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A Japanese miscellany - University of Oregon

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294 <strong>Japanese</strong> Miscellany<br />

<strong>of</strong> development, — some without eyes, some with<br />

only one, and some with two. I remembered<br />

that in Izumo it was especially Hotei, — the big-<br />

bellied God <strong>of</strong> Comfort, — who used to be prac-<br />

tically rewarded for his favors. As soon as the<br />

worshipper found reason for gratitude. Hotel's<br />

recumbent image was put upon a s<strong>of</strong>t cushion;<br />

and for each additional grace bestowed the god<br />

would be given an additional cushion. But it<br />

occurred to me that Daruma could not be given<br />

more than two eyes : three would change him into<br />

the sort <strong>of</strong> goblin called Mitsume-Koio. ... I<br />

learned, upon inquiry, that when a Daruma has<br />

been presented with a pair <strong>of</strong> eyes, and with sun-<br />

dry small <strong>of</strong>ferings, he is put away to make room<br />

for an eyeless successor. The blind Daruma can<br />

be expected to do wonderful things, because he<br />

has to work for his eyes.<br />

There are many such funny little deities in<br />

Japan, — so many that it would need a very<br />

big book to describe them; and I have found<br />

that the people who worship these queer little<br />

gods are, for the most part, pathetically honest.<br />

Indeed my own experience would almost justify<br />

the belief that the more artless the god, the

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