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But the man's face grew more and more grave, and he answered: "You may or may not be Urashima Taro, I don't know. But the Urashima Taro of whom I have heard is a man who lived three hundred years ago. Perhaps you are his spirit come to revisit your old home?" "Why do you mock me?" said Urashima. "I am no spirit!
"And here we are, and you must please walk from here." The tortoise now went in front, and speaking to the gatekeeper, said: "This is Urashima Taro, from the country of Japan. I have had the honor of bringing him as a visitor to this kingdom. Please show him the way." Then the gatekeeper, who was a fish, at once led the way through the gate before them.
Tortoise, we are greatly indebted to you for all your trouble in bringing Urashima here." Then, turning again to Urashima, they said, "Please follow us this way," and from here the whole band of fishes became his guides.
A faint blue mist floated out and spread over the sea, and a wonderful change took place at once in Urashima. From a handsome youth he turned to a feeble and decrepit old man, and then he fell upon the shore and lay there dead.
And Urashima took the tortoise and gave the money to the boys, who, calling to each other, scampered away and were soon out of sight. Then Urashima stroked the tortoise's back, saying as he did so: "Oh, you poor thing! Poor thing! there, there! you are safe now! They say that a stork lives for a thousand years, but the tortoise for ten thousand years.
"But," said Urashima, "how is it possible for me to ride on your small back?" "It may seem absurd to you, but I assure you that you can do so. Try at once! Just come and get on my back, and see if it is as impossible as you think!"
But what is the strange fear that seizes Urashima as he stands and looks about him? Why does he gaze so fixedly at the people that pass him by, and why do they in turn stand and look at him? The shore is the same and the hills are the same, but the people that he sees walking past him have very different faces to those he had known so well before.
"As long as you keep it closed," she said, "I shall always be with you, but if you open it you will lose both me and this sunny summer land for ever." Urashima took the casket, promised to keep it closed, and returned home. But his native village had vanished. There was no sign of any dwelling upon the shore, and not far away there was a town which he had never seen before.
He would try to persuade them to give the tortoise up to him, so he smiled at them and said: "I am sure you are all good, kind boys! Now won't you give me the tortoise? I should like to have it so much!" "No, we won't give you the tortoise," said one of the boys. "Why should we? We caught it ourselves." "What you say is true," said Urashima, "but I do not ask you to give it to me for nothing.
Looking to the north the change made Urashima start, for the ground was silver white with snow, and trees and bamboos were also covered with snow and the pond was thick with ice.
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