at enchanted
land seemed to be new every day, and though the Sea King's kindness
seemed rather to increase than to grow less with time, the Happy Hunter
grew more and more homesick as the days passed, and he could not
repress a great anxiety to know what had happened to his home and his
country and his brother while he had been away.

So at last he went to the Sea King and said:

"My stay with you here has been most happy and I am very grateful to
you for all your kindness to me, but I govern Japan, and, delightful as
this place is, I cannot absent myself forever from my country. I must
also return the fishing hook to my brother and ask his forgiveness for
having deprived him of it for so long. I am indeed very sorry to part
from you, but this time it cannot be helped. With your gracious
permission, I will take my leave to-day. I hope to make you another
visit some day. Please give up the idea of my staying longer now."

King Ryn Jin was overcome with sorrow at the thought that he must lose
his friend who had made a great diversion in the Palace of the Sea, and
his tears fell fast as he answered:

"We are indeed very sorry to part with you, Mikoto, for we have enjoyed
your stay with us very much. You have been a noble and honored guest
and we have heartily made you welcome. I quite understand that as you
govern Japan you ought to be there and not here, and that it is vain
for us to try and keep you longer with us, much as we would like to
have you stay. I hope you will not forget us. Strange circumstances
have brought us together and I trust the friendship thus begun between
the Land and the Sea will last and grow stronger than it has ever been
before."

When the Sea King had finished speaking he turned to his two daughters
and bade them bring him the two Tide-Jewels of the Sea. The two
Princesses bowed low, rose and glided out of the hall. In a few minutes
they returned, each one carrying in her hands a flashing gem which
filled the room with light. As the Happy Hunter looked at them he
wondered what they could be. The Sea King took them from his daughters
and said to his guest:

"These two valuable talismans we have inherited from our ancestors from
time immemorial. We now give them to you as a parting gift in token of
our great affection for you. These two gems are called the nanjiu and
the kanjiu."

The Happy Hunter bowed low to the ground and said:

"I can never thank you enough for all your kindness to m