A Gift the Gods.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8051, 16 February 1906, Page 4

A Gift the Gods.

ItJa small lonely village in the niuunlaini cf Japan lived many, many years ago, f fathor and his son. the father.'s name was Furnkawa, the son wan called Yasumori. Furnkawa, who Was a widower, sincere!) loved his only son, and every year oil th"< day of the boy's (estiva!, the sth of May, he gave him the largest and most beaulifu' paper carp which was to be had in the vil lage. And like a flag, the carp fluttered be fore the wind, tied with a cord of silk to thr tall (lilt bamboo pole in front of the house. One afternoon as father and son were sitting on the mats drinking their tea Furnkawa. said: "My dear sou, I am growing old and feeble, and no one knows how scor I may die; therefore, I beg of von, take unit thyself a wife, who will be a'faithful com pauion to thee and whose beauty may plea* my old eyes, ami who will take care of mi when I get sick." Ya3umori, who wanted to please his fatlic readily consented, and as he thought Um the most beautiful and kind-hearted girl ii the village, he paid her father the price ask ed and brought her as his wife to his father' house.

Soon after the old father began to gio> weaker, and with deep grief Yasuuiori uotic •d bow his father's face, formerly so like hi own, showed the traces of old age. And then came the day when Furnkawa tnust die and was buried under a mourn', upon which Yasuuiori and I'me sacrifice,' rice and wine for one hundred days. Some time after Yasumori had to go u Kyoto, the old capital of the country. lit had never been there before and considered the trip as the most important event in Ins life. His wife asked him to take her alunn but be was afraid she might not be able it stand the long journey. So he left alone and in due time came tr Kyoto, where he attended to his business ami was soon ready to start for home; but be fore doing so wanted to buy a present for hi: wife. He went down the main street and stopped at a show window where a number of glitter ing discs in frames of beautiful bronze caught his eye. He went in and was offered a cup of frag rant tea while he inspected the woudeis o' the store. Soon he held in his hands a won derful plate of polished silver, but when lie looked at it close by he nearly dropped it in surprise, for in it he saw the familiar features of his dead father, not as an old man. but as ho looked twenty years before. Though it took nearly all his money lit bought the wonderful disc—not as a prevent for his wife, but to keep as a costly relic. When he came home ho greeted his wife joyfully, but of the image ho said nothing, but put it away in a shrine, taking it out to look a't his dear father's features every mm n ing when he was alone saying his prayers. His wife soon wondered what kept him praying so long, and one moaning, looking through a crack in the wall, she saw him take out the wonderful disc and speak lo it in endearing terms. Then she quickly fled, and when he came out banded him his shoes and cane that he might take his morning walk..

He had hardly left the house when she was in the little chamber, and opening the little shrine, which had no luck, took uiil the glittering disc! but with a cry she nearly dropped it, as she saw in it a beautiful young woman with black hair and deep brown eyes. This woman seemed to he just as terrified, so terrified that Ume could not help smiling and—oh, wonder; the woman immediately smiled, too.

Now she was satisfied that the strange woman must be a witch or sorceress, who had bewitched her husband, and she began to cry bitterly'.

. When' she had cried a little while she threw the wicked plate down into the shrine md slammed the lid. She had hardly done to when her husband returned.

Seeing the trace of tears which still lingered on her cheeks, he said : "What ails thee, my little snowllowcri Thou dost not look happy. Why dost Ih'.-o cry?" " Should I hot cry when I know Ihou i* unfaithful tome? "

" I unfaithful? " be exclaimed in surpilse. " Lie not to mc, Yasumori," she sobbed. * I know what thou hast in thy shrine." "So thou knowest, but why should thai make thee unhappy ? " " Oh, Yasuuiori, why dost thou keep n living image of a beautiful woman in a shrine which I dare not see ? "

" Bnt, TJuie, Ido not understand thee. 1 have only a living image o[ my dear fathei as he looked when I was a boy." "Tholi dost not speak the troth'. Did 1 not see in that wicked disc the image of a beautiful girl, with black hair, a skin like old ivory, and lips like the cherry when it it ripe?" Yasumori saw that she was in earnest but, he did not understand her. He said nothing, but seemed buried in thought. Umc took his silence to be a confession, and cried mure than ever, and sobbed so loud that all Hit neighbors came running to see what was the ' matter. Sobbing as if her heart would burst, she told them her story. No one could give any advice, as Ynsumori insisted that he was innocent, and said thai hehadonlyanimageofhisfathcriutheshrine. Finally an old man known for his piety said: " The bewitched image must be a gift trom the gods. Send for the abbess ol tin nunnery and let her decide who is right " Yasuruori willingly consented, and a swift messenger was sent for the pious lady. Ume had thrown herself upon a mat and was crying like a child. After.a while the wheels of a rickshaw were heard outside, and the abbess, dressed in her black garb and with a head so closely shaven that it looked like an ivory ball, entered the room. Everybody fell down before her, and Umc and Yasumori both told their stories. "Bring in the image," she ordered, anj the shrine was brought in. At the sight of the shining silver disc the nun grew paie with astonishment. She could at first not tear her eyes from it, but then she said: "lime, maybe this image was once a beautiful young girl, but now she has seen that she has sinned against thee She will no longer do thee barm, as she has become a rum. I will carry her image away with me and hang it in the temple, and thou ihalt once more be happy with thy husband." So saying, she put the silver disc in hci pocket and left the house, while evcryont praised her wisdom. And-Tme threw her arms around Yam ami's neck, and he drew her to his boaoo and they lived happily together ever after.