mentioned by the Japanese narrator.

L.H.

Tokyo, Japan, January 20th, 1904.

KWAIDAN

THE STORY OF MIMI-NASHI-HOICHI

More than seven hundred years ago, at Dan-no-ura, in the Straits of
Shimonoseki, was fought the last battle of the long contest between the
Heike, or Taira clan, and the Genji, or Minamoto clan. There the Heike
perished utterly, with their women and children, and their infant
emperor likewise--now remembered as Antoku Tenno. And that sea and
shore have been haunted for seven hundred years... Elsewhere I told you
about the strange crabs found there, called Heike crabs, which have
human faces on their backs, and are said to be the spirits of the Heike
warriors [1]. But there are many strange things to be seen and heard
along that coast. On dark nights thousands of ghostly fires hover about
the beach, or flit above the waves,--pale lights which the fishermen
call Oni-bi, or demon-fires; and, whenever the winds are up, a sound of
great shouting comes from that sea, like a clamor of battle.

In former years the Heike were much more restless than they now are.
They would rise about ships passing in the night, and try to sink them;
and at all times they would watch for swimmers, to pull them down. It
was in order to appease those dead that the Buddhist temple, Amidaji,
was built at Akamagaseki [2]. A cemetery also was made close by, near
the beach; and within it were set up monuments inscribed with the names
of the drowned emperor and of his great vassals; and Buddhist services
were regularly performed there, on behalf of the spirits of them. After
the temple had been built, and the tombs erected, the Heike gave less
trouble than before; but they continued to do queer things at
intervals,--proving that they had not found the perfect peace.

Some centuries ago there lived at Akamagaseki a blind man named Hoichi,
who was famed for his skill in recitation and in playing upon the biwa
[3]. From childhood he had been trained to recite and to play; and
while yet a lad he had surpassed his teachers. As a professional
biwa-hoshi he became famous chiefly by his recitations of the history
of the Heike and the Genji; and it is said that when he sang the song
of the battle of Dan-no-ura "even the goblins [kijin] could not refrain
from tears."

At the outset of his career, Hoichi was very poor; but he found a good
friend to help him. The priest of the Amidaji was fond of poetry and
music; and he oft