Scroll Panels From the Tale of Fujiwara Hidesato

8/14/2019 Scroll Panels From the Tale of Fujiwara Hidesato

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Created for Lit2Go on the web at fcit.usf.edu

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stepped now on the dragons body, now be-tween its coils, and without even one glancebackward he went on his way.

He had only gone a ew steps whenhe heard some one calling him rombehind. On turning back he wasmuch surprised to see that the mon-

ster dragon had entirely disappearedand in its place was a strange-looking

man, who was bowing most ceremoniouslyto the ground. His red hair streamed over hisshoulders and was surmounted by a crown inthe shape o a dragons head, and his sea-greendress was patterned with shells. Hidesato knewat once that this was no ordinary mortal andhe wondered much at the strange occurrence.

Where had the dragon gone in such a shortspace o time? Or had it transormed itsel

into this man, and what did the whole thingmean? While these thoughts passed throughhis mind he had come up to the man on thebridge and now addressed him:

Was it you that called me just now?Yes, it was I, answered the man: I

have an earnest request to make to you. Doyou think you can grant it to me?

I it is in my power to do so I will, answered

Hidesato, but rst tell me who you are?I am the Dragon King o the Lake, and my

home is in these waters just under this bridge.And what is it you have to ask o me!

said Hidesato.

Long, long ago there lived, in Japan abrave warrior known to all as awara oda,or My Lord Bag o Rice. His true name

was Fujiwara Hidesato, and there is avery interesting story o how he cameto change his name.

One day he sallied orth insearch o adventures, or he hadthe nature o a warrior and could

not bear to be idle. So he buckled on histwo swords, took his huge bow, much tall-er than himsel, in his hand, and slinginghis quiver on his back started out. He hadnot gone ar when he came to the bridgeo Seta-no-Karashi spanning one end othe beautiul Lake Biwa. No sooner had heset oot on the bridge than he saw lyingright across his path a huge serpent-drag-

on. Its body was so big that it looked likethe trunk o a large pine tree and it tookup the whole width o the bridge. One oits huge claws rested on the parapet o oneside o the bridge, while its tail lay rightagainst the other. he monster seemedto be asleep, and as it breathed, ire andsmoke came out o its nostrils.

At rst Hidesato could not help eeling

alarmed at the sight o this horrible reptile ly-ing in his path, or he must either turn backor walk right over its body. He was a braveman, however, and putting aside all ear wentorward dauntlessly. Crunch, crunch! he

My Lord Bag of RiceFrom Japanese Fairy Tales


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My Lord Bag of Rice From Japanese Fairy Tales

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I want you to kill my mortal enemythe centipede, who lives on the mountain

beyond, and the Dragon King pointed to ahigh peak on the opposite shore o the lake.I have lived now or many years in this

lake and I have a large amily o children andgrand-children. For some time past we havelived in terror, or a monster centipede hasdiscovered our home, and night ater night itcomes and carries o one o my amily. I ampowerless to save them. I it goes on much

longer like this, not only shall I lose all mychildren, but I mysel must all a victim tothe monster. I am, thereore, very unhappy,and in my extremity I determined to ask thehelp o a human being. For many days withthis intention I have waited on the bridge inthe shape o the horrible serpent-dragon thatyou saw, in the hope that some strong braveman would come along. But all who camethis way, as soon as they saw me were terri-ed and ran away as ast as they could. Youare the rst man I have ound able to lookat me without ear, so I knew at once thatyou were a man o great courage. I beg youto have pity upon me. Will you not help meand kill my enemy the centipede?

Hidesato elt very sorry or the DragonKing on hearing his story, and readily prom-ised to do what he could to help him. Te

warrior asked where the centipede lived, sothat he might attack the creature at once.Te Dragon King replied that its home wason the mountain Mikami, but that as it cameevery night at a certain hour to the palace o

the lake, it would be better to wait till then.So Hidesato was conducted to the palace o

the Dragon King, under the bridge. Strangeto say, as he ollowed his host downwardsthe waters parted to let them pass, and hisclothes did not even eel damp as he passedthrough the food. Never had Hidesato seenanything so beautiul as this palace built o

white marble beneath the lake. He had o-ten heard o the Sea Kings palace at the bot-tom o the sea, where all the servants and

retainers were salt-water shes, but here wasa magnicent building in the heart o LakeBiwa. Te dainty goldshes, red carp, andsilvery trout, waited upon the Dragon Kingand his guest.

Hidesato was astonished at the east thatwas spread or him. Te dishes were crystal-lized lotus leaves and fowers, and the chop-sticks were o the rarest ebony. As soon as theysat down, the sliding doors opened and tenlovely goldsh dancers came out, and behindthem ollowed ten red-carp musicians withthe koto and the samisen. Tus the hours fewby till midnight, and the beautiul music anddancing had banished all thoughts o the cen-tipede. Te Dragon King was about to pledgethe warrior in a resh cup o wine when thepalace was suddenly shaken by a tramp, tramp!as i a mighty army had begun to march notar away.

Hidesato and his host both rose to theireet and rushed to the balcony, and the war-rior saw on the opposite mountain two greatballs o glowing re coming nearer and near-


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er. Te Dragon King stood by the warriorsside trembling with ear.

Te centipede! Te centipede! Tosetwo balls o re are its eyes. It is coming orits prey! Now is the time to kill it.

Hidesato looked where his host point-ed, and, in the dim light o the starlit eve-ning, behind the two balls o re he saw thelong body o an enormous centipede wind-ing round the mountains, and the light inits hundred eet glowed like so many distant

lanterns moving slowly towards the shore.Hidesato showed not the least sign oear. He tried to calm the Dragon King.

Dont be araid. I shall surely kill the cen-tipede. Just bring me my bow and arrows.

Te Dragon King did as he was bid, andthe warrior noticed that he had only threearrows let in his quiver. He took the bow,and tting an arrow to the notch, took care-ul aim and let fy.

Te arrow hit the centipede right in themiddle o its head, but instead o penetrat-ing, it glanced o harmless and ell to theground.

Nothing daunted, Hidesato took anoth-er arrow, tted it to the notch o the bowand let fy. Again the arrow hit the mark, itstruck the centipede right in the middle oits head, only to glance o and all to theground. Te centipede was invulnerable to

weapons! When the Dragon King saw thateven this brave warriors arrows were power-less to kill the centipede, he lost heart andbegan to tremble with ear.

Te warrior saw that he had now onlyone arrow let in his quiver, and i this one

ailed he could not kill the centipede. Helooked across the waters. Te huge reptile hadwound its horrid body seven times round themountain and would soon come down to thelake. Nearer and nearer gleamed reballs oeyes, and the light o its hundred eet beganto throw refections in the still waters o thelake.

Ten suddenly the warrior remembered

that he had heard that human saliva wasdeadly to centipedes. But this was no ordi-nary centipede. Tis was so monstrous thateven to think o such a creature made onecreep with horror. Hidesato determined totry his last chance. So taking his last arrowand rst putting the end o it in his mouth,he tted the notch to his bow, took careulaim once more and let fy.

Tis time the arrow again hit the centi-pede right in the middle o its head, but in-stead o glancing o harmlessly as beore, itstruck home to the creatures brain. Ten witha convulsive shudder the serpentine bodystopped moving, and the ery light o its greateyes and hundred eet darkened to a dull glarelike the sunset o a stormy day, and then wentout in blackness. A great darkness now over-spread the heavens, the thunder rolled and thelightning fashed, and the wind roared in ury,and it seemed as i the world were coming toan end. Te Dragon King and his childrenand retainers all crouched in dierent parts othe palace, rightened to death, or the build-


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ing was shaken to its oundation. At last thedreadul night was over. Day dawned beauti-

ul and clear. Te centipede was gone rom themountain.Ten Hidesato called to the Dragon

King to come out with him on the balcony,or the centipede was dead and he had noth-ing more to ear.

Ten all the inhabitants o the palacecame out with joy, and Hidesato pointed tothe lake. Tere lay the body o the dead cen-

tipede foating on the water, which was dyedred with its blood.Te gratitude o the Dragon King knew

no bounds. Te whole amily came andbowed down beore the warrior, calling himtheir preserver and the bravest warrior in all

Japan.Another east was prepared, more sump-

tuous than the rst. All kinds o sh, pre-pared in every imaginable way, raw, stewed,boiled and roasted, served on coral trays andcrystal dishes, were put beore him, and the

wine was the best that Hidesato had evertasted in his lie. o add to the beauty o ev-erything the sun shone brightly, the lake glit-tered like a liquid diamond, and the palace

was a thousand times more beautiul by daythan by night.

His host tried to persuade the warriorto stay a ew days, but Hidesato insisted ongoing home, saying that he had now n-ished what he had come to do, and must re-turn. Te Dragon King and his amily wereall very sorry to have him leave so soon, but

since he would go they begged him to ac-cept a ew small presents (so they said) in

token o their gratitude to him or deliver-ing them orever rom their horrible enemythe centipede.

As the warrior stood in the porch takingleave, a train o sh was suddenly transormedinto a retinue o men, all wearing ceremoni-al robes and dragons crowns on their headsto show that they were servants o the greatDragon King. Te presents that they carried

were as ollows:First, a large bronze bell.Second, a bag o rice.Tird, a roll o silk.Fourth, a cooking pot.Fith, a bell.

Hidesato did not want to accept all thesepresents, but as the Dragon King insisted, hecould not well reuse.

Te Dragon King himsel accompaniedthe warrior as ar as the bridge, and thentook leave o him with many bows and good

wishes, leaving the procession o servants toaccompany Hidesato to his house with thepresents.

Te warriors household and servantshad been very much concerned when theyound that he did not return the night be-ore, but they nally concluded that he hadbeen kept by the violent storm and had takenshelter somewhere. When the servants on the

watch or his return caught sight o him theycalled to every one that he was approaching,and the whole household turned out to meet


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him, wondering much what the retinue omen, bearing presents and banners, that ol-

lowed him, could mean. As soon as the Dragon Kings retainershad put down the presents they vanished, andHidesato told all that had happened to him.

Te presents which he had received romthe grateul Dragon King were ound to be omagic power. Te bell only was ordinary, andas Hidesato had no use or it he presented itto the temple near by, where it was hung up,

to boom out the hour o day over the sur-rounding neighborhood.Te single bag o rice, however much was

taken rom it day ater day or the meals o theknight and his whole amily, never grew lessthe supply in the bag was inexhaustible.

Te roll o silk, too, never grew shorter,though time ater time long pieces were cuto to make the warrior a new suit o clothesto go to Court in at the New Year.

Te cooking pot was wonderul, too. Nomatter what was put into it, it cooked de-liciously whatever was wanted without anyringtruly a very economical saucepan.

Te ame o Hidesatos ortune spreadar and wide, and as there was no need orhim to spend money on rice or silk or ring,he became very rich and prosperous, and washenceorth known as My Lord Bag o Rice.

Documents

Scroll Panels From the Tale of Fujiwara Hidesato