Whose Treasure Is Better

A certain prince possessed many wondrous treasures. He had everything one could imagine: the horn of a bearded lion, the bellybutton of a fish, the fan of a tengu, and even the loincloth of the thunder god Kaminarisama!

The prince took great pride in his treasures. But his most prized possession was a golden rooster. Though made of gold, the rooster looked just like a real one. Every day, as soon as dawn began to break, it would crow three times: "Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

The prince's greatest pleasure was to occasionally take out his treasures and admire them. He never grew tired of gazing at the jewels he particularly cherished.

The prince had eight chief servants, and each of them, as befitting a prince's servant, also possessed their own treasure—some rare item they were proud of.

One day, the prince summoned these servants and said to them:
"Here's the plan: tomorrow evening, I am holding a treasure exhibition. Come to the castle with your precious items. The one whose treasure is deemed the best will receive a generous reward."

The servants were delighted:
"A treasure exhibition! How interesting!"
"I'll get the reward!"
"No, I will!"
Chatting among themselves, they returned to their homes.

The evening of the next day arrived. The prince brought out his golden rooster and began waiting for the servants to arrive with their rarities.

Soon, the first servant appeared. He brought his treasure—the "eye of a dragon."
The second servant brought a small skull.
"This is a calf's skull," he said smugly.
The third servant brought a witch's lantern.
The fourth—a badger's stomach.
The fifth—sparrow's shoes.
The sixth—the wings and legs of a tumbler pigeon.
The seventh—an artificial ear for the deaf.

One by one, the seven servants gathered with their curiosities and began waiting for the eighth, but he did not appear.

"Where is he? What happened to him?"
"Perhaps he has nothing to show!"
"That's why he didn't come! A pity, but..."
As the seven servants were having this conversation, the eighth servant finally appeared. He respectfully bowed to the prince.

"I am late, and I have no excuse."
"Apologize later. Show us quickly, what treasure have you brought?"
"Well, yes... I don't have any treasure that could be called special. I didn't know what to bring tonight, so I brought something very ordinary."

"Ho! An ordinary treasure? What is it? Show it at once!"
"I left it outside the castle gates."
"What are you waiting for? Go fetch it!"
"Yes, yes. Right away!"
The eighth servant went and quickly returned with his treasure. It was four obedient boys and four lovely little girls. The children lined up in pairs and politely bowed.

The entire grand hall brightened from the radiance of the lively children's faces. The prince's golden rooster and the servants' curiosities instantly paled in comparison.

"Hmm..." the prince sighed and began to speak, "Indeed, this is a remarkable treasure. Beautiful children! What could be ordinary about them? Compared to them, our rarities and jewels are like trash. I envy you, for you possess Japan's greatest treasure—children. You have won. The first reward belongs to you. Congratulations! Congratulations!"

Upon hearing the prince's words, the other servants felt ashamed. They hung their heads low and did not raise them for a long time.

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Whose Treasure Is Better

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