More Tales in the Land of Nursery Rhyme | Page 3

spoke to him of his dreams.
On this night when Tsuki came to earth, Yama, tempted by the glory of the sea and stars, did not go into his cottage again, but wandered aimlessly along the shore thinking of his lonely life, and dreaming of the moon.
Unconsciously he raised his eyes to the tops of the pine trees that fringed the sandy shore, and his attention was caught by something white and glistening on the top of one of them.
"Is that some dead white bird lying yonder?" he thought. "'Tis too late, surely, for snow."
He walked to the foot of the tree and climbed it branch by branch. When he reached the top, he saw that what he had taken to be a bird, was indeed a mass of finest feathers, but shaped like a woman's cloak.
He took it in his arms--it was as light as driven snow--and climbed down the tree on to the seashore.
"How beautiful!" he said. "I will hang it up in my cottage; surely it is some fairy thing, and will bring me good luck and a fulfilment of my dreams." He was about to walk away with the mantle in his arms, when he heard a cry behind him.
He turned, and saw a beautiful maiden wringing her hands and crying bitterly. She was pale and slim, and her light golden hair flowed to her feet, but she had no mantle, and she trembled exceedingly.
It was Tsuki, the Moon Maiden.
She, knowing that the night was far spent, had said farewell to Fuji, descended the mountain, and come back to fetch her mantle that she might return homewards. But when she had reached the pine tree, she had seen that her mantle had disappeared. With tears in her eyes she had run to the shore to gaze sadly on the path which led across the sea to her home--the path that without her mantle she could not tread. Then she had seen Yama, and not knowing who or what he was, had run to him for help. When he turned at her cry, she saw that he had her mantle in his arms. They stood gazing at each other in silence for a few minutes. Then:
"Give me back my mantle," she said in a trembling voice.
At first Yama could answer nothing; but he held the mantle closer, and then said at last:
"Oh, most beautiful maiden, let me keep your mantle in token that you will stay here always. Willingly would I serve you all the days of my life, and yonder is my little cottage where we could live and be happy for ever."
But she shook her head.
"I am Tsuki, the Moon Maiden," she said. "If I were to enter a human dwelling I should die. By daylight, even, I cannot live in your country. Give me back my mantle that I may return to my home in the moon. The minutes are passing. When the moon wanes, if I have not my mantle, I shall die and disappear utterly. Then shall I never see my home again, nor the moon maidens my sisters, nor shall I ever dance nor sing again to the stars. Oh, for mercy's sake, I pray you give me back my mantle!"
But Yama answered nothing and held the mantle closer. Then Tsuki began to think what she could do or give him in exchange for what she held so dear.
"See!" she cried suddenly. "If it is a mantle you want, if you will give mine back to me now, then when the winter comes I will return with my sisters, and we will leave a bundle of our old cloaks on the hill-tops for you to find and carry home with you. Indeed, I promise truly that you shall have many of our cloaks in the winter time."
But Yama still answered nothing, and held the mantle closer.
Then Tsuki cried again: "The moon is waning fast, oh give me back my mantle, and before I go I will dance for you as I would dance for the Morning Star."
When Yama saw how earnestly she besought him, and that no entreaties of his could persuade her to stay with him, he cast down the cloak before her.
"Take it," he said, "but keep your promise, and dance for me as you would dance for the Morning Star."
So Tsuki flung the soft, white, glistening, mantle round her, and on the sandy shore beneath the pine trees, by the light of the waning moon, she began to dance.
So light was she that she looked like a blown feather of foam as she skimmed and flitted and swayed on the glistening sand, with her pale gold hair glimmering, and her white feet twinkling in the dim light. Once or twice she fell to the ground in a crumpled heap