grief and anger cried, "Must my child perish? Shall a princess die for the lack of one poor fox?" She was never willing that one should be slain and this is her reward." Ito said, "I will get the fox." He started out with knife and net to seek it. At the entrance of the town he met a woman dressed in strange garments. Very small and stooped she seemed to Ito. She carried a jar in her arms. She bowed low before Ito, and said, "What you seek is in the jar. I have brought it from afar." "Here is gold," said Ito. "What is the price?" The woman pulled the blue hood farther over her face and said, "Another time will do, I can wait. Hasten now to the princess." Gladly Ito obeyed. They made the broth in a bowl of beaten gold and fed it to O Haru San. Immediately she was well and all was joy in the emperor's house. The emperor said, "Ito, is she, who brought this blessing, paid?" Ito answered, "Yonder she waits at the entrance of the town."The emperor himself in his great joy went with Ito to meet her. But they found only a dog-fox dead. Around his neck they read this message, "This is my husband here." For his child he gives his liver to the princess, dear. I, his very lowly wife, have brought it." [Illustration]

PERSEPHONE.
Demeter had the care of all the plants, fruits and grains in the world. She taught the people how to plow the fields and plant the seeds. She helped them gather in their harvests. They loved the kind earth-mother and gladly obeyed her. They also loved her daughter, the beautiful Persephone.

Persephone wandered all day in the meadows among the flowers. Wherever she went the birds, singing merrily, flocked after her. The people said, "Where Persephone is, there is the warm sunshine." Flowers bloom when she smiles. Listen to her voice; it is like a bird's song.

Demeter wished always to have her child near her. One day Persephone went alone into a meadow near the sea. She had made a wreath for her hair, and gathered all the flowers that her apron could hold. Far away across the meadow she saw a white flower gleaming. She ran to it and found that it was a narcissus, but far more beautiful than any she had ever seen.

On a single stem were a hundred blossoms. She tried to pick it, but the stem would not break. With all her strength she grasped it, and slowly it came up by the roots. It left a great opening in the earth which grew larger and larger. Persephone heard a rumbling like thunder under her feet. Then she saw four black horses coming toward her from the opening. Behind them was a chariot made of gold and precious stones. In it sat a dark, 

 Prev. P 13/58 next