The Fisher Boy and Turtle

Once upon a time, in Japan, there lived a young boy called Urashima. He lived with his mother and father in a small fishing village, and every evening his father would go out to sea in his sampan, or small fishing boat, returning in the morning to sell his catch at the market.

The time came when the boy decided that he, too, was old enough to go out fishing, so he built himself a strong boat, and every evening he set sail with his father and the other men of the village to fish through the night. He soon became known as the “fisherboy” because he always seemed to bring home the best catch at the end of the night’s fishing.

One morning, Urashima was walking along a lonely stretch of beach when he almost tripped over a poor turtle that had been turned on its back by a large wave. It was helplessly waving its flippers in the air, and Urashima took pity on the poor creature. He bent down and turned it the right way up, but it was too exhausted to move. So, he carried it down to the edge of the sea and gently put it in the water.

That night, as usual, the “fisherboy” sailed out to sea, and as he was casting his nets, he heard a voice calling, “Urashima, Urashima.” Peering over the side of the boat, the boy saw a turtle waving a flipper at him.

“Fisherboy, do you not recognize me?” it called. “I am the turtle that you so kindly rescued on the beach yesterday. Do not look so surprised, for I am not really a turtle but a princess. I am the daughter of the King of the Dragons and of all undersea creatures.”

“O gracious and noble princess,” said Urashima, bowing his head, “forgive me, but I did not know who you were. Tell me, why have you changed yourself into a turtle?”

“My father wishes me to marry,” she replied.

“Then why have you changed into a turtle?” repeated the puzzled fisherboy.

“Because the man I choose must be good and kind, and people are always kind to a princess, but only really kind people would care for a turtle,” she replied. “Before you knew that I was a princess, you were kind enough to rescue me. For your kindness, I would like to introduce you to my father.”

Then the princess told him to sit astride her shell, and before he knew what was happening, they were diving beneath the waves.

Past jagged rocks and coral reefs they swam, past forests of waving seaweed and hundreds of brightly colored fish, each one bowing its head as they swam by. “We are nearly there,” said the turtle as they passed through a rock gateway and into the courtyard of an enormous undersea palace.

As Urashima looked around in wonder, twelve Fantail goldfish swam out of a doorway. “These are my ladies in waiting,” said the princess. “Please wait here while I go and change myself into a normal being.”

A few minutes later, she returned, quite the loveliest girl Urashima had ever seen, and they walked through the palace. The princess stopped by a doorway, and after speaking to a large and important-looking blue-black lobster, they entered a richly decorated room. Sitting on a pearl-encrusted throne was a splendidly dressed man.

“This is my father, the King of Dragons and all undersea creatures,” said the princess. The fisherboy bowed low, and then the king spoke. “Is this the first of the possible sons-in-law you have brought to show me?” he asked.

“He is the first, but also the last,” replied the princess. “This is the man I wish to marry. His name is Urashima.”

The fisherboy was very surprised by what he heard, but at the same time, it made him very happy, for ever since he had seen the princess as she really was, he had hardly been able to take his eyes off her.

When the king heard the story of how Urashima had saved his daughter’s life, he gave consent for the marriage to take place, satisfied that she had made the right choice.

In his newfound happiness, the fisherboy had completely forgotten about his past life. But one day, his wife, the princess, came to him and said, “Urashima, it has now been a year since we were married. Do you not think it is time you went back and saw your family?”

At once, Urashima was filled with shame and sorrow. “You are right,” he replied. “I must go back and tell my mother and father what has happened to me. Will you come with me?”

“I cannot meet your parents,” said the princess sadly, “but I can turn myself into a turtle again and carry you back to your village. Take with you this gold-painted box.” The princess then went to a cabinet and took out a most elegant box, tied with a cord of red and white silk.

“Take this with you,” she said, “but on no account must you open the lid.”

“But what is the use of taking it if I cannot look inside?” asked Urashima.

“There is nothing inside for you to see,” replied the princess. “All I ask is that you do not open it, for you have two faults, my dear husband. One is curiosity, and the other is forgetfulness. Do not let either of them get the better of you.”

The princess changed into a turtle and carried her husband back to his village. As they neared the beach, she said, “Remember what I have told you. Do not open the box. When it is time to fetch you, I will be waiting, so do not worry.”

With a wave of her flipper, she disappeared beneath the waves. Eager to see his parents, Urashima ran up the road to his house, but when he reached the spot where it should have been, all he saw was a patch of green grass.

“I cannot have come along the wrong road,” he thought, “yet the village looks so different since I last saw it.” Turning a corner, he spotted a group of fishermen. Running towards them, he cried out, “Have you seen my parents and their house? My name is Urashima. Surely you remember me?”

The fishermen looked at him in amazement. “Who is Urashima?” they asked. “We do not know anyone by that name.”

“Don’t you remember?” asked the fisherboy. “I disappeared less than a year ago while out fishing.”

One fisherman, much older than the rest, suddenly stepped forward. “I remember my mother and father telling me there was once a family called Urashima living in the village. They had only one son, and he was lost at sea. The loss was too great for them, and they both died of broken hearts. But you cannot be their son, for this happened three hundred years ago!”

Poor Urashima turned away and walked sadly down to the beach. He realized that one year spent under the sea was equal to three hundred spent on land. Thinking of his mother and father and the days when he had been a simple fisherboy, he sat down on the sand and began to play idly with the red and white cord around the gold box.

He had forgotten the words of his wife and was just about to open the lid when a loud splash made him lift his head. It was his wife, disguised as the turtle.

“Do not dare lift the lid of the box,” she cried out from the water. “If you do, three hundred years of your life will pass in a twinkling, and you will die where you sit.”

Urashima ran down the beach, thankful for his escape, and climbed onto the shell of the turtle. Then they both dived beneath the waves, never to be seen again.