The Gratitude of the Samebito 



THERE was a man named Tawaraya Totaro, 

 who lived in the Province of Omi. His 

 house was situated on the shore of Lake 

 Biwa, not far from the famous temple called 

 Ishiyamadera. He had some property, and 

 lived in comfort ; but at the age of twenty-nine 

 he was still unmarried. His greatest ambition 

 was to marry a very beautiful woman; and he 

 had not been able to find a girl to his liking. 



One day, as he was passing over the Long Bridge 

 of Seta, 1 he saw a strange being crouching close 

 to the parapet. The body of this being resembled 



1 The Long Bridge of Se"ta (Seta-no-Naga-Hasbi), famous 

 in Japanese legend, is nearly eight hundred feet in length, and 

 commands a beautiful view. This bridge crosses the waters 

 of the Setagawa near the junction of the stream with Lake 

 Biwa. Ishiyamadera, one of the most picturesque Buddhist 

 temples in Japan, is situated within a short distance from 

 the bridge. 



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