The ogre of Rashomon

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4MzYbd-emZopBkaCX3hyRTapHpvPxxON-IxVFpwAR86wWeYRfzOx7S1T9pwoafFqDo4bV4S08KdrZwByB2itBv6-IfvtfAQUc8L7oFncoul-fiE6iGtgKgaC0748rvNy6CMVez8I6g/s1600/images+%252821%2529.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="331" data-original-width="445" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4MzYbd-emZopBkaCX3hyRTapHpvPxxON-IxVFpwAR86wWeYRfzOx7S1T9pwoafFqDo4bV4S08KdrZwByB2itBv6-IfvtfAQUc8L7oFncoul-fiE6iGtgKgaC0748rvNy6CMVez8I6g/s1600/images+%252821%2529.jpeg" /></a></div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;">Long ago in Kyoto, the city's residents were deeply concerned by reports of a fearsome ogre said to haunt the Rashomon Gate at dusk and abduct anyone who passed by. The missing individuals were never found, leading to rumors that the ogre was a gruesome cannibal who not only killed the unfortunate victims but also consumed them. Consequently, the entire town and its surroundings were gripped by fear, and no one dared to venture near the Rashomon Gate after sunset.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;">At this time, there lived in Kyoto a general named Raiko, who had made himself famous for his brave deeds. Some time before this, he made the country ring with his name, for he had attacked Oeyama, where a band of ogres lived with their chief, who drank the blood of human beings instead of wine. He had routed them all and cut off the head of the chief monster.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;">This brave warrior was always followed by a band of faithful knights. In this band, there were five knights of great valor. One evening, as the five knights sat at a feast, quaffing sake in their rice bowls and eating all kinds of fish—raw, stewed, and broiled—and toasting each other's healths and exploits, the first knight, Hōjō, said to the others:</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Have you all heard the rumor that every evening after sunset there comes an ogre to the Gate of Rashomon, and that he seizes all who pass by?"</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> The second knight, Watanabe, answered him, saying:</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Do not talk such nonsense! All the ogres were killed by our chief Raiko at Oeyama! It cannot be true, because even if any ogres did escape from that great killing they would not dare to show themselves in this city, for they know that our brave master would at once attack them if he knew that any of them were still alive!"</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Then do you disbelieve what I say, and think that I am telling you a falsehood?"</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "No, I do not think that you are telling a lie," said Watanabe; "but you have heard some old woman's story which is not worth believing."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Then the best plan is to prove what I say, by going there yourself and finding out yourself whether it is true or not," said Hojo.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> Watanabe, the second knight, could not bear the thought that his companion should believe he was afraid, so he answered quickly:</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Of course, I will go at once and find out for myself!"</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> So Watanabe at once got ready to go—he buckled on his long sword and put on a coat of armor, and tied on his large helmet. When he was ready to start he said to the others:</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Give me something so that I can prove I have been there!"</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> Then one of the men got a roll of writing paper and his box of Indian ink and brushes, and the four comrades wrote their names on a piece of paper.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "I will take this," said Watanabe, "and put it on the Gate of Rashomon, so to-morrow morning will you all go and look at it? I may be able to catch an ogre or two by then!" and he mounted his horse and rode off gallantly.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> It was a very dark night, and there was neither moon nor star to light Watanabe on his way. To make the darkness worse a storm came on, the rain fell heavily and the wind howled like wolves in the mountains. Any ordinary man would have trembled at the thought of going out of doors, but Watanabe was a brave warrior and dauntless, and his honor and word were at stake, so he sped on into the night, while his companions listened to the sound of his horse's hoofs dying away in the distance, then shut the sliding shutters close and gathered round the charcoal fire and wondered what would happen—and whether their comrade would encounter one of those horrible Oni.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> At last Watanabe reached the Gate of Rashomon, but peer as he might through the darkness he could see no sign of an ogre.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "It is just as I thought," said Watanabe to himself; "there are certainly no ogres here; it is only an old woman's story. I will stick this paper on the gate so that the others can see I have been here when they come to-morrow, and then I will take my way home and laugh at them all."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> He fastened the piece of paper, signed by all his four companions, on the gate, and then turned his horse's head towards home.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> As he did so he became aware that some one was behind him, and at the same time a voice called out to him to wait. Then his helmet was seized from the back. "Who are you?" said Watanabe fearlessly. He then put out his hand and groped around to find out who or what it was that held him by the helmet. As he did so he touched something that felt like an arm—it was covered with hair and as big round as the trunk of a tree!</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> Watanabe knew at once that this was the arm of an ogre, so he drew his sword and cut at it fiercely.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> There was a loud yell of pain, and then the ogre dashed in front of the warrior.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> Watanabe's eyes grew large with wonder, for he saw that the ogre was taller than the great gate, his eyes were flashing like mirrors in the sunlight, and his huge mouth was wide open, and as the monster breathed, flames of fire shot out of his mouth.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> The ogre thought to terrify his foe, but Watanabe never flinched. He attacked the ogre with all his strength, and thus they fought face to face for a long time. At last the ogre, finding that he could neither frighten nor beat Watanabe and that he might himself be beaten, took to flight. But Watanabe, determined not to let the monster escape, put spurs to his horse and gave chase.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> But though the knight rode very fast the ogre ran faster, and to his disappointment he found himself unable to overtake the monster, who was gradually lost to sight.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> Watanabe returned to the gate where the fierce fight had taken place, and got down from his horse. As he did so he stumbled upon something lying on the ground.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> Stooping to pick it up he found that it was one of the ogre's huge arms which he must have slashed off in the fight. His joy was great at having secured such a prize, for this was the best of all proofs of his adventure with the ogre. So he took it up carefully and carried it home as a trophy of his victory.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> When he got back, he showed the arm to his comrades, who one and all called him the hero of their band and gave him a great feast. His wonderful deed was soon noised abroad in Kyoto, and people from far and near came to see the ogre's arm.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> Watanabe now began to grow uneasy as to how he should keep the arm in safety, for he knew that the ogre to whom it belonged was still alive. He felt sure that one day or other, as soon as the ogre got over his scare, he would come to try to get his arm back again. Watanabe therefore had a box made of the strongest wood and banded with iron. In this he placed the arm, and then he sealed down the heavy lid, refusing to open it for anyone. He kept the box in his own room and took charge of it himself, never allowing it out of his sight.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> Now one night he heard some one knocking at the porch, asking for admittance.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> When the servant went to the door to see who it was, there was only an old woman, very respectable in appearance. On being asked who she was and what was her business, the old woman replied with a smile that she had been nurse to the master of the house when he was a little baby. If the lord of the house were at home she begged to be allowed to see him.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> The servant left the old woman at the door and went to tell his master that his old nurse had come to see him. Watanabe thought it strange that she should come at that time of night, but at the thought of his old nurse, who had been like a foster-mother to him and whom he had not seen for a long time, a very tender feeling sprang up for her in his heart. He ordered the servant to show her in.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> The old woman was ushered into the room, and after the customary bows and greetings were over, she said:</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Master, the report of your brave fight with the ogre at the Gate of Rashomon is so widely known that even your poor old nurse has heard of it. Is it really true, what every one says, that you cut off one of the ogre's arms? If you did, your deed is highly to be praised!"</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "I was very disappointed," said Watanabe, "that I was not able take the monster captive, which was what I wished to do, instead of only cutting off an arm!"</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "I am very proud to think," answered the old woman, "that my master was so brave as to dare to cut off an ogre's arm. There is nothing that can be compared to your courage. Before I die it is the great wish of my life to see this arm," she added pleadingly.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "No," said Watanabe, "I am sorry, but I cannot grant your request."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "But why?" asked the old woman.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Because," replied Watanabe, "ogres are very revengeful creatures, and if I open the box there is no telling but that the ogre may suddenly appear and carry off his arm. I have had a box made on purpose with a very strong lid, and in this box I keep the ogre's arm secure; and I never show it to any one, whatever happens."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Your precaution is very reasonable," said the old woman. "But I am your old nurse, so surely you will not refuse to show ME the arm. I have only just heard of your brave act, and not being able to wait till the morning I came at once to ask you to show it to me."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> Watanabe was very troubled at the old woman's pleading, but he still persisted in refusing. Then the old woman said:</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Do you suspect me of being a spy sent by the ogre?"</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "No, of course I do not suspect you of being the ogre's spy, for you are my old nurse," answered Watanabe.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Then you cannot surely refuse to show me the arm any longer." entreated the old woman; "for it is the great wish of my heart to see for once in my life the arm of an ogre!"</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> Watanabe could not hold out in his refusal any longer, so he gave in at last, saying:</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Then I will show you the ogre's arm, since you so earnestly wish to see it. Come, follow me!" and he led the way to his own room, the old woman following.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> When they were both in the room Watanabe shut the door carefully, and then going towards a big box which stood in a corner of the room, he took off the heavy lid. He then called to the old woman to come near and look in, for he never took the arm out of the box.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "What is it like? Let me have a good look at it," said the old nurse, with a joyful face.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> She came nearer and nearer, as if she were afraid, till she stood right against the box. Suddenly she plunged her hand into the box and seized the arm, crying with a fearful voice which made the room shake:</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Oh, joy! I have got my arm back again!"</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> And from an old woman she was suddenly transformed into the towering figure of the frightful ogre!</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> Watanabe sprang back and was unable to move for a moment, so great was his astonishment; but recognizing the ogre who had attacked him at the Gate of Rashomon, he determined with his usual courage to put an end to him this time. He seized his sword, drew it out of its sheath in a flash, and tried to cut the ogre down.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> So quick was Watanabe that the creature had a narrow escape. But the ogre sprang up to the ceiling, and bursting through the roof, disappeared in the mist and clouds.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> In this way the ogre escaped with his arm. The knight gnashed his teeth with disappointment, but that was all he could do. He waited in patience for another opportunity to dispatch the ogre. But the latter was afraid of Watanabe's great strength and daring, and never troubled Kyoto again. So once more the people of the city were able to go out without fear even at night time, and the brave deeds of Watanabe have never been forgotten!</div> </div>

The ogre of Rashomon

Long ago in Kyoto, the city's residents were deeply concerned by reports of a fearsome ogre said to haunt the Rashomon Gate at dusk a...

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The Guest

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdzRjeaKneH4NVP22Ga1UWZNkJMDRAqcmChq2mWSrLnMQw3G_ijBcX2vvXvpYgC8udyVZI4YIL79NP8qgXYY5_EfGplEPpd6zuJuAtCIzvx2D_Im8Z0crf00aC9fcwcm66kAF5Bj4Wg/s1600/images+%252820%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="512" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdzRjeaKneH4NVP22Ga1UWZNkJMDRAqcmChq2mWSrLnMQw3G_ijBcX2vvXvpYgC8udyVZI4YIL79NP8qgXYY5_EfGplEPpd6zuJuAtCIzvx2D_Im8Z0crf00aC9fcwcm66kAF5Bj4Wg/s320/images+%252820%2529.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> An old hag lived in a house with her grandson. She was a very bad woman who thought of nothing but playing mischief. She was a witch and tried to harm everybody with witchcraft.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> One time a stranger came to visit some friends who lived in a house near the old woman. The visitor was a fine hunter and went out with his host every morning and they brought home a great deal of game. It made the old woman envious to see her neighbor have so much to eat, while she had little, and she determined to kill the visitor.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> She made a soup of wolf's and man's brains, which was the most poisonous food she could think of. Then she sent her grandson to invite the stranger to eat supper at her house.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Tell him that I desire to be polite to the guest of my neighbor, but be sure you do not tell him what I have cooked."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> The boy went to the neighboring hut and said, "Stranger, my grandmother invites you to come to her hut and have a good feast on a supper that she has cooked. She told me not to say that it is a wolf's and a man's brains, and I do not say it."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> The man thought a moment, and then replied, "Tell your grandam that I will come."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> He went to the hut where the old woman pretended to be very glad to see him. They sat down at the table and while she was placing a large dish of soup before him, he put a bowl on the floor between his feet. He excused himself for putting his hand before his mouth because his front teeth were gone, and every time he poured the spoonful into the bowl.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> When he had finished he said, "It is the custom in my tribe to bring your hostess a bit of some delicious food to show that you appreciate her hospitality. Here is a bowl of rare food which I give to you, but it will not be good unless you eat it at once."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> He gave the soup to the old witch, and the moment she tasted the broth she herself had prepared she fell down dead.</div> </div>

The Guest

An old hag lived in a house with her grandson. She was a very bad woman who thought of nothing but playing mischief. She was a witch and...

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The Spirit of the Singing House

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBG3ZQ5zJ6jFdtUs0M4XDxNCfo7XQJ3dTjzS2CEbSMslTOQJ4Rd31dpMa88swBOcjD3cIeWDCaDa7gkZkj1NpC2LPINehoarVWAtnXNbmJHLZ-sFrLCAWMVN-_7hTtN-PRknR-lBfLA/s1600/images+%252819%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="443" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFBG3ZQ5zJ6jFdtUs0M4XDxNCfo7XQJ3dTjzS2CEbSMslTOQJ4Rd31dpMa88swBOcjD3cIeWDCaDa7gkZkj1NpC2LPINehoarVWAtnXNbmJHLZ-sFrLCAWMVN-_7hTtN-PRknR-lBfLA/s320/images+%252819%2529.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> The singing house of an Eskimo village is used also for feasting and dancing, and always has a spirit owner who is supposed to remain in it all the time. Once a woman was curious about this spirit and wanted to see it. For a long time she had wanted to know more about this spirit of the singing house, but the villagers warned her that she would meet with a terrible fate if she persisted in trying to see it.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> One night she could wait no longer, and went into the house when it was quite dark so the villagers would not see her go. When she had entered she said:</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "If you are in the house, come here."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> As she could see and hear nothing, she cried, "No spirit is here; he will not come."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Here I am; there I am," said a hoarse whisper.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Where are your feet?" she asked, for she could not see him.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Here they are; there they are," said the voice.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Where are your shins?" she asked.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Here they are; there they are," it whispered.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> As she could not see anything, she felt of him with her hands to make sure he was there, and when she touched his knees she found that he was a bandy-legged man with knees bent outward and forward. She kept on asking, "Where are your hips? Where are your shoulders? Where is your neck?" And each time the voice answered, "Here it is; there it is."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> At last she asked, "Where is your head?"</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Here it is; there it is," the spirit whispered, hoarsely.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> But as the woman touched the head, all of a sudden she fell dead. <em>It had no bones and no hair.</em></div> </div>

The Spirit of the Singing House

The singing house of an Eskimo village is used also for feasting and dancing, and always has a spirit owner who is supposed to remain in...

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The Bird Wife

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9U6lMcYeglb4OtrV6073OYy4BqyKG1L1ugp9l4WXW9YjTGgtIsytCSSAyNl5XXLErYhtdTdMc9QY9durW0E70kjwcZYIQYpoOh7Kc9G9CN6DngtAb18kOV4u5lJebKQuNXaWGz-KxBw/s1600/images+%252818%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="382" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9U6lMcYeglb4OtrV6073OYy4BqyKG1L1ugp9l4WXW9YjTGgtIsytCSSAyNl5XXLErYhtdTdMc9QY9durW0E70kjwcZYIQYpoOh7Kc9G9CN6DngtAb18kOV4u5lJebKQuNXaWGz-KxBw/s320/images+%252818%2529.jpeg" width="317" /></a></div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> Itajung, one of the Inuit tribe, was vexed because a young woman would not marry him, so he left his home and traveled far away into the land of the birds. He came to a small lake in which many geese were swimming. On the shore he saw a great many boots. He cautiously crept near and stole a pair and hid them.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> Presently the birds came out of the water, and finding a pair of boots gone they were alarmed, and quickly forming into two long lines with their leader at the point where the lines met, they flew away crying, "<em>Honk! Honk! Honk!</em>"</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> But one of the flock remained behind crying, "I want my boots! I want my boots!"</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> Itajung came forth from his hiding-place and said, "I will give you your boots if you will become my wife."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "That I will not do," she replied.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Very well," he said, and turned around to go away.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "I don't want to, but I will be your wife if you will bring back my boots," she called.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> He came back and gave her the boots, and when she put them on she was changed into a woman.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> They walked away together, and wandered down to the seaside and, as she liked to live near the water, they settled in a large village by the sea. Here they lived for several years and had a son. Itajung became a highly respected man, for he was by far the best whaler in all the Inuit tribe.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> One day they killed a whale and were busy cutting it up and carrying the meat and blubber to their homes. Many of the women were helping, but though Itajung was working very hard, his wife stood lazily looking on.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Come and help us," he called to her.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "My food is not from the sea," she replied. "My food is from the land. I will not eat the meat of a whale; neither will I help."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "You must eat it; it will fill your stomach," said he.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> She began to cry, and said, "I will not eat it. I will not soil my nice white clothing."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> She went to the beach and searched for feathers. When she found some, she put them between her fingers and the fingers of her child. They were both turned into geese and flew away. When the Inuit saw this they cried, "Itajung, your wife is flying away."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> Itajung became very sad. He no longer cared for the meat and blubber, nor for the whales spouting near the shore. He followed in the direction his wife had taken, and went over all the land in search of her.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> After traveling for many weary months, he came to a river where a man with a large axe was chopping chips from a piece of wood, and as fast as he chopped them they were turned into salmon and slipped out of the man's hands into the river and swam down to a large lake near by. The name of the man was Small Salmon.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> As Itajung looked at the man he was frightened almost to death; for the back of the man was entirely hollow, and Itajung could see right through him and out at the other side. He was so scared that he kept very still and crept back and away out around him. He wanted to ask if the man had seen his wife, for that was what he asked everyone he came to. So he went around and came from the opposite direction, facing the man.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> When Small Salmon saw him approaching he stopped chopping and asked, "Which way did you approach me?"</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "I came from that direction," said Itajung, pointing in the way he had last approached.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "That is lucky for you, for if you had come the other way and had seen my back, I should have killed you at once with my hatchet."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "I am glad I don't have to die," said Itajung. "But haven't you seen my wife? She left me and came this way."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Yes, I saw her. Do you see that little island in the large lake? That is where she lives now, and she has taken another husband."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Oh, I can never reach her," said Itajung in despair. "I have no boat and do not know how to reach the island."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "I will help you," said Small Salmon kindly. "Come down to the beach with me. Here is the backbone of a salmon. Now shut your eyes. The backbone will turn into a kayak and carry you safely to the island. But mind you keep your eyes shut. If you open them the kayak will upset."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "I will obey," said Itajung.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> He closed his eyes, the backbone became a kayak, and away he sped over the water. He heard no splashing and was anxious to know if he really was moving, so he peeped open his eyes a trifle.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> At once the boat began to swing violently, but he quickly shut his eyes, and it went on steadily, and he soon landed on the island.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> There he saw a hut and his son playing on the beach near it. The boy on looking up saw and recognized him, and ran to his mother, crying:</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Mother, Father is here and is coming to our hut."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Go back to your play," she said; "your father is far away and cannot find us."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> The lad went back, but again he ran in, saying:</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Mother, Father is here and is coming to our hut."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> Again she sent him away; but he soon returned, saying: "Father is right here."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> He had scarcely said it when Itajung opened the door. When the new husband saw him he said to his wife, "Open that box in the corner of the hut."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> She did so, and a great quantity of feathers flew out and stuck fast to them. The hut disappeared. The woman, her new husband, and the child were transformed into geese and flew away, leaving Itajung standing alone.</div> </div>

The Bird Wife

Itajung, one of the Inuit tribe, was vexed because a young woman would not marry him, so he left his home and traveled far away into the...

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The Woman Magician

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1CxoA9KdPJnAxy26NL5fVtHQ5rAkWqul0ISzFs3rUy7JsO0we6slak8E4wWSS4m-0_gYPRDKDHLXV2wMkQfDcWSLXpjkSuGu_cfnWkb2CuYbhJ5CSjOIuWRyeCk1Iex51G1HCdiByTw/s1600/image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="888" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1CxoA9KdPJnAxy26NL5fVtHQ5rAkWqul0ISzFs3rUy7JsO0we6slak8E4wWSS4m-0_gYPRDKDHLXV2wMkQfDcWSLXpjkSuGu_cfnWkb2CuYbhJ5CSjOIuWRyeCk1Iex51G1HCdiByTw/s320/image.png" width="320" /></a></div> Long ago, in Aggo, a country where nobody lives nowadays, there were two large houses standing far apart. In each of these houses many families lived together. In the summer the people in the two houses went in company to hunt deer and had a good time together. When fall came they returned to their separate houses. The names of the houses were Quern and Exaluq.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> One summer it happened that the men from Quern had killed many deer, while those from Exaluq had caught but a few. The latter said to each other, "They are not fair; they shoot before we have a chance;" and they became very angry.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Let us kill them," said one.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Yes, let us kill them, but let us wait till the end of the season, and then we can take all the game they have in their storehouse," said the others. For the game was packed in snow and ice and was taken home on dog sledges when the hunting was over.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> When it came time to go home both parties agreed to go on a certain day to the storehouses and pack up the game ready to start early in the morning. This was the time for which the men of Exaluq had been waiting.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> They started off all together with their sledges, but when they got a long distance from the camp and very near to the storehouse, those from Exaluq suddenly fell upon the others and slew them, for the men from Quern had never suspected that there was any ill-feeling.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> Fearing that if the dogs went back to camp without their masters, the women and children would guess what had happened, they killed the dogs also. When they returned, they told the women that their husbands had separated from them and had gone off over a hill, and they did not know what had become of them.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> Now one of the young men had married a girl from Quern, and he went to her house that night as usual, and she received him kindly, for she believed what she had heard about the men of her party straying off. She and all the other women thought the men would soon find their way back, as they had hunted in these parts so long that they knew the land.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> But in the house was the girl's little brother who had seen the husband come in; and after everybody was asleep he heard the spirits of the murdered men calling and he recognized their voices. They told him what had happened, and asked the boy to kill the young man in revenge for their deaths. So he crept from under the bed and thrust a knife into the young man's breast.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> Then he awakened all the women and children in the great row of huts and told them that the spirits of the dead men had come to him and told of their murder, and had ordered him to avenge them by killing the young man.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Oh, what shall we do? What shall we do?" they cried. "They have killed our men and they will kill us!" They were terribly frightened.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "We must fly from here before the men from Exaluq awaken and learn that the young man is slain in revenge," said one of the old women.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "But how can we fly? Our dogs are dead, and we cannot travel fast enough to escape."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "I will attend to that," said the old woman. In her hut was a litter of pups, and as she was a conjurer, she said to them, "Grow up at once." She had no fairy wand to wave over them, but she waved a stick, and after waving it once the dogs were half-grown. She waved it again, saying, "Be full-grown instantly;" and they were.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> They harnessed the dogs at once, and in order to deceive their enemies they left everything in the huts and even left their lights burning, so that when the men arose in the morning they would think that they, too, had arisen and were dressing.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> When it had come full daylight next morning the men of Exaluq wondered why the young man did not come back to them, and presently they went to find out. They peeked into the spy-hole of the window and saw the lamps burning, but no people inside the hut. They discovered the body of the dead man, and then when they looked they saw the tracks of sledges.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> They wondered very much how the women could have gone away on sledges, since they had no dogs, and they feared some other people had helped them to get off. They hastily harnessed their own dogs and started in pursuit of the fugitives.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> The women whipped their dogs and journeyed rapidly, but the pursuers had older and tougher animals and were likely to overtake them soon. They became very much frightened, fearing that they would all be killed in revenge for the death of the young man.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> When the sledge of the men drew near and the women and children saw that they could not escape, the boy who had slain the man said to the old woman:</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "The spirits of our murdered men are calling to us to cut the ice. Cannot you cut it?"</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "I think I can," she answered, and she slowly drew her first finger across the path of the pursuers, muttering a magic charm as she did so.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> The ice gave a terrific crack, and the water came gushing through the crevasse. They sped on, and presently she drew another line with her finger, and another crack opened and the ice between the two cracks broke up and the floe began to move.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> The men, dashing ahead with all speed, could scarcely stop their dog team in time to escape falling into the open water. The floe was so wide and so long that it was impossible for them to cross, and thus the women and children were saved by the art of their conjurer.</div> </div>

The Woman Magician

Long ago, in Aggo, a country where nobody lives nowadays, there were two large houses standing far apart. In each of these houses many f...

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the Giant

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6eorR6hdSlMZlUw2gq58H8-v4jt7UO9yDLL9-_SCL8IuqUNHAeY4LJJkQguIDXz6areyoHVuAb9PPde3I2M-YwOl-zkCtWrQGtIfEH2-RKjz5s3ZNLRP0RTYZgsqyCAYuat8x7CcEjw/s1600/image416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="531" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6eorR6hdSlMZlUw2gq58H8-v4jt7UO9yDLL9-_SCL8IuqUNHAeY4LJJkQguIDXz6areyoHVuAb9PPde3I2M-YwOl-zkCtWrQGtIfEH2-RKjz5s3ZNLRP0RTYZgsqyCAYuat8x7CcEjw/s320/image416.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> In days of old an enormous man lived with other members of the Inuit tribe in a village beside a large inlet. He was so tall that he could straddle the inlet, and he used to stand that way every morning and wait for the whales to pass beneath him. As soon as one came along he used to scoop it up just as easily as other men scoop up a minnow. And he ate the whole whale just as other men eat a small fish.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> One day all the natives manned their boats to catch a whale that was spouting off the shore; but he sat idly by his hut. When the men had harpooned the whale and were having a hard time to hold it and keep their boats from capsizing, he rose and strolled down to the shore and scooped the whale and the boats from the water and placed them on the beach.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> Another time when he was tired of walking about, he lay down on a high hill to take a nap.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "You would better be careful," said the people, "for a couple of huge bears have been seen near the village."</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Oh, I don't care for them. If they come too near me, throw some stones at me to waken me," he said with a yawn.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> The bears came, and the people threw the stones and grabbed their spears. The giant sat up.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "Where are they? I see no bears. Where are they?" he asked.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "There! There! Don't you see them?" cried the Inuit.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times, serif, "Times New Roman"; text-align: justify; text-indent: 15px;"> "What! those little things! They are not worth all this bustle. They are nothing but small foxes." And he crushed one between his fingers, and put the other into the eyelet of his boot to strangle it.</div> </div>

the Giant

In days of old an enormous man lived with other members of the Inuit tribe in a village beside a large inlet. He was so tall that he cou...

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