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132 HONDA THE SAMURAI.
of history; now you can lead them over the moor-
land of fable and fairy tale."
Thereupon Honda agreed,
as follows :
and after the dinner
began
"Mount Kurama, on which was situated the mon-
astery in which Yoshitsun lived, was the haunt of
the king of the tengus, who, with his long-nosed
and feathered imps and fairies of the mountains,
held his court among the caverns and precipices.
The tengu king was of mighty stature, with hair
and long beard as white as snow and a nose fully
one foot long. His crown was a little round cap, no
bigger than a teacup, and held on the top of his
head by a cord under his chin. His countenance
in anger was terrible to behold. His scepter was
a fan made of a great many hawk's feathers. His
clogs were very high, so that he stood one foot off
the ground. These clogs had but one support in-
stead of two, as mortals have. In sitting he did not
kneel and rest on his shins as men do, but sat with
one leg crossed on the other."
" Just as you see it
"
cried
in the
Kine*.
pictures and on the
and fans !
cups
"
Yes," said Honda. "
Many children are usually
but they never hurt
in mortal terror of the tengus ;
good boys and girls, you know. They are very wise,
and are willing to communicate their secrets of
knowledge. They understand all that men know
and much more, and all that birds or beasts say or
do. They understand how they do it and can teach
mortals to imitate them.