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132 HONDA THE SAMURAI.
of history; now you can lead them over the
moorland
of fable and fairy tale."
Thereupon Honda agreed, and after the dinner
began as follows :
"Mount Kurama, on which was situated the monastery
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 instead
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 in the pictures
and on the
cups and fans " ! cried Kine*.
" Yes," said Honda. " Many children are usually
in mortal terror of the tengus ; but they never hurt
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.