"How delighted my old man will be!" she thought as she picked it up.

Then she packed the clothes she had been washing into the basket and hurried home. Soon she saw her husband returning from the mountain where he had been cutting gra.s.s. She ran to meet him and showed him the peach.

"Dear me!" the old man said, "it is wonderful. Where did you buy it?"

"Buy it? I did not buy it," she replied. Then she told him how she got it from the river.

"I feel hungry," the old man affirmed. "Let us eat the peach at once."

They went to the house and got a knife. But just as the old man was about to cut the peach he heard a child's clear voice say, "Good sir, wait!"

Instantly the peach split in two halves, and out danced a little boy less than six inches high. This was so unexpected that the man and woman nearly fainted with astonishment and fright.

"Do not be afraid," the boy said. "You have often lamented that you have no child, and I have been sent to be your son."

The old couple were very much pleased, and they did all they could to show how welcome he was to their home. Peach-boy was the name they gave him. The years pa.s.sed, and he grew to be a man remarkable for his beauty, his courage, and, above all, for his great strength.

One day he came to the old man and old woman and said: "Father, your kindness has been higher than the mountain on which you cut gra.s.s; and Mother, yours has been deeper than the river in which you wash clothes.

How can I thank you?"

"Do not thank us," the old man replied. "The time will come when we cannot work, and then we shall be dependent on you."

"But as things are," Peach-boy said, "I am so greatly indebted to you that I hesitate to make a request that is in my mind."

"What is it?" they questioned.

"It is that you allow me to go away for a short time," he answered.

"Go away? Where to?" they asked.

"I would have you know," he said, "that north of the mainland of j.a.pan is an island inhabited by demons, who kill our people and steal our treasure. I want to destroy them and bring back all their stolen riches.

For this purpose I wish to leave you."

The old man was at first speechless with astonishment, but as he considered the matter he was convinced that Peach-boy was not mortal in his origin and therefore was probably safe from injury.

So he said: "You wish to go, and I will not stop you. Indeed, as those demons are the enemies of j.a.pan, the sooner you destroy them and save your country from their depredations the better."

Preparations for Peach-boy's journey began at once. The old woman made him some dumplings and got his clothes ready. When the time came for him to start, the old couple saw him off with tears in their eyes.

"Take care of yourself. May you return victorious," they said.

XVI--A WARRIOR'S HELPERS

Peach-boy walked steadily and rapidly along the highway from early morning until midday, when he sat down to eat his dinner. Just as he took out one of the dumplings, a big savage dog appeared.

"Wow! wow!" the dog barked. "You have come into my territory without leave. If you do not at once give me your dinner I will devour you."

Peach-boy smiled scornfully. "I am on my way to fight the enemies of j.a.pan," he said. "Don't try to stop me or I will slay you."

"I did not know the purpose of your journey," the dog responded, cowering and putting his tail between his legs. "I humbly beg your pardon for my rude conduct. Please allow me to accompany and help you."

"You are welcome to go with me," Peach-boy said.

"But I am very hungry," the dog told him. "Will you please give me something to eat?"

"Here is a dumpling for you," was Peach-boy's response.

When the dog had eaten the dumpling they hurried on. They crossed many mountains and valleys, and one day a monkey sprang down from a tree in front of them and asked, "Where are you going so fast?"

"We are going to fight the enemies of j.a.pan," Peach-boy answered.

"Then pray allow me to go with you," the monkey said.

The dog came angrily forward. "Of what use would you be?" he snarled. "I alone accompany this great warrior."

Monkeys and dogs never can be friends, and of course this speech made the monkey very angry.

"You think a great deal of yourself!" he screeched, and he approached the dog ready to a.s.sail him with his teeth and nails.

But Peach-boy stepped between them, saying: "Stop! Do not be so hasty, you two. Stand back, dog. This monkey is not a bad fellow, and I intend to enrol him as one of my va.s.sals."

Then he gave the monkey half a dumpling to eat. Presently the three went on along the highway. But it was no easy matter to keep the peace between the dog and the monkey. So at last Peach-boy had the monkey march ahead of him with his standard, and the dog follow behind him carrying his sword.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _The Monkey and the Warrior_]

At length they entered a wilderness, and a wonderful bird sprang up from the ground as if to a.s.sail them. The bird's head plumage was of the deepest crimson and his body was clothed with a feather robe in five colors.

The dog dashed at the bird to seize and devour him, but Peach-boy sprang forward and prevented this. Then he said: "Bird, do you wish to interrupt my journey? If so, the dog shall bite off your head. But if you submit to me you can be one of my company and help fight the enemies of j.a.pan."

The bird instantly bowed in front of Peach-boy, saying, "I am a humble bird called the pheasant. It would be an honor to accompany you on such an expedition."

"Does this low fellow go with us?" the dog growled disdainfully.

"That is no business of yours," Peach-boy said; "and I give you three animals warning that if any quarreling starts among you I will send you all back that very moment. In war a good position is better than good luck, but union is better than either good luck or good position. There can be no squabbling among ourselves if we are to win."

The three animals listened respectfully and promised implicit obedience.

Then the pheasant ate a half dumpling that Peach-boy gave him, and the four went on together.

XVII--THE ISLAND OF DEMONS

At last Peach-boy and his companions came to the sea. They looked off across the water in the direction which he told them the island lay whose demon inhabitants he and they were to destroy, and saw nothing but waves. The dog, the monkey, and the pheasant are all creatures that live on dry land, and though the steepest cliff and deepest valley could not frighten them, yet when they saw that endless stretch of rolling waves, they stood speechless and fearful.