Page:The jade story book; stories from the Orient (IA jadestorybooksto00cous).pdf/122

106 Opulo stepped to the ground and the bird grew smaller and smaller. At last it became the same size as when Jofuku gave it to him, so he folded it up and put it in his pocket.

He walked on until he came to a town, where he found a place to lodge. Everything, of course, was strange to him; the streets and buildings were different from what he had been used to, and all the people looked prosperous.

Opulo told the owner of the house in which he obtained lodgings that he intended to live there permanently, so the worthy man kindly promised to help him all he could. He found a suitable house for him, and servants to attend to his comfort, so Opulo took up his residence in the land of Continual Life.

It was a strange country indeed in which he now lived. No one ever died there, nor even became sick, so doctors were unknown. But the people were not happy and contented; they had heard of a place called Paradise, but it was only a legend to them. They knew that one could not reach this wonderful land without dying, and death