THE WHITE HARE AND THE CROCODILESLong, long ago, when all the animals could talk, there lived in
the province of Inaba in Japan, a little white hare. His home was
on the island of Oki, and just across the sea was the mainland of
Inaba.
Now the hare wanted very much to cross over to Inaba. Day after
day he would go out and sit on the shore and look longingly over
the water in the direction of Inaba, and day after day he hoped to
find some way of getting across.
One day as usual, the hare was standing on the beach, looking
towards the mainland across the water, when he saw a great
crocodile swimming near the island.
"This is very lucky!" thought the hare. "Now I shall be able to
get my wish. I will ask the crocodile to carry me across the
sea!"
But he was doubtful whether the c
