the jar, and found you dozing in the room. I tried to do some mischief to you, but instead I found myself in trouble. You are far greater than I, and you have opened my eyes. I humbly apologize to you for my ill conduct. Please let me be your follower."
At this, the aged priest granted his request and made him his follower. This tale teaches us the lesson that we must not be conceited.
18. Grave of the chopstick
L ONG, LONG AGO , there was a very beautiful princess in this country. Since she was the only daughter of the emperor and empress, she was raised with the deepest affection and utmost care which are usual with the Japanese.
One night, when she was in her bedroom, a handsome lad stole in and proposed to her. "How could a decent girl simply accept the proposal of a stranger without the consent of her parents?" The princess rebuffed him politely.
But the lad came night after night and earnestly proposed to her, saying, "Even though your father and mother came to know our secret connection, I am sure they would never oppose it." Despite his persistent proposal, the princess would not give him her consent.
As time went by, however, the princess gradually found it difficult to resist. She therefore talked over the matter with her father and mother, who then thought that the lad could not be an ordinary person to steal into the heavily guarded palace every night and propose to her. They imagined that this mysterious intruder must be a deity incarnate. A deity incarnate! At that, the princess felt obliged to give herself to the stranger. From that night, the two became inseparable. But, strange to say, the princess still knew nothing about the man, even his name and rank.
One night, when he came, she said, "My dear, I am sorry I have not yet been told anything about you. I think we should open our hearts. Don't you think so?"
The young man replied, "I am one who is always near you. If you are so eager to know something about me, I suggest you to look into your small oil bottle tomorrow morning. Then, you will find out who I am. But I give you a warning: Don't be startled at what is in the bottle. If you do, I should be obliged to part from you forever. Please remember that."
The girl wondered about the strange remark, but made a promise that she wouldn't be startled by anything in the bottle. When day broke, the man faded away.
Time came when the princess was to open the bottle. When she took off the lid and looked in, she found a very small white snake coiling its body at the bottom! At that, the princess became frightened. With a shriek, she dropped the bottle on the floor and ran out of the room. That her lover should be a small snake!
That night, the lad came as usual. But he was in ill humor. He would not even come near the princess. She wondered what was the matter with him. Coldly he said, "My dear girl, you have broken your promise. I am disappointed in you. As I told you before, I am obliged to part from you."
With that, he was ready to go. The princess was surprised and, clinging to his sleeve, implored, "I am very sorry. Please forgive me. I swear that I never will do that again. So, please do not go away."
For a moment, the princess struggled with the lad to keep him from going, but in vain. The lad, forcibly thrusting her away, vanished. How sad she was! The princess now lost what she lived for. In despair, she took a sharp chopstick, struck it into her heart, and died.
The emperor and empress grieved deeply over her death and buried her body somewhere on the outskirts of Nara. It is told that at the site where her body was buried, there was erected a tombstone which people later called "Hashi no Haka" (Grave of the Chopstick).
19. The bell thieves
L ONG, LONG AGO , in the province of Settsu (now Hyogo Prefecture), there was an old Buddhist temple called Koya-dera.
One day an old priest about eighty years of age visited this temple. He had a cane in one hand and a big straw hat in the other. It
At this, the aged priest granted his request and made him his follower. This tale teaches us the lesson that we must not be conceited.
18. Grave of the chopstick
L ONG, LONG AGO , there was a very beautiful princess in this country. Since she was the only daughter of the emperor and empress, she was raised with the deepest affection and utmost care which are usual with the Japanese.
One night, when she was in her bedroom, a handsome lad stole in and proposed to her. "How could a decent girl simply accept the proposal of a stranger without the consent of her parents?" The princess rebuffed him politely.
But the lad came night after night and earnestly proposed to her, saying, "Even though your father and mother came to know our secret connection, I am sure they would never oppose it." Despite his persistent proposal, the princess would not give him her consent.
As time went by, however, the princess gradually found it difficult to resist. She therefore talked over the matter with her father and mother, who then thought that the lad could not be an ordinary person to steal into the heavily guarded palace every night and propose to her. They imagined that this mysterious intruder must be a deity incarnate. A deity incarnate! At that, the princess felt obliged to give herself to the stranger. From that night, the two became inseparable. But, strange to say, the princess still knew nothing about the man, even his name and rank.
One night, when he came, she said, "My dear, I am sorry I have not yet been told anything about you. I think we should open our hearts. Don't you think so?"
The young man replied, "I am one who is always near you. If you are so eager to know something about me, I suggest you to look into your small oil bottle tomorrow morning. Then, you will find out who I am. But I give you a warning: Don't be startled at what is in the bottle. If you do, I should be obliged to part from you forever. Please remember that."
The girl wondered about the strange remark, but made a promise that she wouldn't be startled by anything in the bottle. When day broke, the man faded away.
Time came when the princess was to open the bottle. When she took off the lid and looked in, she found a very small white snake coiling its body at the bottom! At that, the princess became frightened. With a shriek, she dropped the bottle on the floor and ran out of the room. That her lover should be a small snake!
That night, the lad came as usual. But he was in ill humor. He would not even come near the princess. She wondered what was the matter with him. Coldly he said, "My dear girl, you have broken your promise. I am disappointed in you. As I told you before, I am obliged to part from you."
With that, he was ready to go. The princess was surprised and, clinging to his sleeve, implored, "I am very sorry. Please forgive me. I swear that I never will do that again. So, please do not go away."
For a moment, the princess struggled with the lad to keep him from going, but in vain. The lad, forcibly thrusting her away, vanished. How sad she was! The princess now lost what she lived for. In despair, she took a sharp chopstick, struck it into her heart, and died.
The emperor and empress grieved deeply over her death and buried her body somewhere on the outskirts of Nara. It is told that at the site where her body was buried, there was erected a tombstone which people later called "Hashi no Haka" (Grave of the Chopstick).
19. The bell thieves
L ONG, LONG AGO , in the province of Settsu (now Hyogo Prefecture), there was an old Buddhist temple called Koya-dera.
One day an old priest about eighty years of age visited this temple. He had a cane in one hand and a big straw hat in the other. It
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