Page:Kwaidan; Stories and Studies of Strange Things - Hearn - 1904.djvu/192

 observes, to my further confusion,—as the harper strides away, richer by a gift of sixpence taken without thanks. … &quot;But I think he must be a gipsy. Gipsies are bad people—and they are wizards. … Let us go back to the wood.&quot;

We climb again to the pines, and there squat down upon the sun-flecked grass, and look over town and sea. But we do not play as before: the spell of the wizard is strong upon us both. … &quot;Perhaps he is a goblin,&quot; I venture at last, &quot;or a fairy?&quot; &quot;No," says Robert,—&quot;only a gipsy. But that is nearly as bad. They steal children, you know.&quot; …

&quot;What shall we do if he comes up here?&quot; I gasp, in sudden terror at the lonesomeness of our situation.

&quot;Oh, he would n't dare,&quot; answers Robert—&quot;not by daylight, you know.&quot; …

[Only yesterday, near the village of Takata, I noticed a flower which the Japanese call by nearly the same name as we do: Hi-mawari, &quot;The Sunward-turning;&quot;—and over the space of forty years there thrilled back to me the voice of that wandering harper,— 168