at once! Just come and get on my back, and see if it is as
impossible as you think!"

As the tortoise finished speaking, Urashima looked at its shell, and
strange to say be saw that the creature had suddenly grown so big
that a man could easily sit on its back.

"This is strange indeed!" said Urashima; "then. Mr. Tortoise, with
your kind permission I will get on your back. Dokoisho!" [Footnote:
"All right" (only used by lower classes).] he exclaimed as he jumped
on.

The tortoise, with an unmoved face, as if this strange proceeding
were quite an ordinary event, said:

"Now we will set out at our leisure," and with these words he leapt
into the sea with Urashima on his back. Down through the water the
tortoise dived. For a long time these two strange companions rode
through the sea. Urashima never grew tired, nor his clothes moist
with the water. At last, far away in the distance a magnificent gate
appeared, and behind the gate, the long, sloping roofs of a palace
on the horizon.

"Ya." exclaimed Urashima. "that looks like the gate of some large
palace just appearing! Mr. Tortoise, can you tell what that place is
we can now see?"

"That is the great gate of the Rin Gin Palace, the large roof that
you see behind the gate is the Sea King's Palace itself."