Japanese Folklore, Myths & Legends
The Story of Urashima Taro
ong ago in a small village beside the sea a man named Urashima Taro lived with his old mother. One day he went down to the beach. Some young boys were teasing a turtle.
"Leave her alone," he shouted at them and the boys ran away.
He brought the turtle down to the sea and stayed there until the turtle was safe out at sea.
The following day Urashima Taro went fishing. Suddenly he saw the turtle swimming beside the boat. The turtle spoke to him. He was very surprised.
"You saved me yesterday," said the turtle. "I'm very grateful and I would like to bring you to Rin Gin, the dragon's palace, to say thank you."
Urashima Taro thought this would be wonderful because it was far away under the sea. He jumped out of the boat onto the turtle's back. The turtle dived below the waves.
After a while, they saw a beautiful castle. It was covered in silver, gold and jewels. Urashima Taro slid off the turtle's back and walked through the palace gates where he was welcomed by hundreds of colourful fish. He saw a beautiful woman walking towards him.
"Welcome to Ring Gin," said the woman. "My name is Otohime Sama. My father is the king of the sea."
She brought Urashima Taro into the palace where they had a delicious feast.
"You saved me yesterday. I was the turtle on the beach," said Otohime Sama.
"You're the turtle? I don't believe it," gasped Urashima Taro.
"I would like to marry you," said Otohima Sama. "I would like you to stay here forever."
"I'd love to marry you," he said.
Urashima Taro was very happy in the palace with the princess. He forgot all about home. He spent three days in the palace but then he got worried about his mother. He thought she would be very worried about him because he had been missing for three days. He spoke to Otohima Sama. He told her that he wanted to go home to see everyone. Otohima Sama was very sad. When he was leaving she gave him a box.
"Never open this box and keep it in a safe place," she told him. "If you open it something dreadful will happen."
As the waved goodbye he promised never to open the box.
A turtle brought him back to the beach. When he came back to the little village he walked around but he didn't recognise anyone. Everything was different. He went home but his house looked very strange. He was very confused. He met an old man and asked him where Urashima Taro's house was. The old man told him that there used to be a man of that name living in that very house years before but that he had been dead for years. He had gone fishing one day and had never come back. Everyone thought he had drowned. His mother and all of his friends were dead because it had been 300 years since Urashima Taro had gone missing!
He didn't know what to do. He was broken hearted. His mother and all his friends were dead and he was all alone and he had no way to return to the palace under the sea.
Urashima Taro sat on the beach hoping that the turtle would come back to the beach but she never came. He was very worried. Eventually he opened the box even though Otohime Sama told him not to open it. When he opened it white smoke came out of the box. He got older and older and was old man within seconds. He died on the beach all alone. He was over 300 years old.
"Leave her alone," he shouted at them and the boys ran away.
He brought the turtle down to the sea and stayed there until the turtle was safe out at sea.
The following day Urashima Taro went fishing. Suddenly he saw the turtle swimming beside the boat. The turtle spoke to him. He was very surprised.
"You saved me yesterday," said the turtle. "I'm very grateful and I would like to bring you to Rin Gin, the dragon's palace, to say thank you."
Urashima Taro thought this would be wonderful because it was far away under the sea. He jumped out of the boat onto the turtle's back. The turtle dived below the waves.
After a while, they saw a beautiful castle. It was covered in silver, gold and jewels. Urashima Taro slid off the turtle's back and walked through the palace gates where he was welcomed by hundreds of colourful fish. He saw a beautiful woman walking towards him.
"Welcome to Ring Gin," said the woman. "My name is Otohime Sama. My father is the king of the sea."
She brought Urashima Taro into the palace where they had a delicious feast.
"You saved me yesterday. I was the turtle on the beach," said Otohime Sama.
"You're the turtle? I don't believe it," gasped Urashima Taro.
"I would like to marry you," said Otohima Sama. "I would like you to stay here forever."
"I'd love to marry you," he said.
Urashima Taro was very happy in the palace with the princess. He forgot all about home. He spent three days in the palace but then he got worried about his mother. He thought she would be very worried about him because he had been missing for three days. He spoke to Otohima Sama. He told her that he wanted to go home to see everyone. Otohima Sama was very sad. When he was leaving she gave him a box.
"Never open this box and keep it in a safe place," she told him. "If you open it something dreadful will happen."
As the waved goodbye he promised never to open the box.
A turtle brought him back to the beach. When he came back to the little village he walked around but he didn't recognise anyone. Everything was different. He went home but his house looked very strange. He was very confused. He met an old man and asked him where Urashima Taro's house was. The old man told him that there used to be a man of that name living in that very house years before but that he had been dead for years. He had gone fishing one day and had never come back. Everyone thought he had drowned. His mother and all of his friends were dead because it had been 300 years since Urashima Taro had gone missing!
He didn't know what to do. He was broken hearted. His mother and all his friends were dead and he was all alone and he had no way to return to the palace under the sea.
Urashima Taro sat on the beach hoping that the turtle would come back to the beach but she never came. He was very worried. Eventually he opened the box even though Otohime Sama told him not to open it. When he opened it white smoke came out of the box. He got older and older and was old man within seconds. He died on the beach all alone. He was over 300 years old.