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But wherever they went to look, none of them saw any sign of her. Even the people of her household, when they tried to speak to her for the men, got no reply. Many princes came far, only to await the dawn. Those whose love for her was shallow said it was foolish to pace the night away with no response, and stopped coming.
Among those who remained were five who were said to know about love. They thought only of Kaguyahime, and came night and day. Their names were:
These were men who would be eager to see even ordinary women, if they seemed to be somewhat good looking, and they were all the more eager to see Kaguyahime. They didn't eat, and just wandered around outside her house, but it did them no good. They wrote letters, but there was no reply. They wrote poems telling of the pain in their heart, but it still did no good. In the snow and ice of late winter, in the heat and thunderstorms of midsummer, they continued to come.
At times one would rub his hands in supplication and call out to the bamboo cutter, "Give me your daughter." For months he just answered that she was not his own daughter and was not bound to follow his wishes. They thought that in this case perhaps they should return home. They said prayers and made vows, but they could not get her out of their minds. They kept hoping that eventually she would have to marry someone, and insisted that their wishes be made known to her.
Seeing this, the old man oppealed to Kaguyahime.
"My little buddha! I know you are no ordinary person and I, who have been allowed to raise you, do not have ordinary feelings in my heart. Won't yyou please listen to what I have to ask of you."
"Whatever you ask, I will do. I did not know I was unusual, and I think of you as my real father."
The old man was overjoyed to hear her say that.
"I have lived over 70 years. I might die today or tomorrow. Now in this world men marry women. Women marry men. Onlly then does prosperity come. So why don't you do that?"
"Why is it you want me to marry?"
"Although I said you're not an ordinary person, you are still a woman. There is no need to be married as long as I am alive, but then... Those men have been out there so long. Won't you think about it and marry one of them?"
"Although I know they are all good-looking, I don't know what is in their hearts. I'm afraid that if my husband were fickle, I would surely be sorry later. I can hardly marry a man, no matter how good his reputation in the world, without knowing his true intentions."
"I feel the same way. Of course you want to marry a man with deep feelings. But all of these men are unusually devoted."
I want to see how deep their feelings are. But this is only the beginning. The deveotion of all five seems the same; I don't know which is best or worst. So please tell them that if any of them will bring me the thing I ask for, I will know he is the most devoted, and I will be his wife."
The old man agreed to do that.
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