a very long time to her to wait till her husband returned.
The old man at last came back as the sun was setting, with a big bundle
of grass on his back--so big that he was almost hidden and she could
hardly see him. He seemed very tired and used the scythe for a walking
stick, leaning on it as he walked along.

As soon as the old woman saw him she called out:

"O Fii San! (old man) I have been waiting for you to come home for such
a long time to-day!"

"What is the matter? Why are you so impatient?" asked the old man,
wondering at her unusual eagerness. "Has anything happened while I have
been away?"

"Oh, no!" answered the old woman, "nothing has happened, only I have
found a nice present for you!"

"That is good," said the old man. He then washed his feet in a basin of
water and stepped up to the veranda.

The old woman now ran into the little room and brought out from the
cupboard the big peach. It felt even heavier than before. She held it
up to him, saying:

"Just look at this! Did you ever see such a large peach in all your
life?"

When the old man looked at the peach he was greatly astonished and said:

"This is indeed the largest peach I have ever seen! Wherever did you
buy it?"

"I did not buy it," answered the old woman. "I found it in the river
where I was washing." And she told him the whole story.

"I am very glad that you have found it. Let us eat it now, for I am
hungry," said the O Fii San.

He brought out the kitchen knife, and, placing the peach on a board,
was about to cut it when, wonderful to tell, the peach split in two of
itself and a clear voice said:

"Wait a bit, old man!" and out stepped a beautiful little child.

The old man and his wife were both so astonished at what they saw that
they fell to the ground. The child spoke again:

"Don't be afraid. I am no demon or fairy. I will tell you the truth.
Heaven has had compassion on you. Every day and every night you have
lamented that you had no child. Your cry has been heard and I am sent
to be the son of your old age!"

On hearing this the old man and his wife were very happy. They had
cried night and day for sorrow at having no child to help them in their
lonely old age, and now that their prayer was answered they were so
lost with joy that they did not know where to put their hands or their
feet. First the old man took the child up in his arms, and then the old
woman did the same; and they named him MOMOTARO, OR SON OF A