29. Death of Prince Ma-yowa and of the Grandee Tsubura

1Again he raised an army and beleaguered the house of the Grandee Tsubura. Then [the other side also] raised an army to resist the attack, and the arrows that were shot forth were like unto the falling down of the [ears of the] reeds. Thereupon King Oho-hatsuse, using his spear as a staff, peeped in, and said: “Is perchance the maiden, with whom I spoke, in this house?” Then the Grandee Tsubura, hearing these commands, came forth himself, and having taken off the weapons with which he was girded, did obeisance eight times, and said: “The maiden Princess Kara, whom anon thou deignedst to woo, is at thy service. Again in addition I will present to thee five granaries. (What are called the five granaries are now the gardeners of the five villages of Kadzuraki:) Meanwhile the reason why she does not come out to meet thee in person is that from of old down to the present time grandees and chiefs have been known to hide in the palaces of Kings, but Kings have not yet been known to hide in the houses of grandees. Therefore I think that, though a vile slave of a grandee exerting his utmost strength in the fight can scarcely conquer, yet must he die rather than desert a Prince who, trusting in him, has entered into his house.” Having thus spoken, he again took his weapons and went in again to fight. Then, their strength being exhausted and their arrows finished, he said to the Prince: “My hands are wounded, and our arrows likewise are finished. We cannot now fight. What shall be done?” The Prince replied, saying: “If that be so, there is nothing more to do. [Do thou] now slay me.” So [the Grandee Tsubura] thrust the Prince to death with his sword, and forthwith killed himself by cutting off his own head.