" was it you that called me just now ? " " yes , it was i , " answered the man : " i have an earnest request to make to you . do you think you can grant it to me ? " " if it is in my power to do so i will , " answered hidesato , " but first tell me who you are ? " " i am the dragon king of the lake , and my home is in these waters just under this bridge . " " and what is it you have to ask of me ? " said hidesato . " i want you to kill my mortal enemy the centipede , who lives on the mountain beyond , " and the dragon king pointed to a high peak on the opposite shore of the lake . " i have lived now for many years in this lake and i have a large family of children and grand - children . for some time past we have lived in terror , for a monster centipede has discovered our home , and night after night it comes and carries off one of my family . i am powerless to save them . if it goes on much longer like this , not only shall i lose all my children , but i myself must fall a victim to the monster . i am , therefore , very unhappy , and in my extremity i determined to ask the help of a human being . the dragon king did as he was bid , and the warrior noticed that he had only three arrows left in his quiver . he took the bow , and fitting an arrow to the notch , took careful aim and let fly . the arrow hit the centipede right in the middle of its head , but instead of penetrating , it glanced off harmless and fell to the ground . nothing daunted , hidesato took another arrow , fitted it to the notch of the bow and let fly . again the arrow hit the mark , it struck the centipede right in the middle of its head , only to glance off and fall to the ground . the centipede was invulnerable to weapons ! when the dragon king saw that even this brave warrior 's arrows were powerless to kill the centipede , he lost heart and began to tremble with fear . the warrior saw that he had now only one arrow left in his quiver , and if this one failed he could not kill the centipede . he looked across the waters . the huge reptile had wound its horrid body seven times round the mountain and would soon come down to the lake . nearer and nearer gleamed fireballs of eyes , and the light of its hundred feet began to throw reflections in the still waters of the lake . then suddenly the warrior remembered that he had heard that human saliva was deadly to centipedes . but this was no ordinary centipede . this was so monstrous that even to think of such a creature made one creep with horror . hidesato determined to try his last chance . so taking his last arrow and first putting the end of it in his mouth , he fitted the notch to his bow , took careful aim once more and let fly . 
it was huge .
why was this no ordinary centipede ?
why was this no ordinary centipede ?