Summary
Once upon a time, there was an old couple living in a mountain village. One day, they found a baby by the lake and, having no children of their own, raised her as their own daughter. The daughter grew beautifully, reaching the age of eighteen. There were two brothers who lived next door, orphaned since childhood, and they liked her. The elder was handsome and lively, while the younger was gentle-hearted, though a bit slow.
One day, a lord visiting the village saw the daughter dancing at the village festival and took a liking to her. The daughter was ordered to become his concubine. The villagers were genuinely happy, as it signified the village's prosperity. However, she could not forget the elder brother, and ran away into the mountains. Eventually, chased to the edge of a cliff, she jumped into the lake.
As a result, a dragon began to appear in the lake. The villagers believed that the daughter had become a dragon, but the dragon was actually her father, the "Dragon King."
One year, the village was struck by a long drought. Not only the rice fields but even the lake seemed to be drying up. The lord ordered the villagers to turn the dry lake into rice fields. That night, the villagers had a strange dream in which the daughter appeared and said, "Please save the lake. It is for both humans and animals. Restore the lake to its former state."
However, the villagers paid no heed and continued to create rice fields in the lake. Eventually, they incurred the Dragon King's wrath, causing a great flood that washed everything away. The brothers also perished in the lake.
The daughter prayed to her father, "I loved those brothers. Please grant them life in exchange for my life. In fact, I am carrying the elder brother's child."
"If I give your life to the two of them, you will never return to being human again. You will have to live your life as an ugly dragon," her father replied.
The daughter agreed to become a dragon, and the elder brother lived in the lake, while the younger brother returned to the village with the daughter and the elder brother's child.
Fifteen years passed, and the child grew up to resemble her mother. One day, the daughter’s uncle looked out at the lake and said, "Fifteen years ago, we were saved by your mother. She was as beautiful as you. To save your father and my life, she became a dragon. I promised her I would return to the lake when you turned fifteen. Today is that day."
The younger brother entered the lake and never returned. Today, that lake is called "Lake Tazawa."
