remote ancestor of the Kimi of Kōdzuke, to slay Saho-hiko. Now Saho-hiko withstood him with an army, and hastily piling up rice-stalks made thereof a castle, which was so solid that it could not be breached. This is what was called a "rice-castle."[1] A month passed, and yet it did not surrender. Hereupon the Empress, grieved at this, said:—"Even though I am Empress, with what countenance can I preside over the Empire, after bringing to ruin the Prince, my elder brother?" Accordingly, she took in her arms the Imperial Prince Homutsu wake no Mikoto, and entered the rice-castle of the Prince, her elder brother. The Emperor increased his army still more, and having surrounded the castle on all sides, proclaimed to those within it, saying:—"Send forth quickly the Empress and the Imperial Prince." But they would not send them out. So the (VI. 10.) General Yatsunada set fire to the castle. Then the Empress, taking in her bosom the Imperial child, crossed over the castle and came out from it. Therewithal she besought the Emperor, saying:—"The reason why thy handmaiden at first fled into her elder brother's castle was in the hope that her elder brother might be absolved from guilt for the sake of her and of her child. But now he has not been absolved, and I know that I am guilty. Shall I have my hands tied behind my back? There is nothing left for me but to strangle myself. But even though I, thy handmaiden, die, I cannot bear to forget the favour shown me by the Emperor. I pray, therefore, that the Empress's palace, which I had charge of, may be granted to fair mates for thee. In the land of Tamba there are five ladies, all of virtuous minds, the daughters of the Prince, who is Michi no Ushi[2] of Tamba.
Prince Michi no Ushi was a grandson of the Emperor Waka-Yamato-Neko oho-hi-hi, and son of Prince Hiko-imasu.
- ↑ The Japanese word for rice-castle is inaki. It may be doubted whether there ever was any such castle as that described here. Artless attempts at derivation furnish a considerable portion of the old myths and legends of Japan. Inaki is the term used for the Imperial granaries in the provinces, and was also applied to their custodians. It therefore became a title of nobility which is frequently met with in the later history.
- ↑ Lit. master of the road.
