Page:Kwaidan; Stories and Studies of Strange Things - Hearn - 1904.djvu/177

 On receiving this mandate, Akinosuké submissively prepared for his departure. When all his affairs had been settled, and the ceremony of bidding farewell to his counselors and trusted officials had been concluded, he was escorted with much honor to the port. There he embarked upon the ship sent for him; and the ship sailed out into the blue sea, under the blue sky; and the shape of the island of Raishū itself turned blue, and then turned gray, and then vanished forever. … And Akinosuké suddenly awoke under the cedar-tree in his own garden! …

For the moment he was stupefied and dazed. But he perceived his two friends still seated near him,—drinking and chatting merrily. He stared at them in a bewildered way, and cried aloud,—

&quot;How strange!&quot;

&quot;Akinosuké must have been dreaming,&quot; one of them exclaimed, with a laugh. &quot;What did you see, Akinosuké, that was strange?&quot;

Then Akinosuké told his dream,—that dream of three-and-twenty years' sojourn in the realm of Tokoyo, in the island of Raishū;—and they were astonished, because he had really slept for no more than a few minutes. 153