“Isn’t he a wonderfully courageous boy!”
“He is no common boy. Perhaps he may yet be as famous as our great hero Kato Kiyomasa.”[[15]]
[15]. The conqueror of Korea in 594 A.D.
“Isn’t he cool!”
“Hasn’t he wonderful presence of mind!”
Such expressions as these escaped from everybody’s lips. Thus praising him as they went along, the crowd followed the master.
From among the crowd an old woman stepped out with a rosary in one hand and said to the master:
“Sir, please let me hold the rope, Namu-Ami-Dabutsu.”[[16]]
[16]. An expression used in one of the Buddhistic prayers. Among a certain class of Japanese it was believed that by repeating this phrase frequently their chances of going to heaven were increased.
The young men turned to her and said: