Green willow and other Japanese fairy tales . Kioto, the great gay city, there dwelt anhonest couple. In a lonely place was their cottage,upon the outskirts of a deep wood of pine had it that the wood was haunted. Theysaid it was full of deceiving foxes ; they said thatbeneath the mossy ground the elves built theirkitchens ; they said that long-nosed Tengu had tea-parties in the forest thrice a month, and that thefairies children played at hide-and-seek there everymorning before seven. Over and above all thisthey didnt mind saying that the honest couplewere queer in their ways, tha
Green willow and other Japanese fairy tales . Kioto, the great gay city, there dwelt anhonest couple. In a lonely place was their cottage,upon the outskirts of a deep wood of pine had it that the wood was haunted. Theysaid it was full of deceiving foxes ; they said thatbeneath the mossy ground the elves built theirkitchens ; they said that long-nosed Tengu had tea-parties in the forest thrice a month, and that thefairies children played at hide-and-seek there everymorning before seven. Over and above all thisthey didnt mind saying that the honest couplewere queer in their ways, that the woman was awise woman, and that the man was a warlock—which was as may be. But sure it was that theydid no harm to living soul, that they lived as pooras poor, and that they had one fair daughter. Shewas as neat and pretty as a princess, and her mannerswere very fine ; but for all that she worked as hardas a boy in the rice-fields, and within doors she wasthe housewife indeed, for she washed and cooked 56 THE BLACK BOWL Face page 56. ?W. vii THE BLACK BOWL and drew water. She went barefoot in a greyhomespun gown, and tied her back hair with atough wistaria tendril. Brown she was and thin,but the sweetest beggar-maid that ever made shiftwith a bed of dry moss and no supper. By-and-by the good man her father dies, andthe wise woman her mother sickens within theyear, and soon she lies in a corner of the cottagewaiting for her end, with the maid near her cryingbitter tears. Child, says the mother, do you know youare as pretty as a princess ? Am I that ? says the maid, and goes on withher crying. Do you know that your manners are fine ? says the mother. Are they, then ? says the maid, and goes onwith her crying. My own baby, says the mother, could youstop your crying a minute and listen to me ? So the maid stopped crying and put her headclose by her mothers on the poor pillow. Now listen, says the mother, and after-wards remember. It is a bad thing for a poor girlto be prett
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidcu3192402326, bookyear1910
