t and a tortoise! He did not know,
you see, what wonders true friendship can work when all are pledged to
help one another.

The four friends soon met together again, congratulated one another on
their escapes, made afresh their vows of friendship, and declared that
they would never separate until death parted them.

MY LORD BAG OF RICE

Long, long ago there lived in Japan a brave warrior known to all as
Tawara Toda, or "My Lord Bag of Rice." His true name was Fujiwara
Hidesato, and there is a very interesting story of how he came to change
his name.

One day he sallied forth in search of adventures, for he had the nature
of a warrior and could not bear to be idle. So he buckled on his two
swords, took his huge bow, much taller than himself, in his hand, and
slinging his quiver on his back started out. He had not gone far when he
came to the bridge of Seta-no-Karashi spanning one end of the beautiful
Lake Biwa. No sooner had he set foot on the bridge than he saw lying
right across his path a huge serpent-dragon. Its body was so big that it
looked like the trunk of a large pine tree and it took up the whole
width of the bridge. One of its huge claws rested on the parapet of one
side of the bridge, while its tail lay right against the other. The
monster seemed to be asleep, and as it breathed, fire and smoke came out
of its nostrils.

At first Hidesato could not help feeling alarmed at the sight of this
horrible reptile lying in his path, for he must either turn back or walk
right over its body. He was a brave man, however, and putting aside all
fear went forward dauntlessly. Crunch, crunch; he stepped now on the
dragon's body, now between its coils, and without even one glance
backward he went on his way.

He had only gone a few steps when he heard some one calling him from
behind. On turning back he was much surprised to see that the monster
dragon had entirely disappeared and in its place was a strange-looking
man, who was bowing most ceremoniously to the ground. His red hair
streamed over his shoulders and was surmounted by a crown in the shape
of a dragon's head, and his sea-green dress was patterned with shells.
Hidesato knew at once that this was no ordinary mortal and he wondered
much at the strange occurrence. Where had the dragon gone in such a
short space of time? Or had it transformed itself into this man, and
what did the whole thing mean? While these thoughts passed through his
mind he had co