of the old Sugawara" (兵主部よ約束せしは忘るなよ川立つをのこ跡はすがわら). It is said that this comes from how in Kyushu, Sugawara no Michizane, who was demoted to the position of Dazaifu (Kyushu regional government) saved a kappa, who then made a promise not to harm Michizane's family, so the phrase means "Hyōsube and all, do not forget the promise. This man great at swimming is a descendant of Sugawara no Michizane." There are also the alternate names of Hyōsue, Hyōsubo, Hyōsunbo, Hyōsunbe, etc. Characteristics Although kappa are often said to like cucumbers, Hyōsube are said to like eggplants, and there is a tradition of putting a spear through a fresh eggplant and setting it upright on a field to offer to the Hyōsube. It is also sometimes thought that they would spread diseases to people, and it is said that those who see Hyōsube would be afflicted with a fever of unknown cause, and this fever causing disease would even spread to the other people around. There is also a story about a woman who saw Hyōsube ravaging an eggplant field who subsequently had an illness that cause her entire body to become purple, which eventually led to her death. Also, Hyōsube are considered to have an extremely hairy appearance, and it is said that they would sneak into private residences and enter their baths, and soaking in the bath, the bathtub would have a ton of hair floating on top, and horses that touch the bath would die. There is also a similar tale where Hyō would come soak in the bath almost every night at a medicinal bathing establishment, and after Hyōsube soaks in the bath, the bath would have its entire surface covered with hair making it stinky, which is why the bath was later purposefully drained, but as a result, the horse that was being raised at the bathing establishment was killed. In literature, if Hyōsube laughs, then laughing too from this results in death. This is said to originally be from Satō Arifumi's writing, Ichiban Kuwashii Nihon Yōkai Zukan (いちばんくわしい日本妖怪図鑑). According to this book, upon encountering with someone, Hyōsube would laugh "hee hee hee," and if that other person also laughs from this, they would get a fever and die, but it's been suggested that this is an idea that Hyōsube simply made up. In yōkai depictions from the Edo Period such as by Toriyama Sekien among others, they have