Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-07-04
4 LOVE STORY.


Initiated from the Japanese.
Hard by the sacred river which flows at the
foot of Fus-Yama-the Pink mountain-a
caru herdsman played upon his flute under
the vaporous brightness Of the morning.
In Japan carps are most carefully bred in
the sacred rivers. They form regular herds
there, which the herdsman guides by the
sound Of his flute just as in Southern France
the Basques lead their herds Of goats.
Every evening, at a certain signal, the fish
return to their roservors-built of porcelain
tiles-whero they are sheltered from the fish
hawks and from beasts of prey.
Toiki the heTdsman dwet, not far from the
bank, in bamboo house, lighted by panels
Of rice paper, so contrived rs to slide back
upon grooves in the walls when it was desir-
able to admit the sunlight.
Upon the tile-covered roof bloomed many
tufts of blue lilies.
Behind the house extended q forest of cen
tury- old bamboos. Before the door we're
luxurious cumps Of camelias and azaleas
The father OF Toiki was an old soldier who
had witnessed the hari kari OF the last She
goon.
According to tho custom of old Japanese
soldiers ne had his body tattooed with rep
reservations of the chief episodes of his
campaigns. Thus it was that upon his breast
could be seen O piotnre of the great battle
fought by Taiko Sama, and between his
shoulders tho massacre of the Samourais.
All day long the old father would sit upon
a lscquered stool at the door OF his dwelling,
smoking q pipe with bronze bowl
As for Toiki, he would always walk along
the banks of the river, playing the melodies
which charmed his flock.
lie played and the golden fishes asseIE-
bled at the sound OF his flute
Hhua he would laad than thYouoh oil the
mazes OF the river, amidst the tufts of reeds
and of saxifrage, whence fed in dismAy the
long-ogged stork, The carps undulated
their scaly bodies, and from time to time
jumped above the surface to catch the little
azure flies.
And the herdsman would thus walk until
the sunset hour. When the summit of Fusi-
Yama began to glow with the fiery tones of
ruddy copper, and the song of the gong was
heard in the distance, then Toiki would re-
trace his steps and his docile herd would
descend the river TO the reservoir, which it
entered to a slow and measured melody OF
the flute.
The little princess Idzouma, daughter of
the governor, often came to play beside the
sacred river.
She used to come in lacquered palanquin
borne by two servants
Idzouma, who had Just attained her elev-
enth moon, wes of the color of the lotos.
Her hair was fastened with great pins wrought
OF carven tortoise shell Her lips were tinged
with gold and carmine, her eyes were dark
ened with the juice of flowers. She wore a
long robe of silk, doubled over her bosom,
and embroidered with figures of chimerical
birds. About her waist she wore a broad
sash of very bright colors, fastened at the
back with knot 80 contrived as to resemble
the two wings of a butterfly.
She used to sit down on the bank, take o fl
her ivory sandals and allow her little naked
feet to tear the surface Of the water.
She loved to hear Toiki playing his flute.
Little herder," she would often say, my
father got for me two little Bengalees from
India, which sing divine songs but prefer
the sounds which thy lips bring forth from
the bamboo"
And the herder would play beside Idzou-
ma so that the fish might gather together be-
fore her.
Sometimes the little princess accompanied
him upon the samsin, a sort of guitar with
| three silken cords, which she played with q
plectrum made of tortoise-sholl.
Toiki thought there was nothing in the
world to compare with the sacred river. He
saw marvellous things in the waters, which he
made Idzouma admire.
The torquoise blue fluid had deeps of ce-
lebtlhl tfhubphEeuCg anu QueeE llttie CIth-
| lures dotted it with tiny luminous points like
stars At the very bottom, the blue water
rolling over the yellow sand flashed with
green fires or took the tints Of the rainbow
violet where it passed over beds of pink
shells.
Sometimes there rose to the surface as it
were, ar eddy of pearls which vanished as
| soon as the cir touched them and the scales
Of tho carps appeared in the dazzling open
ing left by the upward passage.
The eyes of the littlo princess and of Toiki
| plunged into the mysterious deeps of the
river, where they OWNED that strange expert
/ enoes were.
The quiverings of the water revealed to
| them the presence of unknown creatures,
whose fugitive appsritions left glowing wakes
behind them, little wakes like a shooting
star, but sparkling also with tiny globules of
| opalne light that died away in trails of gold.
"Oh little herder," cried Idzouma, "how
happy l would be to dwell in that world
which is so much bluor than the sky. There
must be living flowers at tho bottom, living
flowers with pearls in their chalices, and lit
tie prinoesses riding upon winged fishes, and
little herders whose song never ends!"
And Idzouma, dRzzled and fascinated by
the sidereal irridations she beheld leaned fur
ther over the bank of the river, as though at
trRcted by some unknown force below.
Then her woman, in order TO break the
alarming spell of her ecstacy, carried hei
away in her palAnquin, and bore her back to
the city, while the sounds Of Toikis flute be
came feebler and feebleT, and finally die6
away in the distance.
But every day the little princess prayed t.
BuddhR to bear her back TO the blue watel
and the golden fishes and the little herder
She wrote her prayer upon sheet of ric'
| kor 10 nd hxyf
waving of her fan, blew the fragments high
er and higher in the clear air, until they flew
toward heaven.
One evening Idzouma, unable to slumber
and persistently haunted by the blue dream
of the sacred river, escaped from the palao
of her father and ran 10 the stream.
Toiki was not there he had gone to tn
city with the Gang Of a daimie.
All was silent around the little bamboo
house.
Among the reeds tall storks were sleepinl
upon ono leg, with their heads buried IN thu
down of their wings.
Far away from the heights of Fusi- Yama
the lofty roof Of the Buddha's temple gleame'
under the light of the moon, whose broat
disk was reflected IN the river.
Idzouma approached the bank and gaze'
in the watery mirror upon tho star which sh
had been taught TO venerate.
At first her eyes perceived only vagn
forms, floating like oloudsi then all gre'
clear, and in the reflection of the moon sh
beheld mountains, rivers and cities.
Suddenly broeze ruilled the surface of tn
, water and the scene changed. Then tho lii
, tic princess saw in the reflection of the mool
a great pagoda. in which an immense Buddh
, was sitting upon his throne of burning brass
, and supporting upon his folded arms his thin
, ty-two sons. At his feet incense was smol
ing in vessels of jade. Virgins were playin