So Jiuyemon having gladly undertaken the job, as soon as the night set in made his preparations, and went to the place indicated—­an uncanny-looking, tumble-down, lonely old shrine, all overgrown with moss and rank vegetation.  However, Jiuyemon, who was afraid of nothing, cared little for the appearance of the place, and having made himself as comfortable as he could in so dreary a spot, sat down on the floor, lit his pipe, and kept a sharp look-out for the goblins.  He had not been waiting long before he saw a movement among the bushes; and presently he was surrounded by a host of elfish-looking creatures, of all shapes and kinds, who came and made hideous faces at him.  Jiuyemon quietly knocked the ashes out of his pipe, and then, jumping up, kicked over first one and then another of the elves, until several of them lay sprawling in the grass; and the rest made off, greatly astonished at this unexpected reception.  When Jiuyemon took his lantern and examined the fallen goblins attentively, he saw that they were all Tonoshin’s fellow-students, who had painted their faces, and made themselves hideous, to frighten their companion, whom they knew to be a coward:  all they got for their pains, however, was a good kicking from Jiuyemon, who left them groaning over their sore bones, and went home chuckling to himself at the result of the adventure.

[Illustration:  FUNAKOSHI JIUYEMON AND THE GOBLINS.]

The fame of this exploit soon became noised about Osaka, so that all men praised Jiuyemon’s courage; and shortly after this he was elected chief of the Otokodate,[46] or friendly society of the wardsmen, and busied himself no longer with his trade, but lived on the contributions of his numerous apprentices.

[Footnote 46:  See the Introduction to the Story of Chobei of Bandzuin.]

Now Kajiki Tonoshin was in love with a singing girl named Kashiku, upon whom he was in the habit of spending a great deal of money.  She, however, cared nothing for him, for she had a sweetheart named Hichirobei, whom she used to contrive to meet secretly, although, in order to support her parents, she was forced to become the mistress of Tonoshin.  One evening, when the latter was on guard at the office of his chief, the Governor of Osaka, Kashiku sent word privately to Hichirobei, summoning him to go to her house, as the coast would be clear.

While the two were making merry over a little feast, Tonoshin, who had persuaded a friend to take his duty for him on the plea of urgent business, knocked at the door, and Kashiku, in a great fright, hid her lover in a long clothes-box, and went to let in Tonoshin, who, on entering the room and seeing the litter of the supper lying about, looked more closely, and perceived a man’s sandals, on which, by the light of a candle, he saw the figure seven.[47] Tonoshin had heard some ugly reports of Kashiku’s proceedings with this man Hichirobei, and when he saw this proof before his eyes he grew very angry; but he suppressed his feelings, and, pointing to the wine-cups and bowls, said:—­