the season of snow.




THE DREAM OF AKINOSUKE


In the district called Toichi of Yamato Province, (1) there used to live a
goshi named Miyata Akinosuke... [Here I must tell you that in Japanese
feudal times there was a privileged class of soldier-farmers,--
free-holders,-- corresponding to the class of yeomen in England; and these
were called goshi.]


In Akinosuke's garden there was a great and ancient cedar-tree, under
which he was wont to rest on sultry days. One very warm afternoon he was
sitting under this tree with two of his friends, fellow-goshi, chatting and
drinking wine, when he felt all of a sudden very drowsy,-- so drowsy that
he begged his friends to excuse him for taking a nap in their presence.
Then he lay down at the foot of the tree, and dreamed this dream:--


He thought that as he was lying there in his garden, he saw a procession,
like the train of some great daimyo descending a hill near by, and that he
got up to look at it. A very grand procession it proved to be,-- more
imposing than anything of the kind which he had ever seen before; and it
was advancing toward his dwelling. He observed in the van of it a number of
young men richly appareled, who were drawing a great lacquered
palace-carriage, or gosho-guruma, hung with bright blue silk. When the