The emperor said: "The coming of this crow is in due accordance with my
auspicious dream. How grand! How splendid! My imperial ancestor
Ama-terasu no Oho-Kami, desires therewith to assist me in creating the
hereditary institution."
At this time Hi no Omi no Mikoto, ancestor of the Ohotomo House, taking
with him Oho-kume as commander of the main body, guided by the direction
taken by the crow, looked up to it and followed after, until at length
they arrived at the district of Lower Uda. Therefore they named the
place which they reached the village of Ukechi in Uda. At this time by
an imperial order he commended Hi no Omi no Mikoto, saying: "Thou art
faithful and brave, and art moreover a successful guide. Therefore will
I give thee a new name, and will call thee Michi no Omi!"
Autumn, 8th month, 2d day. The emperor sent to summon Ukeshi the elder
and Ukeshi the younger. These two were chiefs of the district of Uda.
Now Ukeshi the elder did not come. But Ukeshi the younger came, and
making obeisance at the gate of the camp, declared as follows: "Thy
servant's elder brother, Ukeshi the elder, shows signs of resistance.
Hearing that the descendant of heaven was about to arrive, he forthwith
raised an army with which to make an attack. But having seen from afar
the might of the imperial army, he was afraid, and did not dare to
oppose it. Therefore he has secretly placed his troops in ambush, and
has built for the occasion a new palace, in the hall of which he has
prepared engines. It is his intention to invite the emperor to a banquet
there, and then to do him a mischief. I pray that this treachery be
noted, and that good care be taken to make preparation against it."
The emperor straightway sent Michi no Omi no Mikoto to observe the signs
of his opposition. Michi no Omi no Mikoto clearly ascertained his
hostile intentions, and being greatly enraged, shouted at him in a
blustering manner: "Wretch! thou shalt thyself dwell in the house which
thou hast: made." So grasping his sword and drawing his bow, he urged
him and drove him within it. Ukeshi the elder being guilty before
heaven, and the matter not admitting of excuse, of his own accord trod
upon the engine and was crushed to death, His body was then brought out
and decapitated, and the blood which flowed from it reached above the
ankle. Therefore that place was called Udan no chi-hara. After this
Ukeshi the younger prepared a great feast of beef and _sake_, with which
he entertained the imperial army. The emperor distributed this flesh
and _sake_ to the common soldiers, upon which they sang the following
verses:
"In the high {castle tree} of Uda
I set a snare for woodcock,
And waited,
But no woodcock came to it;
A valiant whale came to it."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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