No.4 Koukichi wanted to fly

Koukichi's task was crafting folding screens and hanging scrolls.

Moreover, he sometimes stuck sliding doors and wallpaper in a house of samurai. It was a necessary wisdom for mounting craftsmen to calculate the number of sheets of paper from width and height of a wall. Therefore, Koukichi could calculate. This was the most important knowledge for him to design. Then Koukichi was 25 years old, he was the most skillful mounting craftsman in Okayama. He was absorbed in his works form morning till night.

But he was mentally and physically exhausted with his hard works.

Then he sometimes took a walk to the Buddhist temple "Renshouji" near his workshop. He spent short silent time at a garden of this temple.

He had healed his body and mind.

This Buddhist temple was huge. There were the large main hall, the high five-stories pagoda in this temple. And, numerous pigeons were in crowds at large garden of this temple.

Koukichi was always seated on stone steps in front of the main hall of this temple. And he remained buried in thought for a long time.
He worried about his distant home, his mother and sister, and his future.

One day he took a walk to this temple, then sat at the usual place.
A woman was giving beans to many pigeons with her infantile child in the garden. Many pigeons ate greedily beans. Then, an infantile child began to wail with loud voice. In the moment, many pigeons flapped away suddenly.

Koukichi was shocked at this sight. So, the idea flashed on his mind, which he could fly if he attached wings like a bird. When his idea would be realized, he would be able to meet his mother and elder sister. He considered that he can fly freely like a bird in the sky.

And, it was goal of Koukichi's life that he began to fly like a bird.