In "Uji Shui Monogatari" (a collection of the Tales from Uji), Makibi is described as a person who stole an ambitious dream of someone else, and for which, he could move up the promotional ladder to Udaijin.
『宇治拾遺物語』では、他人の夢を盗んで自分のものとし、そのために右大臣まで登ったという説話もある。