While he was thus struggling to keep himself afloat, he saw a
monstrous shark swimming towards him. As it came nearer it opened its
huge mouth ready to devour him. Sentaro was all but paralyzed with
fear now that he felt his end so near, and screamed out as loudly as
ever he could to Jofuku to come and rescue him.
Lo, and behold, Sentaro was awakened by his own screams, to find that
during his long prayer he had fallen asleep before the shrine, and
that all his extraordinary and frightful adventures had been only a
wild dream. He was in a cold perspiration with fright, and utterly
bewildered.
Suddenly a bright light came towards him, and in the light stood a
messenger. The messenger held a book in his hand and spoke to Sentaro:
"I am sent to you by Jofuku, who in answer to your prayer, has
permitted you in a dream to see the land of Perpetual Life. But you
grew weary of living there, and begged to be allowed to return to your
native land so that you might die. Jofuku, so that he might try you,
allowed you to drop into the sea, and then sent a shark to swallow you
up. Your desire for death was not real, for even at that moment you
cried out loudly and shouted for help.
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