Page:The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, Volume 13.djvu/74

 mato-take's Empress, whose name was Her Augustness Princess Oto-tachibana, said: "I will enter the sea instead of the august child. The august child must complete the service on which he has been sent, and take back a report to the Heavenly Sovereign." When she was about to enter the sea, she spread eight thicknesses of sedge rugs, eight thicknesses of skin rugs, and eight thicknesses of silk rugs on the top of the waves, and sat down on the top of them. Thereupon the violent waves at once went down, and the august ship was able to proceed. Then the Empress sang, saying:

"Ah! thou whom I inquired of, standing in the midst of the flames of the fire burning on the little moor of Sagamu, where the true peak pierces!"

So seven days afterward the Empress's august comb drifted on to the sea-beach which comb was forthwith taken and placed in an august mausoleum which was made.

When, having thence penetrated on and subdued all the savage Yemish and likewise pacified all the savage deities