hour.

And every year it still blooms on the sixteenth day of the first month, in



the season of snow.

THE DREAM OF AKINOSUKE



In the district called Toichi of Yamato Province, (1) there used to live a

goshi named Miyata Akinosuke... [Here I must tell you that in Japanese



feudal times there was a privileged class of soldier-farmers,--

free-holders,-- corresponding to the class of yeomen in England; and these



were called goshi.]

In Akinosuke's garden there was a great and ancient cedar-tree, under



which he was wont to rest on sultry days. One very warm afternoon he was

sitting under this tree with two of his friends, fellow-goshi, chatting and



drinking wine, when he felt all of a sudden very drowsy,-- so drowsy that

he begged his friends to excuse him for taking a nap in their presence.



Then he lay down at the foot of the tree, and dreamed this dream:--

He thought that as he was lying there in his garden, he saw a procession,



like the train of some great daimyo descending a hill near by, and that he

got up to look at it. A very grand procession it proved to be,-- more



imposing than anything of the kind which he had ever seen before; and it

was advancing toward his dwelling. He observed in the van of it a number of



young men richly appareled, who were drawing a great lacquered

palace-carriage, or gosho-guruma, hung with bright blue silk. When the



procession arrived within a short distance of the house it halted; and a

richly dressed man -- evidently a person of rank -- advanced from it,



approached Akinosuke, bowed to him profoundly, and then said:--

"Honored Sir, you see before you a kerai [vassal] of the Kokuo of Tokoyo.



[1] My master, the King, commands me to greet you in his august name, and

to place myself wholly at your disposal. He also bids me inform you that he



augustly desires your presence at the palace. Be therefore pleased

immediately to enter this honorable carriage, which he has sent for your



conveyance."

Upon hearing these words Akinosuke wanted to make some fitting reply; but



he was too much astonished and embarrassed for speech;-- and in the same

moment his will seemed to melt away from him, so that he could only do as



the kerai bade him. He entered the carriage; the kerai took a place beside

him, and made a signal; the drawers, seizing the silken ropes, turned the



great vehicle southward;-- and the journey began.

In a very short time, to Akinosuke's amazement, the carriage stopped in



front of a huge two-storied gateway (romon), of a Chinese style, which he

had never before seen. Here the kerai dismounted, saying, "I go to



announced the honorable arrival,"-- and he disappeared. After some little

waiting, Akinosuke saw two noble-looking men, wearing robes of purple silk



and high caps of the form indicating lofty rank, come from the gateway.

These, after having respectfully saluted him, helped him to descend from



the carriage, and led him through the great gate and across a vast garden,

to the entrance of a palace whose front appeared to extend, west and east,



to a distance of miles. Akinosuke was then shown into a reception-room of

wonderful size and splendor. His guides conducted him to the place of



honor, and respectfully seated themselves apart; while serving-maids, in

costume of ceremony, brought refreshments. When Akinosuke had partaken of



the refreshments, the two purple-robed attendants bowed low before him, and

addressed him in the following words,-- each speaking alternately,



according to the etiquette of courts:--

"It is now our honorable duty to inform you... as to the reason of your



having been summoned hither... Our master, the King, augustly desires that

you become his son-in-law;... and it is his wish and command that you shall



wed this very day... the August Princess, his maiden-daughter... We shall

soon conduct you to the presence-chamber... where His Augustness even now



is waiting to receive you... But it will be necessary that we first invest

you... with the appropriate garments of ceremony." [2]



Having thus spoken, the attendants rose together, and proceeded to an

alcove containing a great chest of gold lacquer. They opened the chest, and



took from it various roes and girdles of rich material, and a kamuri, or

regal headdress. With these they attired Akinosuke as befitted a princely



bridegroom; and he was then conducted to the presence-room, where he saw

the Kokuo of Tokoyo seated upon the daiza, [3] wearing a high black cap of



state, and robed in robes of yellow silk. Before the daiza, to left and

right, a multitude of dignitaries sat in rank, motionless and splendid as



images in a temple; and Akinosuke, advancing into their midst, saluted the

king with the triple prostration of usage. The king greeted him with

• thither [´ðiðə] ad.到那里 a.那边的 (初中英语单词)


• humble [´hʌmbəl] a.谦卑的 vt.贬抑 (初中英语单词)


• messenger [´mesindʒə] n.使者；送信人 (初中英语单词)


• moreover [mɔ:´rəuvə] ad.再者，此外，而且 (初中英语单词)


• desperate [´despərit] a.拼死的；绝望的 (初中英语单词)


• willing [´wiliŋ] a.情愿的，乐意的 (初中英语单词)


• reflection [ri´flekʃən] n.反射；映象；想法 (初中英语单词)


• writing [´raitiŋ] n.书写；写作；书法 (初中英语单词)


• offense [ə´fens] n.冒犯；触怒；犯法 (初中英语单词)


• youthful [´ju:θfəl] a.年轻的；青年的 (初中英语单词)


• prince [´prins] n.王子；亲王；君主 (初中英语单词)


• wander [´wɔndə, ´wɑ:n:dər] v.徘徊；流浪 (初中英语单词)


• advanced [əd´vɑ:nst] a.先进的；高级的 (初中英语单词)


• celebrated [´selibreitid] a.著名的 (初中英语单词)


• ceremony [´seriməni] n.典礼；礼仪；客气 (初中英语单词)


• wedding [´wediŋ] n.婚礼，结婚 (初中英语单词)


• feeble [´fi:bəl] a.虚弱的，无力的 (初中英语单词)


• existence [ig´zistəns] n.存在；生存；生活 (初中英语单词)


• sickness [´siknis] n.生病；呕吐，恶心 (初中英语单词)


• willow [´wiləu] n.柳树 (初中英语单词)


• sleeve [sli:v] n.袖子；袖套 (初中英语单词)


• beloved [bi´lʌvd] a.为….所爱的 n.爱人 (初中英语单词)


• lonely [´ləunli] a.孤独的；无人烟的 (初中英语单词)


• dwelling [´dweliŋ] n.住所；寓所 (初中英语单词)


• cottage [´kɔtidʒ] n.村舍；小屋；小别墅 (初中英语单词)


• province [´prɔvins] n.省；领域；范围 (初中英语单词)


• blossom [´blɔsəm] n.花；开花期 vi.开花 (初中英语单词)


• transfer [træns´fə:] v.&n.迁移；调动；转让 (初中英语单词)


• procession [prə´seʃən] n.队伍 v.列队行进 (初中英语单词)


• evidently [´evidəntli] ad.明显地 (初中英语单词)


• wholly [´həul-li] ad.完全，十足；统统 (初中英语单词)


• therefore [´ðeəfɔ:] ad.&conj.因此；所以 (初中英语单词)


• carriage [´kæridʒ] n.马车；客车；货运 (初中英语单词)


• amazement [ə´meizmənt] n.惊愕；惊奇 (初中英语单词)


• purple [´pə:pl] n.紫色 a.紫(红)的 (初中英语单词)


• descend [di´send] v.下来，下降 (初中英语单词)


• splendor [´splendə] n.壮丽 =splendour (初中英语单词)


• hither [´hiðə] ad.到此处 (初中英语单词)


• princess [,prin´ses] n.公主；王妃；亲王夫人 (初中英语单词)


• waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)


• spoken [´spəukən] speak的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• multitude [´mʌltitju:d] n.大群(批)；众多 (初中英语单词)


• temple [´tempəl] n.庙宇；寺院；太阳穴 (初中英语单词)


• misfortune [mis´fɔ:tʃən] n.不幸；灾祸 (高中英语单词)


• penalty [´penlti] n.刑罚；惩罚；障碍 (高中英语单词)


• girdle [´gə:dl] n.腰带 vt.用带束(缠) (高中英语单词)


• stillness [´stilnis] n.不动；无声，寂静 (高中英语单词)


• joyous [´dʒɔiəs] a.充满快乐的 (高中英语单词)


• beseech [bi´si:tʃ] v.恳求，哀求 (高中英语单词)


• needless [´ni:dləs] a.不必要的；无用的 (高中英语单词)


• collapse [kə´læps] vi.&n.崩溃；病倒；衰败 (高中英语单词)


• memorial [mi´mɔ:riəl] a.纪念的 n.纪念物 (高中英语单词)


• behalf [bi´hɑ:f] n.利益 (高中英语单词)


• originally [ə´ridʒənəli] ad.本来；独创地 (高中英语单词)


• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)


• drowsy [´drauzi] a.困倦的；催眠的 (高中英语单词)


• disposal [di´spəuzəl] n.处理；支配 (高中英语单词)


• hearing [´hiəriŋ] n.听力；听证会；审讯 (高中英语单词)


• silken [´silkən] a.丝制的；柔软光滑的 (高中英语单词)


• gateway [´geit-wei] n.入口；通道；途径 (高中英语单词)


• appropriate [ə´prəupri-it, ə´prəuprieit] a.适宜的 vt.私占；拨给 (高中英语单词)


• motionless [´məuʃənləs] a.静止的；固定的 (高中英语单词)


• far-off [´fɑ:rɔ:f] a.远方的，遥远的 (英语四级单词)


• resolved [ri´zɔlvd] a.决心的；坚定的 (英语四级单词)


• composed [kəm´pəuzd] a.镇静自若的 (英语四级单词)


• sinister [´sinistə] a.阴险的；不吉的 (英语四级单词)


• traveled [´trævəld] a.见面广的；旅客多的 (英语四级单词)


• pilgrimage [´pilgrimidʒ] n.朝圣；远游；人生历程 (英语四级单词)


• corresponding [,kɔri´spɔndiŋ] a.符合的；相当的 (英语四级单词)


• richly [´ritʃli] ad.富裕地；浓厚地 (英语四级单词)


• drawing [´drɔ:iŋ] n.画图；制图；图样 (英语四级单词)


• profoundly [prə´faundli] ad.深深地 (英语四级单词)


• vehicle [´vi:ikəl] n.车辆；媒介物 (英语四级单词)


• respectfully [ris´pektfuli] ad.恭敬地 (英语四级单词)


• powerless [´pauələs] a.软弱的；无资源的 (英语六级单词)


• august [ɔ:´gʌst] a.尊严的；威严的 (英语六级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)


• rudely [´ru:dli] ad.粗鲁地；粗略地 (英语六级单词)


• divers [´daivə(:)z] a.&pron.若干个 (英语六级单词)


• privileged [´privilidʒd] a.有特权的；特许的 (英语六级单词)


• sultry [´sʌltri] a.狂(闷)热的；风骚的 (英语六级单词)


• fitting [´fitiŋ] a.适当的 n.试衣 (英语六级单词)


• speaking [´spi:kiŋ] n.说话 a.发言的 (英语六级单词)


• etiquette [´etiket] n.礼仪，礼节；规矩 (英语六级单词)


• triple [´tripəl] a.三倍的v.增加到三倍 (英语六级单词)