Urashima And The Island Of Jewels
For three long days and night Urashima,the fisherman,had been at sea in his little boat and had caught nothing.Time after time he had cast his net into the water and hauled it in empty.
The small amount of food and water he had brought with him had all been used up,and Urashima knew that he must soon return to his village.He felt ashamed of having to go back empty-handed.His father would think he was a failure,a fisherman who could catch nothing,and if he had no fish to sell there would be no money for his parents.They relied on him to help them,for they were growing old.
He decided to cast his net one last time before returning home.He threw the net high and wide and waited.At first it seemed as if he was going to be unlucky this time,too.Then suddenly there was a sharp tug.A catch at last!It must be a huge fish,too,Urashima thought excitedly,as the creature struggled and fought to get free.As he hauled the net in he was surprised to seenot a fish,but a large tortoise.With some difficulty he heved it into the boat,where it lay helplessly on its back.Then to Urashima's amazement it spoke to him.
"Plese spare me! Do not kill me,and I will reward you."
He was even more amazed when the tortoise turned into a beautiful,young woman.
"Who are you?What are you?"Urashima cried.
He was very afraid,for this was certainly the strangest and most mysterious thing he had ever known.
"I am the Princess Mizunoe," the girl replied."If you take me back to my father's island he will reward you."
"But where is that?How shall I find the way?"
"Close your eyes and I will take you there," she told him.
Urashima thought this was odd way to navitage a boat,but he did as he was told.When next he opened his eyes they were near the shore of an island such as he never seen before.
As they beached the boat he saw that the shoreline was scattered with pearls,which seemed to grow out of the ground.There were trees with leaves made of emeralds and agates,and the flowers growing by the wayside were jewels,too.Rubies,sapphires and diamonds nodded on slender stalks as they passed.
High on a hill above the beach Urashima saw a great palace gleaming in the sun.
"That is my home," the Princess told him."Come with me!" She led the bewildred fisherman past the jewelled trees and flowers and up the path to the palace.
The Princess's father was delighted at her safe return and welcomed Urashima joyfully.
"You have brought back my daughter,Mizunoe,and you have my heartfelt gratitude.Let us feast and celebrate this happy day!"
The feast,which lasted all day and all night long,was the most splendid ever seen.There was rich and wonderful food served on golden plates.Musicians played while the guests,all dressed in costly silken robed,celebrated the return of Princess Mizunoe.
Of course Urashima fell hopelessly in love with the Princess.They were married,and for a while Urashima completely forgot his former life as a poor fisherman.He forgot his parents and the village in which he had grown up.He was so happy with Mizunoe.
Then,after two years of great happiness,he began to remember things from the past.He thought longingly about his home in the village by the sea.He wondered,too,about his parents and his friends and became very sad.
The Princess asked him,"Why are you so unhappy?What was happened to spoil our wonderful life together?"
"I do so long to see my native land again," Urashima admitted."I have a father and mother,too,and often wish I could see them."
The Princess loved Urashima dearly,but she could not bear to see him so unhappy.
"You shall go back to your village," she promised."But before you leave I have a gift for you."She gave him a beautiful comb-case with a jewel-encrusted lid."Never open it,"she warned him,"or we may be separated forever.Now, close your eyes!"
Urashima did as he was told,and when he opened them again he was standing on the shore near his native village.
But was it really this village,he wondered unhappily.How it had all changed!The houses looked different from his memories of them,and there were many new buildings,too,but did not see a single familiar face.The village was full of strangers
He raced down the street towards his father's house then stopped short in amazement.It had vanished,and in its place a much larger grander house.He stopped a man who was passing by.
"I am trying to find my father and mother,"he said."The used to live in a little house where this one now stands.T have been away for a new years,and did not know they had moved."
The man gave him a strange look and said,"This house has stood here for many years.Iknow of no other.What is your name?"
Urashima gave his family's name."I am their son,Urashima,"he said.
"I know of nobody with that name,"the man replied."but there is one man who may be able to help you."He took Urashima to see a very old man who had lived all his life in the village.The old man listened to his story,then shook his head.
" I cannot remember your family," he said,"but your name reminds me of a story my grandfather told me when I was a boy.There was once, a long tome ago,a fisherman called Urashima who went to sea in his boat and was never heard of again.The sea just swallowed him up,boat and all,but all that happened nearly two hundred years ago.So you can't possibly be that Urashima,can you,young sir?" the old man chuckled.
Urashima felt as if his heart had turned to ice.Two hundred years?He looked at his altered village truth.He had indeed been away for two hundred years,not two, as he had believed.
He left the village in despair and went down to the sea.In his hands he carried the box Mizunoe had given him.He lifted the lid,and from the box a white mist rose and floated out over the sea.Urashima realised that he would never see his Princess again,and he cried aloud in sorrow.From the white mist a voice floated back.It was Mizunoe's voice.
"Never forget me,Urashima!Never forget me !"
As he listened,grief-stricken, a change came over Urashima.His face became bent and his hands trembled with age.His gloosy black hair turned to as white as snow.Urashima had become an old , old man,the oldest man in the village.
For three long days and night Urashima,the fisherman,had been at sea in his little boat and had caught nothing.Time after time he had cast his net into the water and hauled it in empty.
The small amount of food and water he had brought with him had all been used up,and Urashima knew that he must soon return to his village.He felt ashamed of having to go back empty-handed.His father would think he was a failure,a fisherman who could catch nothing,and if he had no fish to sell there would be no money for his parents.They relied on him to help them,for they were growing old.
He decided to cast his net one last time before returning home.He threw the net high and wide and waited.At first it seemed as if he was going to be unlucky this time,too.Then suddenly there was a sharp tug.A catch at last!It must be a huge fish,too,Urashima thought excitedly,as the creature struggled and fought to get free.As he hauled the net in he was surprised to seenot a fish,but a large tortoise.With some difficulty he heved it into the boat,where it lay helplessly on its back.Then to Urashima's amazement it spoke to him.
"Plese spare me! Do not kill me,and I will reward you."
He was even more amazed when the tortoise turned into a beautiful,young woman.
"Who are you?What are you?"Urashima cried.
He was very afraid,for this was certainly the strangest and most mysterious thing he had ever known.
"I am the Princess Mizunoe," the girl replied."If you take me back to my father's island he will reward you."
"But where is that?How shall I find the way?"
"Close your eyes and I will take you there," she told him.
Urashima thought this was odd way to navitage a boat,but he did as he was told.When next he opened his eyes they were near the shore of an island such as he never seen before.
As they beached the boat he saw that the shoreline was scattered with pearls,which seemed to grow out of the ground.There were trees with leaves made of emeralds and agates,and the flowers growing by the wayside were jewels,too.Rubies,sapphires and diamonds nodded on slender stalks as they passed.
High on a hill above the beach Urashima saw a great palace gleaming in the sun.
"That is my home," the Princess told him."Come with me!" She led the bewildred fisherman past the jewelled trees and flowers and up the path to the palace.
The Princess's father was delighted at her safe return and welcomed Urashima joyfully.
"You have brought back my daughter,Mizunoe,and you have my heartfelt gratitude.Let us feast and celebrate this happy day!"
The feast,which lasted all day and all night long,was the most splendid ever seen.There was rich and wonderful food served on golden plates.Musicians played while the guests,all dressed in costly silken robed,celebrated the return of Princess Mizunoe.
Of course Urashima fell hopelessly in love with the Princess.They were married,and for a while Urashima completely forgot his former life as a poor fisherman.He forgot his parents and the village in which he had grown up.He was so happy with Mizunoe.
Then,after two years of great happiness,he began to remember things from the past.He thought longingly about his home in the village by the sea.He wondered,too,about his parents and his friends and became very sad.
The Princess asked him,"Why are you so unhappy?What was happened to spoil our wonderful life together?"
"I do so long to see my native land again," Urashima admitted."I have a father and mother,too,and often wish I could see them."
The Princess loved Urashima dearly,but she could not bear to see him so unhappy.
"You shall go back to your village," she promised."But before you leave I have a gift for you."She gave him a beautiful comb-case with a jewel-encrusted lid."Never open it,"she warned him,"or we may be separated forever.Now, close your eyes!"
Urashima did as he was told,and when he opened them again he was standing on the shore near his native village.
But was it really this village,he wondered unhappily.How it had all changed!The houses looked different from his memories of them,and there were many new buildings,too,but did not see a single familiar face.The village was full of strangers
He raced down the street towards his father's house then stopped short in amazement.It had vanished,and in its place a much larger grander house.He stopped a man who was passing by.
"I am trying to find my father and mother,"he said."The used to live in a little house where this one now stands.T have been away for a new years,and did not know they had moved."
The man gave him a strange look and said,"This house has stood here for many years.Iknow of no other.What is your name?"
Urashima gave his family's name."I am their son,Urashima,"he said.
"I know of nobody with that name,"the man replied."but there is one man who may be able to help you."He took Urashima to see a very old man who had lived all his life in the village.The old man listened to his story,then shook his head.
" I cannot remember your family," he said,"but your name reminds me of a story my grandfather told me when I was a boy.There was once, a long tome ago,a fisherman called Urashima who went to sea in his boat and was never heard of again.The sea just swallowed him up,boat and all,but all that happened nearly two hundred years ago.So you can't possibly be that Urashima,can you,young sir?" the old man chuckled.
Urashima felt as if his heart had turned to ice.Two hundred years?He looked at his altered village truth.He had indeed been away for two hundred years,not two, as he had believed.
He left the village in despair and went down to the sea.In his hands he carried the box Mizunoe had given him.He lifted the lid,and from the box a white mist rose and floated out over the sea.Urashima realised that he would never see his Princess again,and he cried aloud in sorrow.From the white mist a voice floated back.It was Mizunoe's voice.
"Never forget me,Urashima!Never forget me !"
As he listened,grief-stricken, a change came over Urashima.His face became bent and his hands trembled with age.His gloosy black hair turned to as white as snow.Urashima had become an old , old man,the oldest man in the village.
