My lord bag of rice

Long, long ago there lived in Japan a brave warrior known to all as
Tawara Toda or “My Lord Bag of Rice”. His true name was
Fujiwara Hidesato and there is a very interesting story of how he
came to change his name. One day he went out in search of
adventures because he had the nature of a warrior and could not
bear to be idle. So he picked up his two swords, took his huge
bow, which was much taller than himself, in his hand, strapped his
quiver on his back and started out.
He had not gone far when he came to the bridge of Seta-noKarashi
crossing one end of the beautiful Lake Biwa. As soon as he
stepped on the bridge, he saw lying right across his path a huge
serpent-dragon. Its body was so big that it looked like the trunk of
a large pine tree and it took up the whole width of the bridge. One
of its huge claws rested on the parapet of one side of the bridge
while its tail lay right against the other. The monster seemed to be
asleep, and as it breathed, fire and smoke came out of its nostrils.
At first, Hidesato could not help feeling alarmed at the sight of this
horrible reptile lying in his path, for he must either turn back or
walk right over its body.
He was a brave man, however, and putting aside all fear went
forward dauntlessly. Crunch, crunch! He stepped now on the
dragon’s body, now between its coils, and without even one
glance backward he went on his way. He had only gone a few
steps when he heard someone calling him from behind. On
turning back he was really surprised to see that the monster
dragon had entirely disappeared and in its place was a strange -
looking man who was formally bowing to the ground. His red hair
streamed over his shoulders and was surmounted by a crown in
the shape of a dragon’s head, and his sea-green dress was
patterned with shells. Hidesato knew at once that this was no
ordinary mortal and he wondered much at the strange
occurrence.
Where had the dragon gone in such a short space of time? Or had
it transformed itself into this man? And what did the whole thing
mean? While these thoughts passed through his mind, he had
come up to the man on the bridge and addressed him: "Was it you
that called me just now? " "Yes, it was I," answered the man. "I
have an important request to make to you. Do you think you can
grant it to me?" "If it is in my power to do so, I will," answered
Hidesato, "but first tell me who you are." "I am the Dragon King of
the Lake, and my home is in these waters just under this bridge."
"And what is it you have to ask of me?" said Hidesato. "I want you
to kill my mortal enemy the centipede, who lives on the mountain
beyond," and the Dragon King pointed to a high peak on the
opposite shore of the lake.
"I have lived for many years in this lake and I have a large family
of children and grand-children. For some time, we have lived in
terror because a monster centipede has discovered our home, and
night after night it comes and carries off one of my family. I am
powerless to save them. If it goes on much longer like this, I will
not only lose all my children, but I myself will become a victim of
the monster. I am, therefore, very unhappy, and in my desperation
I determined to ask the help of a human being. For many days
with this intention I have waited on the bridge in the shape of the
horrible serpent-dragon that you saw, in the hope that some
strong brave man would come along. But all who came this way,
as soon as they saw me, were terrified and ran away as fast as
they could. You are the first man I have found able to look at me
without fear, so I knew at once that you were a man of great
courage. I beg you to have pity on me. Will you not help me and
kill my enemy the centipede?"
Hidesato felt very sorry for the Dragon King after hearing his
story, and quickly promised to do what he could to help him. The
warrior asked where the centipede lived, so that he might attack
the creature at once. The Dragon King replied that its home was
on the mountain Mikami, but that as it came every night at a
certain hour to the palace of the lake, it would be better to wait
until then. So Hidesato was conducted to the palace of the Dragon
King, under the bridge. Oddly, as he followed his host downwards,
the waters parted to let them pass, and his clothes didn’t even feel
damp as he passed through the flood.
Never had Hidesato seen anything so beautiful as this palace built
of white marble beneath the lake. He had often heard of the Sea
King’s palace at the bottom of the sea, where all the servants and
retainers were salt-water fishes, but here was a magnificent
building in the heart of Lake Biwa. The dainty goldfishes, red carp,
and silvery trout, waited upon the Dragon King and his guest.
Hidesato was astonished at the feast that was spread for him. The
dishes were crystallized lotus leaves and flowers, and the
chopsticks were of the rarest ebony. As soon as they sat down, the
sliding doors opened and ten lovely goldfish dancers came out,
and behind them followed ten red-carp musicians with the koto
and the samisen. Thus the hours flew by until midnight, and the
beautiful music and dancing had banished all thoughts of the
centipede.
The Dragon King was about to pour the warrior a fresh cup of
wine when the palace was suddenly shaken by a “tramp”, “tramp”,
as if a mighty army had begun to march not far away. Hidesato
and his host both rose to their feet and rushed to the balcony, and
the warrior saw on the opposite mountain two great balls of
glowing fire coming nearer and nearer. The Dragon King stood by
the warrior’s side, trembling with fear. "The centipede! The
centipede! Those two balls of fire are its eyes. And it is coming for
its prey! Now is the time to kill it." Hidesato looked where his host
pointed, and, in the dim light of the starlit evening, behind the two
balls of fire, he saw the long body of an enormous centipede
winding around the mountains, and the light in its hundred feet
glowed like so many distant lanterns moving slowly towards the
shore.
Hidesato showed no sign of fear. He tried to calm the Dragon King.
Don’t be afraid. I shall surely kill the centipede. Just bring me my
bow and arrows. The Dragon King did as he was asked, and the
warrior noticed that he had only three arrows left in his quiver.
He took the bow, and fitting an arrow to the notch, took careful
aim and let it fly. The arrow hit the centipede right in the middle
of its head, but instead of penetrating, it bounced off harmlessly
and fell to the ground. Nothing daunted, Hidesato took another
arrow, fitted it to the notch of the bow, and let it fly. Again the
arrow hit the target. It struck the centipede right in the middle of
its head, only to bounce off and fall to the ground. The centipede
was invulnerable to weapons! When the Dragon King saw that
even this brave warrior’s arrows were powerless to kill the
centipede, he lost heart and began to tremble with fear.
The warrior saw that he had now only one arrow left in his quiver,
and if this one failed, he could not kill the centipede. He looked
across the waters. The huge reptile had wound its horrid body
several times around the mountain and would soon come down to
the lake. Nearer and nearer gleamed its fireball eyes, and the light
of its hundred feet began to throw reflections in the still waters of
the lake. Then suddenly the warrior remembered that he had
heard that human saliva was deadly to centipedes. But this was no
ordinary centipede. This was so monstrous that even to think of
such a creature made one creep with horror. Hidesato determined
to try his last chance. So taking his last arrow and first putting the
end of it in his mouth, he took careful aim once more and let it fly.
This time the arrow again hit the centipede right in the middle of
its head, but instead of bouncing off harmlessly as before, it struck
home to the creature’s brain. Then with a convulsive shudder, the
serpentine body stopped moving, and the fiery light of its great
eyes and hundred feet darkened to a dull glare like the sunset of a
stormy day, and then went out in blackness. A great darkness now
overspread the heavens, the thunder rolled and the lightning
flashed, and the wind roared in fury, and it seemed as if the world
was coming to an end. The Dragon King and his children and
servants all crouched in different parts of the palace, frightened to
death, for the building was shaken to its foundation. At last the
dreadful night was over. Day dawned beautiful and clear. The
centipede was gone from the mountain.
Then Hidesato called to the Dragon King to come out with him on
the balcony, because the centipede was dead and he had nothing
more to fear. Then all the inhabitants of the palace came out with
joy, and Hidesato pointed to the lake. There lay the body of the
dead centipede floating on the water, which was dyed red with its
blood. The gratitude of the Dragon King was unlimited. The whole
family came and bowed down before the warrior, calling him their
hero and the bravest warrior in all of Japan. Another feast was
prepared, more sumptuous than the first. All kinds of fish,
prepared in every imaginable way, raw, stewed, boiled and
roasted, served on coral trays and crystal dishes, were put before
him, and the wine was the best that Hidesato had ever tasted in
his life. To add to the beauty of everything, the sun shone brightly,
the lake glittered like a liquid diamond, and the palace was a
thousand times more beautiful by day than by night.
His host tried to persuade the warrior to stay a few days, but
Hidesato insisted on going home, saying that he had now finished
what he had come to do, and must return. The Dragon King and
his family were all very sorry to have him leave so soon, but since
he insisted on going, they begged him to accept a few small
presents (so they said) in token of their gratitude to him for
saving them forever from their horrible enemy the centipede. As
the warrior stood in the porch preparing to leave, a train of fish
was suddenly transformed into a group of men, all wearing
ceremonial robes and dragon’s crowns on their heads to show
that they were servants of the great Dragon King. The presents
that they carried were as follows: First, a large bronze bell.
Second, a bag of rice. Third, a roll of silk. Fourth, a cooking pot.
Fifth, a bell.
Hidesato did not want to accept all these presents, but as the
Dragon King insisted, he could not refuse. The Dragon King
himself accompanied the warrior as far as the bridge, and then
said goodbye to him with many bows and good wishes, leaving
the procession of servants to accompany Hidesato to his house
with the gifts. The warrior’s household and servants had been
very much concerned when they found that he did not return the
night before, but they concluded that he had been kept by the
violent storm and had taken shelter somewhere. When the
servants watching for his return saw him, they called to every one
that he was approaching, and the whole household turned out to
meet him, wondering much what the group of men that followed
him carrying presents and banners could mean. As soon as the
Dragon King’s servants had put down the presents, they vanished,
and Hidesato told all that had happened to him.