The Fisherman And The Turtle, A Virtuous Japanese Legend

Legends are stories that have been handed down throughout history, not only for the purpose of entertaining, but also for teaching powerful values ​​and lessons. These are stories capable of awakening emotions and making us reflect on our daily lives. The fisherman and the turtle is one of them.

Despite being a short account, its message is clear. It invites us to question the pace of life we ​​lead, to which we dedicate our time and, above all, to think about the importance of our decisions and actions. We hope you like it!

The fisherman and the turtle, a Japanese legend to reflect

Many years ago, a humble fisherman, whose name was Urashima, lived in a small coastal village. One day, when he was returning from a long fishing trip, he noticed a group of children mistreating a turtle on the shore. Without thinking twice, he reprimanded the children’s behavior and, to make sure they left, gave them a few coins.

Once the animal was free, Urashima helped her back to the sea. The next day, while he was fishing at sea, he heard a voice saying his name. When he looked for the source of the voice, he identified that it was from the turtle he had released the day before.

She told him that she served the queen of all seas, who resided in the Palace of the Dragon, to which he was being invited in thanks for his act. So the fisherman climbed onto the turtle’s back and traveled across the seabed until he reached the place where the queen lived.

Once there, he marveled at the sumptuousness of the palace and the great beauty of the queen. She entertained him and filled him with attention. But when the fisherman had been there for three days, he communicated to the monarch that he wanted to return to his house, as he had dreamed that his parents, now elderly, needed him.

The Japanese legend continues…

The queen had no objection to his return, but before departing, she presented him with a lacquer box set with pearls. In addition, he communicated an important warning to him: the box should not be opened under any circumstances; if he fulfilled that, he could be happy.

After rising to the surface, Urashima started his way back to his home. As he progressed, he was more and more surprised that he did not recognize his village. In fact, when he arrived at the place where his home should be, he found another building, and when he asked the people he found there about his parents, no one knew how to answer.

When he said his name, a much older person said that, during his childhood, he had heard the story of a fisherman who had the same name and had disappeared into the sea. The detail is that this had happened hundreds of years ago, even though only 3 days had passed for Urashima.

Alone, sad and desperate, he went to the edge of the sea. It was then that he thought of opening the box that the queen had given him as a gift, as perhaps he could return to the Dragon Palace. However, when I opened it, white smoke came out of its interior.

That’s how, suddenly, Urashima grew older with every step he took. His face was getting more and more wrinkles, his body was getting heavier and his head turned white. It was at that moment that he realized that what was in that box were the years that had passed while he was in the palace, that had returned to his body. The next day, Urashima’s body was at the edge of the sea.

Lessons from the Japanese legend of the fisherman and the turtle

The Japanese legend of the fisherman and the turtle invites us to reflect on the quality of our time and actions, as well as the importance of being aware of the consequences of what we do.

• Often, when we are doing well or happy, we notice time passing much faster. The point is not to lose your way and always know the most important thing: the people around us and our life plan. Because we must not confuse pleasure and desire with well-being, not even what we momentarily obtain to satisfy our need with the satisfaction resulting from having achieved something through our effort and work.

• Nor can we forget the repercussions of our decisions and actions. Everything has consequences, for better or for worse. The legend of the fisherman and the turtle exemplifies very well when Urashima opens the box, despite having been warned not to.

Undoubtedly, this Japanese legend leaves us valuable life lessons that invite us to reflect and that can help us in our daily lives.