The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-10-12
Had the Idol Arrested
How the Remarkable Trial Of
Japanese God Landed the
Real Relatives.
CFrom the Japanese.)

II was II particularly hot summer
oay IN the great city Of Tokyo. which
was then still called Yedo. The mer.
camille house OF Echisoya was sending
It's faithful indoor servant Jayora to
n remote suburb of HOMO with a
neaNy bundle of white cotton.
on the shadowless street the moor
man. with the heavy burden upon his
PACK. could scarcely drag himself far
ther. when he saw the court of a
temple standing open.' in which, be.
nlnu two or three old trees. the stone
iHaGe-between six and seven feet
htgh-of the god Of travel, Jizo, was
enjoying the shade that Jayoro 80
sorcly missed.
He went in. laid his bundle upon
n pedestal of the idol. sat down be-
side 1t and fell asleep. When he
aWoke again the bundle was no longer
.here. II = none of the officiating
priests or temple officers could toll MIN
VINO had taken 1t.
so ne went to the Police station: but
neither coul any one there tell him
anything more than what he alreadv
Knew. namely. that during his sleen
n bundle had been stolen from him.
Inc manager OF the mercantile
mouse. however, was unwilling to ac-
eept the report of the servant.
" we're asleep, inc GOD
OF travellers beside you would not have
let n thief get off. Just confess;
you turned n one of the teahouses.
got flirting with the mattresses and
mislafd or squandered the goods i'm
trusted to you"
Jagoro swore that he had merely
rested by the stone image Of Jizo. But
charged. with a suspicion of theft,
In this strait he determined to BRING
the whole matter before the Chief
Justice Ooka. who was renowned far
and wide for his Solomon's wisdom.
He announced himself as the former
indoor ervant of the mercantile
mouse or Echigoya. from whom Il large
bundle of cotton goods had been stolen
IN the court of a temple in the suburb
of HOMO.
But the court clerk declined to
bother His Honor. the Judge, with any
Such matter. and. as Jagero stood upon
mis- rights and kept getting more ur-
gent. they had him conveyed by two
or three robust officials to the gate of
the spacious courthouse.
There he remained lying despairing-
~ three days and three nights till he
caught the eye of the Judge borne
past him every morning and evening
IN the official sedan chair. and by his
order Jagero was summoned into the
audience hall. Ooka patiently listen-
ed to the tale.
The Judge agreed with the man.
ager. in SO far as he, too. declared to
the astonished Jagoro that it had been
the duty of the stone god of travel
Jizo, to watch that nobody stole the
bundlc that a sleeping wayfarer had
laid upon the sacred pedestal.
Still more. however. wondered the
lnhanltants Of the suburb of HOMO
when a warrant for the arrest of the
stone Jizo of their temple was now
posted up. They came in great
swarlns into the court of the temple
to witness how this queer arrest wound
De made. The officers sent by Ooka
could not. of course, move the heavy
stone image from the place.
But they knew-since they had been
instructed by the Judge. Ooka-how
TO get help quickly. A lawsuit against
a god like Jizo vas surely something
very rare, they said, and especially be-
whom people travelled for miles. SO
then they promised to reserve all the
spectators places at the trial for those
who would help with the arrest and
transportation of the accused idol.
At once hund1 eds offered assistance.
Ropes We're bound round the figure,
heavy poles fastened to them. and the
gigantic burden. amid much shouting.
was lifted upon a wagon. To secure
the place in the audience hall hum
dreds of the inhabitants of HOMO
iostled each other to help pull on one
Of the ropes or to push the wagon
or at least to run after it.
When the stone figure was deposited
before. the Judges chair Ooka at once
appeared to begin the proceedings.
The dense crowd of spectators. adj
mitted in return for the help ut the
arrest of the god Of travellers. he APP
peared not to see.
With perfect gravity the Judge adj
dressed the stone image at his feet and
demanded of it information as to the
whereabouts of h bundle of white
cotton stuffs deposited with 1t. The
stone image answered none Of the
questions. .