A dramatic ballad singer studied under a strict teacher who insisted that he
rehearse day after day, month after month the same passage from the same song,
without being permitted to go any further. Finally, overwhelmed by frustration
and despair, the young man ran off to find another profession. One night, stopping
at an inn, he stumbled upon a recitation contest. Having nothing to lose, he
entered the competition and, of course, sang the one passage that he knew so
well. When he had finished, the sponsor of the contest highly praised his performance.
Despite the student's embarrassed objections, the sponsor refused to believe
that he had just heard a beginner perform. "Tell me," the sponsor
said, "who is your instructor? He must be a great master." The student
later became known as the great performer Koshiji.