Why Is the Sea Water Salty?
A kind but poor man saves an old man who fell from a log bridge. In gratitude, the forest spirits give him a "Mortar of Treasures," a magical object that can produce anything he wishes. Using it, he becomes the wealthiest person in his village. His jealous brother steals the mortar, eager to hoard its riches for himself, and flees by boat to a remote island. Along the way, he asks the mortar for salt-but doesn’t know how to make it stop. The boat sinks under the endless salt, dragging the mortar to the ocean floor, where it continues to pour out salt even now.
