The Sympathy of Benten ">1 



" I have a daughter, about sixteen years old, 

 who can write rather well, 1 and do other things 

 in the common way : she has the ordinary nature 

 of woman. As we were anxious to make her 

 happy by finding a good husband for her, we 

 prayed the Goddess Benten to help us ; and we 

 sent to every temple of Benten in the city a 

 tan^aku written by the girl. Some nights later, 

 the Goddess appeared to me in a dream, and 

 said: 'We have heard your prayer, and have 

 already introduced your daughter to the person 

 who is to become her husband. During the 

 coming winter he will visit you.' As I did not 

 understand this assurance that a presentation had 

 been made, I felt some doubt; I thought that 

 the dream might have been only a common 

 dream, signifying nothing. But last night again 

 I saw Benten-Sama in a dream ; and she said to 

 me : ' To-morrow the young man, of whom [ 



1 As it is the old Japanese rule that parents should 

 speak depreciatingly of their children's accomplishments 

 the phrase " rather well " in this connection would mean, 

 for the'visitor, " wonderfully well." For the same reason 

 the expressions "common way" and " ordinary nature," 

 as subsequently used, would imply almost the reverse of 

 the literal meaning. 



