Reading Notes: Japanese Mythology Part B

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The Faery Robe - A fisherman hears singing. A fairy comes down and touches the water, hanging her robe on a branch, and leaps into the water like a mermaid. The fisherman thinks her robe will bring him fortune. The fairy tells him to give her robe back so she can fly, and he tells her to dance for him first. She insist she can't dance without the robe, and he gives it to her, setting her free. She puts her rainbow wings on and sings as she flies back up (celestial dance). The fisherman falls in love with her beauty, and then everything is silent again when she is gone.

The Jewel of Heart's Desire: The Quest - Takeuchi has lost the crystal sword after the Empress asked him to watch over it. A fisher maid named Tamatori who wishes to marry him follows him to a cliff at night and he tells her the situation. They see shining in the water and decide it must be the crystal. Tamatori goes in the water to get it. Sharks, swordfish and other sea creatures come after her when she takes the crystal, and she fears death. the dragon comes, and she knows it won't let her live, so she plunges the sword into her chest, then thrusts the jewel into the wound. The dragon went away, and her body washed up at Takeuchi's feet. She was honored in death. The Empress named her the Princess of Heart’s Desire. Some say they were secretly wedded.

Japanese Mythology from Romance of Old Japan by E. W. Champney and F. Champney. Web Source.