“If that be so, do thou respectfully escort him. While crossing the middle of the sea, do not alarm him.”[1] Forthwith he seated him upon the crocodile’s head, and saw him off. So [the crocodile] respectfully escorted him home in one day, as he had promised. When the crocodile was about to return, [His Augustness Fire-Subside] untied the stiletto[2] which was girded on him, and, setting it on the crocodile’s neck,[3] sent [the latter] back. So the crocodile one fathom [long] is now called the Deity Blade-Possessor.[4]
[Sect. XLI.—Submission of His Augustness Fire-Shine.]
Hereupon [His Augustness Fire-Subside] gave the fish-hook [to his elder brother], exactly according to the Sea-Deity’s words of instruction. So thenceforward [the elder brother] became poorer and poorer, and, with renewed savage intentions, came to attack him. When he was about to attack [His Augustness Fire-Subside, the latter] put forth the tide-flowing jewel to drown him; on his expressing grief, he put forth the tide-ebbing jewel to save him. When he had thus been harrassed, he bowed his head,[5] saying: “I[6] henceforward will be Thine Augustness’s guard by day and night, and respectfully serve thee.” So down to the present day his various posturings when drowning are ceaselessly served up.[7]
- ↑ There is in this sentence a character 若, which is hard to explain if read moshi, “if,” as usual in Japanese. Probably, however, it simply stands for 汝, “thou,” and we might translate thus: “While thou art crossing,” etc.
- ↑ See Sect. XXXVI, Note 8.
- ↑ I.e., probably, tying it round the crocodile’s neck.
- ↑ Sahi-mochi-no-kami. “Blade” is the probable signification of sahi or sabi, though this particular proper name is written in the “Chronicles” with the Chinese character 鋤, “hoe” or “mattock.” Here the syllables sa hi are written phonetically.
- ↑ I.e., “did humble obeisance by prostrating himself on the ground.” The Old Printed Edition has 稽白 instead of 稽首白, and the kana gloss kamugahe-matsu, i.e. “reflected and said”: but this reading, though interesting, is less good.
- ↑ Written with the humble character 僕, “servant.”
- ↑ I.e., “Prince Fire-Shine’s descendants the Hayabito (see Sect. XXXVIII, Note 11) still constantly perform before the Court dances and posturings symbolical of the antics which their divine ancestor went through for the amusement of his
