The next day, Squeechi set off on her journey to research cherry trees. Keiko gave her 4 rice-cakes, a blanket, and a straw mat to sleep on. He brought her to the Suijin Shrine so that she could start her journey. It was morning, and the sun was rising. Keiko gave her his blessings and Squeechi set off.
Squeechi walked and walked, on and on and on. During her walk, she finished one whole rice-cake! At length, she came to a beautiful garden, which was less than a mile away from the mouth of the Ayase River. This garden was in Horikiri, and was called, "Horikiri Iris Garden," or "Horikiri no hanashobu" in Japanese. The irises were a beautiful sight. "How jocose these flowers appear in this beautiful weather!" thought Squeechi. Squeechi wanted to spend the rest of the day looking at the flowers. So she decided to spend the night in the garden. She set up her straw mat and broke a piece off of one of her rice-cakes. With the scent of irises and azaleas making her sleepy, Squeechi went off into a deep sleep.
When Squeechi awoke, it was late in the morning, and the sun had risen. She plucked an iris and a chrysanthemum to accompany her on her journey. With the flowery scent lingering with her, she went to find more cherry trees and exotic sites.
By Aiyana Knauer
Home Page
The Suijin Shrine
Chiyogaike Pond
The Other Ending at Chiyogaike