Long ago, in ancient Japan, a samurai called Oribe Shima had run askew of the favor of a local lord, and was banished to the far away island of Kamishama. Left behind was his eighteen year old daughter Tokoyo.
Tokoyo had a broken heart and decided to find a way to venture to her father?s island so that she might spend the rest of her days with him. She was well instructed in matters of the sea, and so she sold all of her possessions and sailed off into the ocean in a small boat.
After many days she reached the island. But he was nowhere to be found. She climbed to a promontory and fell asleep. A few hours later she awoke to the sounds of a young girl crying. At the edge of the cliff was the young maiden dressed in white and a priest muttering incantations. Seeing the intentions of the ritual, she rushed to the girl?s aid.
?Stop!? said the priest, ?You do not comprehend. This is the inevitable course of things. Deep at the bottom of the sea is a terrible dragon named Yofune Nushi who has us all in his grasp. You see he controls the climate of the ocean, and as fisherman, we have no choice but to comply with his demands. Every year, on this day, we must give to him the purest virgin our village. Today is that unhappy day.?
Tokoyo listened with sadness. But then she had an idea. She had no will to live and offered to replace the shivering young girl. The priest accepted her offer and she donned the girls white garment and jumped to the ocean below.
She swam down to a cave glittering with the finest of pearls. This was the cave of the dragon. As she entered it she passed by a small wooden statue in the likeness of Hojo Takatoki, the lord who had banished her father! Further up she swam and reached the lair.
She saw the terrible dragon. Shining like a snake with many legs in gleaming iridescent scales Yofune Noshi smiled at her.
But hidden in Tokoyo?s teeth was a dagger. And as the dragon moved toward her, she reached between her teeth to take the dagger and stabbed the dragon in the right eye. The dragon wretched in pain, but taking this opportunity she slit the underside of his neck killing him.
With one hand she grabbed the dragon?s corpse and grabbed the statue with the other and swam to the surface.
The people of the island heralded her as their savior and word spread about Tokoyo?s heroic feat, even so far as to the ears of Hojo Takatoki, who had long since been possessed by a curse. Hearing about the statue in the cave, he instantly knew its cause. So grateful was he that he ordered the release of Oribe Shima, who had been locked away in a secret prison.
The reunited father and daughter spent the rest of their days in happiness.
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