Silently the rider watched the farm, nestled in a deep valley behind a curtain of trees.  The buildings were well looked - after and neat, like all good Japanese houses, but no one seemed to live there.  Then the horseman heard muffled sobs.  Curious, he drew his sword and rode into the farmyard, where he found two old people and a beautiful young girl.

        "Why these tears?" he asked

        The peasants hesitated, alarmed by the arrival of this fierce warrior. Then, after a ritual bow on either side, the old man spoke.  Still sobbing, he presented his wife and daughter, Kunisada.  She was the last of eight daughters.  All the others had been eaten, one by one, by a hideous eight - headed dragon.  "And at midnight tonight, the dragon is coming for Kunisada!"

        They did not know that the handsome horseman was Susanowo, the god of storms.  He had led a stormy life, too, and was not always generous and friendly.  Now he has been thrown out of heaven by his sister Amaterasu for upsetting everyone.  But he could see how distressed these people were, and how beautiful Kunisada was.  A brave and valiant fighter, he could not bear to go on his way leaving them to face the dragon.  But even for him, it would be a dangerous task.  As he hesitated, he heard a distant roar, like thunder.  "The dragon is waking. Soon he   will come for his prey," sobbed the old woman.

        Susanowo's eyes met Kunisada's; he saw her terrible distress. Susanowo's heart was hard, but he was moved as never before.  He seemed to have no choice; he must save this girl, even if it cost his own life.

        A smile lit up the girl's face when he asked to stay the night.  During supper Susanowo hardly spoke, but gazed at Kunisada, deep in thought. Before he went to bed, he asked his host to show him around the farm and the food stockpiles.  The old man showed him everything, even his barrels of rice wine.  Then the god asked him to summon all his neighbors, with their spades and hammers.  Susanowo did not say what he was planning.

        Early next morning, as the sun broke through the mist, the peasants formed a dense circle around the house.  As Susanowo, calm and confident, appeared on the threshold, they heard a chilling roar, followed by seven more.  The hungry monster was on its way!

        A shiver ran through the crowd and some ran away, but Susanowo firmly called the braver ones to order.  They were to cut down trees to build a barricade, a huge fence with eight openings.  The god himself moved the heaviest trunks.  Within an hour, the whole valley was fenced off, with only the hatches giving access to the house.  Susanowo went to     the cellar and fetched eight large barrels.  He placed one under each hatch.

        The dragon's roars came nearer.  Some frightened peasants ran away, dropping their, tools.  Others spoke their fear; though the fence seemed secure, how long could it withstand the monster?  "What's he going to do now?  What's the plan?" they asked.  Nobody seemed to know the answer.

        Suddenly, a head appeared through one of the hatches!  It was one of the dragon's.  The remaining peasants fled in terror, while Kunisada and her parents took cover in their house.  Alone in the courtyard, Susanowo stood, sword in hand.  Quickly he knocked the tops off the barrels, and the smell of rice wine filled the air.  Susanowo moved back and hid under the farmer's cart.  The dragon was suspicious.  This new fence troubled it. It beat hard against it with its clawed feet, but could not break it.  Then it spat flames to burn it down, but soon stopped.  It had smelled the rice wine.  Its sixteen nostrils flared at the rich, sweet aroma, and it inhaled deeply.  This caused a violent wind in the courtyard, sucking tiles from the roof.

        "I'd know that smell anywhere!" growled the first head.

        "Sake! Rice wine! Yum, yum!" agreed the fifth.

        All the dragon's mouths began to water, and it attacked the fence more fiercely than before.  But still the fence held firm.  What could the dragon do.  It could not burn the fence down because the delicious sake would all evaporate.

        "I know!" said the third head. "Let's look through those hatches!"

        "Go for it!" cried the others, intoxicated by the smell.

        But the eighth head, which was wiser than the rest, called them back.    "Suppose it's a trap?  One of us should try the hatch first, while the rest stand guard."

        The first head slipped quickly through a hatch, and returned licking its lips.  "It's delicious, the best I've ever drunk."  It took a quick breath and plunged back to the barrel.  The others, maddened by the smell, began to argue among themselves.  None wished to wait while the others drank their fill.  At last, the temptation was too great, and they all thrust themselves through the hatches at once.

        Within minutes, all the barrels were dry.  As the first head rose drunkenly, Susanowo was there.  He raised his sword and struck off the head with a single blow.  The monster started with pain, knocking down part of the fence.  Its screams could be heard in the farthest islands of Japan.  The seven remaining heads lined up against the young god - but they were too drunk to fight.  As one stiffened for the attack, another fell shakily to the ground, causing the first to lose its balance.  Susanowo was quick on his feet, and easily sidestepped the dragon's fiery breaths.  One by one he chopped the heads off.  Kunisada was saved!

        As he examined the dragon's huge body, he noticed something stuck in its tail.  It was a beautiful sword, left by some unsuccessful hero, perhaps.  It turned out to have magic powers, and Susanowo gave it to the emperors of Japan.  He and Kunisada were married and had a son, whom they called Okuminushi.  The boy grew up to be god of magic and healing. Just like his father, he was a wild and stormy character.