The History of Sakata Kintoki

A long time ago there was an officer of the Emperor's body-guard,

called Sakata Kurando, a young man who, although he excelled in valour

and in the arts of war, was of a gentle and loving disposition. This

young officer was deeply enamoured of a fair young lady, called

Yaégiri, who lived at Gojôzaka, at Kiyôto. Now it came to pass that,

having incurred the jealousy of certain other persons, Kurando fell

into disgrace with the Court, and became a Rônin, so he was no longer

able to keep up any communication with his love Yaégiri; indeed, he

became so poor that it was a hard matter for him to live. So he left

the place and fled, no one knew whither. As for Yaégiri, lovesick and

lorn, and pining for her lost darling, she escaped from the house

where she lived, and wandered hither and thither through the country,

seeking everywhere for Kurando.

Now Kurando, when he left the palace, turned tobacco merchant, and, as

he was travelling about hawking his goods, it chanced that he fell in

with Yaégiri; so, having communicated to her his last wishes, he took

leave of her and put an end to his life.

Poor Yaégiri, having buried her lover, went to the Ashigara Mountain,

a distant and lonely spot, where she gave birth to a little boy, who,

as soon as he was born, was of such wonderful strength that he walked

about and ran playing all over the mountain. A woodcutter, who chanced

to see the marvel, was greatly frightened at first, and thought the

thing altogether uncanny; but after a while he got used to the child,

and became quite fond of him, and called him "Little Wonder," and gave

his mother the name of the "Old Woman of the Mountain."

One day, as "Little Wonder" was playing about, he saw that on the top

of a high cedar-tree there was a tengu's nest;[58] so he began shaking

the tree with all his might, until at last the tengu's nest came

tumbling down.

[Footnote 58: _Tengu_, or the Heavenly Dog, a hobgoblin who infests

desert places, and is invoked to frighten naughty little children.]

As luck would have it, the famous hero, Minamoto no Yorimitsu, with

his retainers, Watanabé Isuna, Usui Sadamitsu, and several others, had

come to the mountain to hunt, and seeing the feat which "Little

Wonder" had performed, came to the conclusion that he could be no

ordinary child. Minamoto no Yorimitsu ordered Watanabé Isuna to find

out the child's name and parentage. The Old Woman of the Mountain, on

being asked about him, answered that she was the wife of Kurando, and

that "Little Wonder" was the child of their marriage. And she

proceeded to relate all the adventures which had befallen her.

When Yorimitsu heard her story, he said, "Certainly this child does

not belie his lineage. Give the brat to me, and I will make him my

retainer." The Old Woman of the Mountain gladly consented, and gave

"Little Wonder" to Yorimitsu; but she herself remained in her mountain

home. So "Little Wonder" went off with the hero Yorimitsu, who named

him Sakata Kintoki; and in aftertimes he became famous and illustrious

as a warrior, and his deeds are recited to this day. He is the

favourite hero of little children, who carry his portrait in their

bosom, and wish that they could emulate his bravery and strength.