her relation to Kajiwara Kagesue, a warrior of the Heike clan. While the
pair were traveling together, Kajiwara one day found himself in great
straits for want of money; and Umegae, remembering the tradition of the
Bell of Mugen, took a basin of bronze, and, mentally representing it to be
the bell, beat upon it until she broke it,-- crying out, at the same time,
for three hundred pieces of gold. A guest of the inn where the pair were
stopping made inquiry as to the cause of the banging and the crying, and,
on learning the story of the trouble, actually presented Umegae with three
hundred ryo (3) in gold. Afterwards a song was made about Umegae's basin
of bronze; and that song is sung by dancing girls even to this day:--

Umegae no chozubachi tataite
O-kane ga deru naraba
Mina San mi-uke wo
Sore tanomimasu

["If, by striking upon the wash-basin of Umegae, I could make honorable
money come to me, then would I negotiate for the freedom of all my
girl-comrades."]



After this happening, the fame of the Mugen-Kane became great; and many
people followed the example of Umegae,-- thereby hoping to emulate her
luck. Among these folk was a dissolute farmer who lived near Mugenyama, on t
he bank of the Oigawa. Having wasted his substance in riotous living, this
farmer made for himself, out of the mud in his garden, a clay-model of the
Mugen-Kane; and he beat the clay-bell, and broke it,-- crying out the while
for great wealth.