ved for his kindly heart. Never had he hurt even the
meanest creature. Indeed, had it not been necessary to catch fish for
his living, he would always have fished with a straight hook, so as to
catch only such fish as wished to be caught. And as for teasing and
tormenting animals, when he was a boy, his tenderness towards all the
dumb creation was a matter for laughter with his companions; but nothing
would ever induce him to join in the cruel sport in which some boys
delight.

One evening, as Urashima was returning from a hard day's fishing, he met
a number of boys all shouting and laughing over something they were
worrying in the middle of the road. It was a tortoise they had caught
and were ill-treating. Between them all, what with sticks and stones and
other kinds of torture, the poor creature was hard beset and seemed
almost frightened to death.

Urashima could not bear to see a helpless thing treated in that way, so
he interfered.

'Boys!' he said, 'that's no way to treat a harmless dumb creature.
You'll kill the poor thing!'

But the boys merely laughed, and, taking no further notice, continued
their cruel sport.

'What's a tortoise?' cried one. 'Besides, it's great fun. Come on,
lads!' And they went on with their heartless game.

Urashima thought the matter over for a little, wondering how he could
persuade the boys to give the tortoise up to him. At last he said with a
smile, 'Come, boys! I know you're good-hearted young fellows: I'll make
a bargain with you. What I really wanted was to buy the tortoise,--that
is, if it is your own.'

'Of course it's our own. We caught it.' They had begun to gather round
him at the prospect of a sale, for they relished the money to buy
sweetmeats even more than the cruel sport of tormenting an innocent
creature.

'Very well,' replied Urashima, bringing a string of coins out of his
pocket and holding them up. 'See! you can buy a lot of nice things with
this. What do you say?'

He smiled at them so sweetly and spoke so gently that, with the cash
dangling before their eyes, they were soon won over. The biggest boy
then grabbed the tortoise, and held it out to him with one hand, while
he reached for the string of coins with the other. 'All right, uncle,'
he said, 'you can have the tortoise.'

Urashima handed over the money in exchange for the poor, frightened
creature, and the boys were soon making their way to the nearest
sweetmeat shop.

Meanwhile Urashima looked