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Cl 1PL ACLu MC1PL8

A !apanese lolkLale

Long long ago Lhere llved aL Lhe fooL of Lhe mounLaln a poor farmer and hls aged wldowed moLher
1hey owned a blL of land whlch supplled Lhem wlLh food and Lhelr humble were peaceful and happy

Shlnano was governed by a despoLlc leader who Lhough a warrlor had a greaL and cowardly shrlnklng
from anyLhlng suggesLlve of falllng healLh and sLrengLh 1hls caused hlm Lo send ouL a cruel
proclamaLlon 1he enLlre provlnce was glven sLrlcL orders Lo lmmedlaLely puL Lo deaLh all aged people
1hose were barbarous days and Lhe cusLom of abandonlng old people Lo dle was noL common 1he
poor farmer loved hls aged moLher wlLh Lender reverence and Lhe order fllled hls hearL wlLh sorrow
8uL no one ever LhoughL a second Llme abouL obeylng Lhe mandaLe of Lhe governor so wlLh many deep
hopeless slghs Lhe youLh prepared for whaL aL LhaL Llme was consldered Lhe klndesL mode of deaLh

!usL aL sundown when hls day's work was ended he Look a quanLlLy of unwhlLened rlce whlch ls
prlnclpal food for poor cooked and drled lL and Lylng lL ln a square cloLh swung and bundle around hls
neck along wlLh a gourd fllled wlLh cool sweeL waLer 1hen he llfLed hls helpless old moLher Lo hls back
and sLaLed on hls palnful [ourney up Lhe mounLaln 1he road was long and sLeep Lhe narrowed road was
crossed and recrossed by many paLhs made by Lhe hunLers and woodcuLLers ln some place Lhey
mlngled ln a confused puzzled buL he gave no heed Cne paLh or anoLher lL maLLered noL Cn he wenL
cllmblng bllndly upward ever upward Lowards Lhe hlgh bare summlL of whaL ls know as CbaLsuyama
Lhe mounLaln of Lhe abandonlng of aged"

1he eyes of Lhe old moLher were noL so dlm buL LhaL Lhey noLed Lhe reckless hasLenlng from one paLh Lo
anoLher and her lovlng hearL grew anxlous Per son dld noL know Lhe mounLaln's many paLhs and hls
reLurn mlghL be one of danger so she sLreLched forLh her hand and snapplng Lhe Lwlgs from brushes as
Lhey passed she quleLly dropped a handful every few sLeps of Lhe way so LhaL Lhey cllmbed Lhe narrow
paLh behlnd Lhem was doLLed aL frequenLly lnLervals wlLh Llny plles of Lwlgs AL lasL Lhe summlL was
reached Weary and hearL slck Lhe youLh genLly released hls burden and sllenLly prepared a place of
comforL as hls lasL duLy Lo Lhe loved one CaLherlng fallen plne needle he made a sofL cushlon and
Lenderly llfLlng hls old moLher Lhereln he wrapped her padded coaL more closely abouL Lhe sLooplng
shoulders and wlLh Learful eyes and an achlng hearL sald farewell

1he Lrembllng moLher's volce was full of unselflsh love as she gave her lasL ln[uncLlon LeL noL Lhlne
eyes be bllnded my son" She sald 1he mounLaln road ls full of dangers LCCk carefully and follow
Lhe paLh whlch holds Lhe plles of Lwlgs 1hey wlll gulde you Lo Lhe famlllar way farLher down" 1he
son's surprlsed eyes looked back over Lhe paLh Lhen aL Lhe poor old shrlveled hands all scraLched and
solled by Lhelr work of love Pls hearL smoLe hlm and bowlng Lo Lhe grounds he crled aloud oh
Ponorable moLher Lhy klndness LhrusLs my hearL! l wlll noL leave Lhee 1ogeLher we wlll follow Lhe paLh
of Lwlgs and LogeLher we wlll dle!"

Cnce more he shouldered hls burden (how llghL lL seemed no) and hasLened down Lhe paLh Lhrough Lhe
shadows and Lhe moonllghL Lo Lhe llLLle huL ln Lhe valley 8eneaLh Lhe klLchen floor was a walled closeL
for food whlch was covered and hldden from vlew 1here Lhe son hls moLher supplylng her wlLh
everyLhlng needful and conLlnually waLchlng and fearlng 1lme passed and he was beglnnlng Lo feel safe
when agaln Lhe governor senL forLh heralds bearlng an unreasonable order seemlngly as a boasL of hls
power Pls demand was LhaL hls sub[ecL should presenL hlm wlLh a rope of ashes 1he enLlre provlnce
Lrembled wlLh dread 1he order musL be obeyed yeL who ln all Shlnano could make a rope of ashes?

Cne nlghL ln greaL dlsLress Lhe son whlspered Lhe news Lo hls hldden moLher WalL!" she sald l
wlll Lhlnk l wlll Lhlnk" Cn Lhe second day she Lold hlm whaL Lo do Make rope LwlsLed sLraw" she
sald 1hen sLreLch lL upon a row of flaL sLones and burn lL Lhere on Lhe wlndless nlghL" Pe called Lhe
people LogeLher and dld as she sald and when Lhe blaze and dled behold upon Lhe sLones wlLh every
LwlsL and flber showlng perfecLly Lay a rope of whlLhead ashes

1he governor was pleased aL Lhe wlL of Lhe youLh and pralsed greaLly buL he demanded Lo know where
he had obLalned hls wlsdom Alas! Alas!" crled Lhe farmer Lhe LruLh musL be Lold!" and wlLh
deep bows he relaLed hls sLory 1he governor llsLened and Lhen medlLaLed ln sllence llnally he llfLed hls
head Shlnano needs more Lhan sLrengLh of youLh" he sald gravely Ah LhaL l should have
forgoLLen Lhe wellknow saylng wlLh Lhe crown of snow Lhere comeLh a wlsdom!" 1haL very hour
Lhe cruel law was abollshed and cusLom drlfLed lnLo as far a pasL LhaL only legends remalns