"Ah! all is over," cried the Queen, rising to her feet; "the bird is dead! Simabara has won." Young girls now handed about sweetmeats and delicacies of various kinds, with tea gathered on the neighboring mountains; and the sports ceased for a time. Then a page approached the Kisaki, and told her that a messenger had been waiting for some moments with news from the palace. "Let him enter," said the sovereign. The messenger advanced, and prostrated himself. "Speak," said the Kisaki. "Light of the World!" said the man, "the embassy from the Shogun has arrived." "Ah!" exclaimed the Kisaki. "And who are the princes that compose it?" "The Princes of Nagato, Satsuma, Ouesougi, and Satake." "It is well!" said the Kisaki, dismissing the messenger by a sign. "These gentlemen will weary of waiting for an audience," she continued, addressing the princes grouped about her. "The Mikado, my divine master, is at the summer-palace with all his wives and his Court; the Dairi is almost deserted. Tsusima, go, seek out these princes, and conduct them hither; they shall share our sports. Let pavilions be prepared for them within the limits of the residence," she added, turning to her women. Her orders were transmitted to the interior of the house, and the Prince of Tsusima, bowing profoundly, withdrew. The Dairi was not more than half-an-hour's journey away from the summer-palace, so that an hour was all-sufficient time to go and come. "Prepare a fresh combat," said Kisaki. The fowlers cried aloud the names of the combatants: "Gold Spur!" "Rival of Lightning!" "Gold Spur is a stranger," said the sovereign. "I will bet on Rival of Lightning; I consider him matchless: he killed Coral Beak, who had slaughtered untold adversaries." All the spectators followed the Queen's example. "If that is so," she cried, laughing, "I will bet alone against you all; I will join myself to the fortunes of Gold Spur." The struggle began. Rival of Lightning rushed forward with the speed which had won him his name. Usually, he disabled his foe at the first onslaught; but now he fell back, leaving a few feathers in his antagonist's beak, the latter being untouched. "Well done! well done!" was the shout on every side. "Gold Spur begins wonderfully well!" Some of the noblemen squatted on their heels, to follow the fight more closely. The birds closed for the second time. But nothing was to be seen except a confused heap of quivering plumes; then Rival of Lightning fell with bleeding head, and Gold Spur proudly placed one foot upon the body of his conquered enemy. "Victory!" cried the Kisaki, clapping her small milk-white hands. "Gold Spur is the monarch of the day; to him belongs the prize collar." One of the princesses fetched a black lacquer box containing a gold ring set with rubies and coral, from which hung a tiny crystal bell. The victor was brought to the Queen, who, taking the ring in two fingers, put it round the bird's neck.