Hase-Hime was a skilled musician though so young, and often
astonished her masters by her wonderful memory and talent. On this
momentous occasion she played well. But Princess Terute, her step-
mother, who was a lazy woman and never took the trouble to practice
daily, broke down in her accompaniment and had to request one of the
Court ladies to take her place. This was a great disgrace, and she
was furiously jealous to think that she had failed where her step-
daughter succeeded; and to make matters worse the Emperor sent many
beautiful gifts to the little Princess to reward her for playing so
well at the Palace.

There was also now another reason why Princess Terute hated her
step-daughter, for she had had the good fortune to have a son born
to her, and in her inmost heart she kept saying:

"If only Hase-Hime were not here, my son would have all the love of
his father."

And never having learned to control herself, she allowed this wicked
thought to grow into the awful desire of taking her step-daughter's
life.

So one day she secretly ordered some poison and poisoned some sweet
wine. This poisoned wine she put into a bottle. Into another similar
bottle she poured some good wine. It was the occasion of the Boys'
Festival on the fifth of May, and Hase-Hime was playing with her
little brother. All his toys of warriors and heroes were spread out
and she was telling him wonderful stories about each of them. They
were both enjoying themselves and laughing merrily with their