The Love of a Silver Fox: Folk Tales from Seki CIty Page 4

  Part Three: THE WHITE FLOWER

  Quickly, Sayo ran to the river. She still had to pick the white flower for her mother. But the flower was on a steep cliff. She couldn't reach it. Little by little, she went closer. Just a little more and she could pick it. Suddenly, she saw a second flower.

  "I'll give one flower to my Mom and one to Kohkichi," she decided. But the cliff was steep and she slipped. She was falling into the river!

  She hit a big rock, and then fell into the river with the flower still in her hand. The water was cold. She lay there for a long time. The cold water made her weaker and weaker. She could see the stars and the moon in the night sky but she couldn't move.

  "Kohkichi," she said. "I'm sorry."