voice could not have come from any human being.

Startled, and wondering who or what it was that had called him so
clearly, he looked in all directions round about him and saw that
without his knowing it a tortoise had come to the side of the boat.
Urashima saw with surprise that it was the very tortoise he had
rescued the day before.

"Well, Mr. Tortoise," said Urashima, "was it you who called my name
just now?"

The tortoise nodded its head several times and said:

"Yes, it was I. Yesterday in your honorable shadow (o kage sama de)
my life was saved, and I have come to offer you my thanks and to
tell you how grateful I am for your kindness to me."

"Indeed," said Urashima, "that is very polite of you. Come up into
the boat. I would offer you a smoke, but as you are a tortoise
doubtless you do not smoke," and the fisherman laughed at the joke.

"He-he-he-he!" laughed the tortoise; "sake (rice wine) is my
favorite refreshment, but I do not care for tobacco."

"Indeed," said Urashima, "I regret very much that I have no "sake"
in my boat to offer you, but come up and dry your back in the sun--
tortoises always love to do that."

So the tortoise climbed into the boat, the fisherman helping him,
and after an exchange of complimentary speeches the tortoise said: