The Procession Of Lord Long-legs

: Japanese Fairy World

Lovely and bright in the month of May, at the time of rice-planting, was

the day on which the daimio, Lord Long-legs, was informed by his

chamberlain, Hop-hop, that on the morrow his lordship's retinue would be

in readiness to accompany their worshipful Lord Long-legs on his journey.

This Lord Long-legs was a daimio who ruled over four acres of rice-field

in Echizen, whose revenue was ten thousand rice-stalks. His retainers,
br /> who were all grasshoppers, numbered over six thousand, while his court

consisted only of nobles, such as Mantis, Beetle, and Pinching-bug. The

maids of honor who waited on his queen Katydid, were lady-bugs,

butterflies, and goldsmiths, and his messengers were fire-flies and

dragon-flies. Once in a while a beetle was sent on an errand; but these

stupid fellows had such a habit of running plump into things, and bumping

their heads so badly that they always forgot what they were sent for.

Besides these, he had a great many servants in the kitchen--such as

grubs, spiders, toads, etc. The entire population of his dominion,

including the common folks, numbered several millions, and ranked all the

way from horse-flies down to ants, mosquitoes, and ticks.



Many of his subjects were very industrious and produced fine fabrics,

which, however, were seized and made use of by great monsters, called

men. Thus the gray worms kept spinning-wheels in their heads. They had a

fashion of eating mulberry leaves, and changing them into fine threads,

called silk. The wasps made paper, and the bees distilled honey. There

was another insect which spread white wax on the trees. These were all

retainers or friendly vassals of Lord Long-legs.



Now it was Lord Long-legs' duty once a year to go up to Yedo to pay his

respects to the great Tycoon and to spend several weeks in the Eastern

metropolis. I shall not take the time nor tax the patience of my readers

in telling about all the bustle and preparation that went on in the

yashiki (mansion) of Lord Long-legs for a whole week previous to

starting. Suffice it to say that clothes were washed and starched, and

dried on a board, to keep them from shrinking; trunks and baskets were

packed; banners and umbrellas were put in order; the lacquer on the

brass ornaments; shields and swords and spears were all polished; and

every little item was personally examined by the daimio's chief

inspector. This functionary was a black-and-white-legged mosquito, who,

on account of his long nose, could pry into a thing further and see it

easier than any other of his lordship's officers; and, if anything went

wrong, he could make more noise over it than any one else. As for the

retainers, down to the very last lackey and coolie, each one tried to

outshine the other in cleanliness and spruce dress.



The Bumble-bee brushed off the pollen from his legs; and the humbler

Honey-bee, after allowing his children to suck his paws, to get the honey

sticking to them, spruced up and listened attentively to the orders read

to him by the train-leader, Sir Locust, who prided himself on being

seventeen years old, and looked on all the others as children. He read

from a piece of wasp-nest paper: "No leaving the line to suck flowers,

except at halting-time." The Blue-tailed Fly washed his hands and face

over and over again. The lady-bugs wept many tears, because they could

not go with the company; the crickets chirped rather gloomily, because

none with short limbs could go on the journey; while Daddy Long-legs

almost turned a somersault for joy when told he might carry a bundle in

the train. All being in readiness, the procession was to start at six

o'clock in the morning. The exact minute was to be announced by the

time-keeper of the mansion, Flea san, whose house was on the back of

Neko, a great black cat, who lived in the porter's lodge of the castle,

near by. Flea san was to notice the opening or slits in the monster's

moony-green eyes, which when closed to a certain width would indicate six

o'clock. Then with a few jumps she was to announce it to a mosquito

friend of hers, who would fly with the news to the gate-keeper of the

yashiki, one Whirligig by name.



So, punctually to the hour, the great double gate swung wide open, and

the procession passed out and marched on over the hill. All the servants

of Lord Long-legs were out, to see the grand sight. They were down on

their knees, saying: "O shidzukani," (please go slowly). When their

master's palanquin passed, they bowed their heads to the dust, as was

proper. The ladies, who were left behind, cried bitterly, and soaked

their paper handkerchiefs with tears, especially one fair brown creature,

who was next of kin to Lord Long-legs, being an ant on his mother's

side.



The procession was closed by six old daddies (spiders), marching two by

two, who were a little stupid and groggy, having had a late supper, and a

jolly feast the night before. When the great gate slammed shut, one of

them caught the end of his foot in it, and was lamed for the rest of the

journey. This old Daddy Long-legs, hobbling along, with a bundle on his

back, was the only funny thing in the procession, and made much talk

among bystanders on the road.



This is the order and the way they looked. First there went out, far

ahead, a plump, tall Mantis, with a great long baton of grass, which he

swung to and fro before him, from right to left, (like a drum-major),

crying out: "Shitaniro, down on your knees! Get down with you!" Whereat

all the ants, bugs and lizards at once bent their forelegs, and the

toads, which were already squatting, bobbed their noses in the dust. Even

the mud-turtles poked their heads out of the water to see what was going

on. All the worms and grubs who lived up in trees or tall bushes had to

come down to the ground. It was forbidden to any insect to remain on a

high stalk of grass, lest he might look down on His Highness. Even the

Inch-worm had to wind himself up and stop measuring his length, while the

line was passing. And in case of grubs or moths in the nest or cocoon,

too young to crawl out, the law compelled their parents to cover them

over with a leaf. It would be an insult to Lord Long-legs to look down on

him. Next followed two lantern-bearers, holding glow-worms for lanterns

in their fore-paws. These were wrapped in cases made of leaves, which

they took off at night. Behind were six fire-flies, well supplied with

self-acting lamps, which they kept hidden somewhere under their wings.

Next marched four abreast the band of little weevils, carrying the

umbrellas of state, which were morning-glories--some open, some shut.

Behind them strutted four green grasshoppers, who were spear-bearers,

carrying pink blossoms. Just before the palanquin were two tall dandies,

high lords themselves and of gigantic stature and imposing bellies, who,

with arms akimbo and feelers far up in the air, bore aloft high over all

the insignia of their Lord Long-legs. All these fellows strutted along on

their hind legs, their backs as stiff as a hemp stalk, their noses

pointing to the stars, and their legs striding like stilts. The priest in

his robes, a praying beetle, who was chaplain, walked on solemnly.



Meanwhile a great crowd of spectators lined the path; but all were on

their knees. Frogs and toads blinked out of the sides of their heads. The

pretty red lizards glided out, to see the splendid show; worms stopped

crawling; and all kinds of bugs ceased climbing, and came down from the

grass and flower-stalks, to bow humbly before the train of Lord

Long-legs. Bug mothers hastened, with their bug babies on their backs,

down to the road, and, squatting down, taught their little nits to put

their fore-paws politely together and bow down on their front knees. No

one dared to speak out loud; but the mole-cricket, nudging his fellow

under the wing, said: "Just look at that green Mantis! He looks as though

'he would rush out with a battle-ax on his shoulder to meet a chariot.'

See how he ogles his fellow!"



"Yes; and just behold that bandy-legged hopper, will you? I could walk

better than that myself," said the other.



"'Sh!" said the mole-cricket. "Here comes the palanquin."



Everybody now cast a squint up under their eyebrows, and watched the

palanquin go by. It was made of delicately-woven striped grass, bound

with bamboo threads, lacquered, and finished with curtains of gauze, made

of dragon-fly wings, through which Lord Long-legs could peep. It was

borne on the shoulders of four stalwart hoppers, who, carrying rest-poles

of grass, trudged along, with much sweat and fuss and wiping of their

foreheads, stopping occasionally to change shoulders. At their side

walked a body-guard of eight hoppers, armed with pistils, and having

side-arms of sword-grass. They were also provided with poison-shoots, in

case of trouble. Other bearers followed, keeping step and carrying the

regalia, consisting of chrysanthemum stalks and blossoms. Then followed,

in double rank, a long string of wasps, who were for show and nothing

more. Between them, inside, carefully saddled, bridled, and in full

housings, was a horse-fly, led by a snail, to keep the restive animal

from going at a too rapid pace.



Three big, gawky helmet-headed beetles next followed, bearing

rice-sprouts, with full heads of rice.



"Oh! oh! look there!" cried a little grub at the side of the road. "See

the little grasshopper riding on his father's back!"



"Hai," said Mother Butterfly, putting one paw on her baby's neck, for

fear of being arrested for making a noise.



It was so. The little 'hopper, tired of long walking, had climbed on his

father's back for a ride, holding on by the feelers and seeing

everything.



Finally, toward the end of the procession, was a great crowd of common

'hoppers, beetles, and bugs of all sorts, carrying the presents to be

given in Yedo, and the clothing, food and utensils for the use of Lord

Long-legs on the journey; for the hotels were sometimes very poor on the

Tokaido high road, and the daimio liked his comforts. Besides, it was

necessary for Lord Long-legs to travel with proper dignity, as became a

daimio. His messengers always went before and engaged lodging-places, as

the fleas, spiders and mosquitoes from other localities, who traveled up

and down the great high road, sometimes occupied the places first. The

procession wound up by the rear-guard of Daddy Long-legs, who prevented

any insult or disrespect from the rabble. After the line had passed,

insects could cross the road, traffic and travel were resumed, and the

road was cleared, while the procession faded from view in the distance.



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