VI. CAST ADRIFT
The cruel Yokoyama thought that it would not do to suffer his daughter to live, after he had thus killed her husband. Therefore he felt obliged to order his faithful servants, Onio and Oniji, (1) who were brothers, to take her far out into the sea of Sagami, and to drown her there.
And the two brothers, knowing their master was too stony-hearted to be persuaded otherwise, could do nothing but obey. So they went to the unhappy lady, and told her the purpose for which they had been sent.
Terute-Hime was so astonished by her father's cruel decision that at first she thought all this was a dream, from which she earnestly prayed to be awakened.
After a while she said: "Never in my whole life have I knowingly committed any crime…. But whatever happens to my own body, I am more anxious than I can say to learn what became of my husband after he visited my father's house."
"Our master," answered the two brothers, "becoming very angry at learning that you two had been wedded without his lawful permission, poisoned the young prince, according to a plan devised by your brother Saburo."
Then Terute, more and more astonished, invoked, with just cause, a malediction upon her father for his cruelty.
But she was not even allowed time to lament her fate; for Onio and his brother at once removed her garments, and put her naked body into a roll of rush matting.
When this piteous package was carried out of the house at night, the princess and her waiting-maids bade each other their last farewells, with sobs and cries of grief.
(1) Onio, "the king of devils," Oniji, "the next greatest devil."
The brothers Onio and Oniji then rowed far out to sea with their pitiful burden. But when they found themselves alone, then Oniji said to Onio that it were better they should try to save their young mistress.
To this the elder brother at once agreed without difficulty; and both began to think of some plan to save her.
Just at the same time an empty canoe came near them, drifting with the sea-current.
At once the lady was placed in it; and the brothers, exclaiming, "That indeed was a fortunate happening," bade their mistress farewell, and rowed back to their master.