.

Then the Happy Hunter said that he would forgive his brother if he
would throw into the receding tide all his evil ways. The Skillful
Fisher promised and there was peace between the two brothers. From this
time he kept his word and became a good man and a kind brother.

The Happy Hunter now ruled his Kingdom without being disturbed by
family strife, and there was peace in Japan for a long, long time.
Above all the treasures in his house he prized the wonderful Jewels of
the Flow and Ebb of the Tide which had been given him by Ryn Jin, the
Dragon King of the Sea.

This is the congratulatory ending of the Happy Hunter and the Skillful
Fisher.

THE STORY OF THE OLD MAN WHO MADE WITHERED TREES TO FLOWER.

Long, long ago there lived an old man and his wife who supported
themselves by cultivating a small plot of land. Their life had been a
very happy and peaceful one save for one great sorrow, and this was
they had no child. Their only pet was a dog named Shiro, and on him
they lavished all the affection of their old age. Indeed, they loved
him so much that whenever they had anything nice to eat they denied
themselves to give it to Shiro. Now Shiro means "white," and he was so
called because of his color. He was a real Japanese dog, and very like
a small wolf in appearance.

The happiest hour of the day both for the old man and his dog was when
the man returned from his work in the field, and having finished his
frugal supper of rice and vegetables, would take what he had saved from
the meal out to the little veranda that ran round the cottage. Sure
enough, Shiro was waiting for his master and the evening tit-bit. Then
the old man said "Chin, chin!" and Shiro sat up and begged, and his
master gave him the food. Next door to this good old couple there lived
another old man and his wife who were both wicked and cruel, and who
hated their good neighbors and the dog Shiro with all their might.
Whenever Shiro happened to look into their kitchen they at once kicked
him or threw something at him, sometimes even wounding him.

One day Shiro was heard barking for a long time in the field at the
back of his master's house. The old man, thinking that perhaps some
birds were attacking the corn, hurried out to see what was the matter.
As soon as Shiro saw his master he ran to meet him, wagging his tail,
and, seizing the end of his kimono, dragged him under a large yenoki
tree. Here he began to dig very industriously wit