Tuesday, 15 September 2015
Rudolph Ackermann's Collection from Repository of Arts
Ackermann's Repository of Arts was an illustrated British periodical published from 1809-1829 by Rudolph Ackermann. Although commonly called Ackermann's Repository, or, simply Ackerman's, the formal title of the journal was Repository of arts, literature, commerce, manufactures, fashions, and politics. source.
The False Prince and The True
- from the Lilac Fairy Book -
THE king had just awakened from his midday sleep,
for it was summer, and everyone rose early and rested
from twelve to three, as they do in hot countries. He
had dressed himself in cool white clothes, and was passing
through the hall on his way to the council chamber, when
a number of young nobles suddenly appeared before
him, and one amongst them stepped forward and
spoke.
'Sire, this morning we were all playing tennis in the
court, the prince and this gentleman with the rest, when
there broke out some dispute about the game. The
prince lost his temper, and said many insulting things
to the other, who was playing against him, till at length
the gentleman whom you see there struck him violently
in the face, so that the blood ran from his mouth and
nose. We were all so horrified at the sight, that we
should most likely have killed the man then and there,
for daring to lay hands on the prince, had not his grandfather
the duke stepped between and commanded us
to lay the affair before you.'
The king had listened attentively to the story, and
when it was ended he said :
'I suppose the prince had no arms with him, or else
he would have used them?'
'Yes, sire, he had arms; he always carries a dagger
in his belt. But when he saw the blood pouring from
his face, he went to a corner of the court and began to
cry, which was the strangest thing of all.'
On hearing this the king walked to the window and
stood for a few minutes with his back to the room, where
the company of young men remained silent. Then he
came back, his face white and stern.
'I tell you,' he said, 'and it is the solemn truth, that
I would rather you had told me that the prince
was dead, though he is my only son, than know that he
would suffer such an injury without attempting to avenge
it. As for the gentleman who struck him, he will
be brought before my judges, and will plead his own
cause, but I hardly think he can escape death, after
having assaulted the heir to the crown.'
The young man raised his head as if to reply, but
the king would not listen, and commanded his guards
to put him under arrest, adding, however, that if the
prisoner wished to visit any part of the city, he was at
liberty to do so properly guarded, and in fifteen days
he would be brought to trial before the highest judges
in the land.
The young man left the king's presence, surrounded
by soldiers, and accompanied by many of his friends,
for he was a great favourite. By their advice he spent
the fourteen days that remained to him going about to
seek counsel from wise men of all sorts, as to how he
might escape death, but no one could help him, for
none could find any excuse for the blow he had given
to the prince.
The fourteenth night had come, and in despair the
prisoner went out to take his last walk through the city.
He wandered on hardly knowing where he went, "and
his face was so white and desperate that none of his
companions dared speak to him. The sad little procession
had passed some hours in this manner, when,
near the gate of a monastery, an old woman appeared
round a corner, and suddenly stood before the young
man. She was bent almost double, and was so wizened
and wrinkled that she looked at least ninety; only her
eyes were bright and quick as those of a girl.
'Sir,' she said, 'I know all that has happened to you,
and how you are seeking if in any wise you can save your
life. But there is none that can answer that question
save only I myself, if you will promise to do
all I ask.'
At her words the prisoner felt as if a load had all at
once been rolled off him.
'Oh, save me, and I will do anything!
' he cried. 'It is
so hard to leave the world and go out into the darkness.'
'You will not need to do that,' answered the old
woman, 'you have only got to marry me, and you will
soon be free.'
'Marry you?' exclaimed he, 'but --but-- 1 am not
yet twenty, and you - - why, you must be a hundred at
least! Oh, no, it is quite impossible.'
He spoke without thinking, but the flash of anger
which darted from her eyes made him feel uncomfortable.
However, all she said was:
'As you like; since you reject me, let the crows have
you,' and hurried away down the street.
Left to himself, the full horror of his coming death
rushed upon the young man, and he understood that
he had thrown away his sole chance of life. Well, if
he must, he must, he said to himself, and began to run
as fast as he could after the old crone, who by this time
could scarcely be seen, even in the moonlight. Who
would have believed a woman past ninety could walk
with such speed? It seemed more like flying! But
at length, breathless and exhausted, he reached her
side, and gasped out:
'Madam, pardon me for my hasty words just now;
I was wrong, and will thankfully accept the offer you
made me.'
'Ah, I thought you would come to your senses,'
answered she, in rather an odd voice. 'We have no
time to lose follow me at once,' and they went on
silently and swiftly till they stopped at the door of a
small house in which the priest lived. Before him the
old woman bade the prisoner swear that she should
be his wife, and this he did in the presence of witnesses.
Then, begging the priest and the guards to leave them alone for a little, she told the young man what he was
to do, when the next morning he was brought before
the king and the judges.
The hall was full to overflowing when the prisoner
entered it, and all marvelled at the brightness of his face.
The king inquired if he had any excuse to plead for the
high treason he had committed by striking the heir to
the throne, and, if so, to be quick in setting it forth.
With a low bow the youth made answer in a clear voice:
'0 my lord and gracious king, and you, nobles and
wise men of the land, I leave my cause without fear
in your hands, knowing that you will listen and judge
rightly, and that you will suffer me to speak to the end,
before you give judgment.
'For four years, you, O king, had been married to
the queen and yet had no children, which grieved you
greatly. The queen saw this, and likewise that your
love was going from her, and thought night and day of
some plan that might put an end to this evil. At length,
when you were away fighting in distant countries,
she decided what she would do, and adopted in secret
the baby of a poor quarryman, sending a messenger
to tell you that you had a son. No one suspected the
truth except a priest to whom the queen confessed the
truth, and in a few weeks she fell ill and died, leaving
the baby to be brought up as became a prince. And
now, if your highness will permit me, I will speak
of myself.'
'What you have already told me,' answered the king,
'is so strange that I cannot imagine what more there is
to tell, but go on with your story.'
'One day, shortly after the death of the queen,' continued
the young man, 'your highness was hunting,
and outstripped all your attendants while chasing the
deer. You were in a part of the country which you did
not know, so seeing an orchard all pink and white with
apple-blossoms, and a girl tossing a ball in one corner,
you went up to her to ask your way. But when she
turned to answer you, you were so struck with her beauty
that all else fled from your mind. Again and again
you rode back to see her, and at length persuaded her
to marry you. She only thought you a poor knight,
and agreed that, as you wished it, the marriage should
be kept secret.
'After the ceremony you gave her three rings and a
charm with a cross on it, and then put her in a cottage in
the forest, thinking to hide the matter securely.
'For some months you visited the cottage every week;
but a rebellion broke out in a distant part of the kingdom,
and called for your presence. When next you rode
up to the cottage, it was empty, and none could inform
you whither your bride had gone. That, sire, I can
now tell you,' and the young man paused and looked
at the king, who coloured deeply. 'She went back
to her father the old duke, once your chamberlain, and
the cross on her breast revealed at once who you were.
Fierce was his anger when he heard his daughter's tale,
and he vowed that he would hide her safely from you,
till the day came when you would claim her publicly as
your queen.
'By and bye I was born, and was brought up by
my grandfather in one of his great houses. Here are
the rings you gave to my mother, and here is the cross,
and these will prove if I am your son or not.'
As he spoke the young man laid the jewels at the
feet of the king, and the nobles and the judges pressed
round to examine them. The king alone did not move
from his seat, for he had forgotten the hall of justice and
all about him, and saw only the apple-orchard as it
was twenty years ago, and the beautiful girl playing
at ball. A sudden silence round him made him look
up, and he found the eyes of the assembly fixed on him.
'It is true; it is he who is my son, and not the other,'he said with an effort, 'and let every man present swear
to acknowledge him as king, after my death.'
Therefore one by one they all knelt before him and
took the oath, and a message was sent to the false prince,
forbidding him ever again to appear at court, though
a handsome pension was granted him.
At last the ceremony was over, and the king, signing
to his newly found son to follow him, rose and went
into another room.
'Tell me how you knew all that,' he said, throwing
himself into a carved chair filled with crimson cushions,
and the prince told of his meeting with the old woman
who had brought him the jewels from his mother, and
how he had sworn before a priest to marry her, though
he did not want to do it, on account of the difference
in their ages, and besides, he would rather receive a
bride chosen by the king himself. But the king frowned,
and answered sharply:
'You swore to marry her if she saved your life, and,
come what may, you must fulfil your promise.' Then,
striking a silver shield that hung close by, he said to
the equerry who appeared immediately:
' Go and seek the priest who lives near the door of
the prison, and ask him where you can find the old
woman who visited him last night; and when you have
found her, bring her to the palace.'
It took some time to discover the whereabouts of
the old woman, but at length it was accomplished, and
when she arrived at the palace with the equerry, she
was received with royal honours, as became the bride
of the prince. The guards looked at each other with
astonished eyes, as the wizened creature, bowed with
age, passed between their lines; but they were more
amazed still at the lightness of her step as she skipped
up the steps to the great door before which the king
was standing, with the prince at his side. If they both
felt a shock at the appearance of the aged lady they
did not show it, and the king, with a grave bow, took
her hand, and led her to the chapel, where a bishop
was waiting to perform the marriage ceremony.
For the next few weeks little was seen of the prince,
who spent all his days in hunting, and trying to forget
the old wife at home. As for the princess, no one troubled
himself about her, and she passed the days alone in her
apartments, for she had absolutely declined the services
of the ladies-in-waiting whom the king had appointed
for her.
One night the prince returned after a longer chase
than usual, and he was so tired that he went up straight
to bed. Suddenly he was awakened by a strange noise
in the room, and suspecting that a robber might have
stolen in, he jumped out of bed, and seized his sword,
which lay ready to his hand. Then he perceived that
the noise proceeded from the next room, which belonged
to the princess, and was lighted by a burning torch.
Creeping softly to the door, he peeped through it, and
beheld her lying quietly, with a crown of gold and
pearls upon her head, her wrinkles all gone, and her
face, which was whiter than the snow, as fresh as that
of a girl of fourteen. Could that really be his wife -
that beautiful, beautiful creature?
The prince was still gazing in surprise when the
lady opened her eyes and smiled at him.
'Yes, I really am your wife,' she said, as if she had
guessed his thoughts, 'and the enchantment is ended.
Now I must tell you who I am, and what befell to cause
me to take the shape of an old woman.
'The king of Granada is my father, and I was born
in the palace which overlooks the plain of the Vega.
I was only a few months old when a wicked fairy, who
had a spite against my parents, cast a spell over me,
bending my back and wrinkling my skin till I looked
as if I was a hundred years old, and making me such an
object of disgust to everyone, that at length the king
ordered my nurse to take me away from the palace.
She was the only person who cared about me, and we
lived together in this city on a small pension allowed
me by the king.
'When I was about three an old man arrived at our
house, and begged my nurse to let him come in and
rest, as he could walk no longer. She saw that he was
very ill, so put him to bed and took such care of him
that by and bye he was as strong as ever. In gratitude
for her goodness to him, he told her that he was
a wizard and could give her anything she chose to ask
for, except life or death, so she answered that what
she longed for most in the world was that my wrinkled
skin should disappear, and that I should regain the
beauty with which I was born. To this he replied that
as my misfortune resulted from a spell, this was rather
difficult, but he would do his best, and at any rate he
could promise that before my fifteenth birthday I should
be freed from the enchantment if I could get a man
who would swear to marry me as I was.
'As you may suppose, this was not easy, as my
ugliness was such that no one would look at me a second
time. My nurse and I were almost in despair, as my
fifteenth birthday was drawing near, and I had never
so much as spoken to a man. At last we received a
visit from the wizard, who told us what had happened
at court, and your story, bidding me to put myself in
your way when you had lost all hope, and offer to save
you if you would consent to marry me.
'That is my history, and now you must beg the king
to send messengers at once to Granada, to inform my
father of our marriage, and I think,'
1 she added with a
smile, 'that he will not refuse us his blessing.'
THE king had just awakened from his midday sleep,
for it was summer, and everyone rose early and rested
from twelve to three, as they do in hot countries. He
had dressed himself in cool white clothes, and was passing
through the hall on his way to the council chamber, when
a number of young nobles suddenly appeared before
him, and one amongst them stepped forward and
spoke.
'Sire, this morning we were all playing tennis in the
court, the prince and this gentleman with the rest, when
there broke out some dispute about the game. The
prince lost his temper, and said many insulting things
to the other, who was playing against him, till at length
the gentleman whom you see there struck him violently
in the face, so that the blood ran from his mouth and
nose. We were all so horrified at the sight, that we
should most likely have killed the man then and there,
for daring to lay hands on the prince, had not his grandfather
the duke stepped between and commanded us
to lay the affair before you.'
The king had listened attentively to the story, and
when it was ended he said :
'I suppose the prince had no arms with him, or else
he would have used them?'
'Yes, sire, he had arms; he always carries a dagger
in his belt. But when he saw the blood pouring from
his face, he went to a corner of the court and began to
cry, which was the strangest thing of all.'
On hearing this the king walked to the window and
stood for a few minutes with his back to the room, where
the company of young men remained silent. Then he
came back, his face white and stern.
'I tell you,' he said, 'and it is the solemn truth, that
I would rather you had told me that the prince
was dead, though he is my only son, than know that he
would suffer such an injury without attempting to avenge
it. As for the gentleman who struck him, he will
be brought before my judges, and will plead his own
cause, but I hardly think he can escape death, after
having assaulted the heir to the crown.'
The young man raised his head as if to reply, but
the king would not listen, and commanded his guards
to put him under arrest, adding, however, that if the
prisoner wished to visit any part of the city, he was at
liberty to do so properly guarded, and in fifteen days
he would be brought to trial before the highest judges
in the land.
The young man left the king's presence, surrounded
by soldiers, and accompanied by many of his friends,
for he was a great favourite. By their advice he spent
the fourteen days that remained to him going about to
seek counsel from wise men of all sorts, as to how he
might escape death, but no one could help him, for
none could find any excuse for the blow he had given
to the prince.
The fourteenth night had come, and in despair the
prisoner went out to take his last walk through the city.
He wandered on hardly knowing where he went, "and
his face was so white and desperate that none of his
companions dared speak to him. The sad little procession
had passed some hours in this manner, when,
near the gate of a monastery, an old woman appeared
round a corner, and suddenly stood before the young
man. She was bent almost double, and was so wizened
and wrinkled that she looked at least ninety; only her
eyes were bright and quick as those of a girl.
'Sir,' she said, 'I know all that has happened to you,
and how you are seeking if in any wise you can save your
life. But there is none that can answer that question
save only I myself, if you will promise to do
all I ask.'
At her words the prisoner felt as if a load had all at
once been rolled off him.
'Oh, save me, and I will do anything!
' he cried. 'It is
so hard to leave the world and go out into the darkness.'
'You will not need to do that,' answered the old
woman, 'you have only got to marry me, and you will
soon be free.'
'Marry you?' exclaimed he, 'but --but-- 1 am not
yet twenty, and you - - why, you must be a hundred at
least! Oh, no, it is quite impossible.'
He spoke without thinking, but the flash of anger
which darted from her eyes made him feel uncomfortable.
However, all she said was:
'As you like; since you reject me, let the crows have
you,' and hurried away down the street.
Left to himself, the full horror of his coming death
rushed upon the young man, and he understood that
he had thrown away his sole chance of life. Well, if
he must, he must, he said to himself, and began to run
as fast as he could after the old crone, who by this time
could scarcely be seen, even in the moonlight. Who
would have believed a woman past ninety could walk
with such speed? It seemed more like flying! But
at length, breathless and exhausted, he reached her
side, and gasped out:
'Madam, pardon me for my hasty words just now;
I was wrong, and will thankfully accept the offer you
made me.'
'Ah, I thought you would come to your senses,'
answered she, in rather an odd voice. 'We have no
time to lose follow me at once,' and they went on
silently and swiftly till they stopped at the door of a
small house in which the priest lived. Before him the
old woman bade the prisoner swear that she should
be his wife, and this he did in the presence of witnesses.
Then, begging the priest and the guards to leave them alone for a little, she told the young man what he was
to do, when the next morning he was brought before
the king and the judges.
The hall was full to overflowing when the prisoner
entered it, and all marvelled at the brightness of his face.
The king inquired if he had any excuse to plead for the
high treason he had committed by striking the heir to
the throne, and, if so, to be quick in setting it forth.
With a low bow the youth made answer in a clear voice:
'0 my lord and gracious king, and you, nobles and
wise men of the land, I leave my cause without fear
in your hands, knowing that you will listen and judge
rightly, and that you will suffer me to speak to the end,
before you give judgment.
'For four years, you, O king, had been married to
the queen and yet had no children, which grieved you
greatly. The queen saw this, and likewise that your
love was going from her, and thought night and day of
some plan that might put an end to this evil. At length,
when you were away fighting in distant countries,
she decided what she would do, and adopted in secret
the baby of a poor quarryman, sending a messenger
to tell you that you had a son. No one suspected the
truth except a priest to whom the queen confessed the
truth, and in a few weeks she fell ill and died, leaving
the baby to be brought up as became a prince. And
now, if your highness will permit me, I will speak
of myself.'
'What you have already told me,' answered the king,
'is so strange that I cannot imagine what more there is
to tell, but go on with your story.'
'One day, shortly after the death of the queen,' continued
the young man, 'your highness was hunting,
and outstripped all your attendants while chasing the
deer. You were in a part of the country which you did
not know, so seeing an orchard all pink and white with
apple-blossoms, and a girl tossing a ball in one corner,
you went up to her to ask your way. But when she
turned to answer you, you were so struck with her beauty
that all else fled from your mind. Again and again
you rode back to see her, and at length persuaded her
to marry you. She only thought you a poor knight,
and agreed that, as you wished it, the marriage should
be kept secret.
'After the ceremony you gave her three rings and a
charm with a cross on it, and then put her in a cottage in
the forest, thinking to hide the matter securely.
'For some months you visited the cottage every week;
but a rebellion broke out in a distant part of the kingdom,
and called for your presence. When next you rode
up to the cottage, it was empty, and none could inform
you whither your bride had gone. That, sire, I can
now tell you,' and the young man paused and looked
at the king, who coloured deeply. 'She went back
to her father the old duke, once your chamberlain, and
the cross on her breast revealed at once who you were.
Fierce was his anger when he heard his daughter's tale,
and he vowed that he would hide her safely from you,
till the day came when you would claim her publicly as
your queen.
'By and bye I was born, and was brought up by
my grandfather in one of his great houses. Here are
the rings you gave to my mother, and here is the cross,
and these will prove if I am your son or not.'
As he spoke the young man laid the jewels at the
feet of the king, and the nobles and the judges pressed
round to examine them. The king alone did not move
from his seat, for he had forgotten the hall of justice and
all about him, and saw only the apple-orchard as it
was twenty years ago, and the beautiful girl playing
at ball. A sudden silence round him made him look
up, and he found the eyes of the assembly fixed on him.
'It is true; it is he who is my son, and not the other,'he said with an effort, 'and let every man present swear
to acknowledge him as king, after my death.'
Therefore one by one they all knelt before him and
took the oath, and a message was sent to the false prince,
forbidding him ever again to appear at court, though
a handsome pension was granted him.
At last the ceremony was over, and the king, signing
to his newly found son to follow him, rose and went
into another room.
'Tell me how you knew all that,' he said, throwing
himself into a carved chair filled with crimson cushions,
and the prince told of his meeting with the old woman
who had brought him the jewels from his mother, and
how he had sworn before a priest to marry her, though
he did not want to do it, on account of the difference
in their ages, and besides, he would rather receive a
bride chosen by the king himself. But the king frowned,
and answered sharply:
'You swore to marry her if she saved your life, and,
come what may, you must fulfil your promise.' Then,
striking a silver shield that hung close by, he said to
the equerry who appeared immediately:
' Go and seek the priest who lives near the door of
the prison, and ask him where you can find the old
woman who visited him last night; and when you have
found her, bring her to the palace.'
It took some time to discover the whereabouts of
the old woman, but at length it was accomplished, and
when she arrived at the palace with the equerry, she
was received with royal honours, as became the bride
of the prince. The guards looked at each other with
astonished eyes, as the wizened creature, bowed with
age, passed between their lines; but they were more
amazed still at the lightness of her step as she skipped
up the steps to the great door before which the king
was standing, with the prince at his side. If they both
felt a shock at the appearance of the aged lady they
did not show it, and the king, with a grave bow, took
her hand, and led her to the chapel, where a bishop
was waiting to perform the marriage ceremony.
For the next few weeks little was seen of the prince,
who spent all his days in hunting, and trying to forget
the old wife at home. As for the princess, no one troubled
himself about her, and she passed the days alone in her
apartments, for she had absolutely declined the services
of the ladies-in-waiting whom the king had appointed
for her.
One night the prince returned after a longer chase
than usual, and he was so tired that he went up straight
to bed. Suddenly he was awakened by a strange noise
in the room, and suspecting that a robber might have
stolen in, he jumped out of bed, and seized his sword,
which lay ready to his hand. Then he perceived that
the noise proceeded from the next room, which belonged
to the princess, and was lighted by a burning torch.
Creeping softly to the door, he peeped through it, and
beheld her lying quietly, with a crown of gold and
pearls upon her head, her wrinkles all gone, and her
face, which was whiter than the snow, as fresh as that
of a girl of fourteen. Could that really be his wife -
that beautiful, beautiful creature?
The prince was still gazing in surprise when the
lady opened her eyes and smiled at him.
'Yes, I really am your wife,' she said, as if she had
guessed his thoughts, 'and the enchantment is ended.
Now I must tell you who I am, and what befell to cause
me to take the shape of an old woman.
'The king of Granada is my father, and I was born
in the palace which overlooks the plain of the Vega.
I was only a few months old when a wicked fairy, who
had a spite against my parents, cast a spell over me,
bending my back and wrinkling my skin till I looked
as if I was a hundred years old, and making me such an
object of disgust to everyone, that at length the king
ordered my nurse to take me away from the palace.
She was the only person who cared about me, and we
lived together in this city on a small pension allowed
me by the king.
'When I was about three an old man arrived at our
house, and begged my nurse to let him come in and
rest, as he could walk no longer. She saw that he was
very ill, so put him to bed and took such care of him
that by and bye he was as strong as ever. In gratitude
for her goodness to him, he told her that he was
a wizard and could give her anything she chose to ask
for, except life or death, so she answered that what
she longed for most in the world was that my wrinkled
skin should disappear, and that I should regain the
beauty with which I was born. To this he replied that
as my misfortune resulted from a spell, this was rather
difficult, but he would do his best, and at any rate he
could promise that before my fifteenth birthday I should
be freed from the enchantment if I could get a man
who would swear to marry me as I was.
'As you may suppose, this was not easy, as my
ugliness was such that no one would look at me a second
time. My nurse and I were almost in despair, as my
fifteenth birthday was drawing near, and I had never
so much as spoken to a man. At last we received a
visit from the wizard, who told us what had happened
at court, and your story, bidding me to put myself in
your way when you had lost all hope, and offer to save
you if you would consent to marry me.
'That is my history, and now you must beg the king
to send messengers at once to Granada, to inform my
father of our marriage, and I think,'
1 she added with a
smile, 'that he will not refuse us his blessing.'
Monday, 14 September 2015
Weedah The Mocking Bird
- by K. Langloh Parker, from Australian Legendary Tales -
Weedah was playing a great trick on the black fellows who lived near
him. He had built himself a number of grass nyunnoos, more than twenty.
He made fires before each, to make it look as if some one lived in the
nyunnoos. First he would go into one nyunnoo, or humpy, and cry like a
baby, then to another and laugh like a child, then in turn, as he went
the round of the humpies he would sing like a maiden, corrobboree like
a man, call out in a quavering voice like an old man, and in a shrill
voice like an old woman; in fact, imitate any sort of voice he had ever
heard, and imitate them so quickly in succession that any one passing
would think there was a great crowd of blacks in that camp.
His object was to entice as many strange black fellows into his camp as he could,
one at a time; then he would kill them and gradually gain the whole
country round for his own. His chance was when he managed to get a
single black fellow into his camp, which he very often did, then by his
cunning he always gained his end and the black fellow's death. This was
how he attained that end. A black fellow, probably separated from his
fellows in the excitement of the chase, would be returning home alone
passing within earshot of Weedah's camp he would hear the various
voices and wonder what tribe could be there. Curiosity would induce him
to come near.
He would probably peer into the camp, and, only seeing
Weedah standing alone, would advance towards him. Weedah would be
standing at a little distance from a big glowing fire, where he would
wait until the strange black fellow came quite close to him. Then he
would ask him what he wanted. The stranger would say he had heard many
voices and had wondered what tribe it could be, so had come near to
find out. Weedah would say, "But only I am here. How could you have
heard voices? See; look round; I am alone." Bewildered, the stranger
would look round and say in a puzzled tone of voice: "Where are they
all gone? As I came I heard babies crying, men calling, and women
laughing; many voices I heard but you only I see."
"And only I am here. The wind must have stirred the branches of the
balah trees, and you must have thought it was the wailing of children,
the laughing of the gouggourgahgah you heard, and thought it the
laughter of women and mine must have been the voice as of men that you
heard. Alone in the bush, as the shadows fall, a man breeds strange
fancies. See by the light of this fire, where are your fancies now? No
women laugh, no babies cry, only I, Weedah, talk." As Weedah was
talking he kept edging the stranger towards the fire; when they were
quite close to it, he turned swiftly, seized him, and threw him right
into the middle of the blaze. This scene was repeated time after time,
until at last the ranks of the black fellows living round the camp of
Weedah began to get thin.
Mullyan, the eagle hawk, determined to fathom the mystery, for as yet
the black fellows had no clue as to how or where their friends had
disappeared. Mullyan, when Beeargah, his cousin, returned to his camp
no more, made up his mind to get on his track and follow it, until at
length he solved the mystery. After following the track of Beeargah, as
he had chased the kangaroo to where he had slain it, on he followed his
homeward trail. Over stony ground he tracked him, and through sand,
across plains, and through scrub. At last in a scrub and still on the
track of Beeargah, he heard the sounds of many voices, babies crying,
women singing, men talking. Peering through the bush, finding the track
took him nearer the spot whence came the sounds, he saw the grass
humpies. "Who can these be?" he thought. The track led him right into
the camp, where alone Weedah was to be seen. Mullyan advanced towards
him and asked where were the people whose voices he had heard as he
came through the bush.
Weedah said: "How can I tell you? I know of no people; I live alone."
"But," said Mullyan, the eagle hawk, "I heard babies crying, women
laughing, and men talking, not one but many."
"And I alone am here. Ask of your cars what trick they played you, or
perhaps your eyes fail you now. Can you see any but me? Look for
yourself."
"And if, as indeed it seems, you only are here, what did you with
Beeargah my cousin, and where are my friends? Many are their trails
that I see coming into this camp, but none going out. And if you alone
live here you alone can answer me."
"What know I of you or your friends? Nothing. Ask of the winds that
blow. Ask of Bahloo the moon, who looks down on the earth by night. Ask
of Yhi the sun, that looks down by day. But ask not Weedah, who dwells
alone, and knows naught of your friends." But as Weedah was talking he
was carefully edging Mullyan towards the fire.
Mullyan, the eagle hawk, too, was cunning, and not easy to trap. He saw
a blazing fire in front of him, lie saw the track of his friend behind
him, he saw Weedah was edging him towards the fire, and it came to him
in a moment the thought that if the fire could speak, well could it
tell where were his friends. But the time was not yet come to show that
he had fathomed the mystery. So he affected to fall into the trap. But
when they reached the fire, before Weedah had time to act his usual
part, with a mighty grip Mullyan the eagle hawk seized him, saying,
"Even as you served Beeargah the hawk, my cousin, and my friends, so now
serve I you." And right into the middle of the blazing fire he threw
him. Then he turned homewards in haste, to tell the black fellows that
he had solved the fate of their friends, which had so long been a
mystery.
When he was some distance from the Weedah's camp, he heard the
sound of a thunder clap. But it was not thunder it was the bursting of
the back of Weedah's head, which had burst with a bang as of a thunder
clap. And as it burst, out from his remains had risen a bird, Weedah,
the mocking bird; which bird to this day has a hole at the back of his
head, just in the same place as Weedah the black fellow's head had
burst, and whence the bird came forth.
To this day the Weedah makes grass playgrounds, through which he runs,
imitating, as he plays, in quick succession, any voices he has ever
heard, from the crying of a child to the laughing of a woman; from the
mewing of a cat to the barking of a dog, and hence his name Weedah, the
mocking bird.
Weedah was playing a great trick on the black fellows who lived near
him. He had built himself a number of grass nyunnoos, more than twenty.
He made fires before each, to make it look as if some one lived in the
nyunnoos. First he would go into one nyunnoo, or humpy, and cry like a
baby, then to another and laugh like a child, then in turn, as he went
the round of the humpies he would sing like a maiden, corrobboree like
a man, call out in a quavering voice like an old man, and in a shrill
voice like an old woman; in fact, imitate any sort of voice he had ever
heard, and imitate them so quickly in succession that any one passing
would think there was a great crowd of blacks in that camp.
His object was to entice as many strange black fellows into his camp as he could,
one at a time; then he would kill them and gradually gain the whole
country round for his own. His chance was when he managed to get a
single black fellow into his camp, which he very often did, then by his
cunning he always gained his end and the black fellow's death. This was
how he attained that end. A black fellow, probably separated from his
fellows in the excitement of the chase, would be returning home alone
passing within earshot of Weedah's camp he would hear the various
voices and wonder what tribe could be there. Curiosity would induce him
to come near.
He would probably peer into the camp, and, only seeing
Weedah standing alone, would advance towards him. Weedah would be
standing at a little distance from a big glowing fire, where he would
wait until the strange black fellow came quite close to him. Then he
would ask him what he wanted. The stranger would say he had heard many
voices and had wondered what tribe it could be, so had come near to
find out. Weedah would say, "But only I am here. How could you have
heard voices? See; look round; I am alone." Bewildered, the stranger
would look round and say in a puzzled tone of voice: "Where are they
all gone? As I came I heard babies crying, men calling, and women
laughing; many voices I heard but you only I see."
"And only I am here. The wind must have stirred the branches of the
balah trees, and you must have thought it was the wailing of children,
the laughing of the gouggourgahgah you heard, and thought it the
laughter of women and mine must have been the voice as of men that you
heard. Alone in the bush, as the shadows fall, a man breeds strange
fancies. See by the light of this fire, where are your fancies now? No
women laugh, no babies cry, only I, Weedah, talk." As Weedah was
talking he kept edging the stranger towards the fire; when they were
quite close to it, he turned swiftly, seized him, and threw him right
into the middle of the blaze. This scene was repeated time after time,
until at last the ranks of the black fellows living round the camp of
Weedah began to get thin.
Mullyan, the eagle hawk, determined to fathom the mystery, for as yet
the black fellows had no clue as to how or where their friends had
disappeared. Mullyan, when Beeargah, his cousin, returned to his camp
no more, made up his mind to get on his track and follow it, until at
length he solved the mystery. After following the track of Beeargah, as
he had chased the kangaroo to where he had slain it, on he followed his
homeward trail. Over stony ground he tracked him, and through sand,
across plains, and through scrub. At last in a scrub and still on the
track of Beeargah, he heard the sounds of many voices, babies crying,
women singing, men talking. Peering through the bush, finding the track
took him nearer the spot whence came the sounds, he saw the grass
humpies. "Who can these be?" he thought. The track led him right into
the camp, where alone Weedah was to be seen. Mullyan advanced towards
him and asked where were the people whose voices he had heard as he
came through the bush.
Weedah said: "How can I tell you? I know of no people; I live alone."
"But," said Mullyan, the eagle hawk, "I heard babies crying, women
laughing, and men talking, not one but many."
"And I alone am here. Ask of your cars what trick they played you, or
perhaps your eyes fail you now. Can you see any but me? Look for
yourself."
"And if, as indeed it seems, you only are here, what did you with
Beeargah my cousin, and where are my friends? Many are their trails
that I see coming into this camp, but none going out. And if you alone
live here you alone can answer me."
"What know I of you or your friends? Nothing. Ask of the winds that
blow. Ask of Bahloo the moon, who looks down on the earth by night. Ask
of Yhi the sun, that looks down by day. But ask not Weedah, who dwells
alone, and knows naught of your friends." But as Weedah was talking he
was carefully edging Mullyan towards the fire.
Mullyan, the eagle hawk, too, was cunning, and not easy to trap. He saw
a blazing fire in front of him, lie saw the track of his friend behind
him, he saw Weedah was edging him towards the fire, and it came to him
in a moment the thought that if the fire could speak, well could it
tell where were his friends. But the time was not yet come to show that
he had fathomed the mystery. So he affected to fall into the trap. But
when they reached the fire, before Weedah had time to act his usual
part, with a mighty grip Mullyan the eagle hawk seized him, saying,
"Even as you served Beeargah the hawk, my cousin, and my friends, so now
serve I you." And right into the middle of the blazing fire he threw
him. Then he turned homewards in haste, to tell the black fellows that
he had solved the fate of their friends, which had so long been a
mystery.
When he was some distance from the Weedah's camp, he heard the
sound of a thunder clap. But it was not thunder it was the bursting of
the back of Weedah's head, which had burst with a bang as of a thunder
clap. And as it burst, out from his remains had risen a bird, Weedah,
the mocking bird; which bird to this day has a hole at the back of his
head, just in the same place as Weedah the black fellow's head had
burst, and whence the bird came forth.
To this day the Weedah makes grass playgrounds, through which he runs,
imitating, as he plays, in quick succession, any voices he has ever
heard, from the crying of a child to the laughing of a woman; from the
mewing of a cat to the barking of a dog, and hence his name Weedah, the
mocking bird.
Momotaro - The Story of the Son of a Peach
- by Yei Theodora Ozaki, from Japanese Fairy Tales -
Long, long ago there lived, an old man and. an old woman; they were
peasants, and had to work hard to earn their daily rice. The old man
used to go and cut grass for the farmers around, and while he was
gone the old woman, his wife, did the work of the house and worked
in their own little rice field.
One day the old man went to the hills as usual to cut grass and the
old woman took some clothes to the river to wash.
It was nearly summer, and the country was very beautiful to see in
its fresh greenness as the two old people went on their way to work.
The grass on the banks of the river looked like emerald velvet, and
the pussy willows along the edge of the water were shaking out their
soft tassels.
The breezes blew and ruffled the smooth surface of the water into
wavelets, and passing on touched the cheeks of the old couple who,
for some reason they could not explain, felt very happy that
morning.
The old woman at last found a nice spot by the river bank and put
her basket down. Then she set to work to wash the clothes; she took
them one by one out of the basket and washed them in the river and
rubbed them on the stones. The water was as clear as crystal, and
she could see the tiny fish swimming to and fro, and the pebbles at
the bottom.
As she was busy washing her clothes a great peach came bumping down
the stream. The old woman looked up from her work and saw this large
peach. She was sixty years of age, yet in all her life she had never
seen such a big peach as this.
"How delicious that peach must be!" she said to herself. "I must
certainly get it and take it home to my old man."
She stretched out her arm to try and get it, but it was quite out of
her reach. She looked about for a stick, but there was not one to be
seen, and if she went to look for one she would lose the peach.
Stopping a moment to think what she would do, she remembered an old
charm-verse.
Now she began to clap her hands to keep time to the
rolling of the peach down stream, and while she clapped she sang
this song:
"Distant water is bitter,
The near water is sweet;
Pass by the distant water
And come into the sweet."
Strange to say, as soon as she began to repeat this little song the
peach began to come nearer and nearer the bank where the old woman
was standing, till at last it stopped just in front of her so that
she was able to take it up in her hands. The old woman was
delighted. She could not go on with her work, so happy and excited
was she, so she put all the clothes back in her bamboo basket, and
with the basket on her back and the peach in her hand she hurried
homewards.
It seemed a very long time to her to wait till her husband returned.
The old man at last came back as the sun was setting, with a big
bundle of grass on his back--so big that he was almost hidden and
she could hardly see him. He seemed very tired and used the scythe
for a walking stick, leaning on it as he walked along.
As soon as the old woman saw him she called out:
"O Fii San! (old man) I have been waiting for you to come home for
such a long time to-day!"
"What is the matter? Why are you so impatient?" asked the old man,
wondering at her unusual eagerness. "Has anything happened while I
have been away?"
"Oh, no!" answered the old woman, "nothing has happened, only I have
found a nice present for you!"
"That is good," said the old man. He then washed his feet in a basin
of water and stepped up to the veranda.
The old woman now ran into the little room and brought out from the
cupboard the big peach. It felt even heavier than before. She held
it up to him, saying:
"Just look at this! Did you ever see such a large peach in all your
life?"
When the old man looked at the peach he was greatly astonished and
said:
"This is indeed the largest peach I have ever seen! Wherever did you
buy it?"
"I did not buy it," answered the old woman. "I found it in the river
where I was washing." And she told him the whole story.
"I am very glad that you have found it. Let us eat it now, for I am
hungry," said the O Fii San.
He brought out the kitchen knife, and, placing the peach on a board,
was about to cut it when, wonderful to tell, the peach split in two
of itself and a clear voice said:
"Wait a bit, old man!" and out stepped a beautiful little child.
The old man and his wife were both so astonished at what they saw
that they fell to the ground. The child spoke again:
"Don't be afraid. I am no demon or fairy. I will tell you the truth.
Heaven has had compassion on you. Every day and every night you have
lamented that you had no child. Your cry has been heard and I am
sent to be the son of your old age!"
On hearing this the old man and his wife were very happy. They had
cried night and day for sorrow at having no child to help them in
their lonely old age, and now that their prayer was answered they
were so lost with joy that they did not know where to put their
hands or their feet. First the old man took the child up in his
arms, and then the old woman did the same; and they named him
MOMOTARO, OR SON OF A PEACH, because he had come out of a peach.
The years passed quickly by and the child grew to be fifteen years
of age. He was taller and far stronger than any other boys of his
own age, he had a handsome face and a heart full of courage, and he
was very wise for his years. The old couple's pleasure was very
great when they looked at him, for he was just what they thought a
hero ought to be like.
One day Momotaro came to his foster-father and said solemnly:
"Father, by a strange chance we have become father and son. Your
goodness to me has been higher than the mountain grasses which it
was your daily work to cut, and deeper than the river where my
mother washes the clothes. I do not know how to thank you enough."
"Why," answered the old man, "it is a matter of course that a father
should bring up his son. When you are older it will be your turn to
take care of us, so after all there will be no profit or loss
between us--all will be equal. Indeed, I am rather surprised that
you should thank me in this way!" and the old man looked bothered.
"I hope you will be patient with me," said Momotaro; "but before I
begin to pay back your goodness to me I have a request to make which
I hope you will grant me above everything else."
"I will let you do whatever you wish, for you are quite different to
all other boys!"
"Then let me go away at once!"
"What do you say? Do you wish to leave your old father and mother
and go away from your old home?"
"I will surely come back again, if you let me go now!"
"Where are you going?"
"You must think it strange that I want to go away," said Momotaro,
"because I have not yet told you my reason.
Far away from here to
the northeast of Japan there is an island in the sea. This island is
the stronghold of a band of devils. I have often heard how they
invade this land, kill and rob the people, and carry off all they
can find. They are not only very wicked but they are disloyal to our
Emperor and disobey his laws. They are also cannibals, for they kill
and eat some of the poor people who are so unfortunate as to fall
into their hands. These devils are very hateful beings. I must go
and conquer them and bring back all the plunder of which they have
robbed this land. It is for this reason that I want to go away for a
short time!"
The old man was much surprised at hearing all this from a mere boy
of fifteen. He thought it best to let the boy go. He was strong and
fearless, and besides all this, the old man knew he was no common
child, for he had been sent to them as a gift from Heaven, and he
felt quite sure that the devils would be powerless to harm him.
"All you say is very interesting, Momotaro," said the old man. "I
will not hinder you in your determination. You may go if you wish.
Go to the island as soon as ever you like and destroy the demons and
bring peace to the land."
"Thank you, for all your kindness," said Momotaro, who began to get
ready to go that very day. He was full of courage and did not know
what fear was.
The old man and woman at once set to work to pound rice in the
kitchen mortar to make cakes for Momotaro to take with him on his
journey.
At last the cakes were made and Momotaro was ready to start on his
long journey.
Parting is always sad. So it was now. The eyes of the two old people
were filled with tears and their voices trembled as they said:
"Go with all care and speed. We expect you back victorious!"
Momotaro was very sorry to leave his old parents (though he knew he
was coming back as soon as he could), for he thought of how lonely
they would be while he was away. But he said "Good-by!" quite
bravely.
"I am going now. Take good care of yourselves while I am away. Goodby!"
And he stepped quickly out of the house. In silence the eyes of
Momotaro and his parents met in farewell.
Momotaro now hurried on his way till it was midday. He began to feel
hungry, so he opened his bag and took out one of the rice-cakes and
sat down under a tree by the side of the road to eat it. While he
was thus having his lunch a dog almost as large as a colt came
running out from the high grass. He made straight for Momotaro, and
showing his teeth, said in a fierce way:
"You are a rude man to pass my field without asking permission
first. If you leave me all the cakes you have in your bag you may
go; otherwise I will bite you till I kill you!"
Momotaro only laughed scornfully:
"What is that you are saying? Do you know who I am? I am Momotaro,
and I am on my way to subdue the devils in their island stronghold
in the northeast of Japan. If you try to stop me on my way there I
will cut you in two from the head downwards!"
The dog's manner at once changed. His tail dropped between his legs,
and coming near he bowed so low that his forehead touched the
ground.
"What do I hear? The name of Momotaro? Are you indeed Momotaro? I
have often heard of your great strength. Not knowing who you were I
have behaved in a very stupid way. Will you please pardon my
rudeness? Are you indeed on your way to invade the Island of Devils?
If you will take such a rude fellow with you as one of your
followers, I shall be very grateful to you."
"I think I can take you with me if you wish to go," said Momotaro.
"Thank you!" said the dog. "By the way, I am very very hungry. Will
you give me one of the cakes you are carrying?"
"This is the best kind of cake there is in Japan," said Momotaro. "I
cannot spare you a whole one; I will give you half of one."
"Thank you very much," said the dog, taking the piece thrown to him.
Then Momotaro got up and the dog followed. For a long time they
walked over the hills and through the valleys. As they were going
along an animal came down from a tree a little ahead of them. The
creature soon came up to Momotaro and said:
"Good morning, Momotaro! You are welcome in this part of the
country. Will you allow me to go with you?"
The dog answered jealously:
"Momotaro already has a dog to accompany him. Of what use is a
monkey like you in battle? We are on our way to fight the devils!
Get away!"
The dog and the monkey began to quarrel and bite, for these two
animals always hate each other.
"Now, don't quarrel!" said Momotaro, putting himself between them.
"Wait a moment, dog!"
"It is not at all dignified for you to have such a creature as that
following you!" said the dog.
"What do you know about it?" asked Momotaro; and pushing aside the
dog, he spoke to the monkey:
"Who are you?"
"I am a monkey living in these hills," replied the monkey." I heard
of your expedition to the Island of Devils, and I have come to go
with you. Nothing will please me more than to follow you!"
"Do you really wish to go to the Island of Devils and fight with
me?"
"Yes, sir," replied the monkey.
"I admire your courage," said Momotaro. "Here is a piece of one of
my fine rice-cakes. Come along!"
So the monkey joined Momotaro. The dog and the monkey did not get on
well together. They were always snapping at each other as they went
along, and always wanting to have a fight. This made Momotaro very
cross, and at last he sent the dog on ahead with a flag and put the
monkey behind with a sword, and he placed himself between them with
a war-fan, which is made of iron.
By and by they came to a large field. Here a bird flew down and
alighted on the ground just in front of the little party. It was the
most beautiful bird Momotaro had ever seen. On its body were five
different robes of feathers and its head was covered with a scarlet
cap.
The dog at once ran at the bird and tried to seize and kill it. But
the bird struck out its spurs and flew at the dog's tail, and the
fight went hard with both.
Momotaro, as he looked on, could not help admiring the bird; it
showed so much spirit in the fight. It would certainly make a good
fighter.
Momotaro went up to the two combatants, and holding the dog back,
said to the bird:
"You rascal! you are hindering my journey. Surrender at once, and I
will take you with me. If you don't I will set this dog to bite your
head off!"
Then the bird surrendered at once, and begged to be taken into
Momotaro's company.
"I do not know what excuse to offer for quarreling with the dog,
your servant, but I did not see you. I am a miserable bird called a
pheasant. It is very generous of you to pardon my rudeness and to
take me with you. Please allow me to follow you behind the dog and
the monkey!"
"I congratulate you on surrendering so soon," said Momotaro,
smiling. "Come and join us in our raid on the devils."
"Are you going to take this bird with you also?" asked the dog,
interrupting.
"Why do you ask such an unnecessary question? Didn't you hear what I
said? I take the bird with me because I wish to!"
"Humph!" said the dog.
Then Momotaro stood and gave this order:
"Now all of you must listen to me. The first thing necessary in an
army is harmony. It is a wise saying which says that 'Advantage on
earth is better than advantage in Heaven!' Union amongst ourselves
is better than any earthly gain. When we are not at peace amongst
ourselves it is no easy thing to subdue an enemy. From now, you
three, the dog, the monkey and the pheasant, must be friends with
one mind. The one who first begins a quarrel will be discharged on
the spot!"
All the three promised not to quarrel. The pheasant was now made a
member of Momotaro's suite, and received half a cake.
Momotaro's influence was so great that the three became good
friends, and hurried onwards with him as their leader.
Hurrying on day after day they at last came out upon the shore of
the North-Eastern Sea. There was nothing to be seen as far as the
horizon--not a sign of any island. All that broke the stillness was
the rolling of the waves upon the shore.
Now, the dog and the monkey and the pheasant had come very bravely
all the way through the long valleys and over the hills, but they
had never seen the sea before, and for the first time since they set
out they were bewildered and gazed at each other in silence. How
were they to cross the water and get to the Island of Devils?
Momotaro soon saw that they were daunted by the sight of the sea,
and to try them he spoke loudly and roughly:
"Why do you hesitate? Are you afraid of the sea? Oh! what cowards
you are! It is impossible to take such weak creatures as you with me
to fight the demons. It will be far better for me to go alone. I
discharge you all at once!"
The three animals were taken aback at this sharp reproof, and clung
to Momotaro's sleeve, begging him not to send them away.
"Please, Momotaro!" said the dog.
"We have come thus far!" said the monkey.
"It is inhuman to leave us here!" said the pheasant.
"We are not at all afraid of the sea," said the monkey again.
"Please do take us with you," said the pheasant.
"Do please," said the dog.
They had now gained a little courage, so Momotaro said:
"Well, then, I will take you with me, but be careful!"
Momotaro now got a small ship, and they all got on board. The wind
and weather were fair, and the ship went like an arrow over the sea.
It was the first time they had ever been on the water, and so at
first the dog, the monkey and the pheasant were frightened at the
waves and the rolling of the vessel, but by degrees they grew
accustomed to the water and were quite happy again. Every day they
paced the deck of their little ship, eagerly looking out for the
demons' island.
When they grew tired of this, they told each other stories of all
their exploits of which they were proud, and then played games
together; and Momotaro found much to amuse him in listening to the
three animals and watching their antics, and in this way he forgot
that the way was long and that he was tired of the voyage and of
doing nothing. He longed to be at work killing the monsters who had
done so much harm in his country.
As the wind blew in their favor and they met no storms the ship made
a quick voyage, and one day when the sun was shining brightly a
sight of land rewarded the four watchers at the bow.
Momotaro knew at once that what they saw was the devils' stronghold.
On the top of the precipitous shore, looking out to sea, was a large
castle. Now that his enterprise was close at hand, he was deep in
thought with his head leaning on his hands, wondering how he should
begin the attack. His three followers watched him, waiting for
orders. At last he called to the pheasant:
"It is a great advantage for us to have you with us." said Momotaro
to the bird, "for you have good wings. Fly at once to the castle and
engage the demons to fight. We will follow you."
The pheasant at once obeyed. He flew off from the ship beating the
air gladly with his wings. The bird soon reached the island and took
up his position on the roof in the middle of the castle, calling out
loudly:
"All you devils listen to me! The great Japanese general Momotaro
has come to fight you and to take your stronghold from you. If you
wish to save your lives surrender at once, and in token of your
submission you must break off the horns that grow on your forehead.
If you do not surrender at once, but make up your mind to fight, we,
the pheasant, the dog and the monkey, will kill you all by biting
and tearing you to death!"
The horned demons looking up and only seeing a pheasant, laughed and
said:
"A wild pheasant, indeed! It is ridiculous to hear such words from a
mean thing like you. Wait till you get a blow from one of our iron
bars!"
Very angry, indeed, were the devils. They shook their horns and
their shocks of red hair fiercely, and rushed to put on tiger skin
trousers to make themselves look more terrible. They then brought
out great iron bars and ran to where the pheasant perched over their
heads, and tried to knock him down. The pheasant flew to one side to
escape the blow, and then attacked the head of first one and then
another demon. He flew round and round them, beating the air with
his wings so fiercely and ceaselessly, that the devils began to
wonder whether they had to fight one or many more birds.
In the meantime, Momotaro had brought his ship to land. As they had
approached, he saw that the shore was like a precipice, and that the
large castle was surrounded by high walls and large iron gates and
was strongly fortified.
Momotaro landed, and with the hope of finding some way of entrance,
walked up the path towards the top, followed by the monkey and the
dog. They soon came upon two beautiful damsels washing clothes in a
stream. Momotaro saw that the clothes were blood-stained, and that
as the two maidens washed, the tears were falling fast down their
cheeks. He stopped and spoke to them:
"Who are you, and why do you weep?"
"We are captives of the Demon King. We were carried away from our
homes to this island, and though we are the daughters of Daimios
(Lords), we are obliged to be his servants, and one day he will kill
us"--and the maidens held up the blood-stained clothes--"and eat us,
and there is no one to help us!"
And their tears burst out afresh at this horrible thought.
"I will rescue you," said Momotaro. "Do not weep any more, only show
me how I may get into the castle."
Then the two ladies led the way and showed Momotaro a little back
door in the lowest part of the castle wall--so small that Momotaro
could hardly crawl in.
The pheasant, who was all this time fighting hard, saw Momotaro and
his little band rush in at the back.
Momotaro's onslaught was so furious that the devils could not stand
against him. At first their foe had been a single bird, the
pheasant, but now that Momotaro and the dog and the monkey had
arrived they were bewildered, for the four enemies fought like a
hundred, so strong were they. Some of the devils fell off the
parapet of the castle and were dashed to pieces on the rocks
beneath; others fell into the sea and were drowned; many were beaten
to death by the three animals.
The chief of the devils at last was the only one left. He made up
his mind to surrender, for he knew that his enemy was stronger than
mortal man.
He came up humbly to Momotaro and threw down his iron bar, and
kneeling down at the victor's feet he broke off the horns on his
head in token of submission, for they were the sign of his strength
and power.
"I am afraid of you," he said meekly. "I cannot stand against you. I
will give you all the treasure hidden in this castle if you will
spare my life!"
Momotaro laughed.
"It is not like you, big devil, to beg for mercy, is it? I cannot
spare your wicked life, however much you beg, for you have killed
and tortured many people and robbed our country for many years."
Then Momotaro tied the devil chief up and gave him into the monkey's
charge. Having done this, he went into all the rooms of the castle
and set the prisoners free and gathered together all the treasure he
found.
The dog and the pheasant carried home the plunder, and thus Momotaro
returned triumphantly to his home, taking with him the devil chief
as a captive.
The two poor damsels, daughters of Daimios, and others whom the
wicked demon had carried off to be his slaves, were taken safely to
their own homes and delivered to their parents.
The whole country made a hero of Momotaro on his triumphant return,
and rejoiced that the country was now freed from the robber devils
who had been a terror of the land for a long time.
The old couple's joy was greater than ever, and the treasure
Momotaro had brought home with him enabled them to live in peace and
plenty to the end of their days.
Long, long ago there lived, an old man and. an old woman; they were
peasants, and had to work hard to earn their daily rice. The old man
used to go and cut grass for the farmers around, and while he was
gone the old woman, his wife, did the work of the house and worked
in their own little rice field.
One day the old man went to the hills as usual to cut grass and the
old woman took some clothes to the river to wash.
It was nearly summer, and the country was very beautiful to see in
its fresh greenness as the two old people went on their way to work.
The grass on the banks of the river looked like emerald velvet, and
the pussy willows along the edge of the water were shaking out their
soft tassels.
The breezes blew and ruffled the smooth surface of the water into
wavelets, and passing on touched the cheeks of the old couple who,
for some reason they could not explain, felt very happy that
morning.
The old woman at last found a nice spot by the river bank and put
her basket down. Then she set to work to wash the clothes; she took
them one by one out of the basket and washed them in the river and
rubbed them on the stones. The water was as clear as crystal, and
she could see the tiny fish swimming to and fro, and the pebbles at
the bottom.
As she was busy washing her clothes a great peach came bumping down
the stream. The old woman looked up from her work and saw this large
peach. She was sixty years of age, yet in all her life she had never
seen such a big peach as this.
"How delicious that peach must be!" she said to herself. "I must
certainly get it and take it home to my old man."
She stretched out her arm to try and get it, but it was quite out of
her reach. She looked about for a stick, but there was not one to be
seen, and if she went to look for one she would lose the peach.
Stopping a moment to think what she would do, she remembered an old
charm-verse.
Now she began to clap her hands to keep time to the
rolling of the peach down stream, and while she clapped she sang
this song:
"Distant water is bitter,
The near water is sweet;
Pass by the distant water
And come into the sweet."
Strange to say, as soon as she began to repeat this little song the
peach began to come nearer and nearer the bank where the old woman
was standing, till at last it stopped just in front of her so that
she was able to take it up in her hands. The old woman was
delighted. She could not go on with her work, so happy and excited
was she, so she put all the clothes back in her bamboo basket, and
with the basket on her back and the peach in her hand she hurried
homewards.
It seemed a very long time to her to wait till her husband returned.
The old man at last came back as the sun was setting, with a big
bundle of grass on his back--so big that he was almost hidden and
she could hardly see him. He seemed very tired and used the scythe
for a walking stick, leaning on it as he walked along.
As soon as the old woman saw him she called out:
"O Fii San! (old man) I have been waiting for you to come home for
such a long time to-day!"
"What is the matter? Why are you so impatient?" asked the old man,
wondering at her unusual eagerness. "Has anything happened while I
have been away?"
"Oh, no!" answered the old woman, "nothing has happened, only I have
found a nice present for you!"
"That is good," said the old man. He then washed his feet in a basin
of water and stepped up to the veranda.
The old woman now ran into the little room and brought out from the
cupboard the big peach. It felt even heavier than before. She held
it up to him, saying:
"Just look at this! Did you ever see such a large peach in all your
life?"
When the old man looked at the peach he was greatly astonished and
said:
"This is indeed the largest peach I have ever seen! Wherever did you
buy it?"
"I did not buy it," answered the old woman. "I found it in the river
where I was washing." And she told him the whole story.
"I am very glad that you have found it. Let us eat it now, for I am
hungry," said the O Fii San.
He brought out the kitchen knife, and, placing the peach on a board,
was about to cut it when, wonderful to tell, the peach split in two
of itself and a clear voice said:
"Wait a bit, old man!" and out stepped a beautiful little child.
The old man and his wife were both so astonished at what they saw
that they fell to the ground. The child spoke again:
"Don't be afraid. I am no demon or fairy. I will tell you the truth.
Heaven has had compassion on you. Every day and every night you have
lamented that you had no child. Your cry has been heard and I am
sent to be the son of your old age!"
On hearing this the old man and his wife were very happy. They had
cried night and day for sorrow at having no child to help them in
their lonely old age, and now that their prayer was answered they
were so lost with joy that they did not know where to put their
hands or their feet. First the old man took the child up in his
arms, and then the old woman did the same; and they named him
MOMOTARO, OR SON OF A PEACH, because he had come out of a peach.
The years passed quickly by and the child grew to be fifteen years
of age. He was taller and far stronger than any other boys of his
own age, he had a handsome face and a heart full of courage, and he
was very wise for his years. The old couple's pleasure was very
great when they looked at him, for he was just what they thought a
hero ought to be like.
One day Momotaro came to his foster-father and said solemnly:
"Father, by a strange chance we have become father and son. Your
goodness to me has been higher than the mountain grasses which it
was your daily work to cut, and deeper than the river where my
mother washes the clothes. I do not know how to thank you enough."
"Why," answered the old man, "it is a matter of course that a father
should bring up his son. When you are older it will be your turn to
take care of us, so after all there will be no profit or loss
between us--all will be equal. Indeed, I am rather surprised that
you should thank me in this way!" and the old man looked bothered.
"I hope you will be patient with me," said Momotaro; "but before I
begin to pay back your goodness to me I have a request to make which
I hope you will grant me above everything else."
"I will let you do whatever you wish, for you are quite different to
all other boys!"
"Then let me go away at once!"
"What do you say? Do you wish to leave your old father and mother
and go away from your old home?"
"I will surely come back again, if you let me go now!"
"Where are you going?"
"You must think it strange that I want to go away," said Momotaro,
"because I have not yet told you my reason.
Far away from here to
the northeast of Japan there is an island in the sea. This island is
the stronghold of a band of devils. I have often heard how they
invade this land, kill and rob the people, and carry off all they
can find. They are not only very wicked but they are disloyal to our
Emperor and disobey his laws. They are also cannibals, for they kill
and eat some of the poor people who are so unfortunate as to fall
into their hands. These devils are very hateful beings. I must go
and conquer them and bring back all the plunder of which they have
robbed this land. It is for this reason that I want to go away for a
short time!"
The old man was much surprised at hearing all this from a mere boy
of fifteen. He thought it best to let the boy go. He was strong and
fearless, and besides all this, the old man knew he was no common
child, for he had been sent to them as a gift from Heaven, and he
felt quite sure that the devils would be powerless to harm him.
"All you say is very interesting, Momotaro," said the old man. "I
will not hinder you in your determination. You may go if you wish.
Go to the island as soon as ever you like and destroy the demons and
bring peace to the land."
"Thank you, for all your kindness," said Momotaro, who began to get
ready to go that very day. He was full of courage and did not know
what fear was.
The old man and woman at once set to work to pound rice in the
kitchen mortar to make cakes for Momotaro to take with him on his
journey.
At last the cakes were made and Momotaro was ready to start on his
long journey.
Parting is always sad. So it was now. The eyes of the two old people
were filled with tears and their voices trembled as they said:
"Go with all care and speed. We expect you back victorious!"
Momotaro was very sorry to leave his old parents (though he knew he
was coming back as soon as he could), for he thought of how lonely
they would be while he was away. But he said "Good-by!" quite
bravely.
"I am going now. Take good care of yourselves while I am away. Goodby!"
And he stepped quickly out of the house. In silence the eyes of
Momotaro and his parents met in farewell.
Momotaro now hurried on his way till it was midday. He began to feel
hungry, so he opened his bag and took out one of the rice-cakes and
sat down under a tree by the side of the road to eat it. While he
was thus having his lunch a dog almost as large as a colt came
running out from the high grass. He made straight for Momotaro, and
showing his teeth, said in a fierce way:
"You are a rude man to pass my field without asking permission
first. If you leave me all the cakes you have in your bag you may
go; otherwise I will bite you till I kill you!"
Momotaro only laughed scornfully:
"What is that you are saying? Do you know who I am? I am Momotaro,
and I am on my way to subdue the devils in their island stronghold
in the northeast of Japan. If you try to stop me on my way there I
will cut you in two from the head downwards!"
The dog's manner at once changed. His tail dropped between his legs,
and coming near he bowed so low that his forehead touched the
ground.
"What do I hear? The name of Momotaro? Are you indeed Momotaro? I
have often heard of your great strength. Not knowing who you were I
have behaved in a very stupid way. Will you please pardon my
rudeness? Are you indeed on your way to invade the Island of Devils?
If you will take such a rude fellow with you as one of your
followers, I shall be very grateful to you."
"I think I can take you with me if you wish to go," said Momotaro.
"Thank you!" said the dog. "By the way, I am very very hungry. Will
you give me one of the cakes you are carrying?"
"This is the best kind of cake there is in Japan," said Momotaro. "I
cannot spare you a whole one; I will give you half of one."
"Thank you very much," said the dog, taking the piece thrown to him.
Then Momotaro got up and the dog followed. For a long time they
walked over the hills and through the valleys. As they were going
along an animal came down from a tree a little ahead of them. The
creature soon came up to Momotaro and said:
"Good morning, Momotaro! You are welcome in this part of the
country. Will you allow me to go with you?"
The dog answered jealously:
"Momotaro already has a dog to accompany him. Of what use is a
monkey like you in battle? We are on our way to fight the devils!
Get away!"
The dog and the monkey began to quarrel and bite, for these two
animals always hate each other.
"Now, don't quarrel!" said Momotaro, putting himself between them.
"Wait a moment, dog!"
"It is not at all dignified for you to have such a creature as that
following you!" said the dog.
"What do you know about it?" asked Momotaro; and pushing aside the
dog, he spoke to the monkey:
"Who are you?"
"I am a monkey living in these hills," replied the monkey." I heard
of your expedition to the Island of Devils, and I have come to go
with you. Nothing will please me more than to follow you!"
"Do you really wish to go to the Island of Devils and fight with
me?"
"Yes, sir," replied the monkey.
"I admire your courage," said Momotaro. "Here is a piece of one of
my fine rice-cakes. Come along!"
So the monkey joined Momotaro. The dog and the monkey did not get on
well together. They were always snapping at each other as they went
along, and always wanting to have a fight. This made Momotaro very
cross, and at last he sent the dog on ahead with a flag and put the
monkey behind with a sword, and he placed himself between them with
a war-fan, which is made of iron.
By and by they came to a large field. Here a bird flew down and
alighted on the ground just in front of the little party. It was the
most beautiful bird Momotaro had ever seen. On its body were five
different robes of feathers and its head was covered with a scarlet
cap.
The dog at once ran at the bird and tried to seize and kill it. But
the bird struck out its spurs and flew at the dog's tail, and the
fight went hard with both.
Momotaro, as he looked on, could not help admiring the bird; it
showed so much spirit in the fight. It would certainly make a good
fighter.
Momotaro went up to the two combatants, and holding the dog back,
said to the bird:
"You rascal! you are hindering my journey. Surrender at once, and I
will take you with me. If you don't I will set this dog to bite your
head off!"
Then the bird surrendered at once, and begged to be taken into
Momotaro's company.
"I do not know what excuse to offer for quarreling with the dog,
your servant, but I did not see you. I am a miserable bird called a
pheasant. It is very generous of you to pardon my rudeness and to
take me with you. Please allow me to follow you behind the dog and
the monkey!"
"I congratulate you on surrendering so soon," said Momotaro,
smiling. "Come and join us in our raid on the devils."
"Are you going to take this bird with you also?" asked the dog,
interrupting.
"Why do you ask such an unnecessary question? Didn't you hear what I
said? I take the bird with me because I wish to!"
"Humph!" said the dog.
Then Momotaro stood and gave this order:
"Now all of you must listen to me. The first thing necessary in an
army is harmony. It is a wise saying which says that 'Advantage on
earth is better than advantage in Heaven!' Union amongst ourselves
is better than any earthly gain. When we are not at peace amongst
ourselves it is no easy thing to subdue an enemy. From now, you
three, the dog, the monkey and the pheasant, must be friends with
one mind. The one who first begins a quarrel will be discharged on
the spot!"
All the three promised not to quarrel. The pheasant was now made a
member of Momotaro's suite, and received half a cake.
Momotaro's influence was so great that the three became good
friends, and hurried onwards with him as their leader.
Hurrying on day after day they at last came out upon the shore of
the North-Eastern Sea. There was nothing to be seen as far as the
horizon--not a sign of any island. All that broke the stillness was
the rolling of the waves upon the shore.
Now, the dog and the monkey and the pheasant had come very bravely
all the way through the long valleys and over the hills, but they
had never seen the sea before, and for the first time since they set
out they were bewildered and gazed at each other in silence. How
were they to cross the water and get to the Island of Devils?
Momotaro soon saw that they were daunted by the sight of the sea,
and to try them he spoke loudly and roughly:
"Why do you hesitate? Are you afraid of the sea? Oh! what cowards
you are! It is impossible to take such weak creatures as you with me
to fight the demons. It will be far better for me to go alone. I
discharge you all at once!"
The three animals were taken aback at this sharp reproof, and clung
to Momotaro's sleeve, begging him not to send them away.
"Please, Momotaro!" said the dog.
"We have come thus far!" said the monkey.
"It is inhuman to leave us here!" said the pheasant.
"We are not at all afraid of the sea," said the monkey again.
"Please do take us with you," said the pheasant.
"Do please," said the dog.
They had now gained a little courage, so Momotaro said:
"Well, then, I will take you with me, but be careful!"
Momotaro now got a small ship, and they all got on board. The wind
and weather were fair, and the ship went like an arrow over the sea.
It was the first time they had ever been on the water, and so at
first the dog, the monkey and the pheasant were frightened at the
waves and the rolling of the vessel, but by degrees they grew
accustomed to the water and were quite happy again. Every day they
paced the deck of their little ship, eagerly looking out for the
demons' island.
When they grew tired of this, they told each other stories of all
their exploits of which they were proud, and then played games
together; and Momotaro found much to amuse him in listening to the
three animals and watching their antics, and in this way he forgot
that the way was long and that he was tired of the voyage and of
doing nothing. He longed to be at work killing the monsters who had
done so much harm in his country.
As the wind blew in their favor and they met no storms the ship made
a quick voyage, and one day when the sun was shining brightly a
sight of land rewarded the four watchers at the bow.
Momotaro knew at once that what they saw was the devils' stronghold.
On the top of the precipitous shore, looking out to sea, was a large
castle. Now that his enterprise was close at hand, he was deep in
thought with his head leaning on his hands, wondering how he should
begin the attack. His three followers watched him, waiting for
orders. At last he called to the pheasant:
"It is a great advantage for us to have you with us." said Momotaro
to the bird, "for you have good wings. Fly at once to the castle and
engage the demons to fight. We will follow you."
The pheasant at once obeyed. He flew off from the ship beating the
air gladly with his wings. The bird soon reached the island and took
up his position on the roof in the middle of the castle, calling out
loudly:
"All you devils listen to me! The great Japanese general Momotaro
has come to fight you and to take your stronghold from you. If you
wish to save your lives surrender at once, and in token of your
submission you must break off the horns that grow on your forehead.
If you do not surrender at once, but make up your mind to fight, we,
the pheasant, the dog and the monkey, will kill you all by biting
and tearing you to death!"
The horned demons looking up and only seeing a pheasant, laughed and
said:
"A wild pheasant, indeed! It is ridiculous to hear such words from a
mean thing like you. Wait till you get a blow from one of our iron
bars!"
Very angry, indeed, were the devils. They shook their horns and
their shocks of red hair fiercely, and rushed to put on tiger skin
trousers to make themselves look more terrible. They then brought
out great iron bars and ran to where the pheasant perched over their
heads, and tried to knock him down. The pheasant flew to one side to
escape the blow, and then attacked the head of first one and then
another demon. He flew round and round them, beating the air with
his wings so fiercely and ceaselessly, that the devils began to
wonder whether they had to fight one or many more birds.
In the meantime, Momotaro had brought his ship to land. As they had
approached, he saw that the shore was like a precipice, and that the
large castle was surrounded by high walls and large iron gates and
was strongly fortified.
Momotaro landed, and with the hope of finding some way of entrance,
walked up the path towards the top, followed by the monkey and the
dog. They soon came upon two beautiful damsels washing clothes in a
stream. Momotaro saw that the clothes were blood-stained, and that
as the two maidens washed, the tears were falling fast down their
cheeks. He stopped and spoke to them:
"Who are you, and why do you weep?"
"We are captives of the Demon King. We were carried away from our
homes to this island, and though we are the daughters of Daimios
(Lords), we are obliged to be his servants, and one day he will kill
us"--and the maidens held up the blood-stained clothes--"and eat us,
and there is no one to help us!"
And their tears burst out afresh at this horrible thought.
"I will rescue you," said Momotaro. "Do not weep any more, only show
me how I may get into the castle."
Then the two ladies led the way and showed Momotaro a little back
door in the lowest part of the castle wall--so small that Momotaro
could hardly crawl in.
The pheasant, who was all this time fighting hard, saw Momotaro and
his little band rush in at the back.
Momotaro's onslaught was so furious that the devils could not stand
against him. At first their foe had been a single bird, the
pheasant, but now that Momotaro and the dog and the monkey had
arrived they were bewildered, for the four enemies fought like a
hundred, so strong were they. Some of the devils fell off the
parapet of the castle and were dashed to pieces on the rocks
beneath; others fell into the sea and were drowned; many were beaten
to death by the three animals.
The chief of the devils at last was the only one left. He made up
his mind to surrender, for he knew that his enemy was stronger than
mortal man.
He came up humbly to Momotaro and threw down his iron bar, and
kneeling down at the victor's feet he broke off the horns on his
head in token of submission, for they were the sign of his strength
and power.
"I am afraid of you," he said meekly. "I cannot stand against you. I
will give you all the treasure hidden in this castle if you will
spare my life!"
Momotaro laughed.
"It is not like you, big devil, to beg for mercy, is it? I cannot
spare your wicked life, however much you beg, for you have killed
and tortured many people and robbed our country for many years."
Then Momotaro tied the devil chief up and gave him into the monkey's
charge. Having done this, he went into all the rooms of the castle
and set the prisoners free and gathered together all the treasure he
found.
The dog and the pheasant carried home the plunder, and thus Momotaro
returned triumphantly to his home, taking with him the devil chief
as a captive.
The two poor damsels, daughters of Daimios, and others whom the
wicked demon had carried off to be his slaves, were taken safely to
their own homes and delivered to their parents.
The whole country made a hero of Momotaro on his triumphant return,
and rejoiced that the country was now freed from the robber devils
who had been a terror of the land for a long time.
The old couple's joy was greater than ever, and the treasure
Momotaro had brought home with him enabled them to live in peace and
plenty to the end of their days.
Vintage Advertisement - Newspaper
Hi all.. This is my first post.
In this post I'd like to share some adorable vintage advertising pictures.
Today's theme is vintage vehicle newspaper advertisement.
You can download it here (click on the image to download a higher quality image):
In this post I'd like to share some adorable vintage advertising pictures.
Today's theme is vintage vehicle newspaper advertisement.
You can download it here (click on the image to download a higher quality image):
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