[Sect. XXII.—Mount Tema.]
Thereupon the Princess of Yakami answered the eighty Deities, saying: “I will not listen to your words. I mean to marry the Deity Great-Name-Possessor.” So the eighty Deities, being enraged, and wishing to slay the Deity Great-Name-Possessor, took counsel together, on arriving at the foot of Tema in the land of Hahaki, and said [to him]: “On this mountain there is a red boar. So when we drive it down, do thou wait and catch it. If thou do not wait and catch it, we will certainly slay thee.” Having [thus] spoken, they took fire, and burnt a large stone like unto a boar, and rolled it down. Then, as [they] drove it down and [he] caught it, he got stuck to and burnt by the stone, and died. Thereupon Her Augustness his august parent cried and lamented, and went up to Heaven, and entreated His Divine-Producing-Wondrous-Augustness, who at once sent Princess Cockle-Shell and Princess Clam to bring him to life. Then Princess Cockle-Shell triturated and scorched [her shell], and Princess Clam carried water and smeared [him] as with mother’s milk, whereupon he became a beautiful young man, and wandered off. Hereupon the eighty Deities, seeing [this], again deceived him, taking him with them into the mountains, where they cut down a large tree, inserted a wedge in the tree, and made him stand in the middle, whereupon they took away the wedge and tortured him to death. Then on Her Augustness his august parent again seeking him with cries, she perceived him, and at once cleaving the tree, took him out and brought him to life, and said to him: “If thou remain here, thou wilt at last be destroyed by the eighty Deities.” Then she sent him swiftly off to the august place of the Deity Great-House-Prince in the land of Ki. Then when the eighty Deities searched and pursued till they came up to him, and fixed their arrows [in their bows], he escaped by dipping under the fork of a tree, and disappeared.
[The Deity Great-House-Prince spoke to him], saying: “Thou must set off to the Nether-Distant-Land where dwells His Impetuous-Male-Augustness. That Great Deity will certainly counsel thee.” So on his obeying her commands and arriving at the august place of His Impetuous-Male-Augustness, the latter’s daughter the Forward-Princess came out and saw him, and they exchanged glances and were married, and [she] went in again, and told her father, saying: “A very beautiful Deity has come.” Then the Great Deity went out and looked, and said: “This is the Ugly-Male-Deity-of-the-Reed-Plains,” and at once calling him in, made him sleep in the snake-house. Hereupon his wife, Her Augustness the Forward-Princess, gave her husband a snake-scarf, saying: “When the snakes are about to bite thee, drive them away by waving this scarf thrice.” So, on his doing as she had instructed, the snakes became quiet, so that he came forth after calm slumbers. Again on the night of the next day [the Impetuous-Male-Deity] put him into the centipede and wasp-house; but as she again gave him a centipede and wasp-scarf, and instructed him as before, he came forth calmly. Again [the Impetuous-Male-Deity] shot a whizzing barb into the middle of a large moor, and sent him to fetch the arrow, and, when he had entered the moor, at once set fire to the moor all round. Thereupon, while he [stood] knowing no place of exit, a mouse came and said: “The inside is hollow-hollow; the outside is narrow-narrow.” Owing to its speaking thus, he trod on the place, whereupon he fell in and hid himself, during which time the fire burnt past. Then the mouse brought out in its mouth and presented to him the whizzing barb. The feathers of the arrow were brought in their mouths by all the mouse’s children. Hereupon his wife the Forward-Princess came bearing mourning-implements, and crying. Her father the great Deity, thinking that [the Deity-Great-Name-Possessor] was already dead and done for, went out and stood on the moor, whereupon [the Deity Great-Name-Possessor] brought the arrow and presented it to him, upon which [the Great Deity], taking him into the house and calling him into an eight-foot spaced large room, made him take the lice off his head. So, on looking at the head, [he saw that] there were many centipedes [there]. Thereupon, as his wife gave to her husband berries of the muku tree and red earth, he chewed the berries to pieces, and spat them out with the red earth which he held in his month, so that the Great Deity believed him to be chewing up and spitting out the centipedes, and, feeling fond [of him] in his heart, fell asleep. Then [the Deity Great-Name-Possessor], grasping the Great Deity’s hair, tied it fast to the various rafters of the house, and, blocking up the floor of the house with a five hundred draught rock, and taking his wife the Forward-Princess on his back, then carried off the Great Deity’s great life-sword and life-bow-and-arrows, as also his heavenly speaking-lute, and ran out. But the heavenly speaking-lute brushed against a tree, and the earth resounded. So the Great Deity, who was sleeping, started at the sound, and pulled down the house. But while he was disentangling his hair which was tied to the rafters, [the Deity Great-Name-Possessor] fled a long way. So then, pursuing after him to the Even Pass of Hades, and gazing on him from afar, he called out to the Deity Great-Name-Possessor, saying: “With the great life-sword and the life-bow-and-arrows which thou carriest, pursue thy half-brethren till they crouch on the august slopes of the passes, and pursue them till they are swept into the reaches of the rivers, and do thou, wretch! become the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land; and moreover, becoming the Deity Spirit-of-the-Living-Land, and making my daughter the Forward-Princess thy consort, do thou make stout the temple-pillars at the foot of Mount Uka in the nethermost rock-bottom, and make high the cross-beams to the Plain-of-High-Heaven, and dwell [there], thou villain!” So when, bearing the great sword and bow, he pursued and scattered the eighty Deities, he did pursue them till they crouched on the august slope of every pass, he did pursue them till they were swept into every river, and then he began to make the land. Quamobrem Hera Yakami, secundum anterius pactum, [cum eo] in thalamo coivit. So he brought her with him; but, fearing his consort the Forward Princess, she stuck into the fork of a tree the child that she had borne, and went back. So the child was called by the name of the Tree-Fork-Deity, and another name was the Deity-of-August-Wells.
[Sect. XXIV.—The Wooing of the Deity-of-Eight-Thousand-Spears.]
This Deity-of-Eight-Thousand-Spears, when he went forth to woo the Princess of Nuna-kaha in the land of Koshi, on arriving at the house of the Princess of Nuna-kaha sang, saying: “[I] His Augustness the Deity-of-Eight-Thousand-Spears, having been unable to find a spouse in the Land of the Eight Islands, and having heard that in the far-off Land of Koshi there is a wise maiden, having heard that there is a beauteous maiden, I am standing [here] to truly woo her, I am going backwards and forwards to woo her. Without having yet untied even the cord of my sword, without having yet untied even my veil, I push back the plank-door shut by the maiden; while I am standing [here], I pull it forward. While I am standing [here], the nuye sings upon the green mountain, and [the voice of] the true bird of the moor, the pheasant, resounds; the bird of the yard, the cock, crows. Oh! the pity that [the] birds should sing! Oh! these birds! Would that I could beat them till they were sick! Oh! swiftly-flying heaven-racing messenger, the tradition of the thing, too, this!”
Then the Princess of Nuna-kaha, without yet opening the door, sang from the inside saying:— “Thine Augustness the Deity-of-Eight-Thousand-Spears! Being a maiden like a drooping plant, my heart is just a bird on a sand-bank by the shore; it will now indeed be a dotterel. Afterwards it will be a gentle bird; so as for thy life, do not deign to die. Oh! swiftly-flying heaven-racing messenger! the tradition of the thing, too, this!”
[Second Song of the Princess.]
“When the sun shall hide behind the green mountains, in the night [black as] the true jewels of the moor will I come forth. Coming radiant with smiles like the morning sun, [thine] arms white as rope of paper-mulberry-bark shall softly pat [my] breast soft as the melting snow; and patting [each other] interlaced, streching out and pillowing [ourselves] on [each other’s] jewel-arms,—true jewel-arms,—and with outstretched legs, will we sleep. So speak not too lovingly, Thine Augustness the Deity-of-Eight-Thousand-Spears! The tradition of the thing, too, this!”
Quamobrem eâ nocte non coierunt, sed sequentis diei nocte auguste coierunt.
[Sect. XXV.—The Cup Pledge.]
Again this Deity’s Chief Empress, Her Augustness the Forward-Princess, was very jealous. So the Deity her husband, being distressed, was about to go up from Idzumo to the Land of Yamato; and as he stood attired, with one august hand on the saddle of his august horse and one august foot in the august stirrup, he sang, saying: “When I take and attire myself so carefully in my august garments black as the true jewels of the moor, and, like the birds of the offing, look at my breast,—though I raise my fins, [I say that] these are not good, and cast them off on the waves on the beach. When I take and attire myself so carefully in my august garments green as the kingfisher, and, like the birds of the offing, look at my breast,—though I raise my fins, [I say that] these, too, are not good, and cast them off on the waves on the beach. When I take and attire myself so carefully in my raiment dyed in the sap of the dye-tree, the pounded madder sought in the mountain fields, and, like the birds of the offing, look at my breast,—though I raise my fins, [I say that] they are good. My dear younger sister, Thine Augustness! Though thou say that thou will not weep,—if like the flocking birds, I flock and depart, if, like the led birds, I am led away and depart, thou wilt hang down thy head like a single eulalia upon the mountain and thy weeping shall indeed rise as the mist of the morning shower. Thine Augustness [my] spouse like the young herbs! The tradition of the thing, too, this!”
Then his Empress, taking a great august liquor-cup, and drawing near and offering it to him, sang, saying:— “Oh! Thine Augustness the Deity-of-Eight-Thousand-Spears! [Thou], my [dear] Master-of-the-Great-Land indeed, being a man, probably hast on the various island-headlands that thou seest, and on every beach-headland that thou lookest on, a wife like the young herbs. But as for me, alas! being a woman, I have no man except thee; I have no spouse except thee. Beneath the fluttering of the ornamented fence, beneath the softness of the warm coverlet, beneath the rustling of the the cloth coverlet, [thine] arms white as rope of paper-mulberry bark softly patting [my] breast soft as the melting snow, and patting [each other] interlaced, stretching out and pillowing [ourselves] on [each other’s arms],—true jewel-arms, and with outstretched legs, will we sleep. Lift up the luxuriant august liquor!”
She having thus sung, they at once pledged [each other] by the cup with [their hands] on [each other’s] necks, and are at rest till the present time. These are called divine words.
[Sect. XXVI.—The Deities the August Descendants of the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land.]
So this Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land wedded Her Augustness Torrent-Mist-Princess, the Deity dwelling in the inner temple of Munakata, and begot children: the Deity Aji-shiki-taka-hiko-ne, next his younger sister Her Augustness High-Princess, another name for whom is Her Augustness Princess Under-Shining. This Deity Aji-shiki-taka-hiko-ne is he who is now called the Great August Deity of Kamo. Again the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land wedded Her Augustness Princess Divine-House-Shield and begot a child: the Deity Thing-Sign-Master. Again he wedded the Deity Bird-Ears, daughter of the Deity Eight-Island-Possessor, and begot a child: the Deity Bird-Growing-Ears. This Deity wedded Hina-teri-nakata-bichi-wo-ikochini, and begot a child: the Deity Land-Great-Wealth. This Deity wedded the Deity Ashi-nadaka, another name for whom is Princess-Eight-Rivers-and-Inlets, and begot a child: the Deity Swift-Awful-Brave-Sahaya-Lord-Ruler. This Deity wedded Princess Luck-Spirit, daughter of the Deity Heavenly-Awful-Master, and begot a child: the Deity Awful-Master-Prince. This Deity wedded Princess Hina-rashi, daughter of the Deity Okami, and begot a child: the Deity Tahiri-kishi-marumi. This Deity wedded the Deity Princess-Life-Spirit-Luck-Spirit, daughter of the Deity Waiting-to-See-the-Flowers-of-the-Holly, and begot a child: the Deity Miro-na-mi. This Deity wedded Princess Awo-numa-nu-oshi, daughter of the Deity Master-of-Shiki-yama, and begot a child: the Deity Nunoshi-tomi-tori-naru-mi. This Deity wedded the Young-Day-Female-Deity, and begot a child: the Deity Heavenly-Hibara-Great-Long-Wind-Wealth. This Deity wedded the Deity Toho-tsu-ma-chi-ne, daughter of the Deity Heavenly-Pass Boundary, and begot a child: the Deity Toho-tsu-yama-zaki-tarashi.
From the above-mentioned Deity Eight-Island-Ruler down to the Deity Toho-tsu-yama-zaki-tarashi are called the Deities of seventeen generations.
So when the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land dwelt at the august cape of Miho in Idzumo, there came riding on the crest of the waves in a boat of heavenly Kagami a Deity dressed in skins of geese flayed with a complete flaying, who, when asked his name, replied not; moreover the Deities who accompanied him, though asked, all said that they knew not. Then the toad spoke, saying: “As for this, the Crumbling Prince will surely know it.” Thereupon [the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land] summoned and asked the Crumbling-Prince, who replied, saying: “This is the Little-Prince-the-Renowned-Deity, the august child of the Deity-Producing-Wondrous-Deity.” So on their then respectfully informing His Augustness the Deity-Producing-Wondrous-August-Ancestor, he replied, saying: “This is truly my child. He among my children is the child who dipped between the fork of my hand. So do he and thou become brethren, and make and consolidate this land.” So from that time forward the two Deities the Great-Name-Possessor and the Little-Prince-the-Renowned-Deity made and consolidated this land conjointly. But afterwards the Little-Prince-the-Renowned-Deity crossed over to the Eternal Land. So [the Deity here] called the Crumbling Prince, who revealed the Little-Prince-the-Renowned-Deity, is what is now [called] the scarecrow in the mountain fields. This Deity, though his legs do not walk, is a Deity who knows everything in the Empire.
Thereupon the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land lamented himself, and said: “How shall I alone be able to make this land? Together with what Deity can I make this land?” At this time there came a Deity illuminating the sea. This Deity said: “If thou wilt lay me to rest well, I can make it together with thee. If not, the land cannot be made.” Then the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land said: “If that be so, what is the manner of reverently laying thee to rest?” He replied, saying: “Reverently worship me on Yamato’s green fence, the eastern mountain’s top.” This is the Deity who dwells on the top of Mount Mimoro.
[Sect. XXIX.—The August Children of the Great-Harvest-Deity and of the Swift-Mountain-Deity.]
So the Great-Harvest-Deity wedded the Princess [of?] Inu, daughter of the Divine-Life-Producing-Wondrous-Deity, and begot children: the Deity August-Spirit-of-the-Great-Land, next the Deity of Kara, next the Deity Sohori, next the Deity White-Sun, next the Sage-Deity. (Five Deities.) Again he wedded the Refulgent-Princess, and begot children: the Deity Great-Refulgent-Mountain-Dwelling-Grandee, next the August-Harvest-Deity. Again he wedded Princess Ame-shiru-karu-midzu, and begot children: the Deity Oki-tsu-hiko, next Her Augustness Oki-tsu-hime, another name for whom is the Deity Great Furnace-Princess:—this is the Deity of the Furnace held in reverence by all people. Next the Deity Great-Mountain-Integrator, another name for whom is the Deity-Great-Master-of-the-Mountain-End: this Deity dwells on Mount Hiye in the land of Chika-tsu-Afumi, and is likewise the Deity dwelling at Matsu-no-wo in Kadzunu, who uses the whizzing barb. Next the Deity-of-the-Fire-in-the-Yard; next the Deity Asuha; next the Deity Hahigi; next the Deity Refulgent-Mountain-Dwelling-Grandee; next the Deity Swift-Mountain-Dwelling; next the High Deity-of-the-Fire-in-the-Yard; next the Great-Earth-Deity, another name for whom is the Deity August-Ancestor-of-Earth. (Nine Deities.)
In the above papagraph the children of the Great-Harvest-Deity, from the Deity August-Spirit-of-the-Great-Land down to the Great-Earth-Deity, are altogether sixteen Deities.
The Deity Swift-Mountain-Dwelling wedded the Deity Princess-of-Great-Food, and begot children: the Deity Young-Mountain-Integrator; next the Young-Harvest-Deity; next his younger sister the Young-Rice-Transplanting-Female-Deity; next the Water-Sprinkling-Deity; next the Deity-of-the-High-Sun-of-Summer, another name for whom is the Female-Deity-of-Summer; next the Autumn-Princess; next the Deity Stem-Harvest; next the Deity Lord-Stem-Tree-Young-House-Rope.
In the above paragraph the children of the Deity Swift-Mountain-Dwelling, from the Deity Young-Mountain-Integrator down to the Deity Lord-Young-House-Rope, are altogether eight Deities.
[Sect. XXX.—The August Deliberation for Pacifying the Land.]
The Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity commanded, saying: “The Luxuriant-Reed-Plains-the-Land-of-Fresh-Rice-ears-of-a-Thousand-Autumns,—of Long-Five-Hundred-Autumns is the land which my august child His Augustness Truly-Conqueror-I-Conquer-Conquering-Swift-Heavenly-Great-Great-Ears shall govern.” Having [thus] deigned to charge him, she sent him down from Heaven. Hereupon His Augustness Heavenly-Great-Great-Ears, standing on the Floating Bridge of Heaven, said: “The Luxuriant-Reed-Plains-the-Land-of-Fresh-Rice-ears-of-a-Thousand-Autumns,—of Long-Five-Hundred-Autumns is painfully uproarious,—it is.” With this announcement, he immediately re-ascended, and informed the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity. Then the High-August-Producing-Wondrous-Deity and the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity commanded the eight hundred myriad Deities to assemble in a divine assembly in the bed of the Tranquil River of Heaven, and caused the Deity Thought-Includer to think [of a plan], and said: “This Central Land of Reed-Plains is the land with which we have deigned to charge our august child as the land which he shall govern. So as he deems that violent and savage Earthly Deities are numerous in this land, which Deity shall we send to subdue them?” Then the Deity Thought-Includer and likewise the eight hundred myriad Deities took counsel and said: “The Deity Ame-no-ho-hi is the one that should be sent.” So they sent the Deity Ame-no-ho-hi; but he at once curried favour with the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land, and for three years brought back no report.
Therefore the High-August-Producing-Wondrous-Deity and the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity again asked all the Deities, saying, “The Deity Ame-no-ho-hi, whom we sent down to the Central Land of Reed-Plains, is long of bringing back a report. Which Deity were it best to send on a fresh mission?” Then the Deity Thought-Includer replied, saying: “The Heavenly-Young-Prince, son of the Deity Heaven’s-Earth-Spirit should be sent.” So they bestowed on the Heavenly-Young-Prince the heavenly true deer-bow and the heavenly feathered arrows, and sent him. Thereupon the Heavenly-Young-Prince, descending to that land, at once wedded Princess Under-Shining, daughter of the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land, and moreover, planning how he might gain [possession of] the land, for eight years brought back no report. So then the Producing-Wondrous-Deity and the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity again asked all the Deities, [saying]: “The Heavenly-Young-Prince is long of bringing back a report. Which Deity shall we send on a fresh mission to enquire the cause of the Heavenly-Young-Prince’s long tarrying?” Thereupon all the Deities and likewise the Deity Thought-Includer replied, saying: “The pheasant the Name-Crying-Female should be sent,” upon which [the High-August-Producing-Wondrous-Deity and the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity] charged [the pheasant], saying: “What thou shalt go and ask the Heavenly-Young-Prince is this: ‘The reason for which thou wast sent to the Central Land of Reed-Plains was to subdue and pacify the savage Deities of that land. Why for eight years bringest thou back no report?’ ” So then the Crying-Female, descending from Heaven, and perching on the multitudinous [ly-branching] cassia-tree at the Heavenly-Young-Prince’s gate, told him everything according to the mandate of the Heavenly Deities. Then the Heavenly-Spying-Woman, having heard the bird’s words, spoke to the Heavenly-Young-Prince, saying: “The sound of this bird’s cry is very bad. So thou shouldest shoot it to death.” On her [thus] urging him, the Heavenly-Young-Prince at once took the heavenly vegetable wax-tree bow and the heavenly deer-arrows bestowed on him by the Heavenly Deities, and shot the pheasant to death. Then the arrow, being shot up upside down through the pheasant’s breast, reached the august place where the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity and the High-Integrating-Deity were sitting in the bed of the Tranquil River of Heaven. This “High-Integrating-Deity” is another name for the High-August-Producing-Wondrous-Deity. So, on the High-Integrating-Deity taking up the arrow and looking at it [he saw that] there was blood adhering to the feathers of the arrow.
Thereupon the High-Integrating-Deity, saying: “This arrow is the arrow that was bestowed on the Heavenly-Young-Prince,” showed it to all the Deities, and said: “If this be an arrow shot at the evil Deities by the Heavenly-Young-Prince in obedience to our command, let it not hit him. If he has a foul heart, let the Heavenly-Young-Prince perish by this arrow.” With these words, he took the arrow and thrust it back down through the arrow’s hole, so that it hit the Heavenly-Young-Prince on the top of his breast as he was sleeping on his couch, so that he died. (This is the origin of [the saying] ‘Beware of a returning arrow.’) Moreover the pheasant returned not. So this is the origin of the modern proverb which speaks of ‘the pheasant as sole messenger.’ So the sound of the wailings of the Heavenly-Young-Prince’s wife Princess Under-Shining, re-echoing in the wind, reached Heaven. So the Heavenly-Young-Prince’s father, the Deity Heaven’s-Earth-Spirit, and his wife and children who were in heaven, hearing it, came down with cries and lamentations, and at once built a mounring-house there, and made the wild goose of the river the head-hanging bearer, the heron the broom-bearer, the kingfisher the person of the august food, the sparrow the pounding-woman, the pheasant the weeping woman; and, having thus arranged matters, they disported themselves for eight days and eight nights, At this time the Deity Ajishiki-taka-hiko-ne came and condoled on the mourning for the Heavenly-Young-Prince, whereupon the Heavenly-Young-Prince’s father and wife who had come down from Heaven bewailed themselves, saying: “My child is not dead, no! My lord is not dead, no!” and with these words clung to his hands and feet, and bewailed themselves and lamented. The cause of their mistake was that the two Deities closely resembled each other in countenance: so therefore they made the mistake. Thereupon the Deity Ajishi-ki-taka-hiko-ne was very angry, and said: “It was only because he was my dear friend that I came to condole. Why should I be likened to an unclean dead person?”—and with these words he drew the ten-grasp sabre that was augustly girded on him, and cut down the mourning-house, and kicked away [the pieces] with his feet. This was on what is called Mount Mourning at the source of the River Awimi in the land of Minu. The great sword with which he cut [the mourning-house to pieces] was called by the name of Great-Blade-Mower, another name by which it was called being the Divine-Keen-Sabre. So when the Deity Aji-shiki-taka-hiko-ne flew away in his anger, his younger sister Her Augustness the High-Princess in order to reveal his august name, sang, saying: “Oh! ’tis the Deity Aji-shiki-Taka-Hiko-Ne traversing two august valleys with the refulgence of august assembled hole-jewels, of the august assembled jewels worn round her neck by the Weaving Maiden in Heaven!”
This Song is of a Rustic Style.
[Sect. XXXII.—Abdication of the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land.]
Hereupon the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity said: “Which Deity were it best to send on a fresh mission?” Then the Deity Thought-Includer and likewise all the Deities said: "“He who is named the Deity Majestic-Point-Blade-Extended and dwells in the Heavenly Rock-Dwelling by the source of the Tranquil River of Heaven, is the one that should be sent; or if not this Deity, then this Deity’s child, the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity, might be sent, Moreover, owing to this Deity Heavenly-Point-Blade-Extended having blocked up and turned back the waters of the Tranquil River of Heaven, and to his dwelling with the road blocked up, other Deities cannot go [thither]. So the Heavenly-Deer-Deity should be sent specially to ask him.” So then the Heavenly-Deer-Deity was sent to ask the Deity Heavenly-Point-Blade-Extended, who replied, saying: “I will obey, and will respectfully serve you. Nevertheless on this errand ye should send my child, the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity,”—[and with these words] immediately offered [his son to the Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity]. So the Deity Heavenly-Bird-Boat was attached to the Brave-Awful-Possessing-Male-Deity, and they were sent off. Therefore these two Deities, descending to the little shore of Inasa in the land of Idzumo, drew their swords ten hand-breadths long, stuck them upside down on the crest of a wave, seated themselves cross-legged on the point of the swords, and asked the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land, saying: “The Heaven-Shining-Great-August-Deity and the High-Integrating-Deity have charged us and sent us to ask, [saying]: ‘We have deigned to charge our august child with thy dominion, the Central Land of Reed-Plains, as the land which he should govern. So how is thy heart?”’ He replied, saying: “I am unable to say. My child the Deity Eight-Fold-Thing-Sign-Master will be the one to tell you; but he is gone to Cape Miho to pursue birds and catch fish, and has not yet returned.” So Then the Deity Bird-Boat was sent to summon the Deity Eight-Fold-Thing-Sign-Master, who, on being graciously asked, spoke to the Great Deity his father, saying: “I will obey. [Do thou] respectfully present this land to the august child of the Heavenly Deity;”—and thereupon he trod on [the edge of] his boat so as to capsize it, clapped his heavenly departing hands in the fence of green branches, and disappeared. So then they asked the Deity Master-of-the-Great-Land, saying: “Thy son the Deity Thing-Sign-Master has now spoken thus. Hast thou other sons who should speak?” Hereupon he spoke again, saying: “There is my other son, the Deity Brave-August-Name-Firm. There is none beside him.” While he was thus speaking, the