fan in the hope that you will light upon it. But this reminds me that there
is an ancient Chinese story about you, which is not pretty.


"In the time of the Emperor Genso, the Imperial Palace contained hundreds
and thousands of beautiful ladies,-- so many, indeed, that it would have
been difficult for any man to decide which among them was the loveliest.
So all of those beautiful persons were assembled together in one place; and
you were set free to fly among them; and it was decreed that the damsel
upon whose hairpin you perched should be augustly summoned to the Imperial
Chamber. In that time there could not be more than one Empress -- which was
a good law; but, because of you, the Emperor Genso did great mischief in
the land. For your mind is light and frivolous; and although among so many
beautiful women there must have been some persons of pure heart, you would
look for nothing but beauty, and so betook yourself to the person most
beautiful in outward appearance. Therefore many of the female attendants
ceased altogether to think about the right way of women, and began to study
how to make themselves appear splendid in the eyes of men. And the end of
it was that the Emperor Genso died a pitiful and painful death -- all
because of your light and trifling mind. Indeed, your real character can
easily be seen from your conduct in other matters. There are trees, for
example,-- such as the evergreen-oak and the pine,-- whose leaves do not
fade and fall, but remain always green;-- these are trees of firm heart,
trees of solid character. But you say that they are stiff and formal; and
you hate the sight of them, and never pay them a visit. Only to the
cherry-tree, and the kaido [15], and the peony, and the yellow rose you go:
those you like because they have showy flowers, and you try only to please
them. Such conduct, let me assure you, is very unbecoming. Those trees
certainly have handsome flowers; but hunger-satisfying fruits they have
not; and they are grateful to those only who are fond of luxury and show.