How Jimmu was Made the First Emperor of Japan

Long, long ago, only a short time after the heavens had been separated from the earth, the sun goddess looked down and saw that wicked people did much as they pleased. Now she was one of those women who liked to have order everywhere. So she made her son Ninigi (nee-nee-gee) a human being, sent him down to found a new race, and ordered him to see that his children and children's children should rule justly over the land she gave them,—and that land was Japan.

Before Ninigi went down to the earth, his mother gave him three presents. The first was a mirror, which was an emblem of her own soul; the second was a sword made by the gods themselves, so sharp that it could cut through almost anything; and the third was a fine ball of crystal.

So Ninigi came down and began his work. Of course, he had a good deal of trouble with his neighbors, who had not invited him and did not want him. But he knew that his mother was a goddess, and that therefore he had a right to rule over them. So whether they liked it or not, he made himself king and punished them severely when they did not mind him.

After he had restored order, he married and settled down. He had several children, the oldest of whom was named Prince Light-the-Fire, and the youngest Prince Put-the-Fire-Out. Light-the-Fire was very fond of fishing, and his youngest brother became a great hunter. But one day Prince Light-the-Fire thought he would like to go hunting; so he asked his brother to give him his bow and arrow, and promised in return to lend him his hook and line. Prince Put-the-Fire-Out agreed to this and went fishing, but unluckily he broke the line and lost the hook. He did not think it a serious mishap, and when he reached home, told his brother that he would give him a thousand fishhooks for the one he had lost. But Prince Light-the-Fire was very angry, and scolded so much that Prince Put-the-Fire-Out went to the seashore to escape his brother's wrath, and at the same time to think of what he should do.

He was sitting on the beach, when he heard footsteps behind him, and, turning round, saw a little weazen-faced old fellow, who asked him what he was doing there. Put-the-Fire-Out at once thought this must be some god who might give him good advice, so he told him what had happened. The old fellow, who was indeed one of the gods, took a fancy to the young prince. He told him that the best thing to do was to go to the sea god's palace, and gave him directions to enable him to find his way. "You will know the palace when you see it," said he, "for it is, built of fish scales; in front of the gate is a well, and near the well, a cassia tree. When you get there, you must climb the tree, and wait to see what happens."

"Anything is better than to go back to my brother without his hook," thought Prince Put-the-Fire-Out; so he built a boat, and sailed to the Under-the-Ground-Far-Away country, where the sea god lived. At last he saw the palace, and after hiding his boat, climbed the tree. He had not been there very long when a princess, daughter of the sea god, came to the well with a pitcher. She may have seen Prince Put-the-Fire-Out while he was climbing, or she may have expected him. At any rate, she was not at all frightened, but offered him a drink of water. While she was drawing it, he took a jewel from his necklace and hid it in his mouth. She handed him the water and while he pretended to drink, he dropped the jewel into the pitcher. The princess saw it, and was so pleased that she invited him to come into the palace.

She was pretty, and, of course, the prince married her. For three years he lived happily, and not even once did he think of his brother. But one day, quite suddenly, he remembered the lost fishhook, and thought of his brother's anger, and without knowing it, he sighed deeply. His friends, noticing his grief, questioned him as to the cause, and thereupon he told his tale. When he had finished, the old sea god ordered all the fish to appear, and soon the hook was found in the throat of one of them, whence it was extracted with some difficulty.

Prince Put-the-Fire-Out now wanted to go home on a visit and take the hook to his brother. His wife and his father-in-law had no objection, and the latter gave him as a farewell gift two jewels, telling him that if he drew out the first the water would rise higher and higher until he put it away; and if he held out the other, the water would run out until the sea itself was dry. With these two jewels, and a great many kind wishes from the people of the sea god, the prince returned to his home.

Prince Light-the-Fire was not at all pleased when he saw Put-the-Fire-Out return, and did not seem to care even for the old fishhook. To rid himself of his brother, he tried to kill him; but Prince Put-the-Fire-Out showed the flood jewel, and the water rose until Light-the-Fire was in danger of being drowned. Then he said he was very sorry that he had treated his younger brother so badly. "Call off the water." he cried, "and I will induce our father to make you his heir."

Prince Put-the-Fire-Out agreed to this. He showed the other jewel until the water had gone down to the proper level, and his brother was saved.

So Prince Put-the-Fire-Out succeeded Ninigi. He reigned five hundred years, and his son was the father of Jimmu, the first emperor of Japan.

Now, although this story sounds like a fairy tale, most Japanese children and even many grown people believe it to be true. This is why they call their country Nippon (nee-pon) , which means Sunrise Land, and their emperor Tennô (ten-noh) , that is, Heaven Child, or Tenshi Sama (ten-shee sah-mah) , which means Lord Heaven. And in many of their churches or temples they have a mirror, a sword, and a crystal ball, to remind them of the presents given by the sun goddess to the ancestor of the Tennô. They look upon their emperor as a god, and a Japanese would be punished quite severely if he should pass before a mirror in a temple, and not bow low before it. If you should go to Japan, you would not be expected to do this; but you would have to be careful not to talk lightly of the Japanese beliefs, for these people are very proud of having an emperor who is descended from the sun goddess.