[9] According to Lange (_Einf. in d. Jap. Schrift_) the _Katakana_ syllabary did not come into use till towards the close of the eighth century, and the cursive syllabary (_hiragana_) was first used by Tsurayuki in his preface to the Kokinshiu (see below), in the beginning of the tenth century, the approximate date of the Taketori itself. TAKETORI NO OKINA NO MONOGATARI[10] MAKI I KAGUYAHIME OHITACHI Ima ha mukashi Taketori no Okina to ifu[11] mono arikeri. No yama ni mazhirite take wo toritsutsu yorodzu no koto[12] ni tsukahikeri[13]. Na wo ba Sanugi no Miyatsuko Maro to namu ihikeru. Sono take no naka ni moto[14] hikaru take hito suji arikeri. Ayashigarite yorite miru ni tsutsu no naka hikaritari. Sore to mireba san sun bakari naru hito ito utsukushiute itari. Okina ifu yau-- ‘Ware asa goto yufu goto ni miru tokoro no naka ni ohasuru nite shirinu ko ni nari-tamafubeki hito nameri’ tote, te ni uchi-irete ihe ni[15] mochite kinu. Me no ouna ni adzukete yashinahasu. Utsukushiki koto kagiri naku ito wosanakereba ko ni irete yashinafu. Taketori no Okina take wo toru koto[16] kono ko wo mitsukete nochi ni take wo toru ni fushi wo hedatete yo goto ni kogane aru take wo mitsukuru koto kasanarinu. Kakute Okina yauyau yutaka ni nariyuku. Kono chigo yashinafu hodo ni sugusugu to ohoki ni narimasaru. Mi tsuki bakari ni naru hodo[17] ni yoki hodo naru hito ni narinureba kami-age nado sadashite[18] kami-age-sesase mo gisu. Chiyau[19] no uchi yori mo idasazu itsuki kashidzuki yashinafu hodo ni kono chigo no katachi keura[20] naru koto yo ni naku ya no uchi ha kuraki tokoro naku hikari michitari. Okina kokochi ashiku kurushiki toki mo kono ko wo mireba kurushiki koto mo yaminu haradatashiki koto mo nagusamikeri. Okina take wo toru koto hisashiku narinu[21]. Ikihohi-mau no mono ni nari-ni-keri. Kono ko ito ohoki ni narinureba na wo ba Mimuroto no Imube no Akita wo yobite tsukesasu. Akita Nayotake no Kaguyahime to tsuketsu. Konohodo mi ka uchi uchi-age-asobu yorodzu no asobi wo zo shikeru. Wotoko wouna[22] kirahazu yobitsudohete[23] ito kashikoku asobu. MAKI II TSUMADOHI Sekai no wonoko atenaru mo iyashiki mo ikade kono Kaguyahime wo yeteshi gana miteshi gana to oto ni kikimedete madofu. Sono atari no kaki ni mo ihe no to ni mo woru hito dani tahayasaku mirumazhiki mono wo yaru ha yasuki imonezu yami no yo ni [idete] mo [ana wo kuzhiri] koko kashiko yori nozoki kaimami madohi aheri. Saru toki yori namu yobahi to ha ihikeru. Hito no monoshi[24] mo senu tokoro madohi arikedomo nani no shirushi arubeku mo miyezu ihe no hitodomo ni ihamu tote ihikakaredomo kotahe[25] mo sezu. Atari wo hanarenu kindachi yo wo akashi hi wo kurasu hito ohakari. Orokanaru[26] hito ha yaunaki[27] ariki ha yoshi nakarikeri tote kozu nari ni keri. Sono naka ni naho ihikeru ha irogonomi to iharuru kagiri go nin omohi yamu toki naku yoru hiru kikeri.