The majority of the stories for the second reading were about the Tales of Yamato. He had grown tired of his bride Tacibana and left her for other adventures in the world. Only to return occasionally to the palace to see his bride. Tacibana was heartbroken when Yamato would leave her and would cry until he returned. Some of the adventures Yamato went on were a quest for a sirens heart. He fell in love with the siren and she wanted him to retrieve the Golden Apple for her. Yamato asked everyone in the town and the harbors, but no one knew of the Golden Apple. He was distressed until he heard of a demon boar terrorizing the countryside. Yamato went to a wise woman to seek counsel on how to kill the demon. The woman gave him the sacred sword and told him to cut the boar on the tail. Yamato went with his party to slay the great beast but did not heed the old wise woman's warning. Yamato charged at the demon boar and the boar killed his horse with its tusks. Yamato was forced to hide behind a tree and was in a great predicament. He would either have to jump off the cliff to his death or to try to slay the boar somehow. Then with a great leap, he jumped over the boar and cut its tail with the sacred sword. The beast jumped off the cliff due to being blinded by pain and was killed on the rocks at the bottom. Another story is about Yamato and his party getting stuck in a circle of fire chasing a stag. When all hope seemed lost and the flames were closing in, Tacibana came to the rescue with the fire-drill. Burning herself greatly in the process to help her husband from death. After this the two were returning home by the sea and Yamato heard the siren calling out to him. Sending Tacibana home, he went to the siren's lair and cut the dragon that guarded it with the sacred sword. The siren tricked Yamato by having him drink sake with sleeping potions. When Yamato woke up he was alone and the sword was gone, the siren was nowhere to be found. Knowing he had been tricked Yamato left the lair and tried to go back home; but was too lost in the forest. With the help of a goddess he retrieved the sacred sword once more and was set on revenge for being tricked. When Yamato went back into the water to find the siren she trapped him on the ocean floor and told him he would never leave her. Thinking of Tacibana he saw her face and longed to go back to her and saw her face on the shore. He had seen a vision and then seeing the town he loved in peril and flames he rushed back. The town was in ruins but he searched for his wife through the rubble. Susa-no-wo had seen Yamato when he finally caught a glimpse of Tachibana and charged at him. After Yamato killed the dragon, he stayed with his wife. Until he realized his battle was not finished and went back to the sea. Tacibana begged him to let her come with him and he agreed. During the sea voyage Yamato angered the sea god, Susa-no-wo and the ship was in peril. Tacibana begged the siren to take her instead of Yamato to save him. She was grabbed and taken into the sea and Yamato dived in to save her. But he was too late, Tacibana had died and the waters were calm after.
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