THE SHINANSHA

The compass, with its needle always pointing north, is quite a common thing today, and no one thinks it is remarkable. But when it was first invented, it must have been a wonder.

Long ago in China, there was an even more wonderful invention called the shinansha. This was a kind of chariot with a figure of a man on it that always pointed to the south. No matter how the chariot was turned, the figure would wheel about and always point south.

This curious instrument was invented by Kotei, one of the three Chinese emperors of the Mythological Age. Kotei was the son of the Emperor Yuhi. Before he was born, his mother had a vision that foretold her son would become a great man.

One summer evening, she went out for a walk in the meadows to enjoy the cool breezes and to gaze at the star-filled sky.

As she looked at the North Star, strange to relate, it shot forth vivid flashes of lightning in every direction. Soon after, her son Kotei came into the world.

Kotei grew to manhood and succeeded his father as emperor. His early reign was troubled by a rebel named Shiyu. Shiyu wanted to make himself king and fought many battles to achieve his goal. He was a wicked magician, with a head made of iron, and no man could conquer him.

At last, Kotei declared war against the rebel and led his army to battle. The two armies met on a plain called Takuroku. The emperor boldly attacked, but the magician brought down a dense fog upon the battlefield. While the royal army wandered in confusion, trying to find their way, Shiyu retreated with his troops, laughing at having fooled them.

No matter how strong and brave the emperor's soldiers were, the rebel could always escape with his magic. Kotei returned to his palace and thought deeply about how to conquer the magician, for he was determined not to give up. After a long time, he invented the shinansha with the figure of a man always pointing south, for there were no compasses in those days. With this instrument to guide him, he need not fear the dense fogs raised by the magician to confuse his men.

Kotei again declared war on Shiyu. He placed the shinansha in front of his army and led the way to the battlefield. The battle began in earnest. The rebel was being driven back when he resorted to magic again. Upon saying strange words in a loud voice, a dense fog descended on the battlefield.

But this time, no soldier minded the fog; not one was confused.

Kotei pointed to the shinansha, found his way, and directed the army without a single mistake. He pursued the rebel army closely and drove them back until they reached a big river. The river was swollen by floods and impossible to cross.

Shiyu, using his magic, quickly crossed the river with his army and shut himself up in a fortress on the opposite bank. When Kotei found his march checked, he was wild with disappointment, for he had nearly overtaken the rebel when the river stopped him.

He could do nothing, for there were no boats in those days, so the emperor ordered his tent to be pitched in the pleasantest spot the place afforded. One day, he stepped out of his tent and walked until he came to a pond. He sat down on the bank and was lost in thought.

It was autumn. The trees along the water's edge were shedding leaves, which floated on the pond's surface. By and by, Kotei's attention was attracted to a spider on the brink of the water. The little insect was trying to climb onto a floating leaf nearby. It finally succeeded and floated across the pond to the other side.

This small event made the clever emperor think that he might make something that could carry himself and his men across the river, just as the leaf had carried the spider. He set to work and persevered until he invented the first boat. When he found it was a success, he had all his men make more, and soon there were enough boats for the whole army.

Kotei then crossed the river with his army and attacked Shiyu's headquarters. He won a complete victory and put an end to the war that had troubled his country for so long.

This wise and good emperor did not rest until he had secured peace and prosperity throughout his land. His subjects loved him and enjoyed happiness for many long years under his rule. He spent much time inventing things that would benefit his people, and he succeeded in many besides the boat and the South Pointing shinansha.

He reigned for about a hundred years when, one day, as Kotei was looking upward, the sky suddenly turned red, and something glittering like gold came toward the earth. As it came nearer, Kotei saw it was a great dragon. The dragon approached and bowed its head before the emperor. The empress and the courtiers were so frightened that they ran away screaming.

But the emperor only smiled and called to them, saying, “Do not be afraid. This is a messenger from Heaven. My time here is finished!” He then mounted the dragon, which began to ascend toward the sky.

When the empress and the courtiers saw this, they all cried out, “Wait a moment! We wish to come too!” They ran to catch hold of the dragon's beard and tried to mount it.

But it was impossible for so many people to ride on the dragon. Several of them hung on to the creature's beard so that when it tried to mount, the hair was pulled out and they fell to the ground.

Meanwhile, the empress and a few courtiers sat safely on the dragon's back. The dragon flew so high in the heavens that in a short time, the palace occupants who had been left behind, disappointed, could see them no more.

After some time, a bow and an arrow dropped to earth in the palace courtyard. They were recognized as having belonged to Emperor Kotei. The courtiers carefully took them up and preserved them as sacred relics in the palace.