Taro was a fisherman who lived long, long ago. He was young and strong, and he could catch fish more easily than anybody else. He was very kind,too. In all his life he had never hurt anything.
One time when Taro had been fishing all day, he was very tired and hungry. He was going home to rest and eat. On his way he saw a crowd of boys who had caught a turtle and were teasing it.
Taro felt so sorry for the turtle that he gave the boys some money, and they gave him the turtle. Taro stroked the turtle"s back. "Poor thing! " he said. "I will take you to your home in the sea. Perhaps you will live a thousand years. "So Taro put the turtle in the water and went home.
The next morning Taro got up early and went out in his boat to fish. He passed all the other boats and went far out to sea. "Oh, I am so happy! " he said. "I wish I could live a thousand years, like the turtle. "All at once Taro heard some one calling him. " Taro! Taro! Taro! " called the voice. "Who is calling me? " he asked. "I am calling you, Taro, " said a clear, soft voice. "I have come to thank you for saving my life. "There, by the side of the boat, was the turtle that Taro had put back into the water. "Will you go with me, Taro? " said the turtle. "I will take you to my home. It is in the Sea-King"s palace underneath the sea. It is always summer there. ""I am strong, " said Taro, "but I cannot swim so far as that. " "Get on my back, " said the turtle. "Oh, but you are too small, " replied Taro, looking sadly at the turtle.
But what did he see? The turtle was getting biggerand bigger. It grew bigger than Taro! "Now I am not too small, " said the turtle. Taro got on its back. Down they went into the sea through the clear water.
At last they saw a great gate, and behind it the Sea- King"s palace. All around it was the land of summer, where birds sang and flowers bloomed. Taro and the turtle went up to a great gate. A gate-keeper stood there. He was a fish, and all his helpers were fishes.
"This is Taro, " said the turtle. Then all at once the turtle was gone. "Come with us, Taro, " said the gate- keeper. " We know where to take you. " The gate opened, and Taro and the fishes went into the Sea-King"s palace.
They took him to a beautiful princess. Her dress was green, like the under side of a wave, and her voice was as clear as a bell.
"Come here, Taro, " she said. "Here in the land of summer I am a princess. When I go to your land I change to a turtle. I was the turtle you saved. This morning I heard you wish you could live a thousand years. Come and live with me. I will share everything with you. "So Taro and the princess lived a thousand years in the land of summer, under the sea.
About the Story.-This is a story that is loved by Japanese children. It has been told in English so that you can enjoy it, too. What kind of a man was Taro? Find two sentences in "Yoshi San and O Kiku" that tell how Japanese children are kind to animals.