when at last they had all embarked and were fairly on their way across the straits, the sky suddenly clouded and a great storm arose. the waves rose mountains high, the wind howled, the lightning flashed and the thunder rolled, and the boat which held ototachibana and the prince and his men was tossed from crest to crest of the rolling waves, till it seemed that every moment must be their last and that they must all be swallowed up in the angry sea. for kin jin, the dragon king of the sea, had heard yamato take jeer, and had raised this terrible storm in anger, to show the scoffing prince how awful the sea could be though it did but look like a brook.