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Then he drones out his chant in tones like the note of the cicada. But suppose that the demon is not a whit disturbed, and that the spells are of no avail? The whole household, who had joined in the prayers, begin to wonder. Still he goes on hour after hour till he is utterly weary.. At last he sees that it is useless, so he lets them get up and takes 108 JAPANESE LITERATURE back his maces and bells with a confession of failure. How he ruffles back his hair and scratches his head as with many a yawn he lays himself down to sleep !” VISIT OF THE EMPRESS TO A COURT NOBLE “When the Empress visited the Daishin Narimasa, her carriage went in by the East Gate, which is wide with four pillars. Her women, however, preferred to have their carriages go round to the North Gate, where there were no guards. Some who had not done up their hair thought to themselves with some disdain, “ Oh, we shall drive up to the door, so we need not be very particular.” But the palm-leaf-covered carriages stuck fast in the narrow portal, and there was no possibility of getting in. So the usual path of matting was laid, and we were told to get down, to our no small annoyance and indignation. But there was no help for it. It was provoking to see the courtiers and servants standing together in the guard-room to watch us pass. When we came before her Majesty, and told her what had happened, she only laughed at us, saying, ‘Is there nobody looking at you now? How can you be so untidy ?’ ‘Yes,’ replied I, ‘but everybody here is used to us, and would be greatly surprised if we took special pains about our appearance. To think that a mansion like this should have a gate too small to admit a car- riage! I shall have a good laugh at the Daishin when I meet him.’ Presently he came in bringing the Empress’s ink-stone and writing materials. ‘This is too bad of you,’ said I. ‘How can you live in a house with such a narrow gate?’ To which he replied with a smile, that his house was on a scale suited to his station, ‘And MAKURA ZOSHI 109 yet,’ said I, ‘I have heard of a man who had his gate, though nothing more, made too large for his personal requirements,’ ‘Well, to be sure,’ said the Daishin, with astonishment, ‘you refer, of course, to U Teikoku [a Chinese worthy]. Who would have thought that any one but a venerable pundit knew aught of that? I myself have occasionally strayed into the paths of learn- ing, and fully comprehend your allusion. ‘Indeed, then,’ returned I, ‘your paths are none of the most sensible. There was a nice disturbance, I can tell you, when we found ourselves entrapped into walking along your matted paths.’ ‘I fear you must have been incom- moded,’ he replied. ‘And it was raining, too. But I must attend the Empress.’ Saying which, he made his exit. “<What was it put Narimasa out so much?’ the Empress inquired of me later. ‘Oh, nothing,’ I said; ‘I was only telling him of our misadventure at his gate.’ DOMESTIC SCENE IN THE MIKADO’S PALACE “On the sliding doors of the northern front of the Mikado’s private apartments there are painted fearful pictures of creatures that live in the wild ocean, some with long arms, others with long legs. When the doors of the ante-chamber are open we can always see them. One day towards noon, while we were laughing and talking about them, saying what hideous things they are, and were engaged in setting great flower-pots of green porcelain? by the balustrade of the verandah, and filling them with an abundance of the most delightful 1 Probably of the kind now known to connoisseurs as Seiji, 110 JAPANESE LITERATURE cherry branches five feet long, so that the blossoms over- flowed to the foot of the railing, his Excellency the Dainagon [the Empress’s brother] approached. He had on acherry-coloured tunic, enough worn to have lost its stiffness, and dark purple trousers. His white under- clothing, showing at the neck, displayed a gay pattern of a deep crimson hue. As the Mikado was then with the Empress, he seated himself on the narrow platform before the door and made some report to him on official | matters. “The waiting-women, with their cherry-coloured sleeve- less jackets hanging down loosely by their sides, some dressed in wzstaria [purple], some in kerria [yellow], and all manner of lovely colours, showed out from the screen of the small hatch. Just then dinner was served in the Imperial apartments. We could hear the tramp- ling of the attendants’ feet, and the cry ‘Less noise’ from one of the chamberlains. The serene aspect of the weather was exceedingly agreeable. When the last dishes had been served, a butler came and announced dinner. The Mikado went away by the middle door, attended by his Excellency the Dainagon, who subse- quently returned to his former place beside the flowers. The Empress then pushed aside the curtain, and came forward as far as the threshold to greet him. He re- marked on the beauty of the surroundings and the good deportment of the servants, and ended by quoting the line of poetry which says— ‘ The days and months roll on, But the Mount of Mimoro remains for ever? “TI was deeply impressed, and wished in my heart that so it might indeed continue for a thousand years, MAKURA ZOSHI LUir / THE ATTACK OF THE DOG OKINAMARO UPON THE CAT MIYOBU NO OTODO “The august Cat-in-waiting on the Mikado was a very delightful animal, and a great favourite with his Majesty, who conferred on her the fifth rank of nobility and the title of Miyobu no Otodo, or Chief Superintendent of the Female Attendants of the Palace. One day she had gone out on to the bridge between two of the buildings of the Palace, when the nurse in charge of her called out, ‘How improper! Come in at once.’ But the cat paid no attention, and went on basking drowsily in the sun. So in order to frighten her, ‘Where is Okina- maro ?’ cried the nurse. ‘Okinamaro! bite Miyobu no Otodo.’ The foolish dog, thinking she was in earnest, flew at the cat, who 1n her fright and consternation took refuge behind the screen of the breakfast-room where his Majesty then was. The Mikado was greatly shocked and agitated. He took the cat into his august bosom, and summoning the chamberlain Tadataka, gave orders that Okinamaro should have a good thrashing and be banished to Dog Island at once. The attendants gave chase to Okinamaro amid great confusion. They soon caught him, and sent him away as they were ordered. “Alas, poor dog! He used to swagger about so much at his ease. When on the third day of the third month he was led along with a willow wreath upon his head, and adorned with flowers of peach and cherry, did he ever think that it would come to this ? At meal times he used always to be in attendance, and now, when three or four days passed without him, we missed him greatly. One day at noon there was a tremendous noise of 4 112 JAPANESE LITERATURE dog’s howling. All the other dogs rushed to the spot in excitement to see what made him go on yelping so. Meanwhile a scavenger-woman of the Palace came to us running. ‘Oh! how terrible!’ exclaimed she. ‘Two © of the chamberlains are beating a dog till he is nearly dead. They say they are chastising him for having come back after he was banished.’ My heart told me that it was Okinamaro who was being beaten by Tadataka and Sanefusa. I was just sending to:stop them when the howling ceased. I was then told that he was dead, and that his body had been flung away outside the gate. At sundown, when we were all pitying his fate, a wretched- looking dog, trembling all over, walked in, his body fearfully and amazingly swollen. ‘Can this be Okina- maro ?’ we said. ‘No such dog has been seen about here recently. We called to him by his name, but he took no notice. Some said it was he, others that it was not. The Empress sent for a lady who knew him well. ‘Is this Okinamaro ?’ she said, pointing to him. ‘It is like him,’ replied she, ‘but is too utterly loathsome to be our dog. Besides, when one called to Okinamaro by name, he came joyfully; but this animal won’t come. It cannot be Okinamaro. And then Okinamaro was killed and his body thrown away. He can’t possibly be alive after the beating he got from the two. chamberlains,’ When it got dark he was offered something to eat, but he refused it, so we made up our minds that it could not be our friend. The next morning when I went to attend the Empress at her toilet, and had served her wash-hand basin and her mirror, a dog came to the foot of one of the pillars. ‘Alas!’ cried the Empress, ‘what a terrible beating Okinamaro seems to have got last night. Iam so sorry that he is dead. I suppose he now looks some- MAKURA ZOSHI 113 thing like that animal. He must have suffered miserably.’ At this moment the dog lying by the pillar trembled and shook, and poured forth a flood of tears, to our intense amazement. This was Okinamaro after all, and his refusal on the previous day to come when he was called was for fear of betraying himself. The Empress was touched and delighted beyond measure. She put down her mirror and called to him, ‘Okinamaro!’ The dog laid himself flat on the ground and yelped loudly, at which the Empress was greatly amused. Everybody gathered round, and there was much talking and laugh- ing. The Mikado himself, when he heard of it, came in, and smilingly expressed his amazement at the good sense shown by a dog.” The reader will be glad to hear that Okinamaro’s sentence of banishment was reversed; he was well treated, and in a short time was his old self again. But the author was not always so tender-hearted towards dogs. Among “ Detestable Things” she enume- raves- + A dog who barks in recognition of your lover when he comes to pay you a clandestine visit—that dog should be killed.