The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1904-09-15
STORY OF THE SWORD
BY ALEREp MoRME.

closed the great doors against him.
Thee doors are very great, and built
OF sc!id stone, massive and thick, And
whe2 the doors We're closed against her
brother his punishment fell on others
:hiu himself, as often happens in the
correction of WrongdoerS; for ALL the
dweicrs 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 hat when that black darkness
fell upon their land the doors were
shut. There were ever 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 n man who could tell whether
he was alone or in company except
by shouting and waiting for an answer.
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 a cock cried aloud
for deliverance from the dark. His
cry was like the Growing Of the cocks
we know today. 1t was harsh, ana The
sun god thought il 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.
Sui though she had opened the doors,
the sun goddess could not forgive her
brother, and the other gods held coun-
ell together. n decreed that he should
be baniShed to a far province of Jap
an-to ldZumo, the high land whence
come the clouds. And ~sorrowfully he
left heaven. and wandered alone. And
after wandering without ceasing for
many days, he anne upon an old Wo-
man weeping bitterly.
What is thy sorroW?" he asked.
MY sorrow, oil most beautiful OF
young men, is more grievous than the
SORROWS of all other women. Thou wilt
weep, even as l weep, if 1 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 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 q
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 me-, ex-
cepting the last, and now | am in the
most terrible distress to discover a
means of saving her from MIN. 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
feast?"
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 o my power"
SO the old woman took him to her
mouse and there he found the most
beautiful girl that has ever beer seen
in Japan or in the unknown parts OF
the world. And though she was sor-
roWful, yet the light Of young life
shone through her skin, and dazzled
MIN SO that he could not look at her
without turning away his eyes. And
she looked at him, which she did
very often, although he was a god, he
relt smaller and meaner than the most
contemplate of mortals. And he knew
That he loved this girl more thar all
the goddesses Of heaven; and soon it
became clear that she. too. loved him.
IN men ne oegan to plot to save her from
the elght-headed serpent. And he
made a plan, n 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
ne embraced the beautiful girl and sent
her inside the house while he waited
in silence for the coming Of he snake.
AND the night hours slipped by until
the was so thick that when
he held his sword Before him he could
see its blade. And then A long,
rant rushing crept to his ears. The
snake was coming.
lie peered through the darkness and
saw the glimmer Of an evil light, like
that which hangs above an opened
grave. quiVering among the pushes;
ana ne saw that the body Of the snake
emitted this poisonous light, as It slid
and eager for its food
the home Of Its prey. Suddenly
mashed from out the trees, and he
1t rear eight awful heads,
laughing with the glee of hends, as Il
sa" the sake barrels. In each barrel
IT placed one cruel head. the broth
or the sun goddess could hear tho
wet s%plashing of the liquid as il 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
stantiy the young god strobe toward 1t,
ana 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 loa tht
for 1t filled him, and he cut 1t nercely
n small pieces, beginning from the
necks. And as he got close to the tail.
there was a brilliant Cash and his
sword broke in many pieces. And he
looked and 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 all swords-the
sword of the snake; and this Is the
that was given to be held for
ever by the mikados Of Japan.
But 1t Is not now called the sword of
the make. For. many years after
one OF its holders was hard pressed
by his enemies, and they lighted u
great fire, which they hoped would
travel toward him through the long
grass; and he cut the grass away close
to the ground, so that there was moth
Ing for the fire to burn. And the gods
sent q wind, and turned the FIRE the
other way, and II came upon the enem.
and they died in the flames. And since
that day the sword has been called the
sword of cutting grass. And there are
many other stories of the sword, but I
may not tell them here.