Mosaku and his apprentice Minokichi journeyed to a forest, some little distance front their village. It was a bitterly cold night when they neared their destination, and saw in front of them a cold sweep of water. They desired to cross this river, but the ferryman had gone away, leaving his boat on the other side of the water, and they were glad to take shelter in the ferryman's little hut.
Minokichi fell asleep, to be soon awakened by a shower of snow falling across his face. He found a fair woman in dazzlingly white garments bent over Mosaku. Her breath coming forth like white smoke. After bending over the old man fort a minute or two, she turned to Minokichi and threat Minokichi with instant death if he dared to mention to anyone what he had seen, she suddenly vanished. Mosaku was dead!
During the next winter, while Minokichi was returning home, he chanced to meet a pretty girl by the name of Yuki. Minokichi was charmed with this maiden, and in due time married her. Yuki presented her husband with ten fine and handsome children, fairer of skin than average.
One night, while Yuki was sewing, Minokichi recalled the extraordinary experience he had had in the ferryman's hut. "You remind me so much of a beautiful white woman I saw when I was eighteen years old. She killed my master with her ice-cold breath. I am sure she was some strange spirit, and yet tonight she seems to resemble you."
Yuki flung down her sewing. She bent close to her husband and shrieked, "It was me, Yuki-Onna, who came to you then, and silently killed your master! Oh, faithless wretch, you have broken your promise to keep the matter secret, and if it were not for our sleeping children I would kill you now! On a night when the snow falls I will kill you!"
Then Yuki-Onna, the Lady of the Snow, changed into a white *mist*, and passed through the smoke-hole, never to return again.
Where did Mosaku and Minokichi stay in the forest?
a. On a boat
b. Shelter
c. Village
d. River
e. Ferryman's bed
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