to blame him, and if he were a god he would gladly do what was wanted, but the real reason why the wind blew and the waves rose and the thunder was about to fall on them was, that he had said he intended to kill the dragon, and this storm was of the dragon's raising, and so he had better pray with all his might.
The poor noble fell on his knees and between his tears kept saying over and over a thousand times, “Oh, dear me! I said I would kill a dragon, but I never, never will touch the tip of a single hair, if you only let me off this time.” Pretty soon the thunder ceased and it grew a little lighter, but the wind still blew strong, and although the pilot assured his cowardly master that the wind was fair, he would not believe it.
The wind continued blowing for several |
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days and at last they came to land and found that they were in the country of Harima on the Inland Sea, but the poor frightened nobleman thought they were drifting in the South Sea and lay trembling in the bottom of the boat.
It was only when the governor of the province came and had him lifted out on a mat and placed under the trees that he began to realize that he was actually on dry land once more.
He had caught a heavy cold and both his eyes were so swollen that they looked as if plums were fastened beneath them, while he shook all over from the effects of the sea-sickness and fright, and altogether he was so supremely ridiculous that no one could keep from laughing at him.
Having once landed nothing could induce him to go on the ship again, so they procured |
