The old woman said nothing more, and from that day she repented of
her cross, unkind ways, and by degrees became a good old woman, so
that her husband hardly knew her to be the same person, and they
spent their last days together happily, free from want or care,
spending carefully the treasure the old man had received from his
pet, the tongue-cut sparrow.




THE STORY OF URASHIMA TARO, THE FISHER LAD.


Long, long ago in the province of Tango there lived on the shore of
Japan in the little fishing village of Mizu-no-ye a young fisherman
named Urashima Taro. His father had been a fisherman before him, and
his skill had more than doubly descended to his son, for Urashima
was the most skillful fisher in all that country side, and could
catch more Bonito and Tai in a day than his comrades could in a
week.

But in the little fishing village, more than for being a clever
fisher of the sea was he known for his kind heart. In his whole life
he had never hurt anything, either great or small, and when a boy,
his companions had always laughed at him, for he would never join
with them in teasing animals, but always tried to keep them from
this cruel sport.

One soft summer twilight he was going home at the end of a day's