no difficulty about your getting there," said the
old man; "I can soon make something for you to ride on through the sea."

"Thank you," said the Happy Hunter, "I shall be very grateful to you if
you will be so kind."

The old man at once set to work, and soon made a basket and offered it
to the Happy Hunter. He received it with joy, and taking it to the
water, mounted it, and prepared to start. He bade good by to the kind
old man who had helped him so much, and told him that he would
certainly reward him as soon as he found his hook and could return to
Japan without fear of his brother's anger. The old man pointed out the
direction he must take, and told him how to reach the realm of Ryn Gu,
and watched him ride out to sea on the basket, which resembled a small
boat.

The Happy Hunter made all the haste he could, riding on the basket
which had been given him by his friend. His queer boat seemed to go
through the water of its own accord, and the distance was much shorter
than he had expected, for in a few hours he caught sight of the gate
and the roof of the Sea King's Palace. And what a large place it was,
with its numberless sloping roofs and gables, its huge gateways, and
its gray stone walls! He soon landed, and leaving his basket on the
beach, he walked up to the large gateway. The pillars of the gate were
made of beautiful red coral, and the gate itself was adorned with
glittering gems of all kinds. Large katsura trees overshadowed it. Our
hero had often heard of the wonders of the Sea King's Palace beneath
the sea, but all the stories he had ever heard fell short of the
reality which he now saw for the first time.

The Happy Hunter would have liked to enter the gate there and then, but
he saw that it was fast closed, and also that there was no one about
whom he could ask to open it for him, so he stopped to think what he
should do. In the shade of the trees before the gate he noticed a well
full of fresh spring water. Surely some one would come out to draw
water from the well some time, he thought. Then he climbed into the
tree overhanging the well, and seated himself to rest on one of the
branches, and waited for what might happen. Ere long he saw the huge
gate swing open, and two beautiful women came out. Now the Mikoto
(Augustness) had always heard that Ryn Gu was the realm of the Dragon
King under the Sea, and had naturally supposed that the place was
inhabited by dragons and similar terrible creatures,