The Legend of the Dragon Palace

Once upon a time, there was a young man named Taro Urashima, a kind-hearted fisherman who lived with his elderly mother and lived happily ever after.

　　One day, Taro Urashima went to the sea to fish, as he usually did, and when he reached the sea, he found a group of naughty children who were bullying a big sea turtle.

　　They were beating the poor turtle with sticks and stones.

　　"Children, you should stop bullying it; you and it look so pitiful, so let it go!"

　　"No way, this is our sea turtle!"

　　"Otherwise, you guys can just sell it to me! Urashima Taro added.

　　"Hmm! Fine!"

　　So Urashima Taro bought the poor turtle from them with his money; took it to the sea, and said to it, "Go back to the sea quickly! Be careful not to be caught again!"

　　A few days later, Taro Urashima was fishing in his boat when he met the turtle again.

　　The turtle said, "Urashima Taro, I'm very grateful for your help last time, so I'd like to take you to the Dragon's Palace to repay you for the favor.

　　"But ..... My mom is still waiting for me at home." Urashima Taro replied.

　　"Don't worry, I'll bring you back again."

　　With that, the turtle carried Urashima Taro on his back and dived towards the deep sea.

　　"Wow... ...... It's so beautiful... ..... , it's so beautiful ........." Urashima Taro couldn't help but scream out when he saw the view from the bottom of the sea.

　　The sunlight shone into the sea like a golden chain.

　　The fish also swam among the corals as if they were dancing.

　　Soon after, Urashima Taro realized that in the sea, something was shining.

　　"Urashima Taro, that's the Dragon's Palace right there." The turtle said.

　　Urashima Taro was even more amazed when he saw this Dragon Palace, which was decorated with precious balls and coral.

　　"Urashima Taro, welcome to the Dragon Palace."

　　The beautiful Dragon King Princess herself came to the entrance of the Dragon Palace to greet Taro Urashima.

　　The princess said, "Urashima Taro, I am very grateful to you for saving our turtles last time, and I hope you will stay in the Dragon Palace for a few more days and accept our hospitality."

　　So, the Dragon King and Princess threw a table of the finest wining and dining, and it was full of sumptuous dishes that Urashima Taro had never eaten or even seen before.

　　"Don't be polite, please use more dishes." The Dragon King Princess also accompanied him and dined happily.

　　The beautiful courtesan standing next to her began to sing a pleasant song, and the snappers and flounders danced along with the song, it was really pretty.

　　At that moment, Taro Urashima felt as if he had come to heaven, everything was so beautiful.

　　After dinner, Princess Dragon King showed Urashima Taro around the gorgeous Dragon Palace, and they came to four big magical doors.

　　"This is the Gate of Spring." The Dragon King Princess opened the first blue door.

　　Inside the house, cherry blossoms and other kinds of rare flowers and plants were blooming, butterflies were fluttering in the clothed bushes, and birds were singing softly on the branches, and everything looked like the earth in spring, full of vigor.

The Dragon King then opened the second red "door of summer"; the summer sunshine shot out from the house with blinding light.

　　The house was full of greenery, and the cicadas were singing happily in the trees.

　　"This is the Door of Autumn" The Dragon King Princess opened a third golden door.

　　Inside the house, the golden rice ears were swaying in the wind, and the crickets were singing leisurely.

　　When the Princess opened the last white door, the house was a beautiful snow scene.

　　After visiting these four strange doors, Taro Urashima felt as if he were in a dream.

　　From then on, Urashima Taro ate delicious food every day, wearing gorgeous clothes, and lived comfortably in the palace.

　　Day after day, do not feel that three years have passed, Urashima Taro began to miss home.

　　"I don't know how my mother is now, she must be very worried for me." Thinking about this, Urashima Taro couldn't wait to get back home.

　　So Urashima Taro said to Princess Dragon King, "Princess, I think: I should go home. My mother is still waiting for me at home!"

　　"Do you really want to go home .....? Fine! I'll give you a jade box before you leave, but remember, you must never open it until you are old." After saying this, the Dragon King Princess gave him a beautiful box.

　　So, Urashima Taro sat on the turtle's back again and returned to his long missed homeland.

　　But what had happened? The village was completely different from before.

　　There were strangers everywhere, not a single acquaintance; and, no matter how much Urashima Taro searched, he just couldn't find his home, or his aging mother."

　　"My home ......... has gone there ..........."

　　Urashima Taro asked an old man sitting by the side of the road, "Excuse me, do you know where Urashima Taro's house is?"

　　"Ah! I once heard a legend about Urashima Taro, but he hasn't returned to the village since he went to the Dragon Palace three hundred years ago." The old man replied.

　　"It's been three hundred years, so then my mother died long ago as well ..........." Urashima Taro sat dejectedly on a rock by the roadside.

　　At that moment, it suddenly occurred to him that he was holding in his hand the king's box given to him by the princess of the Dragon King.

　　"What exactly is contained inside?"

　　Forgetting Princess Dragon King's advice, Urashima Taro opened the lid of the jade box.

　　Suddenly, a white smoke screen emerged from inside.

　　Even stranger, when the white smoke touched Urashima Taro, he instantly turned into an old man with a white beard and white hair.