Page:Anthology of Japanese Literature.pdf/58

  

 

[Kojiki, XXXIX–XLII]



Fire-shine was a prince who got his luck on the sea, and caught things broad of fin and narrow of fin. Fire-fade was a prince who got his luck on the mountains and caught things rough of hair and soft of hair. One day Fire-fade said to his elder brother Fire-shine, “Let us make a change and use each other’s luck.” But though he made this request three times, his brother would not agree to it, and only with much difficulty could he persuade him to make the exchange. Then Fire-fade angled for fish with the sea-luck, but failed to get a single one, and moreover lost the fishhook in the sea. Thereupon his elder brother asked him for the hook, saying, “A mountain-luck is a luck of its own, and a sea-luck is a luck of its own. Let us now give each other back his own luck.” To which the younger brother replied, “I did not get a single fish by angling with your