The Emperor heard about this, and sent a messenger to the bamboo cutter’s house.  The bamboo cutter went out and met the messenger, and his weeping knew no bounds.  In grieving over this matter, his hair had grown white, his back had stooped over, and his eyes had grown swollen.  The Elder this year was about fifty, but owing to his worries, it was in just a short time that he had grown old, it appeared.  The imperial messenger,