Japanese birds began murmuring softly to each
other. The Robin brought his head from under his wing with a start.

"What's that you said?" he inquired.

"In our country," began the elder Japanese bird, with a slightly foreign
accent, but in otherwise perfect English, "we look on snowflakes as the
whirling mantles of the dancing moon maidens; and when the trees and
mountain-peaks are seen covered with snow in the morning, we say the moon
maidens have left their mantles hanging up or spread out to dry."

"Charming idea, and most romantic," piped the Robin. "I am not romantic
myself, and I must say that the Mother Goose idea strongly appeals to my
practical nature. Still, there may be something in what you say."

"An absolutely too sweet notion. Fancy a foreigner thinking of it,"
chirped the Sparrow.

"Have you ever seen a Moon Maiden?" continued the Robin, without heeding
the Sparrow's rude interruption.

"No, they are invisible now," said the Japanese bird; "but my
great-grandfather told my father a story about one of them once. We
always tell it to each other in snow time. It keeps us warm and makes us
think of home."

The other Japanese bird piped a few sad notes, which, as the Robin said,
"stirred his nature to the very depths!"

"Would it be asking too much for you to tell us the story too?" he said.
"I hope it is something cheerful, though; the roast beef and plum-pudding
type of story is what appeals to me."

"Hoots!" said the Owl, waking from her little nap. "_I_ like melodrama.
I hope there is a villain in it, and a churchyard or two."

"And _I_ hope there is a strong domestic interest," said the Sparrow,
with a feeble giggle.

"Anyway, please tell us," said the Robin. "I am absolutely freezing and
must have something to distract my thoughts--ri tol de rol!"

The elder Japanese bird rustled his feathers softly for a minute or two,
and then, with his eyes fixed on the grey sky and driving snow, and
interrupted from time to time by the howling of the wind, he began:

You must know that our country, like this, is surrounded by the blue sea;
and that the sandy shores are fringed with pine trees, and that behind
the pine trees rise the hills and mountains. Yea, and behind all these
lies the one most beautiful mountain in the world, our Fuji, to look on
whom is the greatest privilege that can be given to bird or man.

You must know, also, that across the blue sea, for those who can find it,
i