hought, "or was it all a
dream? At any rate," said he, "I must taste once more for myself." He
filled the gourd and drank. Sure enough, there was the same
fine-flavoured sake he had tasted yesterday. And so it remained. To
the good, dutiful son the cascade flowed with the finest sake, while
to all others it yielded only cold water.

The emperor, hearing this wonderful story, sent for the good young
wood-cutter, rewarded him for his kindness to his father, and even
changed the name of the year in his honour as an encouragement to
children in all future time to honour and obey their parents.

_The Amadan of the Dough_

There was a king, once on a time, that had a son that was an
Amadan.[7] The Amadan's mother died, and the king married again.

[Footnote 7: Simpleton.]

The Amadan's stepmother was always afraid of his beating her children,
he was growing so big and strong. So to keep him from growing and to
weaken him, she had him fed on dough made of raw meal and water, and
for that he was called "The Amadan of the Dough." But instead of
getting weaker, it was getting stronger the Amadan was on this fare,
and he was able to thrash all of his stepbrothers together.

At length his stepmother told his father that he would have to drive
the Amadan away. The father consented to put him away; but the Amadan
refused to go till his father would give him a sword so sharp that it
would cut a pack of wool falling on it.

After a great deal of time and trouble the father got such a sword and
gave it to the Amadan; and when the Amadan had tried it and found it
what he wanted, he bade them all good-bye and set off.

For seven days and seven nights he travelled away before him without
meeting anything wonderful, but on the seventh night he came up to a
great castle. He went in and found no one there, but he found a great
dinner spread on the table in the hall. So to be making the most of
his time, down the Amadan sat at the table and whacked away.

When he had finished with his dinner, up to the castle came three
young princes, stout, strong, able fellows, but very, very tired, and
bleeding from wounds all over them.

They struck the castle with a flint, and all at once the whole castle
shone as if it were on fire.

The Amadan sprang at the three of them to kill them. He said, "What
do you mean by putting the castle on fire?"

"O Amadan!" they said, "don't interfere with us, for we are nearly
killed as it is. The