cretly take
earth from its summit. Having done so, return hither. By means of you I
shall then divine whether my undertaking will be successful or not. Do
your utmost and be watchful." Now the enemy's army filled the road, and
made all passage impossible. Then Shihi-netsu-hiko prayed, and said: "If
it will be possible for our emperor to conquer this land, let the road
by which we must travel become open. But if not, let the brigands surely
oppose our passage."

Having thus spoken they set forth and went straight onward. Now the
hostile band, seeing the two men, laughed loudly, and said: "What an
uncouth old man and old woman!" So with one accord they left the road,
and allowed the two men to pass and proceed to the mountain, where they
took the clay and returned with it. Hereupon the emperor was greatly
pleased, and with this clay he made eighty platters, eighty heavenly
small jars and sacred jars, with which he went to the upper waters of
the River Nifu and sacrificed to the gods of heaven and earth.
Immediately, on the Asahara plain by the river of Uda, it became as it
were like foam on the water, the result of the curse cleaving to them.
Moreover the emperor went on to utter a vow, saying: "I will now make
_Ame_ in the eighty platters without using water. If the _Ame_ is
formed, then shall I assuredly without effort and without recourse to
the might of arms reduce the empire to peace." So he made _Ame_, which
forthwith became formed of itself. Again he made a vow, saying: "I will
now take the sacred jars and sink them in the River Nifu. If the fishes,
whether great or small, become every one drunken and are carried down
the stream, like as it were to floating _maki_ leaves, then shall I
assuredly succeed in establishing this land. But if this be not so,
there will never be any results."

Thereupon he sank the jars in the river with their mouths downward.
After a while the fish all came to the surface gaping, gasping as they
floated down the stream. Then Shihi-netsu-hiko, seeing this, represented
it to the emperor, who was greatly rejoiced, and plucking up a
five-hundred-branched masakaki tree of the upper waters of the River
Nifu, he did worship therewith to all the gods. It was with this that
the custom began of selling sacred jars.

At this time he commanded Michi no Omi no Mikoto, saying: "We are now in
person about to celebrate a public festival to Taka-mi-Musubi no Mikoto,
and I appoint thee ruler of the fest