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"Truly," replied the Choja, "I am desirous to see you show your great skill in riding." "Then I shall ride," the prince made answer. And presently the horse called Onikage was led out. That horse was so fierce that he did not seem to be a real horse, but rather a demon or a dragon, so that few dared even to approach him.
Wherefore, through fear of being mingled with the earth of the moor Uwanogahara, fitting place for a father in wrath to slay his daughter, she set the end of the letter between her teeth, and rent it to pieces, and withdrew to the inner apartment. Choja is not a proper name: it signifies really a wealthy man only, like the French terms "un richard," "un riche."
And with these words, the guide disappeared. Accompanied by his faithful retainer, the Hangwan approached the red gate. Both attempted to enter, when the gate-keeper sought to prevent them; declaring they were much too bold to seek to enter the dwelling of Terute-Hime, only daughter of the renowned Yokoyama Choja, the sacred child begotten through the favor of the deity of the Sun.
He accompanied them; and when they reached the district of Soba, and were approaching the house of the princess, the guide said to the prince: "That house before us, with the black gate, is the dwelling of the far-famed Yokoyama Choja; and that other house, to the northward of it, having a red gate, is the residence of the flower-fair Terute. "Be prudent in all things, and you will succeed."
An interesting feature of this ancient organization was that nearly every uji had a fixed occupation which was hereditary, the name of the occupation being prefixed to that of the uji. Thus, the uji of gem-polishers was designated Tamatsukuri-uji, and that of boat builders, Fune-uji. *An uji no Kami was called uji no choja in later ages.
According to a little book published at Matsue, the kembutsu of Oki-no- Kuni are divided among three of the four principal islands; Chiburishima only possessing nothing of special interest. Nakanoshima possesses the tomb of the exiled Emperor Go-Toba, at Amamura, and the residence of the ancient Choja, Shikekuro, where he dwelt betimes, and where relics of him are kept even to this day.
But soon the Choja, taking and setting up a six-folding screen, asked to see the prince ride his steed upon the upper edge of the screen. The lord Oguri, consenting, rode upon the top of the screen; and then he rode along the top of an upright shoji frame. Then a chessboard being set out, he rode upon it, making the horse rightly set his hoof upon the squares of the chessboard as he rode.
Then she felt greatly troubled, because she had not at first supposed that the letter was addressed to her, and had, without thinking, read it aloud to the female attendants. For she well knew that her father would quickly kill her in a most cruel manner, should the iron-hearted Choja come to know the truth.
It was at the neighbouring village, of which Suwa-Dai-Myojin seems to be the ujigami, that the Emperor Go-Toba is said to have dwelt, in the house of the Choja Shikekuro. The Shikekuro homestead remains, and still belongs to the Choja'sa descendants, but they have become very poor.
Then Yokoyama Choja, rejoicing, caused many dishes to be prepared, containing all delicacies furnished by the mountains and the sea , and well entertained the Hangwan. At last, when the wine-drinking began to flag, Yokoyama uttered the wish that his guest, the lord Kane-uji, would also furnish some entertainment . "And what shall it be?" the Hangwan asked.
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