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202 HONDA THE SAMURAI.
dreamlessly, but Ban to dream of riding on a
dragon's back over the top of Fuji San, and of
falling off and into his father's garden-hedge near
Kyoto. Waking up he found his head off the pillow.
Replacing it on the little bolster, he slept
soundly till morning.
After a breakfast of tea, rice, black beans, and
broiled fish well flavored with soy, they stepped out
on the Tokaido. Not far from the inn they passed
the supposed grave of the Japanese Rip Van Win-
kle. Every child within the four seas of Nippon
knows the story. A fisher-boy named Urashima
Taro once went out to fish alone on the ocean.
During three days and nights he caught nothing,
but while wet and hungry he caught a turtle, which
begged for its life. Hungry as he was, Taro did not
kill it, but laid it in the bottom of the boat and fell
asleep. The turtle then changed itself into a lovely
maiden, and when Taro awoke he instantly fell in
love with her, though afraid to tell her so. She told
him she was the daughter of the king of the world
under the sea, and if he would vow to take her as
his wife she would take him to her father's palace,
feast him, give him all joys and comforts, and always
be faithful to him. She told him to close his eyes.
When he opened them he was in a world of dazzling
beauty, full of gold, silver, coral, gems, and things
unspeakably beautiful. He sat down to a splendid
banquet with the lords and ladies of the beautiful
palace, and there were dancing and music.
Taro so far forgot his own country and people