rd
month, which is a festival day, is still called _Yayoi-no-sekku_.
Remembering that the Well-Person called herself "Yayoi," Matsumura
felt almost sure that his ghostly visitant had been none other than
the Soul of the Mirror.

He therefore resolved to treat the mirror with all the consideration
due to a Spirit. After having caused it to be carefully repolished
and resilvered, he had a case of precious wood made for it, and a
particular room in the house prepared to receive it. On the evening
of the same day that it had been respectfully deposited in that room,
Yayoi herself unexpectedly appeared before the priest as he sat alone
in his study. She looked even more lovely than before; but the light
of her beauty was now soft as the light of a summer moon shining
through pure white clouds. After having humbly saluted Matsumura, she
said in her sweetly tinkling voice:--

"Now that you have saved me from solitude and sorrow, I have come to
thank you.... I am indeed, as you supposed, the Spirit of the Mirror.
It was in the time of the Emperor Saimei that I was first brought here
from Kudara; and I dwelt in the august residence until the time of
the Emperor Saga, when I was augustly bestowed upon the Lady Kamo,
Naishinn[=o] of the Imperial Court.[69] Thereafter I became an
heirloom in the House of Fuji-wara, and so remained until the period
of H[=o]gen, when I was dropped into the well. There I was left and
forgotten during the years of the great war.[70] The Master of the
Well[71] was a venomous Dragon, who used to live in a lake that once
covered a great part of this district. After the lake had been filled
in, by government order, in order that houses might be built upon
the place of it, the Dragon took possession of the well; and when I
fell into the well I became subject to him; and he compelled me to
lure many people to their deaths. But the gods have banished him
forever.... Now I have one more favor to beseech: I entreat that you
will cause me to be offered up to the Sh[=o]gun, the Lord Yoshimasa,
who by descent is related to my former possessors. Do me but this last
great kindness, and it will bring you good-fortune.... But I have also
to warn you of a danger. In this house, after to-morrow, you must
not stay, because it will be destroyed."... And with these words of
warning Yayoi disappeared.

[Footnote 69: The Emperor Saimei reigned from 655 to 662 (A.D.);
the Emperor Saga from 810 to 842.--Kudara was an ancie