Part 5 (2/2)

But at last he decided that he might more easily get another daughter than another wife whom he would love as much as he did this one. So he commanded two of his servants to carry off the child to the forest while her mother was not looking, to slay her there, and bring back her heart.

So they took her. But, being merciful men, they slew, instead of her, a dog that came by that way, and brought the child back secretly to her mother, who was much frightened to hear what had happened, and who fled with the child. Meanwhile the dog's heart was brought to the step-mother, who was so overjoyed at the sight of it, that she declared she required no more. So, without even eating it, she left off pretending to be sick.

For some time after this, she lived alone with her husband. But at last he was told of what had happened, and he grew very sullen. She, seeing this, wished for a livelier husband. So one day, when her husband was out hunting, a young man, beautifully dressed all in black, came and courted her, and she flirted with him, and showed him her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Then they fled together, and came to a beautiful house with gold mats, where they slept together. But when she woke in the morning it was not a house at all, but a rubble of leaves and branches in the midst of the forest; and her new husband was nothing but a carrion-crow perching overhead, and her own body, too, was turned into a crow's, and she had to eat dung.

But the former husband was warned in a dream to take back his younger wife and his child, and the three lived happily together ever after.

From that time forward most men have left off the bad habit of having more than one wife.--(Written down from memory. Told by Ishanashte, November, 1886.)

xlii.--_The Clever Deceiver._

A long, long time ago there was a rascal, who went to the mountains to fetch wood. As he did not know how to amuse himself, he climbed to the top of a very thick pine-tree. Having munched some rice he stuck it about the branches of the tree, so as to make it look like birds' dung.

Then he went back to the village, to the house of the chief, and spoke thus to him: ”I have found a place where a beautiful peac.o.c.k has its nest. Let us go there together! Being such a poor man, I feel myself unworthy of going too near the divine bird. You, being a rich man, should take the peac.o.c.k. It will be a great treasure for you. Let us go!”

So the chief went there with him. When the chief looked, there truly were many traces of birds' dung near the top of the tall pine-tree. He thought the peac.o.c.k was there. So he said: ”I do not know how to climb trees. Though you are a poor man you do know how to do so. So go and get the peac.o.c.k, and I will reward you well. Go and get the divine peac.o.c.k!”

So the poor man climbed the tree. When he was half way up it, he said: ”Oh! sir, your house seems to be on fire.” The chief was much frightened. Owing to his being frightened, he was about to run home.

Then the rascal spoke thus: ”By this time your house is quite burnt down. There is no use in your running there.” The rich man thought he would go anywhere to die; so he went towards the mountains. After he had gone a short way, he thought thus: ”You should go and see even the traces of your burnt house.” So he went down there. When he looked, he found that his house was not burnt at all. He was very angry, and wanted to kill that rascal. Then the rascal came down. The chief commanded his servants, saying: ”You fellows! this man is not only poor, but a very badly behaved deceiver. Put him into a mat, and roll him up in it without killing him. Then throw him into the river. Do this!” Thus spoke the chief.

The servants put the rascal into the mat, and tied it round tight. Then two of them carried him between them on a pole to the river-bank. They went to the river. The rascal spoke thus: ”Though I am a very bad man, I have some very precious treasures. Do you go and fetch them. If you do so, it can be arranged about their being given to you. Afterwards you can throw me into the river.” Hearing this, the two servants went off to the rascal's house.

Meanwhile a blind old man came along from somewhere or other. His foot struck against something wrapped up in a mat. Astonished at this, he tapped it with his stick. Then the rascal said: ”Blind man! If you will do as I tell you, the G.o.ds will give you eyes, and you will be able to see. So do so. If you will untie me and do as I tell you, I will pray to the G.o.ds, and your eyes will be opened.” The blind old man was very glad. He untied the mat, and let the rascal out. Then the rascal saw that, though the man was old and blind, he was dressed very much like a G.o.d. The rascal said: ”Take off your clothes and become naked, whereupon your eyes will quickly be opened.” This being so, the blind old man took off his clothes. Then the rascal put him naked into the mat, and tied it round tight. Then he went off with the clothes, and hid.

Shortly afterwards, the two men came, and said: ”You rascal! you are truly a deceiver. So, though you possess no treasures, you possess plenty of deceit. So now we shall fling you into the water.” The blind old man said: ”I am a blind old man. I am not that rascal. Please do not kill me!” But he was forthwith flung into the river. Afterwards the two men went home to their master's house.

Afterwards the rascal put on the blind old man's beautiful clothes. Then he went to the chief's house and said: ”My appearance of misbehaviour was not real. The G.o.ddess who lives in the river was very much in love with me. So she wanted to take and marry my spirit after I should have been killed by being thrown into the river. So my misdeeds are all her doing. Though I went to that G.o.ddess, I felt unworthy to become her husband, because I am a poor man. I have arranged so that you, who are the chief of the village, should go and have her, and I have come to tell you so. That being so, I am in these beautiful clothes because I come from the G.o.ddess.” Thus he spoke. As the chief of the village saw that the rascal was dressed in nothing but the best clothes, and thought that he was speaking the truth, he said: ”It will be well for me to be tied up in a mat, and flung into the river.” Therefore this was done, just as had been done with the rascal, and he was drowned in the water.

After that, the rascal became the chief, and dwelt in the drowned chief's house. Thus very bad men lived in ancient times also. So it is said.--(Translated literally. Told by Ishanashte, 18th July, 1886.)

xliii.--_Yos.h.i.+tsune._

[It has been generally believed, both by j.a.panese and Europeans who have written about the Ainos, that the latter wors.h.i.+p Yos.h.i.+tsune, a j.a.panese hero of the twelfth century, who is said,--not, indeed, by j.a.panese historians, but by j.a.panese tradition,--to have fled to Yezo when the star of his fortune had set. The following details concerning Yos.h.i.+tsune bear so completely the stamp of the myth, that they may, perhaps, be allowed a place in this collection. It should be mentioned that Yos.h.i.+tsune is known to the Ainos under the name of _Hongai Sama_. _Sama_ is the j.a.panese for ”Mr.” or ”Lord.” _Hongai_ is the form in which, according to a regular law of permutation affecting words adopted into Aino from j.a.panese, the word _Hgwan_, which was Yos.h.i.+tsune's official t.i.tle, appears! The name of _Hongai Sama_ is, however, used only in wors.h.i.+p, not in the recounting of the myth. Mr. Batchelor, whose position as missionary to the Ainos must give his opinion great weight in such matters, thinks that the Ainos do _not_ wors.h.i.+p Yos.h.i.+tsune. But I can only exactly record that which I was told myself.]

Okikurumi, accompanied by his younger sister Tures.h.i.+[hi], had taught the Ainos all arts, such as hunting with the bow and arrow, netting and spearing fish, and many more; and himself knew everything by means of two charms or treasures. One of these was a piece of writing, the other was an abacus; and they told him whence the wind would blow, how many birds there were in the forest, and all sorts of other things.

One day there came,--none knew whence,--a man of divine appearance, whose name was unknown to all. He took up his abode with Okikurumi, and a.s.sisted the latter in all his labour with wonderful ability. He taught Okikurumi how to row with two oars instead of simply poling with one pole, as had been usual before in Aino-land. Okikurumi was delighted to obtain such a clever follower, and gave him his sister Tures.h.i.+[hi] in marriage, and treated him like his own son. For this reason the stranger got to know all about Okikurumi's affair, even the place where he kept his two treasures. The result of this was that one day when Okikurumi was out hunting in the mountains the stranger stole these treasures and all that Okikurumi possessed, and then fled with his wife Tures.h.i.+ in a boat, of which they each pulled an oar. Okikurumi returned from the mountains to his home by the seaside, and pursued them alone in a boat; but could not come up to them, because he was only one against two. Then Tures.h.i.+ excreted some large fces in the middle of the sea, which became a large mountain in the sea, at whose base Okikurumi arrived. But so high was it that Okikurumi could not climb over it. Moreover, even had not the height prevented him, the fact of its being nothing but filthy fces would have done so. As for going round either side of it, that would have taken him too much out of the way. So he went home again, feeling quite spiritless and vanquished, because robbed of his treasures.

This is the reason why, ever since, we Ainos have not been able to read.--(Written down from memory. Told by Ishanashte, 25th November, 1886.)

V.--Sc.r.a.pS OF FOLK-LORE.

xliv.--_The Good Old Times._

In ancient days, rivers were very conveniently arranged. The water flowed down one bank, and up the other, so that you could go either way without the least trouble. Those were the days of magic. People were then able to fly six or seven miles, and to light on the trees like birds, when they went out hunting. But now the world is decrepit, and all good things are gone. In those days people used the fire-drill.

Also, if they planted anything in the morning, it grew up by mid-day. On the other hand, those who ate of this quickly-produced grain were transformed into horses.--(Written down from memory. Told by Ishanashte, November, 1886.)

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