Pathway to Japanese Literature

The Silver Flute and the Golden Pelt

I

Once upon a time, there was a shepherd boy named Ekimosu.
He was an orphan with neither father nor mother, and spent his days tending to a flock of sheep.

In the lush green field, sheep played happily.
Among wild flowers flitted a beautiful butterfly.
Birds sang among groves and high in sky.
The sun shone brightly.

Ekimosu lay down on the grass and sang a song.
He whistled.
He crafted various flutes from blades of grass.
He crafted a flute from reed stems as well.

—I want to sing like those small birds too.
But no matter how much he sang or played his flute, he could not match the small birds.

Then, one day, Ekimosu found a single pure white reed in the midst of a reed thicket.
It was thick and straight, and shone pure white like silver.
Ekimosu, struck by its rarity, gazed blankly at it for a while before suddenly having an idea.

—If I made a flute with that…

Immediately, he cut off that reed with a knife and crafted a flute.
And then he tried blowing it.
But it didn’t make a single sound.
The reed flute merely shone like silver.

Ekimosu was disappointed.
But he did not lose heart.
He crafted another flute from the next segment.
But that one also made no sound.

Three, four, five… No matter how many flutes he crafted, not a single one made a sound.
Yet the more stubbornly the flute remained silent, the harder Ekimosu worked to fashion them.
He felt a splendid one would soon emerge.

At last he reached the final segment.
If this failed, there would be no more of the rare pure-white reed left.

“O God!”

Ekimosu shouted.
With all his heart, he crafted the final flute.
And when he nervously tried blowing it...

Ekimosu leaped for joy.
He teared up with joy.
It played on and on.
It produced an indescribably beautiful sound.

Ekimosu gazed at the silver-shining reed flute, tears streaming down his face.
And then he put it to his mouth again.
He began to play it.
What a beautiful sound it was.
It was no less beautiful than the song of small birds.

Ekimosu ran through the field while swinging his flute.
Then he lay down in the shade of a tree at the edge of the forest.
And lost in his music, he kept playing one melody after another.

As he played, he suddenly noticed that the sheep had gathered around him without him realizing.
On the branches above, many small birds sat perfectly still.
Ekimusu smiled.
The fact that sheep and small birds had gathered and were listening to his flute made him very happy.

But if it had been just the sheep and small birds, that would have been fine...
Ekimosu jumped up in surprise.
In the forest, monkeys, wolves, foxes, hares, deer, lions, hawks, eagles, and various other birds and beasts were crouching here and there, though from where they had come was unclear.

Ekimosu didn't know what to do.
The wolves and lions especially startled him.
The sheep and he might get eaten.
He forgot about the flute and, backing away, fled into the flock of sheep.
But those fearsome beasts remained crouched motionless and did not give chase.
They simply watched with gentle eyes.

Ekimosu rang his bell and led the flock of sheep back to the hut.

The next day, Ekimosu once again led his flock of sheep and went out to the field.
There were no fearsome birds or beasts.
Ekimoso, relieved, scattered the sheep across the field, settled himself to rest in the shade of a tree, and began playing his white reed flute.
The sound was so beautiful that it hardly seemed like he himself was playing it.
It was a song that seemed to resonate from the heavens.

Before long, drawn by the flute's sound, the sheep gathered nearby.
The small birds came flying too.
Everyone was listening in silence.
And then, even more birds and beasts emerged from deep within the forest.
Even fearsome ones like wolves and lions emerged.
But Ekimosu was not particularly surprised.
The fact that they had simply come to listen to the flute became clearly evident from their demeanor.

Among the beasts were five or six deer.
Tilting their antlered heads, they listened intently to the flute.
At their center stood one particularly large figure. Instead of antlers, it bore a long mane like a lion's. Its entire coat shone golden, while its eyes gleamed with a clear, deep blue.

Even Ekimosu was astonished by the large golden-furred deer.
He had never seen such a deer before, nor had he ever heard tales of one.
When Ekimosu stopped playing his flute and gazed in rapture, the deer seemed to smile with its clear blue eyes.

Ekimosu went over to the deer's side.
He stroked its golden, fluffy mane.
The deer happily nuzzled up to him.
When Ekimosu began to play his flute, the deer sat down beside him and listened intently.
And so, Ekimosu and the Golden Deer became the best of friends.

For Ekimosu, everything was a source of joy.
The white reed flute never tired him, no matter how much he played.
When he played the flute, many birds and beasts emerged to listen.
They all got along well and simply listened to the flute.
In their midst, the Golden Deer shone like a king.
Ekimosu always walked together with that deer.
When evening came, the beasts would return to the depths of the forest, the birds high into the sky, and Ekimosu and the sheep to the hut—each to their own place.
Every day the sun shone brightly, and in the fields, all manner of flowers bloomed.

However, one day, the Golden Deer did not appear.
Other birds and beasts emerged, but the Golden Deer alone did not appear—no matter how much Ekimosu played his flute or how long he waited until evening.

The next day as well, the Golden Deer still did not appear.
Ekimosu grew worried.
Then he became sad.
He no longer felt like playing his flute.
What had happened to the Golden Deer!
Ekimosu could think of nothing but that.

II

On the third morning since the Golden Deer had ceased to appear, Ekimosu, without any joy, simply carried out his usual tasks and led the flock of sheep out to the field.
He could not bring himself to play his reed flute.

Then, as if they had been waiting for Ekimosu's arrival, many deer came running out of the forest.
One of them took hold of Ekimosu's coat hem in its mouth and kept pulling insistently toward the forest.

"It must need something," Ekimosu thought.
At the same time, thoughts of the Golden Deer welled up in his chest.
I can't stay still any longer.
Leaving the flock of sheep behind, he was led by the deer into the depths of the forest.

As they ventured deeper into the forest depths, there were no paths trodden by people.
Moreover, there were cliffs and slopes.
Ekimosu walked with all his might, but eventually grew tired and his legs stopped moving.
Then, a deer with large antlers bowed down before him and presented its back.
Ekimosu climbed onto its back and clung tightly to the antlers.
The deer started walking swiftly, as if running.

The deer emerged into open spaces, entered forests, climbed slopes, and crossed mountain streams.
He couldn’t tell how far they had come when, deep in the mountains, they suddenly emerged onto a flatland beside a mountain stream.
Soft grasses carpeted the ground, and flowers with an indescribably sweet fragrance bloomed.
And many deer were there to welcome him.

At the far end of the flatland, beneath the cliff, Ekimosu was lowered from the deer’s back.

When he looked, there on the grass nearby lay the Golden Deer.
Ekimosu called out and rushed over.

The Golden Deer lay there motionless, unable to move a muscle.
Breathing faintly in ragged gasps, it simply kept staring fixedly at Ekimosu.
When he examined it, he found blood flowing from around its shoulder.
It must have been shot by a gun.
There was nothing to be done.
It was dying.

Ekimosu sat down beside it with tears welling up in his eyes and laid its head on his lap.
The deer closed its eyes contentedly.
Ekimosu stroked its long, lion-like mane.
Then he took out the white reed flute and played it for their final farewell.

The reed flute that Ekimosu played with all his heart produced an inexpressibly beautiful sound.
The mountain stream's waters ceased flowing for a time to listen intently.

When Ekimosu stopped playing his flute, the Golden Deer was already dead.

Ekimoso remained sitting there for a long time.
Then, he cut off a small portion of the golden pelt as a memento.
And then he buried the corpse at the base of the cliff there for it.

When Ekimosu was about to leave, many deer accompanied him once more, and a deer with large antlers let him ride on its back.
And passing through cliffs and slopes, mountain streams and forests, he returned to the original field.

The flock of sheep was quietly eating grass.
Butterflies were flying.
Small birds were chirping.
But Ekimosu’s spirits did not lift.
From the golden deer’s pelt as a memento, he made a bag to hold precious things and hung it at his waist, but his sorrow did not fade.
He could not bring himself to play his flute either.

——Who shot that deer with a gun?

When I thought about that, I felt frustrated and lonely, and wanted to just go off on a journey somewhere.
The sheep were dear to me, but the sorrow over the Golden Deer’s death was much stronger.

Ekimosu finally resolved himself and went to the master to request leave.

The master wanted to detain Ekimosu.
However, upon hearing his story and seeing his sorrow and determination, he granted Ekimosu’s request.

“Well then, you may go see the capital for a while,” said the Master.
“There’s all sorts of interesting things in the capital—might lift your spirits.”
“But those interesting things are just surface-level—there’s plenty of bad folks around, so you’ve got to be careful.”
“And if you ever want to come back, come anytime—I’ll give you work.”

Ekimsu expressed his thanks, put the money he had received from his master into the leather bag, took up the white reed flute that glinted silver, and set out in a daze—no other luggage, no companions.

After traveling quite a distance, Ekimosu rested in the shade of a roadside tree.
And for the first time, he considered where he should go.
As Master had said, he thought going to the capital might not be a bad idea.

But if I go to the capital, I’ll need a lot of money.
I wonder if this will be enough?

Ekimusu opened the leather bag and began counting the money he had received from Master.
And he was startled.
The money inside the leather bag was nothing but gold coins.
But that couldn’t be right.
When I received it from Master, there had definitely been silver and copper coins mixed in as well.
Yet now, they had all turned into gold coins.

Ekimosu couldn't understand why.
He gazed quizzically at the leather bag.

——Maybe it’s because of that Golden Deer’s pelt…

He experimentally picked up a small stone from the road and tried putting it into the leather bag.
When he took it out, it had turned into gold.

Ekimoso was startled and stood up.
No matter how many small stones he put in, when he took them out, they had turned into gold.
Finding this amusing, he kept turning small stones into gold and scattering them in all directions.

——What a strange leather bag.
He had made it from that Golden Deer’s pelt.

As long as I had that, I wouldn’t face hardship even in the capital.
Ekimosu decided to go to the capital.

The mysterious leather bag and the mysterious reed flute...
Ekimoso suddenly felt energized.
And then he set off toward the capital.

Three

This was a time when there were no trains or airplanes.
Ekimosu traveled carefreely for several days and finally reached the capital.

Large splendid houses stood lined up in rows.
Beautiful objects filled every shop display.
But what astonished Ekimosu most was the sheer number of people.
Like ants stirred from their nest, crowds hurried about in busy swarms.

When evening fell, lights kindled across the cityscape, enhancing its beauty tenfold as throngs of exquisitely attired people multiplied under the glow.

Ekimosu had grown hungry, so he entered a splendid hotel.
Behind the glistening glass doors stood a man in white clothes.
Then, after staring intently at Ekimosu’s appearance, he said.

“This isn’t the kind of place for someone like you.”
“If you want to eat, try asking elsewhere.”

Ekimosu went outside.
After walking a while, there was another splendid hotel where beautifully adorned people were coming and going.
When he entered there, the white-clad man behind the glass door, observing Ekimosu’s appearance, said:

“This isn’t a place for the likes of you.”
“If you want to eat, go look elsewhere.”

Ekimosu hung his head and went outside.

As he wandered vacantly, many more splendid hotels were lined up, but he no longer felt like trying to enter any of them.

——Why won't they let me have a meal?

As he thought this, his stomach grew even hungrier, and he felt sad.

Before he knew it, he had come to the edge of a large river.
On the river, lights from the opposite bank flickered and cast reflections that were beautiful, but the riverbank itself had few passersby, was dimly lit, and lay hushed in stillness.

After walking awhile, he came upon a slightly open area where four or five large trees stood clustered together, with a small fountain at their center.
An old man wearing tattered clothes—barefoot and hatless—was drinking water from the fountain.

Ekimosu was hungry and his throat was dry, so he asked the man.

“Can anyone drink that water?”

The old man turned around and answered.

“Of course you can drink it.
But it’s not good water.”

But Ekimosu drank it with relish.
Seeing this, the old man said:

“You look pretty hungry yourself.”

“Yes,” Ekimosu answered.
“Nowhere will let me eat.”

“Anywhere...”

Ekimosu told how he had been driven out from the splendid hotel.
The old man laughed.

"Well now, that's just how things go here," he said.
"You think fancy places'd serve meals to some grubby-lookin' kid like you?"

“But I do have money.”

Ekimosu took out a gold coin from the leather bag and showed it.

“Well now.”

The man looked puzzled, glancing between the gold coin and Ekimosu’s face.
Ekimosu said,

“Old man, isn’t there somewhere that’ll let me eat something with this? If you’re hungry too, let’s eat together.”

“Hmm, that’s not a bad idea either...” the man said thoughtfully.
“Eating just the two of us seems a bit wasteful.”

“Are there still other people who are hungry?”

“You bet there are—plenty of them.”
“There’s plenty of folks who can’t go out to work—sick ones, ones with no shoes, and all that.”

“Then let’s all eat together with those people.”

The old man’s face lit up with delight.
He suddenly sprang into motion and raced away.
Before long, he returned leading fourteen or fifteen men.
They stood hunched and listless—shoeless souls with sunken cheeks.
The old man thrust his finger toward Ekimosu and bellowed:

“This lad here’s gonna feed us all proper—he’s heaven’s own messenger!”

The people surrounded Ekimosu at the center and walked along happily.
They turned right and left through narrow back alleys until finally entering a small eatery.

In a low-ceilinged, dirty room, wooden tables and wooden stools were lined up, and a lamp smoldered.
But the faces of the people packed into that place shone more brightly and radiantly than any beautiful light.

Ekimosu went to the innkeeper standing at the back of the room, took five gold coins from his leather bag, and lined them up on the counter.

“With this, please give everyone a proper feast.”

The innkeeper looked astonished.
Then he took the five gold coins and waved them at everyone.

“Hey everyone, with this much we can have a feast!”

A great cheer of joy rose up.

Some couldn’t find their voices, eyes brimming with tears.
Tears welled up in Ekimosu too out of joy.

Wine was served.
The feast was served.
It became a tremendous commotion.
Everyone grew energetic.
Even the emaciated and sick declared they’d go out to work starting tomorrow.
All talked about work.
Ekimosu took out more gold coins and had someone buy shoes for those without any.
They grew so spirited that from tomorrow onward, they’d handle all the capital’s work themselves.
And they drank and ate their fill.

In the end, they hoisted Ekimosu—the "divine envoy"—aloft and raised a celebratory uproar.

The night deepened.
When Ekimosu’s eyes grew sleepy, though it was a humble house, the owner of the modest eatery led him to its best room and let him rest.

IV

Ekimusu woke up happily.
When he thought about last night’s events, he was so happy he couldn’t contain himself.
Those people had never before had a meal so joyful and lively.

Ekimosu entrusted many gold coins to the innkeeper, requested that he provide meals when last night’s people arrived, and set out to tour the capital.
There were all sorts of shops.
There were all sorts of people passing by.
There were parks and museums and the like.

In the early evening, Ekimosu returned to the inn and waited for the people from the previous night. But when night fell, those people came in groups of two or three, offered their thanks, and simply went back.

Ekimosu asked the innkeeper.

“Why do those people go back so early?”

The innkeeper answered.

“That’s only natural.”
“They have worked all day, so they’re exhausted.”
“And they feel it’s improper to keep accepting feasts from you.”
“They’re doing alright now.”
“But there are still so many people in dire straits—impoverished, with many children to care for or suffering from illness.”
“Saving all those people—even if you are a divine envoy—isn’t something you can easily manage.”

The innkeeper shook his head and made a sad face.

“I’m not any kind of divine envoy,” Ekimosu said.
“But if there are so many people in trouble, I really want to find a way to bring them joy.”

Ekimosu thought deeply about many things.
Then he would buy small items with gold coins, receive silver and copper coins as change, put them into the bag made from the golden deer’s pelt, and turn them all into gold coins.
A great number of gold coins were produced.
With that, Ekimosu went out late every night to the areas where the poor people lived.

In places where poor people lived，strange things began happening．

When a man—sick，unable to work，without money，unable to eat，and standing vacantly outside not knowing what to do—was there，a boy in modest clothes would say，“Here，get yourself something good to eat with this，”and give him a gold coin．
While the man stood dumbfounded，the boy had already vanished somewhere．

When a child without shoes went barefoot on an errand, a boy in modest clothing would say, "Use this to buy shoes," and give them a gold coin.

In places where broken window glass remained unreplaced, with paper patched over the gaps, something heavy would be hurled at them late at night.
The paper tore, and gold coins came clattering into the room.

Then one morning, while it was still dark, there came someone pounding loudly on doors.
They went door after door, pounding.
In every house, people woke up.
Wondering what was happening, they went out to check, and there found many gold coins scattered about.
Everyone rushed out and gathered the gold coins.

Gold coins accumulated in every household.
Everyone became lively.
They ate proper meals and bought hats and shoes.
The men hurried off to work, and the women cleaned their homes.
Their once-downcast eyes began to shine vividly.
The entire town became filled with vitality.

All of that was Ekimosu's doing.
Everyone understood this too.
But believing Ekimosu to be a divine messenger, they felt it would be dreadful to openly go thank him, so they simply stayed in the shadows—grateful yet whispering among themselves.

Nevertheless, people never ceased stealthily delivering sweets and fruits to Ekimosu’s inn.
No matter how much he refused them, they would quietly leave them again.
This troubled the innkeeper the most.
The inn was filled with sweets and fruits.
With no other choice, he distributed them to acquaintances’ houses here and there, but in the end, he ended up indiscriminately delivering them to any house he came across.
Because of this, once again, every household came to have sweets and fruits.

The poor children were truly delighted.
Those who had until now stayed cooped up indoors with pale faces ate plenty of sweets and fruits, regained their vigor, and began venturing out to play in parks and such.

For Ekimosu, playing with those children was his greatest joy.
In the park's trees were many sparrows.
When Ekimosu grew tired from playing with the children, he would rest in the shade of a tree and play his silver reed flute.
Then, the sparrows, drawn by the flute's sound, would come down around Ekimosu.
The entire area was filled with sparrows.
Even when the children caught them, they made no attempt to escape.
The children were delighted, letting them perch on their heads, shoulders, or placing them on their palms.

“That’s all for now.”

After saying this, Ekimosu stood up and put away his flute, whereupon the sparrows flew up into the trees.

And so it was that one day, as Ekimosu was playing with the children in the park, a man dressed in jet-black clothes quietly approached.
He was a large, strong-looking man with sharply gleaming eyes.

The man stared intently at Ekimosu and then said in a low voice.

“Actually, there is something I must discuss with you, so would you please come over there?”

Ekimusu said with a smile.

“Can’t we do it here?”

“Well, it’s… a confidential matter…”

So Ekimosu followed the man.
At the edge of the park, a carriage was waiting, and four large, strong-looking men dressed in black clothes were riding in it.
Ekimosu boarded the carriage as instructed.
The carriage started running at full speed.

Five

The carriage carrying Ekimosu raced onward without end.

Five strong-looking men dressed in black clothes were surrounding Ekimosu.

After traveling quite a distance, the carriage passed through a large stone gate.
There, Ekimosu was let off the carriage.
Five men wearing red clothes with swords at their sides replaced the black-clad men and surrounded Ekimosu.

Ekimosu couldn't comprehend what was happening.
Yet he didn't feel particularly afraid either.
Led by the red-clad men, he entered a large building, passed through a long wide corridor, and came out into a small courtyard.
There, he was made to sit on a wooden bench over gravel.

Before long, the curtain at the front rolled up.
In a room one level higher than the courtyard, a large number of people were waiting.
One of the red-clad men said to Ekimosu.

“That is His Majesty the King and the Minister. Bow.”

Ekimosu bowed and raised his head. When he looked, there in the center was a man wearing a purple robe and golden crown who appeared to be His Majesty the King, while slightly before him stood another in a glistening garment who seemed to be the Minister. The other people wore garments adorned with red and gold stripes and were lined up on both sides of His Majesty the King.

The Minister asked Ekimosu in a solemn voice.

"What is your name?"

"My name is Ekimosu," Ekimosu answered calmly.

“Ekimosu, you’re a sorcerer.”

“No, I am not a sorcerer.
I am a mountain shepherd.”

“How does a mere shepherd summon sparrows in the park?”

“I’m not summoning them.
They gather on their own.”

“Then why do you scatter gold coins in the paupers’ town?”

“Because I want to make everyone happy.”

“Where did you steal those gold coins from?”

Ekimosu was troubled by how to respond.
With no alternative, he took out the golden leather bag and showed its mysterious power.
When copper or silver coins were placed inside, they became gold coins; even pebbles turned to gold when put in.

The Minister shouted to the red-clad men.

“Seize that magic bag and bind him!”

Ekimosu was stripped of his leather bag and bound from behind.
He could do nothing about it.

The Minister said.

“You’re a reprehensible scoundrel.”
“Using magic to plot rebellion.”
“But now that we’ve confiscated your magic bag, you’re powerless.”
“Prepare yourself.”

Ekimosu offered every possible explanation, but none proved effective.
They asserted he’d scattered gold coins among paupers to render labor contemptible, summoned sparrows in parks to manipulate public sentiment, spread claims of divine mandate, and schemed insurrection.

“From now on, he shall be confined in a forest prison for seven days, after which he will be exiled to a remote island.”

The Minister formally reported this to His Majesty the King.
His Majesty the King gave a silent nod of assent.

And that was the end.

Ekimosu was confined to a prison in the forest.
Even his precious flute was confiscated within its walls.

It was a prison built of stone deep in the forest—a terrifyingly lonely place guarded only by soldiers.
Ekimosu had been confined there, and when seven days passed, he would be put on a boat, sent down the river to the sea, carried far across the ocean, and exiled to a small uninhabited island.

Yet Ekimosu did not grieve much.
He had done nothing wrong.
He felt certain someone would come to help him soon.

The prison had one small window. When he peered through it, he could see forest trees. Through the thicket, a field lay visible beyond. Ekimosu fondly remembered his time herding sheep in the mountains.

He wondered how his sheep were faring.

And every day, he spent his time gazing at the trees of the forest and the field beyond through that window.
But in the field beyond, not a single human figure could be seen.
No one came to help.

Three days passed.
Four days passed.
No one came.
Five days... Six days... Seven days...
No one came.
The forest was hushed, and beyond it lay a field devoid of human figures.

On the morning of the eighth day, the guard who usually brought his meals—perhaps out of pity for Ekimosu—spoke up.

“You’re finally going to the island today. Do you have any last requests?”

Ekimosu answered immediately.

“There’s nothing else, but please just let me play my flute one last time.”

“Very well, I’ll let you play.”

After some time had passed, the guard brought him a silver flute crafted from white reeds.

Ekimosu jumped up with joy.
He clutched the precious flute to his chest and shed tears.
Then he began to play the flute earnestly.
An indescribably beautiful sound resounded throughout.
Ekimosu forgot everything and continued to play in a trance.
He had no idea how many hours he had continued to play.

Before long, Ekimosu became aware of some commotion.
And when he peered through the window, he was astonished.

The forest was filled with nothing but birds and beasts.
Among them were fearsome creatures like eagles, wolves, and lions.
They had come to listen to Ekimosu’s flute.
The prison guards had fled, and there was no one left.
There was nothing but birds and beasts.

Ekimosu stopped playing his flute and gazed blankly at it.
When he suddenly noticed, something was moving in the field beyond the forest.
It gradually drew closer...
Many people came galloping on horses.

6

The ones who came galloping on horseback to the prison where Ekimosu was confined were the King and the Prince.
The Minister was accompanying them.
Then many soldiers followed.

Initially, when Ekimosu had been sent to prison, the leather bag—called a magic bag—had been handed from the Minister to the King.
The King took it back to his room and gazed at it curiously.
It was a magnificent pelt from a golden deer.
As he stroked its fur, he suddenly wanted to test this so-called magic.

The King tried putting one copper coin into the leather bag.
When he took it out, it had turned into a gold coin.
He tried putting in one small stone.
When he took it out, it had turned into gold.

The King’s eyes glistened with joy.
He had copper coins and small stones brought in, put them into the leather bag, and turned them all into gold.
When he grew weary, he summoned the Minister.
Next, he summoned the palace officials.
Some carried small stones and copper coins, others put them into the leather bag to make gold, and still others piled that gold in the corner of the room—it became chaotic.
Watching the gold steadily multiply, everyone fell into a frenzy.

A day passed.
A room became full of gold.

Two days passed.
Two rooms became full of gold.

The King had a prince about the same age as Ekimosu.
The Prince watched as the King and everyone else became frenzied making gold, and said sadly,
“What good does doing such things bring?”

But no one responded.

Three days... four days... five days passed.
Five rooms became full of gold.

The Prince said.

"What good does doing such things bring?"

No one responded.

Six days passed, then seven days passed.
Seven rooms became full of gold.

The Prince said sadly.

"What good does doing such things bring?"

No one responded.
But this time, they all exchanged glances with one another.
And they sighed.
They were exhausted.
They felt somehow lonely.
When they saw the mountains of gold filling seven rooms, they became utterly at a loss over what to do.

The Prince said.

“Isn’t this just like piling up stones?”

What was the point of producing nothing but gold?
By this point, it was no different from piling pebbles.
Even the gold they had once considered so precious became utterly unmanageable when it filled seven entire rooms.

What a foolish thing I've done.

Thinking this, the King looked toward the Minister.
The Minister also looked toward the King.
Both of them were at a loss.

And when the eighth morning arrived, faced with seven rooms full of gold, both the King and the Minister’s officials could do nothing but sigh.

Then, all at once, various reports arrived—the people had somehow discovered that Ekimosu was imprisoned and would finally face banishment to a remote island today, and were now in a great uproar.
They were clamoring by all means to reclaim Ekimosu.
The claim that Ekimosu had plotted rebellion was a story arbitrarily concocted by envious individuals who resented gold coins being scattered among the poor. And at the prison, strangely enough, countless birds and beasts had come to completely occupy everything from the prison to the forest...

The King stood up.
The Prince also stood up.
They immediately had horses brought out and made them gallop toward the prison.
Noticing this, the Minister took many soldiers and followed behind.

When they arrived and saw, it was true.
The forest surrounding the prison was teeming with birds and beasts.
Among them were fearsome creatures like eagles, wolves, and lions.
The horses were startled and reared up.
The King, the Prince, the Minister, and the soldiers all jumped down from their horses.
In the prison window, Ekimosu’s smiling face was visible.
However, they could not approach due to the birds and beasts.

At that moment, a great number of the people arrived, intent on reclaiming Ekimosu.
The King immediately had it proclaimed that Ekimosu was pardoned.
The People were relieved.
However, upon seeing the birds and beasts in the forest, they could not approach Ekimosu.

Eventually, for reasons unknown, the Prince entered the forest alone.
Strangely enough, even the wolves and lions remained crouched motionlessly, causing no harm whatsoever.
The Prince steadily advanced, entered the prison, searched for the key, and opened Ekimosu’s room.
Ekimusu joyfully welcomed the Prince.

The Prince returned the golden leather bag to Ekimosu and said.

“Ekimusu, through that leather bag, you have taught us something truly valuable. You have shown us how utterly foolish human greed can be. Thank you.”

Following behind the Prince, the King also entered.
The King said.

“Ekimusu, I was mistaken. Forgive me for causing you suffering.”

Right after the King, the people came rushing in.
There was no time to do anything.

The People hoisted Ekimosu up, led him out of the prison, and carried him into the field.

Then there was a tremendous commotion.
People from across the capital came out to the field, and together—the King, the Prince, the Minister, soldiers, wealthy people, and poor people alike—they all joined in holding a festive commotion to welcome Ekimosu.

The festive commotion continued all day long.

Amidst the commotion, Ekimosu felt strangely lonely.
He felt he no longer had any business in the capital.
The mountain sheep came to mind.
And late that night, Ekimosu, holding his reed flute and leather bag, quietly left the capital.