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most love the peony； and the golden yellow rose is my own darling； and I
will obey her every least behest； for that is my pride and my delight。'。。。
So you say。 But the opulent and elegant season of flowers is very short：
soon they will fade and fall。 Then； in the time of summer heat； there will
be green leaves only； and presently the winds of autumn will blow； when
even the leaves themselves will shower down like rain； parari…parari。 And
your fate will then be as the fate of the unlucky in the proverb； Tanomi ki
no shita ni ame furu ＇Even through the tree upon which I relied for shelter
the rain leaks down＇。 For you will seek out your old friend； the
root…cutting insect； the grub； and beg him to let you return into your
old…time hole； but now having wings； you will not be able to enter the
hole because of them； and you will not be able to shelter your body
anywhere between heaven and earth； and all the moor…grass will then have
withered； and you will not have even one drop of dew with which to moisten
your tongue； and there will be nothing left for you to do but to lie down
and die。 all because of your light and frivolous heart but； ah！ how
lamentable an end！〃。。。
III
Most of the Japanese stories about butterflies appear； as I have said； to
be of Chinese origin。 But I have one which is probably indigenous； and it
seems to me worth telling for the benefit of persons who believe there is
no 〃romantic love〃 in the Far East。
Behind the cemetery of the temple of Sozanji； in the suburbs of the
capital； there long stood a solitary cottage； occupied by an old man named
Takahama。 He was liked in the neighborhood； by reason of his amiable ways；
but almost everybody supposed him to be a little mad。 Unless a man take the
Buddhist vows； he is expected to marry； and to bring up a family。 But
Takahama did not belong to the religious life； and he could not be
persuaded to marry。 Neither had he ever been known to enter into a
love…relation with any woman。 For more than fifty years he had lived
entirely alone。
One summer he fell sick； and knew that he had not long to live。 He then
sent for his sister…in…law； a widow； and for her only son； a lad of about
twenty years old； to whom he was much attached。 Both promptly came； and did
whatever they could to soothe the old man's last hours。
One sultry afternoon； while the widow and her son were watching at his
bedside； Takahama fell asleep。 At the same moment a very large white
butterfly entered the room； and perched upon the sick man's pillow。 The
nephew drove it away with a fan； but it returned immediately to the pillow；
and was again driven away； only to come back a third time。 Then the nephew
chased it into the garden； and across the garden； through an open gate；
into the cemetery of the neighboring temple。 But it continued to flutter
before him as if unwilling to be driven further； and acted so queerly that
he began to wonder whether it was really a butterfly； or a ma ＇16＇。 He
again chased it； and followed it far into the cemetery； until he saw it fly
against a tomb； a woman's tomb。 There it unaccountably disappeared； and
he searched for it in vain。 He then examined the monument。 It bore the
personal name 〃Akiko；〃 （3） together with an unfamiliar family name； and an
inscription stating that Akiko had died at the age of eighteen。 Apparently
the tomb had been erected about fifty years previously： moss had begun to
gather upon it。 But it had been well cared for： there were fresh flowers
before it； and the water…tank had recently been filled。
On returning to the sick room； the young man was shocked by the
announcement that his uncle had ceased to breathe。 Death had come to the
sleeper painlessly； and the dead face smiled。
The young man told his mother of what he had seen in the cemetery。
〃Ah！〃 exclaimed the widow； 〃then it must have been Akiko！〃。。。
But who was Akiko； mother？〃 the nephew asked。
The widow answered：
〃When your good uncle was young he was betrothed to a charming girl called
Akiko； the daughter of a neighbor。 Akiko died of consumption； only a little
before the day appointed for the wedding； and her promised husband sorrowed
greatly。 After Akiko had been buried； he made a vow never to marry； and he
built this little house beside the cemetery； so that he might be always
near her grave。 All this happened more than fifty years ago。 And every day
of those fifty years winter and summer alike your uncle went to the
cemetery； and prayed at the grave； and swept the tomb； and set offerings
before it。 But he did not like to have any mention made of the matter； and
he never spoke of it。。。 So； at last； Akiko came for him： the white
butterfly was her soul。〃
IV
I had almost forgotten to mention an ancient Japanese dance； called the
Butterfly Dance （Kocho…Mai）； which used to be performed in the Imperial
Palace； by dancers costumed as butterflies。 Whether it is danced
occasionally nowadays I do not know。 It is said to be very difficult to
learn。 Six dancers are required for the proper performance of it； and they
must move in particular figures； obeying traditional rules for ever step；
pose； or gesture； and circling about each other very slowly to the sound
of hand…drums and great drums； small flutes and great flutes； and pandean
pipes of a form unknown to Western Pan。
MOSQUITOES
With a view to self…protection I have been reading Dr。 Howard's book；
〃Mosquitoes。〃 I am persecuted by mosquitoes。 There are several species in
my neighborhood； but only one of them is a serious torment； a tiny needly
thing； all silver…speckled and silver…streaked。 The puncture of it is sharp
as an electric burn； and the mere hum of it has a lancinating quality of
tone which foretells the quality of the pain about to come； much in the
same way that a particular smell suggests a particular taste。 I find that
this mosquito much resembles the creature which Dr。 Howard calls Stegomyia
fasciata； or Culex fasciatus： and that its habits are the same as those of
the Stegomyia。 For example； it is diurnal rather than nocturnal and becomes
most troublesome in the afternoon。 And I have discovered that it comes from
the Buddhist cemetery； a very old cemetery； in the rear of my garden。
Dr。 Howard's book declares that； in order to rid a neighborhood of
mosquitoes； it is only necessary to pour a little petroleum； or kerosene
oil； into the stagnant water where they breed。 Once a week the oil should
be used； 〃at the rate of once ounce for every fifteen square feet of
water…surface； and a proportionate quantity for any less surface。〃 。。。But
please to consider the conditions in my neighborhood！
I have said that my tormentors come from the Buddhist cemetery。 Before
nearly every tomb in that old cemetery there is a water…receptacle； or
cistern； called mizutame。 In the majority of cases this mizutame is simply
an oblong cavity chiseled in the broad pedestal supporting the monument；
but before tombs of a costly kind； having no pedestal…tank； a larger
separate tank is placed； cut out of a single block of stone； and decorated
with a family crest； or with symbolic carvings。 In front of a tomb of the
humblest class； having no mizutame； water is placed in cups or other
vessels； for the dead must have water。 Flowers also must be offered to
them； and before every tomb you will find a pair of bamboo cups； or other
flower…vessels； and these； of course； contain water。 There is a well in the
cemetery to supply water for the graves。 Whenever the tombs are visited by
relatives and friends of the dead； fresh water is poured into the tanks and
cups。 But as an old cemetery of this kind contains thousands of mizutame；
and tens of thousands of flower…vessels the water in all of these cannot be
renewed every day。 It becomes stagnant and populous。 The deeper tanks
seldom get dry； the rainfall at Tokyo being heavy enough to keep them
partly filled during nine months out of the twelve。
Well； it is in these tanks and flower…vessels that mine enemies are born：
they rise by millions from the water of the dead； and； according to
Buddhist doctrine； some of them may be reincarnations of those very dead；
condemned by the error of former lives to the condition of Jiki…ketsu…gaki；
or blood…drinking pretas。。。 Anyhow the malevolence of the Culex fasciatus
would justify the suspicion that some wicked human soul had been compressed
into that wailing speck of a body。。。
Now； to return to the subject of kerosene…oil； you can exterminate the
mosquitoes of any locality by covering with a film of kerosene all stagnant
water surfaces therein。 The larvae die on rising to breathe； and the adult
females perish when they approach the water to launch their rafts of eggs。
And I read； in Dr。 Howard's book； that the actual cost of freeing from
mosquitoes one American