Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-01-23

A JAPANESE ROMANCE.

Once upon time there was in Japan .
poor stone-cutter, a simple workman In the
quarries. His life was rude, he worked
much. gained little and was not at al con-
tented with this fate. &M
30, if could only be rich enough to
sleep on thick mating, wrapped In kir.
mon of soft silk - Such was the sigh he
breathed to heaven. An angel intercepted
| it.
'.It shall be according to thy DESIRE"
said the angel to him. And he at once be-
came rich, and he rested, slept upon thick
mating and wrapped himself in 4 kirmon
OF soft silk.
1t happened that the Emperor passed
by. He was preceded by heralds on foot
and horseback, followed by . brilliant
escort of cavaliers, and surrounded by
persons who held over his head an I'M
mense parasol resplendent with gold.
"What good does it do me to be rich ?"
murmured the man, ''as long as have
not the right to 60 out with an escort, and
my head protected by a gold parasol! Why
am not the Emperor ?"
"Thou shalt be-" said the angel.
And indeed, he become the Emperor.
behind him, and people who held above
with gold.
However, the sun with his ardent
beams dried up the country, and the dusty
road, quivering with his brightness, IA
tigued the eyes.
''It is q great advantage TO be Emper-
or" cried the man, 'when the heat Of the
day exhausts you, and the sun never ceas-
es to. make you feel his power! But il
| one cOuld behold the SIM ="
| Behold Are you satisfied ?" the an
gel asked. For he had become the sun,
and he darted his beams up and down,
right and left and all around him. And
he scorched the heritage of the princes
upon the EARTH
"But q cloud thrust itself between the
earth and him; it held back the rays of
the sun and prevented them from falling
upon the EARTH surface.
There is strength" cried the sun---.'a
cloud capable Of resisting my power. 1t
would be better if were q cloud"
Every WE'LL" said the angel.
And the transformation was 1t once &C.
complished. The new cloud placed itself
haughtily between the sun and the earth,
and so thoroughly intercepted the rays of
the sun that it soon saw the earth covered
with its shadow Then it caused big
drops of rain, and pouring showers and
water-spouts to fall upon the land, 30 that
| the torrents burst their bounds and the
| rivers spread over and devastated the
fields.
Nothing resisted the force of the inun.
dation; only rock defied it, perfectly
motionless. In vain the believing watsrs
beat it in their fury, the rock yielded not.
but the foaming waves died at its foot.
"a rock, then, is my SUPERIOR" said the
cloud; II would rather be in its place.
''You shall be-" said the angel.
And he was transformed into steep,
mistaken rock, insensible to the rays OF
the sun, indifferent to the torrents Of rain
| and the shock of the tumultuous waves.
Nevertheless, he distinguished at his
feet imam of poor appearance, hardly
clothed, but armed with chisel and
hammer; and the man with the help Of
these instruments, struck off pieces of the
rock, which he dressed into stones proper
for cutting. a.sg
"What is that ?" cried the rock; '.has
man the power Of rending pieces Of stone
from my breast? Shall be weaker than
he? Then it is absolutely necessary that
should be that manp"
Have your will" said the angel, and
he became again what he had been-a
poor stone cutter, simple workman in
the quarries. His life was rude, he worked
much and gained little, but he was con-
tented with his lot.