Urashima Taro and the Palace Under the Sea

Long ago, in a small village by the sea, there lived a young fisherman named Urashima Taro. He was kind, and everyone in the village liked him. Every day, he went out in his boat and caught fish. One evening, he walked home along the beach and saw some children. They were hitting a small turtle with sticks. Urashima Taro felt sorry for the turtle. He said, 'Please stop! Let the turtle go.' He gave the children a little money, and they ran away. Urashima Taro picked up the turtle carefully and put it back into the sea. It swam away slowly.

A few days later, Urashima Taro sat by the sea. Suddenly, a large turtle came out of the water and spoke to him. 'Thank you for saving me,' it said. 'I am not an ordinary turtle. The Princess of the sea wants to thank you. Please come with me to her palace.' Urashima Taro was very surprised, but he climbed onto the turtle's back. They swam down, down, under the water, until they reached a beautiful palace made of coral. This was the Dragon Palace, home of Princess Otohime. She welcomed Urashima Taro warmly. For many days, he enjoyed wonderful feasts and watched colorful fish dance in the water. He was so happy that he forgot about time.

After some time, Urashima Taro began to think about his old mother. He missed his village and wanted to go home. Princess Otohime felt sad, but she understood. Before he left, she gave him a small, beautiful box called a tamatebako. 'Take it with you,' she said, 'but never open it. If you open it, something terrible will happen.' Urashima Taro promised. The big turtle carried him back to the shore, and he walked toward his village, holding the box tightly.

When Urashima Taro reached the village, everything looked strange. The houses were different, and he did not recognize anyone. He asked an old man about his family, but the old man had never heard of them. Then Urashima Taro learned an amazing truth: three hundred years had passed since he left home. His mother and his old friends were all gone. He felt very lonely and confused. Without thinking, he opened the tamatebako. White smoke came out and covered him completely. In a moment, his hair turned white, and his back became bent. Urashima Taro had suddenly become a very old man. The princess's gift had taken back all the years he never lived.