2. The Earth-spiders of the Cave of Osaka

1When [His Augustness Kamu-yamato-ihare-biko] made his progress, and reached the great cave of Osaka, earth-spiders with tails, [namely] eighty bravoes, were in the cave awaiting him. So then the august son of the Heavenly Deity commanded that a banquet be bestowed on the eighty bravoes. Thereupon he set eighty butlers, one for each of the eighty bravoes, and girded each of them with a sword, and instructed the butlers, saying: “When ye hear me sing, cut [them down] simultaneously.” So the Song by which he made clear to them to set about smiting the earth-spiders said:

2“Into the great cave of Osaka people have entered in abundance, and are [there]. Though people have entered in abundance, and are [there], the children of the augustly powerful warriors will smite and finish them with [their] mallet-headed [swords], [their] stone-mallet [swords]: the children of the augustly powerful warriors, with [their] mallet-headed [swords], [their] stone-mallet [swords], would now do well to smite.

3Having thus sung, they drew their swords, and simultaneously smote them to death.