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There used to be five trees: one was uprooted by a storm, and some Izumo poet wrote about the remaining four the words which my friend had sung: Seki no gohon matsu Ippun kirya, shihon; Ato wa kirarenu Miyoto matsu.
Simultaneously there comes the recollection of a strangely grim Buddhist legend. Once the Buddha smiled; and by the wondrous radiance of that smile were countless worlds illuminated. But there came a Voice, saying: 'It is not real! It cannot last! And the light passed. Seki wa yoi toko, Asahi wo ukete; O-Yama arashiga Soyo-soyoto! THE God of Mionoseki hates eggs, hen's eggs.
Which means: 'Of the five pines of Seki one has been cut, and four remain; and of these no one must now be cut they are wedded pairs. And in Mionoseki there are sold beautiful little sake cups and sake bottles, upon which are pictures of the four pines, and above the pictures, in spidery text of gold, the verses, 'Seki no gohon matsu. These are for keepsakes, and there are many other curious and pretty souvenirs to buy in those pretty shops; porcelains bearing the picture of the Mionoseki temple, and metal clasps for tobacco pouches representing Koto-shiro- nushi-no-Kami trying to put a big tai-fish into a basket too small for it, and funny masks of glazed earthenware representing the laughing face of the god.
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