effort to maintain her usual sweetness of manner.
now prince yamato happened to meet the fascinating princess miyadzu. her robes were charming, her skin delicate as cherry-blossom. it was not long before he fell desperately in love with her. when the time came for him to depart he swore that he would return again and make the beautiful princess miyadzu his wife. he had scarcely made this promise when he looked up and saw ototachibana, and on her face was a look of intense sadness. but prince yamato hardened his heart, and rode away, secretly determined to keep his promise.
when prince yamato, his wife and men, reached the sea-shore of idzu, his followers desired to secure a[pg 56] number of boats in order that they might cross the straits of kadzusa.
the prince cried haughtily: "bah! this is only a brook! why so many boats? i could jump across it!"
when they had all embarked and started on their journey a great storm arose. the waves turned into water-mountains, the wind shrieked, the lightning blazed in the dark clouds, and the thunder roared. it seemed that the boat that carried the prince and his wife must needs sink, for this storm was the work of rin-jin, king of the sea, who was angry with the proud and foolish words of prince yamato.
when the crew had taken down the sails in the hope of steadying the vessel the storm grew worse instead of better. at last ototachibana arose, and, forgiving all the sorrow her lord had caused her, she resolved to sacrifice her life in order to save her much-loved husband.
thus spoke the loyal ototachibana: "oh, rin-jin, the prince, my husband, has angered you with his boasting. i, ototachibana, give you my poor life in the place of yamato take. i now cast myself into your great surging kingdom, and do you in return bring my lord safely to the shore."
having uttered these words, ototachibana leapt into the seething waves, and in a moment they dragged that brave woman out of sight. no sooner had this sacrifice been made than the storm abated and the sun shone forth in a cloudless sky.
yamato take safely reached his destination, and succeeded in quelling the ainu rising.
our hero had certainly erred in his treatment of his faithful wife. too late he learnt to appreciate her goodness; but let it be said to his credit that she[pg 57] remained a loving memory till his death, while the princess miyadzu was entirely forgotten.
the slaying of the serpent
now that yamato take had carried out his father's instructions, he passed through the province of owari until he came to the province of omi.
the province of omi was afflicted with a great trouble. many were in mourning, and many wept and cried aloud in their sorrow. the prince, on making inquiries, was informed that a great serpent every day came down from the mountains and entered the villages, making a meal of many of the unfortunate inhabitants.
prince yamato at once started to climb up mount ibaki, where the great serpent was said to live. about half-way up he encountered the awful creature. the prince was so strong that he killed the serpent by twisting his bare arms about it. he had no sooner done so than sudden darkness came over the land, and rain fell heavily. however, eventually the weather improved, and our hero was able to climb down the mountain.
when he reached home he found that his feet burned with a strange pain, and, moreover, that he felt very ill. he realised that the serpent had stung him, and, as he was too ill to move, he was carried to a famous mineral spring. here he finally regained his accustomed health and strength, and for these blessings gave thanks to ama-terasu, the sun goddess.
the adventures of momotaro
one day, while an old woman stood by a stream washing her clothes, she chanced to see an enormous peach floating on the water. it was quite the largest she had ever seen, and as this old woman and her[pg 58] husband were extremely poor she immediately thought what an excellent meal this extraordinary peach would make. as she could find no stick with which to draw the fruit to the bank, she suddenly remembered the following verse:
"distant water is bitter,
the near water is sweet;
pass by the distant water
and come into the sweet."
this little song had the desired effect. the peach came nearer and nearer till it stopped at the old woman's feet. she stooped down and picked it up. so delighted was she with her discovery that she could not stay to do any more washing, but hurried home as quickly as possible.
when her husband arrived in the evening, with a bundle of grass upon his back, the old woman excitedly took the peach out of a cupboard and showed it to him.
the old man, who was tired and hungry, was equally delighted at the thought of so delicious a meal. he speedily brought a knife and was about to cut the fruit open, when it suddenly opened of its own accord, and the prettiest child imaginable tumbled out with a merry laugh.
"don't be afraid," said the little fellow. "the gods have heard how much you desired a child, and have sent me to be a solace and a comfort in your old age."
the old couple were so overcome with joy that they scarcely knew what to do with themselves. each in turn nursed the child, caressed him, and murmured many sweet and affectionate words. they called him momotaro, or "son of a peach."
when momotaro was fifteen years old he was a lad far taller and stronger than boys of his own age. the[pg 59] making of a great hero stirred in his veins, and it was a knightly heroism that desired to right the wrong.
momotaro and the pheasant.
one day momotaro came to his foster-father and asked him if he would allow him to take a long journey to a certain island in the north-eastern sea where dwelt a number of devils, who had captured a great company of innocent people, many of whom they ate. their wickedness was beyond description, and momotaro desired to kill them, rescue the unfortunate captives, and bring back the plunder of the island that he might share it with his foster-parents.
the old man was not a little surprised to hear this daring scheme. he knew that momotaro was no common child. he had been sent from heaven, and he believed that all the devils in the world could not harm him. so at length the old man gave his consent, saying: "go, momotaro, slay the devils and bring peace to the land."
when the old woman had given momotaro a number of rice-cakes the youth bade his foster-parents farewell, and started out upon his journey.
the triumph of momotaro
while momotaro was resting under a hedge eating one of the rice-cakes, a great dog came up to him, growled, and showed his teeth. the dog, moreover, could speak, and threateningly begged that momotaro would give him a cake. "either you give me a cake," said he, "or i will kill you!"
when, however, the dog heard that the famous momotaro stood before him, his tail dropped between his legs and he bowed with his head to the ground, requesting that he might follow "son of a peach," and render to him all the service that lay in his power.
momotaro readily accepted the offer, and after[pg 60] throwing the dog half a cake they proceeded on their way.
they had not gone far when they encountered a monkey, who also begged to be admitted to momotaro's service. this was granted, but it was some time before the dog and the monkey ceased snapping at each other and became good friends.
proceeding upon their journey, they came across a pheasant. now the innate jealousy of the dog was again awakened, and he ran forward and tried to kill the bright-plumed creature. momotaro separated the combatants, and in the end the pheasant was also admitted to the little band, walking decorously in the rear.
at length momotaro and his followers reached the shore of the north-eastern sea. here our hero discovered a boat, and after a good deal of timidity on the part of the dog, monkey, and pheasant, they all got aboard, and soon the little vessel was spinning away over the blue sea.
after many days upon the ocean they sighted an island. momotaro bade the bird fly off, a winged herald to announce his coming, and bid the devils surrender.
the pheasant flew over the sea and alighted on the roof of a great castle and shouted his stirring message, adding that the devils, as a sign of submission, should break their horns.
the devils only laughed and shook their horns and shaggy red hair. then they brought forth iron bars and hurled them furiously at the bird. the pheasant cleverly evaded the missiles, and flew at the heads of many devils.
in the meantime momotaro had landed with his two companions. he had no sooner done so than he saw[pg 61] two beautiful damsels weeping by a stream, as they wrung out blood-soaked garments.
"oh!" said they pitifully, "we are daughters of daimyos, and are now the captives of the demon king of this dreadful island. soon he will kill us, and alas! there is no one to come to our aid." having made these remarks the women wept anew.
"ladies," said momotaro, "i have come for the purpose of slaying your wicked enemies. show me a way into yonder castle."
so momotaro, the dog, and the monkey entered through a small door in the castle. once inside this fortification they fought tenaciously. many of the devils were so frightened that they fell off the parapets and were dashed to pieces, while others were speedily killed by momotaro and his companions. all were destroyed except the demon king himself, and he wisely resolved to surrender, and begged that his life might be spared.
"no," said momotaro fiercely. "i will not spare your wicked life. you have tortured many innocent people and robbed the country for many years."
having said these words he gave the demon king into the monkey's keeping, and then proceeded through all the rooms of the castle, and set free the numerous prisoners he found there. he also gathered together much treasure.
the return journey was a very joyous affair indeed. the dog and the pheasant carried the treasure between them, while momotaro led the demon king.
momotaro restored the two daughters or daimyos to their homes, and many others who had been made captives in the island. the whole country rejoiced in his victory, but no one more than momotaro's foster-parents, who ended their days in peace and plenty,[pg 62] thanks to the great treasure of the devils which momotaro bestowed upon them.
"my lord bag of rice"
one day the great hidesato came to a bridge that spanned the beautiful lake biwa. he was about to cross it when he noticed a great serpent-dragon fast asleep obstructing his progress. hidesato, without a moment's hesitation, climbed over the monster and proceeded on his way.
he had not gone far when he heard some one calling to him. he looked back and saw that in the place of the dragon a man stood bowing to him with much ceremony. he was a strange-looking fellow with a dragon-shaped crown resting upon his red hair.
"i am the dragon king of lake biwa," explained the red-haired man. "a moment ago i took the form of a horrible monster in the hope of finding a mortal who would not be afraid of me. you, my lord, showed no fear, and i rejoice exceedingly. a great centipede comes down from yonder mountain, enters my palace, and destroys my children and grandchildren. one by one they have become food for this dread creature, and i fear soon that unless something can be done to slay this centipede i myself shall become a victim. i have waited long for a brave mortal. all men who have hitherto seen me in my dragon-shape have run away. you are a brave man, and i beg that you will kill my bitter enemy."
hidesato, who always welcomed an adventure, the more so when it was a perilous one, readily consented to see what he could do for the dragon king.
when hidesato reached the dragon king's palace he found it to be a very magnificent building indeed, scarcely less beautiful than the sea king's palace itself.[pg 63] he was feasted with crystallised lotus leaves and flowers, and ate the delicacies spread before him with choice ebony chopsticks. while he feasted ten little goldfish danced, and just behind the goldfish ten carp made sweet music on the koto and samisen. hidesato was just thinking how excellently he had been entertained, and how particularly good was the wine, when they all heard an awful noise like a dozen thunderclaps roaring together.
hidesato and the dragon king hastily rose and ran to the balcony. they saw that mount mikami was scarcely recognisable, for it was covered from top to bottom with the great coils of the centipede. in its head glowed two balls of fire, and its hundred feet were like a long winding chain of lanterns.
hidesato fitted an arrow to his bowstring and pulled it back with all his might. the arrow sped forth into the night and struck the centipede in the middle of the head, but glanced off immediately without inflicting any wound. again hidesato sent an arrow whirling into the air, and again it struck the monster and fell harmlessly to the ground. hidesato had only one arrow left. suddenly remembering the magical effect of human saliva, he put the remaining arrow-head into his mouth for a moment, and then hastily adjusted it to his bow and took careful aim.
the last arrow struck its mark and pierced the centipede's brain. the creature stopped moving; the light in its eyes and legs darkened and then went out, and lake biwa, with its palace beneath, was shrouded in awful darkness. thunder rolled, lightning flashed, and it seemed for the moment that the dragon king's palace would topple to the ground.
the next day, however, all sign of storm had vanished. the sky was clear. the sun shone brightly.[pg 64] in the sparkling blue lake lay the body of the great centipede.
hidesato and the centipede.
the dragon king and those about him were overjoyed when they knew that their dread enemy had been destroyed. hidesato was again feasted, even more royally than before. when he finally departed he did so with a retinue of fishes suddenly converted into men. the dragon king bestowed upon our hero five precious gifts—two bells, a bag of rice, a roll of silk, and a cooking-pot.
the dragon king accompanied hidesato as far as the bridge, and then he reluctantly allowed the hero and the procession of servants carrying the presents to proceed on their way.
when hidesato reached his home the dragon king's servants put down the presents and suddenly disappeared.
the presents were no ordinary gifts. the rice-bag was inexhaustible, there was no end to the roll of silk, and the cooking-pot would cook without fire of any kind. only the bells were without magical properties, and these were presented to a temple in the vicinity. hidesato grew rich, and his fame spread far and wide. people now no longer called him hidesato, but tawara toda, or "my lord bag of rice."
[1] this version appears in the catalogue of japanese and chinese paintings in the british museum, by dr. william anderson.
