“Yes, listen. Exactly a year later, the stork who always stopped to rest on my branch passed by again.
“‘How are things going?’ I asked him.
“‘I am in a hurry,’ he answered, scratching his head.
“YOU WILL BE ADORED”
“‘Oh, oh!’ I observed. ‘Arrows in the air?’
“‘Not yet,’ he exclaimed, ‘but there are armed men near here. I am obliged to look after some business. Good-bye,’ and he flew away.
“There were really men in arms in the vicinity. Imagine my surprise when I saw Prince Funato appear at the head of his soldiers and a great number of servants all dressed in holiday clothes. They surrounded me, they saluted me, they knelt about me, they burned incense to me under my branches. They had brought food and saki, which is their wine made of rice. For two days they had a great festival. Beautiful songs were sung in my honor by their musicians. They poured saki on my trunk. I drank so much that I wanted to dance, and to tell the truth, if I could have walked I am afraid I should have reeled. Fortunately I was a tree and no one discovered my condition. On the third day they returned to the valley.”