Chapter Seventeen The Legend of Urashima Tarō, Part II
The turtle carried the fisherman named Urashima Tarō to the bottom of the sea. At first, the man worried he would drown, but
he found he could breathe in the salt water as if it was the clearest air of a summer sky. Together, the fisherman and the
turtle traveled down and down into the sea, and at last arrived at the palace of the Dragon God. It was carved of seashells
and pearls, draped with seaweed garlands. Fish floated around it in glistening constellations.
A smaller turtle greeted them as Urashima Tarō set his feet into the white sand, which held him steady. It was the turtle
the children had tormented the day before, the one that Urashima Tarō had saved.
The turtle rose to its hind legs and transformed into a beautiful woman. She had skin as bright as pearls, a cape of black
hair that flowed behind her, eyes like the blue sea in the summer. She was the princess Otohime, the second daughter of the
Dragon God.
“Thank you for saving me,” she said to Urashima Tarō. “Please come stay with me in my palace.”
She led him inside and showed him the four walls of her home.
Each wall had a window that displayed the earth in different seasons.
He could see the cherry blossoms of spring, the fiery forests of autumn, the stark whiteness of winter, the brightness of summer.
It was the best parts of the world all at once, for as long as he wanted.
Urashima Tarō stayed there happily for three days, feeling as if he was in a dream. He had never thought himself a hero, but
he thought he deserved to enjoy his prize, at least for a little while.
But on the third day, he thought of his elderly mother, who awaited his return.
“I would like to go home,” he said to the princess.
Otohime was sad to say goodbye, but she honored his wish and carried him back to the shore. When it came time to part ways,
she gave him a small box.
“Keep this safe,” she said. “Whatever you do, never open it.”
Urashima Tarō wanted to ask her why, but she had already returned to the sea, leaving him alone on a cold shore with nothing
but memories that felt like a dream, and a small box in his hand.