In an old story from Japan, an elderly couple who lived in a cottage among snowy mountains had little food to celebrate the new year, and no money, so they wove five conical hats, and the man set out into the cold of winter, heading for the town, and along the way he saw six statues, guardians watching the path, whereupon he offered a morning greeting and politely prayed, then continued walking to the town, where he offered the hats, calling to passersby, hour after hour, as town-life continued at a festive pace and the air grew colder under the gray sky, but as evening approached, he had sold no hats, not even one, and as the market closed, it began to snow, and thus, knowing he must return, he departed from the town, heading back to the cottage, trudging onward as snow gathered, and she will be crestfallen, he thought, as he passed alone through the hills, and then the row of statues appeared again, now with snow piling on their heads, whereupon he stopped, greeted them, and thought for a moment, then brushed away the snow and, one by one, placed a hat on each guardian’s head, until he reached the sixth statue, when the hats had run out, as snow was still falling, so he removed his own hat and put it on the statue’s head, then bid the guardians farewell and continued, following the long, icy path into the dark, until he reached the cottage, and upon entering, he announced his arrival, and his wife, who sat by the stove, welcomed him, and as he settled, she asked about the hats, for even his own was gone, and he told her about the town and the statues, and she was pleased with his honorable deed, although they would not have a feast to celebrate the new year, and as the night grew darker, soon they slept, until hearing strange voices in the distance, like a song, and footsteps in the snow approaching the cottage, a steady march to the front door, a small gathering of unfamiliar voices, and as the elderly couple listened, they felt rather afraid, soft thumps fell at the doorstep, and the march set out again, so they waited, then went to the door, opened it cautiously, and found a sack of rice, a basket of vegetables, and even rice wine, and the couple stood at the doorstep, awe-stricken, but grateful, bowing many times, as the footsteps of the guardians marched through the snow, fading into the dark.