Urashima and the Turtle

Once upon a time, there lived a young fisherman who loved the sea more than anything else in the world. He lived in a hut on the shore. Morning and evening, winter and summer, he never ceased to admire the sea. His name was Urashima.
Every day he would catch fish. But since he was in love with the sea and kind by nature, he always released the fish he caught back into the sea.

One day, after casting his fishing line, Urashima suddenly felt the line tighten. Pulling it up, he saw a large turtle caught on the hook. Urashima freed the turtle and released it back into the sea. "I would rather go hungry today," he thought, "than kill a young turtle."
You see, turtles live for many, many years, and this one was still very young. The turtle disappeared into the waves, and after some time, a girl of extraordinary beauty appeared by Urashima's boat.
Sitting on the edge of the boat, she said:

"I am the daughter of the sea king. We live at the bottom of the sea. My father allowed me to turn into a turtle to test your kind heart. You truly are kind and noble. I invite you to visit me and see my underwater palace."

Urashima was speechless, struck by her otherworldly beauty. His only desire was to follow her wherever she went.

"Yes," was all he could say, and taking her hand, he followed her to the bottom of the sea. A crystal fish with golden fins accompanied them. Before sunset, they reached the underwater palace.

It was made of coral and pearls and sparkled so brightly that it hurt the eyes. Dragons with soft, velvety skin guarded the palace entrance.

In the silence and luxury of the palace, Urashima lived for four years with the beautiful princess. Every day, the sea sparkled and shimmered in the sunlight. They were happy until one day Urashima encountered a small turtle. It reminded him of the day he had left for the sea. He remembered his village and his family.

The princess knew that one day he would remember and long for home.
"You must return to the land, to the people," she said. "If you stay here, you will grow to hate me and die of longing. If you leave now, you can return. Take this pearl box tied with a green ribbon. But beware, do not untie the ribbon. If you do and open the box, you will never be able to return."

Urashima got into his boat, and the princess brought it to the surface. He sailed to his native shore. Seeing it, he wept with joy.

The hill still stood there, the cherry trees grew, and the coastal sand was just as golden as it had been when he built beautiful castles in it as a child. Urashima hurried up the familiar path. When he reached the top, he did not recognize the surroundings. The sun still shone, the birds sang, and the sea sparkled blue. His hut was gone, and even the tree under whose shade it had stood was no longer there. He walked further. What had happened in the four years he had been in the underwater kingdom?

Suddenly, he saw a gray-haired old man resting under the shade of a tree and approached him to talk.
"Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to Urashima's hut?" he asked.
"Urashima?" the old man repeated. "That is a very ancient name. I heard it once in my childhood. It was in a story my great-grandfather told about a boy who drowned in the sea. His brothers, their sons, and their grandsons lived here and fished. But they have all died. It is a very sad story, isn't it? The young man went to sea 400 years ago and never returned home. Not even a splinter of his boat was found. The sea swallowed everything," the old man said.

Without family, without a home, unknown and unneeded, Urashima was a stranger in his own village.

The old man, pointing toward the hill, said:
"There is the village cemetery, and there you will find his grave."
Slowly, Urashima wandered to the cemetery. There, among the names of his mother, father, and brothers, he saw his own name carved on a gray tombstone.

And suddenly, he understood. Nothing tied him to his village anymore. Here on earth, he was dead; he had returned 400 years too late. He had to return to his beloved princess.
He knew he must not lose the box tied with the green ribbon. He knew he must hurry, but he felt tired and unwanted.

He quietly returned to the shore, sat on the sand, and placed the pearl box on his knees. He dreamed of how he would return to the underwater kingdom. Absentmindedly, he untied the green ribbon and opened the box.

A white mist slowly floated out of the box and rose high into the sky. There, it took the shape of his beloved, beautiful princess.

Urashima reached out to her and rushed after her, but the mist dissipated in the sea air.
Urashima felt very old. His back instantly hunched, his hands trembled, and his hair turned gray. His muscles grew weak, and his legs could barely move.

Soon, children found the skeleton of an unknown man on the seashore. And on the sea waves, a small pearl box floated, swaying gently. Above it, a green ribbon fluttered lightly in the wind.

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Urashima and the Turtle

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