ray to
the gods, and your eyes will be opened." The blind old man was very
glad. He untied the mat, and let the rascal out. Then the rascal saw
that, though the man was old and blind, he was dressed very much like a
god. The rascal said: "Take off your clothes and become naked, whereupon
your eyes will quickly be opened." This being so, the blind old man took
off his clothes. Then the rascal put him naked into the mat, and tied it
round tight. Then he went off with the clothes, and hid.

Shortly afterwards, the two men came, and said: "You rascal! you are
truly a deceiver. So, though you possess no treasures, you possess
plenty of deceit. So now we shall fling you into the water." The blind
old man said: "I am a blind old man. I am not that rascal. Please do
not kill me!" But he was forthwith flung into the river. Afterwards the
two men went home to their master's house.

Afterwards the rascal put on the blind old man's beautiful clothes. Then
he went to the chief's house and said: "My appearance of misbehaviour
was not real. The goddess who lives in the river was very much in love
with me. So she wanted to take and marry my spirit after I should have
been killed by being thrown into the river. So my misdeeds are all her
doing. Though I went to that goddess, I felt unworthy to become her
husband, because I am a poor man. I have arranged so that you, who are
the chief of the village, should go and have her, and I have come to
tell you so. That being so, I am in these beautiful clothes because I
come from the goddess." Thus he spoke. As the chief of the village saw
that the rascal was dressed in nothing but the best clothes, and thought
that he was speaking the truth, he said: "It will be well for me to be
tied up in a mat, and flung into the river." Therefore this was done,
just as had been done with the rascal, and he was drowned in the water.

After that, the rascal became the chief, and dwelt in the drowned
chief's house. Thus very bad men lived in ancient times also. So it is
said.--(Translated literally. Told by Ishanashte, 18th July, 1886.)

xliii.--_Yoshitsune._

[It has been generally believed, both by Japanese and Europeans who
have written about the Ainos, that the latter worship Yoshitsune, a
Japanese hero of the twelfth century, who is said,--not, indeed, by
Japanese historians, but by Japanese tradition,--to have fled to
Yezo when the star of his fortune had set. The following detai