urs, I
will go with you," said the dog.

[Illustration: LITTLE PEACHLING.]

"With all my heart," said Little Peachling. So he went on his way,
with the ape, the pheasant, and the dog following after him.

When they got to the ogres' island, the pheasant flew over the castle
gate, and the ape clambered over the castle wall, while Little
Peachling, leading the dog, forced in the gate, and got into the
castle. Then they did battle with the ogres, and put them to flight,
and took their king prisoner. So all the ogres did homage to Little
Peachling, and brought out the treasures which they had laid up. There
were caps and coats that made their wearers invisible, jewels which
governed the ebb and flow of the tide, coral, musk, emeralds, amber,
and tortoiseshell, besides gold and silver. All these were laid before
Little Peachling by the conquered ogres.

[Illustration: LITTLE PEACHLING. (2)]

So Little Peachling went home laden with riches, and maintained his
foster-parents in peace and plenty for the remainder of their lives.

THE FOXES' WEDDING

Once upon a time there was a young white fox, whose name was
Fukuyemon. When he had reached the fitting age, he shaved off his
forelock[55] and began to think of taking to himself a beautiful
bride. The old fox, his father, resolved to give up his inheritance to
his son,[56] and retired into private life; so the young fox, in
gratitude for this, laboured hard and earnestly to increase his
patrimony. Now it happened that in a famous old family of foxes there
was a beautiful young lady-fox, with such lovely fur that the fame of
her jewel-like charms was spread far and wide. The young white fox,
who had heard of this, was bent on making her his wife, and a meeting
was arranged between them. There was not a fault to be found on either
side; so the preliminaries were settled, and the wedding presents sent
from the bridegroom to the bride's house, with congratulatory speeches
from the messenger, which were duly acknowledged by the person deputed
to receive the gifts; the bearers, of course, received the customary
fee in copper cash.

[Footnote 55: See the Appendix on "Ceremonies."]

[Footnote 56: See the note on the word Inkiyo, in the story of the
"Prince and the Badger."]

When the ceremonies had been concluded, an auspicious day was chosen
for the bride to go to her husband's house, and she was carried off in
solemn procession during a shower of rain, the sun shini