The Washington herald., 1912-10-27
JAPANESE CELEBRATING
THEIR OWN HALLOWEEN
People Of Nippon Have Their Witches, Weird and
Terrible Most Of Them Symbolic
-s Feminine Envy

Now. among all the daimyo'0 treasures
the most highly valued was q set Of tsn
china plates. The young soldier smashed
one purposely and accused the lady Of
breaking IT, 30. angry was ths lord Of
the castle that he hung the gtrl IN .
well Thus she died. but, ever aftsrward
her voice haunted the castle and could
be heard mournfuily counti1g over and
over again the number Of plAtes-
In the folk lore Of the japanese. The
once upon q time from what he II to-
day. He was a great lord who dwelt In
the palace Of the Queen OF the Realm
Under the Sea-somewhat Of Q eokcomb.
and very proud Of his beautiful shell.
But. as often has happened to couPtfsrs.
he became involved in an intrigue. and
betrayed the trust of his liege lady. A.
a punishment he was deprived Of his
shell. and ever since then he has been
sport Of wind and wave.
The japanese Rip Van Wrinkle was Q
poor fisherman named Taro. who. while
casting nets from his boat, was assailed
by q monstrous cuttleash. Unable to
free himself from the deadly embrace Of
the creatures tentacles, he prayed to
the ocean goddess for help. She came.
riding on q huge sea turtle, and. having
driven away the cuttlefish. carried the
fisherman of with her to her submarine
palace. where he spent seven days dane
ing. feasting. and otherwise enjoying
himself In the midst Of all imaginable
delights
Other Stories.
Then he decided that it was time to 90
home and see his family. who would
be likely to think him drowned. So he
asked that he might do so. and. receiv-
faefa w-~1 h,, 81
turtle back to his native village. Ey-
erything he found there was strange.
however. His hut was gone: none of the
people knew him; the village itself wore
different aspect. At length he came
across a very aged fisherman who told
him that persons Of his name had lived
there four centuries previously. Their
tombstones. overgrown with MOSES and
lichens. were shown to him; and. as he
gazed upon them. his teeth fell out and
his limbs became stin. All at once the
weight of 100 years came 0pon him and
he died.
Decidedly of Halloween character is
story told by Mrs. Nixon-Roulet In the
little book already quoted It tells Of a
poor woodcutter and his wife, who dwelt
on the edge Of forest under the shadow
of the Honorable Mountaineering Fu-
jiyama, Of course. They were childless.
ana the woman besought the mountain
for baby. That night there appeared
on the mountain side a strange light.
which seemed to hover over and finally
rest upon a branch Of a tall bamboo.
The woodcutter fastened to see what
II was ard found a moon child. tiny
and fragile. sitting on the bamboo
branch. She said:
My name Is Princess Moonbeam. and
my mother is the moon lady"
The woodcutter took the little princess
to his wife. and she lived with them until
she grew up. The Emperors son, meet
ing her by accident in the forest. fell
in love with her. and she loved him: but
she told him that she could not marry
limited to twenty years In vain her
princely lover besought the gods When
the appointed day arrived her mother.
the moon lady. caught her up in sill
yer moonbeam and carried her on.
All the way to the moon the little
princess wept silvery tears. which. as
they fell. took wings and foated away.
looking for her beloved. who could see
her no more. But the silver-briSht tears
are seen to this day floating hither and
yon about the wales and marshes OF Nip
pom Children chase them with happy
cries and say, See the firefies"'
Then their mothers relate to them the
legend and say: Those are the tears
Of the little moon princess. fitting to
seek her beloved"
And over all, calm and eternal, smiles
the Honorable Mountain