Explore "The Dream of Akinosuké" by Lafcadio Hearn on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
In the district called Toïchi of Yamato Province, (1) there used to live a gōshi named Miyata Akinosuké. [Here I must tell you that in Japanese feudal times there was a privileged class of soldier-farmers,-free-holders,-corresponding to the class of yeomen in England; and these were called gōshi.]
In Akinosuké's garden there was a great and ancient cedar-tree, under which he was wont to rest on sultry days. One very warm afternoon he was sitting under this tree with two of his friends, fellow-gōshi, chatting and drinking wine, when he felt all of a sudden very drowsy,-so drowsy that he begged his friends to excuse him for taking a nap in their presence. Then he lay down at the foot of the tree, and dreamed this dream: -