sponsible, and finding it impossible to 
prove her innocence, drowned herself 
in a well. From this time forth her 
ghost returned nightly and could be 
heard counting the dishes slowly, 
with sobs, beginning — one — two — 
three, and so on up to nine. Then 
would come a cry of agony, a loud 
burst of weeping, and again the girl’s 
voice counting — one — two, until 
nine was reached again. This she did 
every night until dawn came, and so, 
on account of poor O-kiku’s fate, no 
one plants her name-flower in Himeji. 
Not alone in the land of its birth is 
the chrysanthemum admired and ex¬ 
tolled. Nowhere is it grown more 
successfully than in London, great 
city of smoke and gloom as it is. 
Should you chance to stroll into the 
Temple Gardens in November, you 
might almost fancy yourself trans¬ 
ported across seas to Japan itself. 
180 
