"Very well! This is my story," said Flower-of-the-Reed, suddenly reassured. "In the Island of Yezo lived a young man and a maiden who loved each other tenderly. They had been betrothed from their cradles, and had never been parted. The girl was fifteen years old, and the young man eighteen. The date of their marriage was soon to be fixed. Unhappily the son of a rich man fell in love with the girl, and asked her father for her hand; and he, heedless of his former promises, gave it to him. The young couple pleaded in vain; the father was firm. Then the girl went to her lover in despair. "'Listen!' said she; 'as we must be parted in this world, death shall unite us. Let us go to the tomb of your ancestors, and there kill ourselves.' "They did as she proposed; they lay down upon the tomb and stabbed themselves. But the rejected lover had followed them. When he no longer heard their voices, he approached and saw them stretched out side by side, motionless, hand in hand. "While he bent over them, two white butterflies rose from the tomb and flew gayly upwards, fluttering their wings. "'Ah!' angrily cried the jealous survivor, 'it is they! They have escaped me; they escape into glory; they are happy! But I will follow them, even into heaven!' "So saying, he seized the dagger which lay upon the tomb, and in his turn struck himself to the heart. "Then a third butterfly rose into the air. But the others were far away; he could never reach them. "Even now, to this very day, if you look among the flowers, when spring comes back to us, you will see the two winged lovers pass, side by side. Look again; you will soon see the jealous one, who follows, but can never overtake them." "Indeed," said Iza-Farou, "butterflies are always grouped in that way: two flutter about together, and a third follows them at a distance." "I have noticed that peculiarity too, without knowing the reason for it," said the Kisaki. "The story is pretty; I never heard it before." "The Prince of Satsuma must tell us something," said Flower-of-the-Reed. "I!" exclaimed the old man in some alarm; "but I don't know any stories." "Yes! yes! you know plenty," exclaimed the women; "you must tell us one." "Then I will relate an adventure which happened not long since to the Prince of Figo's cook." This announcement provoked a general outburst of merriment.