Ordinary people have a dread of death, but these were very different, for they looked upon it as something very much to be desired. How they wished it could come to them, so that they could enter the happy land of Paradise!
To Opulo everything seemed to be upside down. He had come here hoping to live forever, and found the inhabitants wishing more than anything else that they could die. They had tried everything they could think of to bring this about, but without success. No one could even make himself ill, try as hard as he might; he couldn’t even raise a corn on his toe.
But Opulo was happy, for he had found what he sought. He assured himself that he would never tire of living, and was the only contented man on the island.
He changed from his former mode of living, and instead of doing nothing, he set himself up in business. And now that he had something to do, time passed very quickly.
Strange to say, after having lived there for two hundred years life began to be somewhat dull and monotonous. He wanted a change, for it was the same thing day after day, and year after year. He began to think that perhaps the other people were not so foolish when they wanted to die!
It would be fine if he could see his own country again; things would never be any different where he was now, and how wearisome it was getting to be!
Now he wanted to die, but couldn’t, and it was no use trying to.
One day he happened to think that his prayers to Jofuku had resulted in bringing him to this country. He would pray to Jofuku to take him away from it. Why did he not think of this before?
So he prayed, and to his surprise the paper bird came into his hand. It grew and grew as it had done before in the temple of Jofuku, and soon it was large enough for him to mount. It spread its wings, and they went flying through the air.
On and on they flew, stopping neither for rest nor food, and at length they reached the Japan Sea. Then he suddenly thought of the valuable business he had left behind. Why hadn’t he sold it, and taken the proceeds with him?