The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1909-10-14

was called Yasumori. Furnkawa, who.
was a widower, sincerely loved his
only son. and every year on the day Of
the boys festival, the 5th Of May. he
gave him the largest and most beauti-
ful paper carp which was 10 be had Ia
the village. And like a nag. the carp
fluttered before the wind tied with a
cord Of silk 70 the tail gilt bamboo pole
in front or the house.
One afternoon as father and son
were sitting on the mats drinking their
tea Furnkawa said: MY SON, 4 am
growing old and feeble and no n
knows how soon I may die therefore,
/ beg OF YOU, take unto myself a wife,
who win be a faithful companion 10
thee and whose beauty may please my
old eyes. and who will take care OF me
when 1 get sick
Yasumori, who wanted TO please his
father, readily consented, and as he
thought Ume the most beautiful and
kind hearted girl IN the village he paid
her father the price asked and brought
her as his wife TO his fathers house.
Soon after the old father began 70
grow weaker, and with deep grief IA
sumori noticed how his fathers face,
formerly so like his own, showed the
traces Of old ge,
And then came the day when Furn-
kawa must die and was buried under a
mound upon which Yasumori and Ume
sacrificed rice and wine for 100 days.
Some time after YasuTnOri has 70 go
20 Kyoto, the old capital OF the
try. He had neve been there before
and considered the trip as b most Inn
portant event In his life. His wife
asked him to take her along, but he
was afraid she would not be able TO
stand the long Journey.
so he went alone, and In due time
came to Ryoto, where he attended TO
his business and was soon ready 10
start for home, but before doing sc
wanted to buy a present fir his wife.
He went down the main ctreet and
stopped at a shop window where a.
number OF 1littering disks In frames
OF beautiful bronze caught his eye,
He went In and was offered a cup
Of fragrant tea while he inspected the
wonders OF the store, Soon he held in
bis hands a wonderful plate OF polished
silver, but when he looked at IL close
by he nearly dropped IL In surprise,
Tor In II he saw the familiar features
Of his dead father, not as an old a
but as he looked twenty years before.
Though II took nearly all his money,
he bought the wonderful disc, not as
q present for his wife. but to keep as
4 costly relic.
When he came home he greeted his
wife joyfully, but OF the image he said
nothing, but put 81 away In a shrine,
taking ii out TO look at his dear faith
er's features every morning he
was alone saying his prayers.
His wife soon wondered what kept
him praying so long, and one morning,
looking through a crack In the wall,
she saw him take out q wonderful disc
and speak to II in %endearing terms.
Then she quickly fled, and when he
came out handed him his shoes and
cane that he might take his morning
walk.
He had hardly left the house when
she was In the little chamber. n
opening the little shrine, which had no
lock, took out the glittering silver disc,
as she saw In II a beautiful young
woman With black hair and deep brown
eyes.
This woman seemed to be Just as
terrible, 50 terrible that Ume could not
help smiling and-oh, wonder! the
1 woman Immediately smiled, too.
Now she wal satisfied that the
strange woman must be a witch or
Eorceress, who had bewitched her hus-
band, and she began TO cry bitterly.
When she had cried 4 little while
she threw the wicked plate down into
the shrine and slammed the nd. She
had hardly done 80 when her HUSBAND
returned.
Seeing the trace OF tears, which still
fingered OH her cheeks, he said;
What ails thee, my little snow
if7ower2 Thou dost not look happy
why dost thou cry?"
should I not cry when I kno thou
are unfaifhful TO me?"
Il unfaithful2p he exclaimed in SUR
prise.
gobbed, 4 know what thou hast in thy
lBhrine.''
$50 thou knowest, but wins should
that make thee unhappy"
ooh Yasumori, why dost thou keep
q living image OF q beautiful woman
IN q shrine which j dare not seer"
but, Ume, / do not understand thee.
I have only a living image OF my dear
father as he looked when i was a boy
Thou dost not speak the truth. Did
i not see IN that wicked disc the image
of a beautiful girl, with black hair, a
skin like old ivory and lips like the
cherry when 1t is ripper"
Yasumori saw that she was in earn
est, but he did not understand her.
He said nothing, but seemed buried
In thought. Ume took his silence to
be a confession, and cried more than
ever, and sobbed 30 loud that all the
neighbors came running In to see what
was the matter. Sobbing as IL her
ANdEt GADNAu DIA1As e4lC boAA ehSAAA hEA
story.
Not one could give any advice, as
Yasumori insisted that he was limo
cent, ard said that he had only an Inn
hge OF his father In the shrine.
Finally an old man, known for his
piety, satds
1.-THE bewitched image must be q
gift from the gods. Send for the abb
bess OF the nunneTy and let her de-
eide who ~ right
YaBumOri willingly consented, and a
swift messenger was sent for the pious
lady, Ume had thrown herself upon a
mat and was crying like a child.
After q while the wheels OF a rick
shaw were heard outside, and the abb
bess, dressed In her black garb, and
with a head so closely shaveu that IL
looked like an ivory ball, entered the
room.
Everybody fell down before her, and
Time and Yasunori both told their
stories.
Bring in the image" she ordered.
and the shrine was brought In.
AT the sight OF the shining silver
disc the nun grew pale with astonish-
ment. She could at first not tear her
eyes from II, but then she said: