Ancient Tales and Folk-Lore of Japan | Page 7

helping.
The waggon could not be drawn when it came to the front of Heitaro's house, so his little five-year-old boy Chiyod? was obliged to help, and they sang:--
Muzan naru kana Motowa Kumanono yanagino tsuyu de Sodate-agetaru kono midorigo wa ��2oi, ��3oi, ��3oito na.??2
??
Footnotes
14:1 Meaning goithe or willow.
17:1 Poetical song.
17:2
Is it not sad to see the little fellow, Who sprang from the dew of the Kumano Willow, And is thus far budding well? Heave ho, heave ho, pull hard, my lads.
18:1
There are famous places in Wakanoura First Gongen Second Tamatsushima Third, the pine tree with its hanging branches Fourth comes Shiogama Is it not good, good, good?
18:2
Is it not sad to see the little fellow, Who sprang from the dew of the Kumano Willow, And is thus far budding well? Heave ho, heave ho, pull hard, my lads.
4. Shimizutani. The Servants find their Mistress Lying Insensible
III GHOST OF THE VIOLET WELL??1
IN the wild province of Yamato, or very near to its borders, is a beautiful mountain known as Yoshino yama. 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 Tsubosaka; and between them is the Valley of Shimizutani, in which is the Violet Well.
At the approach of spring in this tani??2 the grass assumes a perfect emerald green, while moss grows luxuriantly 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 Shing??, was wending her way up
[paragraph continues] Shimizutani, accompanied by four servants. All were out for a picnic, and all, of course, were in search of wildflowers. O Shing?? San was the daughter of a Daimio who lived in the neighbourhood. Every year she was in the habit of having this picnic, and coming to Shimizutani at the end of April to hunt for her favourite 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, O Shing?? 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.
O Shing?? outran the rest, and arrived before any of them; and, espying a huge bunch of her favourite flowers, of the deepest purple and very sweet in smell, she flung herself down, 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 O Shing?? 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, and arrived fully fifteen minutes after O Shing?? 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, Matsu, who did not lose her head so much as the others, threw her basket of flowers at the snake, which, 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. O Shines 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 O Shing??, and, taking her hand in his, felt her pulse. None of the servants liked to interfere