The Emperor was pleasingly impressed with Taro's talent and facility in expressing his graceful thoughts, and addressed him again, saying: "I hear you came from Shinano? How do you call plum-blossoms [ume-no-hana] there?"
Then Taro answered the royal question again, saying in verse:—
Shinano ni wa
Baika to iu mo
Ume no hana
Miyako no koto wa
Ikaga aruran.
"In Shinano we call the plum-blossom 'baika,' but of what they may call it in the capital I know nothing."
In this way Taro humbly confessed his ignorance of the ways of the capital.
"You are indeed a clever poet," said the Emperor, "and you must be descended from a good family. Tell me who was your father? Do you know?"
"I have no ancestors that I know of!" said Taro.
"Then I shall command that the Governor of Shinano make inquiries about you," said the Emperor; and therewith he commanded his courtiers to despatch a messenger to the far-away province of Shinano, with instructions to find out all he could about Lazy Taro and his parents.
After some time the Governor of Shinano learned through an old priest who Monogusa Taro really was, and the discovery was a startling one.
It appeared that many years before, a Prince of the Imperial House had been banished from Court circles and had come to the Temple of Zenkoji in Shinano. The Prince was accompanied by his consort. The royal young couple made this pilgrimage to pray Heaven for a child, for they were both sorrowful at being childless. Their prayers were answered by the birth of a son within the year. This son was Taro. When the infant was but three years old, his parents died and the child was left with no one but the old priest to take care of him. When Taro was only seven years old, he strayed away from his guardian and was lost.