Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-06-11
A JAPANESE LEGEND.

Long, long ago, when the oldest stork
was young, there lived an aged woodcutter
and his son on the slopes of the mountain
Tagi, in the province of Mivo. They
gained frugal livelihood by cutting
brushwood on the hillside and carrying it
in bundles on their backs to sell in the
nearest market town for they were too
Door to own an on With the money thus
received they bought rice and radishes,
their daily food.
Only once or twice year, at New Years
and on the Mikado's birthday, could they
afford to treat themselves to mess of
beaueurd or fresh fish. Yet the old man
was very fond of rice wine, and every week
bought gourd full to keep his old blood
warm.
As the years rolled on the aged fathers
limbs became so stiff that he was unable
any longer to climb the mountains so his
son, now grown to be a sturdy man, cut
nearly double the quantity of wood, and
thus kept the family larder full. The old
man was SO proud of his son that he daily
stood at sunset in front OF his rustic gate
to welcome him back. And to see the old
daddy and the young STRIPPING remove
their handkerchiefs and bow, with hands
on knees, in polite fashion, bending their
backs and sucking in their breath, out of
respect for each other, and to hear them
inquiring after one ano.her's health, show
ering mutual compliments all the time, one
would have thought they had not seen
each other for eight years instead OF eight
hours.
One winter the snow fell long and thick,
until all the ground in field and forest was
covered several feet over. The bamboo
branches bent with their weight of white,
the pine boughs broke under their load,'
and even the stone idols along the wayside
were covered up. At first, even with the
hardest work, the young woodcutter could
scarcely get and sell wood to buy enough
food to keep them both alive. He often
went hungry himself so that his father
might have his warm wine.
One day he went by another path up
one of the mountain dells with his rope
basket strapped to his back and the empty
gourd bottle at his belt While gloomily
grieving over his hard luck, the faint odor
OF rice wine seemed borne on the breeze.
He snuffed the air. 1t was no mistake.
Here's luck, surely" said he, throwing
down his bundle. Hurrying forward he
saw foaming waterfall tumbling over the
rocks in thick stream.
AS ne drew near some OF the spray 1eii
on his tongue. He tasted it, smacked his
lips, and throwing down his cord and bas-
ket to the ground, filed his gourd, and
hastened home to his father. =.
Every day till the end of his fathers lie
did he come to the wonderful cascade OF
wine, and thus the old man was nourished
for many a long year.
The news Of this fountain OF youth
spread abroad until it reached the court.
The Mikado, hearing of it, made Journey
to Mivo to see the wonderful waterfall. In
honor of this event, and as reward OIL
fIial pietv the name Of the year period was
changed to Yoro (nourishing old age). :.
To this day many people, young and old,
90 out to enjoy the picnic parties at the
foot of the waterfall. which now, however,
runs honest water only, and not the won.
derful wine that once tipped the old
daddys nose with perpetual vermilion,