Now the Imperial Prince fled with the Imperial Princess Medori, intending to place her in the Shrine of Ise. Hereupon the Emperor, hearing that the Imperial Prince Hayabusa wake had run away, straightway sent Wofuna of the Honchi Be of Kibi (XI. 25.) and Aganoko, Atahe of Saheki in Harima, saying:—"Pursue them, and when you overtake them, slay them forthwith." Hereupon the Empress addressed the Emperor, saying:—"Truly the Imperial Princess Medori is liable to severe punishment. But when she is killed I hope her body may not be exposed." Accordingly he gave orders to Wofuna and his colleague not to take the Imperial Princess's leg-jewels or arm-jewels. Wofuna and his colleague pursued them as far as Uda, and closed on them at Mount Soni. Here they hid in the herbage, and escaping by only a little, fled hastily, and crossed the mountain. Then the Imperial Prince made a song, saying:—
Even this mountain, steep
As a ladder,
When I cross over it
With thee, my love,
Seems a restful couch.
Hereupon Wofuna and the rest, seeing that they had escaped, followed after hastily, and when they came to the moor of Komoshiro in Ise, slew them. Then Wofuna and the others searched for the Imperial Princess's jewels, and took them from within her undergarments. So they buried the bodies of the Prince and Princess on the bank of the River Ihoki, and then made their report to the Emperor. The Empress caused inquiry to be made of Wofuna and the others, saying:—"Did you see the Imperial Princess's jewels?" They answered and said, "We did not see them."
That year during the month[1] of the festival of tasting the first rice on the day of the banquet, sake was given to the princesses and ladies of the inner and outer circle. Thereupon, (XI. 26.) on the hands of two women, viz., the wife of Waka-mori-yama, Kimi of the mountains of Afumi, and Ihasakihime, one of the Uneme,[2] there were entwined excellent jewels. The Empress,
