the happy hunter would have liked to enter the gate there and then, but he saw that it was fast closed, and also that there was no one about whom he could ask to open it for him, so he stopped to think what he should do. in the shade of the trees before the gate he noticed a well full of fresh spring water. surely some one would come out to draw water from the well some time, he thought. then he climbed into the tree overhanging the well, and seated himself to rest on one of the branches, and waited for what might happen. ere long he saw the huge gate swing open, and two beautiful women came out. now the mikoto (augustness) had always heard that ryn gu was the realm of the dragon king under the sea, and had naturally supposed that the place was inhabited by dragons and similar terrible creatures, so that when he saw these two lovely princesses, whose beauty would be rare even in the world from which he had just come, he was exceedingly surprised, and wondered what it could mean.