Section 68 of 135 - Table of Contents
HOFUS THE STONE-CUTTER
A JAPANESE LEGEND
FROM THE RIVERSIDE THIRD READER (ADAPTED)
Once upon a time in Japan, there was a poor
stone-cutter, named Hofus, who used to go every
day to the mountain-side to cut great blocks of
stone. He lived near the mountain in a little
stone hut, and worked hard and was happy.
One day he took a load of stone to the house
of a rich man. There he saw so many beautiful
things that when he went back to his mountain
he could think of nothing else. Then he began to
wish that he too might sleep in a bed as soft as
down, with curtains of silk, and tassels of gold.
And he sighed:--
``Ah me! Ah me!
If Hofus only were rich as he!''
To his surprise, the voice of the Mountain
Spirit answered:--
``Have thou thy wish!''
When Hofus returned home that evening his
little hut was gone, and in its place stood a great
palace. It was filled with beautiful things, and
the best of all was a bed of down, with curtains
of silk and tassels of gold.
Hofus decided to work no more. But he was
not used to being idle, and time passed slowly,--
the days seemed very long.
One day as he sat by the window he saw a
carriage dash past. It was drawn by snow-white
horses. In it sat a prince, while before and behind
were servants in suits of blue and white. One was
holding a golden umbrella over the prince.
When the stone-cutter saw this, he began to
feel unhappy, and he sighed:--
``Ah me! Ah me!
If Hofus only a prince might be!''
And again the same voice that he had heard on
the mountain answered:--
``Be thou a prince!''
Straightway Hofus was a prince. He had servants
dressed in crimson and gold, and he rode in
a carriage with a golden umbrella over his head.
For a short time he was happy, but one day,
as he walked in the garden, he saw that the
flowers were drooping, the grass was dry and
brown. And when he rode out he felt the hot sun
burn him in spite of his umbrella.
``The sun is mightier than I,'' thought he, and
then he sighed:--
``Ah me! Ah me!
If Hofus only the sun might be!''
And the voice answered:--
``Be thou the sun!''
Straightway the great sun he became. He
burned the grass and rice fields. he dried up the
streams. Rich and poor alike suffered from the
terrible heat.
One day a cloud came and rested in front of
him, and hid the earth from his sight. He was
angry and cried:--
``Ah me! Ah me!
If Hofus only a cloud might be!''
And the voice answered:--
``Be thou a cloud!''
Straightway a cloud he became. He floated
before the face of the sun, and hid the earth
from it.
Then day after day the cloud dropped rain.
The rivers overflowed, and the rice-fields were
covered with water. Towns were swept away.
Only the great rocks on the mountain-side stood
unmoved midst the flood.
The cloud looked at them in wonder, then he
sighed:--
``Ah me! Ah me!
If Hofus only a rock might be!''
And the voice answered:--
``Be thou a rock!''
Straightway a rock he became. Proudly he
stood. The sun could not burn him and the rain
could not move him.
``Now, at last,'' he said, ``no one is mightier
than I.''
But one day he was waked from his dreams by
a noise,--tap! tap! tap!--down at his feet. He
looked and there was a stone-cutter driving his
tool into the rock. Another blow and the great
rock shivered; a block of stone broke away.
``That man is mightier than I!'' cried Hofus,
and he sighed:--
``Ah me! Ah me!
If Hofus only the man might be!''
And the voice answered:--
``Be thou thyself!''
And straightway Hofus was himself again,--
a poor stone-cutter, working all day upon the
mountain-side, and going home at night to his
little hut. But he was content and happy, and
never again did he wish to be other than Hofus
the stone-cutter.
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