Not knowing who you were I have
behaved in a very stupid way. Will you please pardon my rudeness? Are
you indeed on your way to invade the Island of Devils? If you will take
such a rude fellow with you as one of your followers, I shall be very
grateful to you."

"I think I can take you with me if you wish to go," said Momotaro.

"Thank you!" said the dog. "By the way, I am very very hungry. Will you
give me one of the cakes you are carrying?"

"This is the best kind of cake there is in Japan," said Momotaro. "I
cannot spare you a whole one; I will give you half of one."

"Thank you very much," said the dog, taking the piece thrown to him.

Then Momotaro got up and the dog followed. For a long time they walked
over the hills and through the valleys. As they were going along an
animal came down from a tree a little ahead of them. The creature soon
came up to Momotaro and said:

"Good morning, Momotaro! You are welcome in this part of the country.
Will you allow me to go with you?"

The dog answered jealously:

"Momotaro already has a dog to accompany him. Of what use is a monkey
like you in battle? We are on our way to fight the devils! Get away!"

The dog and the monkey began to quarrel and bite, for these two animals
always hate each other.

"Now, don't quarrel!" said Momotaro, putting himself between them.
"Wait a moment, dog!"

"It is not at all dignified for you to have such a creature as that
following you!" said the dog.

"What do you know about it?" asked Momotaro; and pushing aside the dog,
he spoke to the monkey:

"Who are you?"

"I am a monkey living in these hills," replied the monkey. "I heard of
your expedition to the Island of Devils, and I have come to go with
you. Nothing will please me more than to follow you!"

"Do you really wish to go to the Island of Devils and fight with me?"

"Yes, sir," replied the monkey.

"I admire your courage," said Momotaro. "Here is a piece of one of my
fine rice-cakes. Come along!"

So the monkey joined Momotaro. The dog and the monkey did not get on
well together. They were always snapping at each other as they went
along, and always wanting to have a fight. This made Momotaro very
cross, and at last he sent the dog on ahead with a flag and put the
monkey behind with a sword, and he placed himself between them with a
war-fan, which is made of iron.

By and by they came to a large field. Here a bird flew down and
alighted on the ground just in fron