While still in China Kobo Daishi met a boy standing by the side of a river. "If you be Kobo Daishi," said he, "be honourably pleased to write upon the sky, for I have heard that no wonder is beyond your power."
Kobo Daishi raised his brush; it moved quickly in the air, and writing appeared in the blue sky, characters that were perfectly formed and wonderfully beautiful.
When the boy had also written upon the sky with no less skill, he said to Kobo Daishi: "We have both written upon the sky. Now I beg that you will write upon this flowing river."
Kobo Daishi readily complied. Once again his brush moved, and this time a poem appeared on the water, a poem written in praise of that particular river. The letters lingered for a moment, and then were carried away by the swift current.
There seems to have been a contest in magical power between these two workers of marvels, for no sooner had the letters passed out of sight than the boy also wrote upon the running water the character of the Dragon, and it remained stationary.
Kobo Daishi, who was a great scholar, at once perceived that the boy had omitted the _ten_, a dot which rightly belonged to this character. When Kobo Daishi pointed out the error, the boy told him that he had forgotten to insert the _ten_, and begged that the famous saint would put it in for him. No sooner had Kobo Daishi done so than the Dragon character became a Dragon. Its tail lashed the waters, thunder-clouds sped across the sky, and lightning flashed. In another moment the Dragon arose from the water and ascended to heaven.
Though Kobo Daishi's powers of magic excelled those of the boy, he inquired who this youth might be, and the boy replied: "I am Monju Bosatsu, the Lord of Wisdom." Having spoken these words, he became illumined by a radiant light; the beauty of the Gods shone upon his countenance, and, like the Dragon, he ascended into heaven.
On one occasion Kobo Daishi omitted the _ten_ on a tablet placed above one of the gates of the Emperor's palace.[2] The Emperor commanded that ladders should be brought; but Kobo Daishi, without making use of them, stood upon the ground, and threw up his brush, which, after making the _ten_, fell into his hand.