Benten Sama listened to the girl’s prayer and smiled. She whispered to her son and he was kind. He filled Hakuga’s nets with fish and these brought many yen. He then approached the father of O Ume San and besought of him his daughter, his Go-between[26] saying, “Honorably deign to listen to the prayer of Hakuga and give to him your daughter, for he has many yen!” But the father replied ever the same, “When the five Marsh Dragons are no more,” and the Go-between returned sadly to Hakuga.

Then the maiden prayed again to Benten Sama and she said, “Kind Goddess, hear! Send some curse upon the five Marsh Dragons, that Hatei your son may bestow mirth upon us, for we are sad.”

Then Benten Sama thought, and that which she thought was good. It was the time of the red maple leaf[27] and Tatsu Hima[28] ruled. Benten Sama asked her aid, as she flaunted her banners upon the hillside, and that night there came a fearful storm. The storm howled and shrieked, and all the people cowered in terror. All night it raged, and the thunder god gave five mighty roars, and at each roar a dragon lay dead.

And when the sun god lighted the world, all was still and smiling, the Marsh of the Dragons was gone, and in its stead rose an island, green and beautiful, and above it hovered Benten Sama, throned upon a rainbow.

Then were the people much pleased at their deliverance from the five Dragons of the Marsh, and they made a shrine to Benten Sama at that point where she had appeared.

And O Ume San married the fisherman and they lived happily ever after.