Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-09-16
STORY or THE SWORD
az ALFREp MoRNE.

brother from the house of the gods, n
closed the great doors against him
These doors are very great, and built
OF solid stone, massive and thick. And
when the doors were closed against her
brother, his punishment fell on Others
than himself. as often happens in the
correction OF wrongdoers; for ALL the
jewellers In Japan could no longer see
the beautiful bright light of the face of
the sun goddess while the doors were
closed. This was the first eclipse OF
the sun. In these days there are men
who do not believe in the stone doors.
but the knowledge of the olden people
was deeper and more true, and they
knew that when that black darkness
fell upon their land the doors were
shut. There were even some who had
seen the great gates closing between
them and the light Of loneliness.
When these doors were shut the
darkness was intense, and there was
not one man who could tell whether
he was alone or in company except
by shouting n waiting for an answer
Blu the darkness was so oppressive
that no man durst shout at all, and ST.
lence and darkness are two terrible
things. But at last a cock cried aloud
for deliverance from the dark. His
cry was like the Growing of the cocks
we know today. II was harsh, II the
sun god thought it very funny. But 1t
made her kind to the poor people OF
Japan. who We're cropping in the dark,
and she had the great doors flung open,
and let the light of her a shine
through. And ever since, late in the
night time, the cocks all through Japan
crow TO ummon the dawn, for they
know that their Growing pleases the
sun goddess.
But though she had opened the doors,
the sun goddess could not forgive her
brother; and the other gods held coun-
ell together, and decreed that he should
be banished to a far province of Jap
an--to Idzumo, the high land whence
come the clouds. And ~sorrowfully he
left heaven, and wandered alone. And
after wandering without ceasing for
many days, he came upon an old wo-
man weeping bitterly.
What is thy sorrow" he asked.
My sorrow, oh most beautiful or
young men, is more grievous than the
sorrows of all other Thou wilt
weep. even as l weep, if l tell thee OF
my woe"
'who knows" said he, but that I
may be able to do something to help
thee?"
"Oh. most kind-hearted Of youths"
sobbed the old m Il had twelve
daughters, each one being more beau
tiful thar the cherry blossoms"
Where are they now?"A asked the
brother of the sun goddess, for he tool
the laughter of his heart and the mu-
sic of his soul from the loneliness of a
girl.
The old woman sobbed afresh, and
continued: 'The most cruel of SER
penis, a reptile with eight vile heads,
has eaten my daughters n by one, ex-
cepting the last, and 10 l am In the
most terrible distress to discover a
means of saving her from him. He
comes to devour her, and Of the twelve
fair blossoms, she is the last and the
loveliest."
"This must not be-" said he. Tell
me, when comes the monster to his
This very night he will be here"
she said, and burst again into pro-
longed weeping.
Take me to your house." he said,
"and | will show you my power"
So the old woman took him to her
house and there he found the most
beautiful girl that has ever been seen
Japan or in the unknown parts Of
the world. And though she was sor-
yet the light of young life
shone through her skin, and dazzled
him so that he could not look at her
without turning away his yes. And
she looked at him, which she did
very often, although he was a god, he
felt smaller and ear than the most
contemplate of mortals. And he knew
that he loved this girl more than all
the goddesses of heaven; and oon II
became clear that she, too, loved him.
Then he began to plot to save her from
the eight-headed serpent. And he
made a plan, and sent for eight large
casks full of the most powerful sake,
that most intoxicating OF drinks. These
barrels he arranged in a row across
the garden. And when the night came
he embraced the beautiful girl and sent
her inside the house while he waited
in silence for the coming of the snake.
the night hours slipped by until
the darkness was SO thick that when
he held his sword before him he could
not see it's blade. And then a long,
faint rustling crept to his ears. The
snake was coming.
He peered through the darkness and
saw the glimmer of an evil light Ike
tnat which hangs above an opened
grave, quivering among the bushes;
and he saw that the body of the snake
emitted this poisonous light, as Ii slid
u~nsuspecting and eager for it's food
toward the nome OF It's prey. Suddenly
II flashed from GU the trees. and he
watched 1t rear eight awful heads,
laughing with the glee OF fiends, as 1t
saw the sake barrels. In each barrel
1t placed cruel head. and the broth
er OF the sui goddess could hear the
wet splashing Of the liquid as Il poured
down h eight cruel throats.
When 1t had finished drinking the
snake tried to go forward, but could
not. The strong sleep of the sake had
seized It, and 1t sank back to rest. In
stantly the young god strobe toward II.
and with eight swift strokes severed
the vile heads from the body still more
vile. AS he looked upon this evil
corpse, glimmering with phosphores-
cence OF putrid things. a great loathing
for 1t filled him. and he cut II fiercely
into small pieces, beginning from the
necks. And as he got close to the tail,
there vas a brilliant flash and his
sword broke in many pieces. And he
looked and a. something bright shin
Ing in the tail He put down his hard
and felt a hard thing. He pulled out
h most wonderful of all swords-the
sword OF the snake: and his is the
sword that was given to be held for
ever by the mikados OF Japan.
But II is not nov called the sword Of
the snake. For, many years after,
one Of it's holders was hard pressed
by his enemies. and they lighted q
great fire, which they hoped would
travel toward him through the long
grass. and he cut the grass away close
10 the ground. so that there was moth
ing for the fire to burn. And the gods
sent a wind, and turned the fire the
other way, n 1t came upon the enemy
and they died In the flames And since