The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-09-16
S1UR7 OF THE SWORD
BY ALFRED MoRNE.

DIV WNhNEs
Copyright, 1904, by ". r.. Hearst.)
The sun goddess dwelt in the house
Of the gods. and her brother was will,
her. But she was angry with him: and
her anger was a great anger, like the
grumbling of the storm OF the biting
flash Of the lightning. She drove her
brother from the house Of the gods. and
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 w~rongdoers; for ALL the
dwellers in Japan could no longer see
the beautiful bright light of the face OF
the sun goddess while, the doors We're
closed. This was the first eclipse Of
he sun. In these days there are men
who do not believe in the stone doors.
but the knowledge Of the olden people
was deeper n more true, and they
knew that when that black darkness
fell upon their land the doors were
shut. There were even some who a
seen the great gates closing between
them and the light Of loveliness.
When these doors were Shut the
darkness was intense, and there was
not one MAJ who could tell whether
he was alone or in company except
~ G1Ao MAAA41 " ~
But the darkness was so oppressive
that no man burst shout at all, and ST.
lence and darkness are two terrible
things. But at last q cock cried aloud
for deliverance from the dark. His
cry was like the Growing of the cocks
we know today. ii WAS harsh, and the
sun god thought it very funny. But it
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 face shine
through. And ever since, late in the
night time, the cocks all through Japan
crow to summon the dawn, for they
know that their Growing pleases the
sun goddess.
But though she had opened the doors,
the u 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, n 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 OF
young men, is more g%rievous than the
sorrows of all other women. Thou wilt
weep, even as I weep, il l tell thee OF
my woe"
who knows" said he, but that I
may be able to do something to help
thee?"
ooh. most kind-hearted of youths"
sobbed the old woman. Il had twelve
daughters, each one being more beau
tiful than the cherry blossoms"
Where are they now?" asked the
brother Of the sun goddess, for he took
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
has eaten my daughters one by one, ex-
cepting the last, and now | 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. Tel
me, when comes the monster to his
feast?"
This very night he will be here"
she said, and burst again into pro-
longed weeping.
and l will show you my power
So The old woman took him to her
house and there he found the most
beautiful girl hat has ever been seen
IN Japan or in the unknown parts OF
the world. And though she was sor-
ySk ~ l1SAl Va yOu.A /
shone through her skin, and dazzled
him so that he could not Loo at her
without turning away his eyes. And
when she looked at him. which she did
very often. although he was a god. he
felt smaller and meaner than the most
that he loved this girl more than all
the goddesses OF heaven: and soon it
became clear that she, too. owed him
Then he began to plot to save her from
he e~ight-headed serpent. And he
made q plan. and sent for eight large
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 darkness vas SO thick that when
he held hts 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
that which hangs above an opened
grave. Quivering among the bushes;
and he say that the body of the snake
emitted this poisonous light as 1t slid
u~nsuspecting and eager for Its food
toward the home Of Its prey. Suddenly
~ AaSlS0 A1OAl Oul Tic trees, ana ne
watched 1t rear eight awful heads,
laughing with the g!ee OF aends, as It
saw the sake barrels. In zach barrel
1t placed one cruel head. and the broth
er Of the u goddess could hear the
wet splashing Of the liquid as ii poured
down the 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 1t, and 1t sank back to rest. In
stantly the young god strobe toward It
n with eight swift strokes severed
the vile heads from the body still more
vile. AS he looked upon this ev1l
corpse, glimmering with phosphores-
OF putrid things. a great loathing
for 1t filled him, and he cut it nercely
into small pieces. beginning from tho
necks. And as he got close to the tail.
there was a brilliant flash and his
sword broke in many pieces. And he
looked n saw something bright Shin
ing in the tail. He put down his hard
and felt a hard thing. He pulled out
the most wonderful Of al! swords-the
sword of the snake: and this Is the
sword that was given to be held for