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Japanese Fairy Tales and Others
The Black Forest is not the only place where fairies beguile and animals take human shape-the shadows of Mount Fuji boast their own impressive catalogue of accounts of the weird and the wonderful. From cautionary tales to ghostly visions, the fairy stories of Japan are characterized not only by the customary amount of fantasy but also by a welcome dose of mischievous fun. For any lover of other-worlds, dreamscapes, and magical beings, this collection of Japanese folk and fairy tales provides quick transportation to a land of miniature warriors, willow-women, and ogre-isles, beautifully accented by the unmistakable exoticism of the Land of the Rising Sun. Bohemian and writer PATRICK LAFCADIO HEARN (1850-1904) was born in Greece, raised in Ireland, and worked as newspaper reporter in the United States before decamping to Japan. He also wrote In Ghostly Japan (1899), and Kwaidan (1904).
132 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1936
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About the author
Lafcadio Hearn
1,484 books454 followersGreek-born American writer Lafcadio Hearn spent 15 years in Japan; people note his collections of stories and essays, including
Kokoro
(1896), under pen name Koizumi Yakumo.
Rosa Cassimati (Ρόζα Αντωνίου Κασιμάτη in Greek), a Greek woman, bore Patrick Lafcadio Hearn (Πατρίκιος Λευκάδιος Χερν in Greek or 小泉八雲 in Japanese), a son, to Charles Hearn, an army doctor from Ireland. After making remarkable works in America as a journalist, he went to Japan in 1890 as a journey report writer of a magazine. He arrived in Yokohama, but because of a dissatisfaction with the contract, he quickly quit the job. He afterward moved to Matsué as an English teacher of Shimané prefectural middle school. In Matsué, he got acquainted with Nishida Sentarô, a colleague teacher and his lifelong friend, and married Koizumi Setsu, a daughter of a samurai.
In 1891, he moved to Kumamoto and taught at the fifth high school for three years. Kanô Jigorô, the president of the school of that time, spread judo to the world.
Hearn worked as a journalist in Kôbé and afterward in 1896 got Japanese citizenship and a new name, Koizumi Yakumo. He took this name from "Kojiki," a Japanese ancient myth, which roughly translates as "the place where the clouds are born". On that year, he moved to Tôkyô and began to teach at the Imperial University of Tôkyô. He got respect of students, many of whom made a remarkable literary career. In addition, he wrote much reports of Japan and published in America. So many people read his works as an introduction of Japan. He quit the Imperial University in 1903 and began to teach at Waseda University on the year next. Nevertheless, after only a half year, he died of angina pectoris.
Rosa Cassimati (Ρόζα Αντωνίου Κασιμάτη in Greek), a Greek woman, bore Patrick Lafcadio Hearn (Πατρίκιος Λευκάδιος Χερν in Greek or 小泉八雲 in Japanese), a son, to Charles Hearn, an army doctor from Ireland. After making remarkable works in America as a journalist, he went to Japan in 1890 as a journey report writer of a magazine. He arrived in Yokohama, but because of a dissatisfaction with the contract, he quickly quit the job. He afterward moved to Matsué as an English teacher of Shimané prefectural middle school. In Matsué, he got acquainted with Nishida Sentarô, a colleague teacher and his lifelong friend, and married Koizumi Setsu, a daughter of a samurai.
In 1891, he moved to Kumamoto and taught at the fifth high school for three years. Kanô Jigorô, the president of the school of that time, spread judo to the world.
Hearn worked as a journalist in Kôbé and afterward in 1896 got Japanese citizenship and a new name, Koizumi Yakumo. He took this name from "Kojiki," a Japanese ancient myth, which roughly translates as "the place where the clouds are born". On that year, he moved to Tôkyô and began to teach at the Imperial University of Tôkyô. He got respect of students, many of whom made a remarkable literary career. In addition, he wrote much reports of Japan and published in America. So many people read his works as an introduction of Japan. He quit the Imperial University in 1903 and began to teach at Waseda University on the year next. Nevertheless, after only a half year, he died of angina pectoris.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 13, 2019
I finished this book because I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the nature and limits of cultural appropriation.
I started it because I read, somewhere, a tantalizing description of one of the 16 stories here, “The Boy Who Drew Cats.” It’s still a great overview, I think: a young boy who always draws cats to calm himself is locked in a temple haunted by a terrifying mouse demon. He draws his pictures before falling asleep and then awakens to find the monster dead. He has no idea what happened until he looks at his drawings, unchanged from the night before with the exception that they now have blood dripping from their maws.
As evocative as that account may be, it’s told with no more narrative skill than the summary I give. Hearn makes evident throughout that he’s writing for children, so he avoids tension and depth. Everything’s flattened – and this may be the best story of the collection – so I was tempted to put it down almost as soon as I picked it up.
Still, it struck me that Hearn was up to something here, something that likely seemed innocent and even admirable in 1953 but that seems culturally tone deaf today.
The introduction reports that he lived in Japan for many years, which our introduction reports in order to give him credibility despite his “Greek and Irish parents.” You can see in that quick biography, though, that even then there was a mite of concern for what we now see as potentially appalling. This is not his culture, yet he is claiming authorship over some representation of it.
I have mixed feelings on the whole claim of cultural appropriation. I think, for instance, of Paul Simon and his working with Ladysmith Black Mambazo. That was a marriage of styles, and Simon always made sure to credit his South African collaborators as partners in the process of creation. Yeah, he got the lion’s share of the profits and the credit, but he also brought a powerful celebrity standing to the project. He heard a way to make their music accessible, and he had much to do with turning them into international figures in their own right.
I also believe it’s essential that we grant authors the right to “tell the stories of others.” Of course it’s often a positive when a woman writes from a man’s perspective. Take the brilliant example of Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead for one. I think it has to be true of men as well, provided in all cases it’s not a matter of a gimmick but rather an exploration of the world in full.
Those thoughts aside, this book depends on the exotic nature of the materials it’s appropriating. Hearn isn’t attempting to Westernize what he’s heard or adapted. That is, he doesn’t try to turn these into stories that follow the convention of a character who learns anything about apprehending the world. Instead, each depends upon a measure of foreignness. They seem supposed to “work” by reminding us of the inaccessibility of the Japanese imagination.
At least two of these turn on characters who are confused because they have never seen a mirror before. The characters in each believe they are seeing a deceased older relative as they look upon their own faces and remember the ones gone. It speaks to a condescension that infects many of the other stories.
I don’t doubt that Hearn, if he were still alive, would defend himself by claiming a great friendship with many Japanese, and I am certain there’s something to his having lived so long in the country, especially after the devastation of World War II.
With that in mind, I don’t pretend to critique this as I would have done if I’d read it in 1953. I’m reading it 66 years later in a changed understanding of culture. In that light, this is a troubling collection that invites us to take comfort in our superior understanding of the world. We’re asked to at some of the marvels these flattened characters come across, but we’re not supposed to see them as people we might somehow fully commune with. I’d love to try my hand at telling the story of the boy who drew cats, but I’m not sure at the moment that I’d know how. For now, this one goes back to the library shelf and likely stays there.
I started it because I read, somewhere, a tantalizing description of one of the 16 stories here, “The Boy Who Drew Cats.” It’s still a great overview, I think: a young boy who always draws cats to calm himself is locked in a temple haunted by a terrifying mouse demon. He draws his pictures before falling asleep and then awakens to find the monster dead. He has no idea what happened until he looks at his drawings, unchanged from the night before with the exception that they now have blood dripping from their maws.
As evocative as that account may be, it’s told with no more narrative skill than the summary I give. Hearn makes evident throughout that he’s writing for children, so he avoids tension and depth. Everything’s flattened – and this may be the best story of the collection – so I was tempted to put it down almost as soon as I picked it up.
Still, it struck me that Hearn was up to something here, something that likely seemed innocent and even admirable in 1953 but that seems culturally tone deaf today.
The introduction reports that he lived in Japan for many years, which our introduction reports in order to give him credibility despite his “Greek and Irish parents.” You can see in that quick biography, though, that even then there was a mite of concern for what we now see as potentially appalling. This is not his culture, yet he is claiming authorship over some representation of it.
I have mixed feelings on the whole claim of cultural appropriation. I think, for instance, of Paul Simon and his working with Ladysmith Black Mambazo. That was a marriage of styles, and Simon always made sure to credit his South African collaborators as partners in the process of creation. Yeah, he got the lion’s share of the profits and the credit, but he also brought a powerful celebrity standing to the project. He heard a way to make their music accessible, and he had much to do with turning them into international figures in their own right.
I also believe it’s essential that we grant authors the right to “tell the stories of others.” Of course it’s often a positive when a woman writes from a man’s perspective. Take the brilliant example of Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead for one. I think it has to be true of men as well, provided in all cases it’s not a matter of a gimmick but rather an exploration of the world in full.
Those thoughts aside, this book depends on the exotic nature of the materials it’s appropriating. Hearn isn’t attempting to Westernize what he’s heard or adapted. That is, he doesn’t try to turn these into stories that follow the convention of a character who learns anything about apprehending the world. Instead, each depends upon a measure of foreignness. They seem supposed to “work” by reminding us of the inaccessibility of the Japanese imagination.
At least two of these turn on characters who are confused because they have never seen a mirror before. The characters in each believe they are seeing a deceased older relative as they look upon their own faces and remember the ones gone. It speaks to a condescension that infects many of the other stories.
I don’t doubt that Hearn, if he were still alive, would defend himself by claiming a great friendship with many Japanese, and I am certain there’s something to his having lived so long in the country, especially after the devastation of World War II.
With that in mind, I don’t pretend to critique this as I would have done if I’d read it in 1953. I’m reading it 66 years later in a changed understanding of culture. In that light, this is a troubling collection that invites us to take comfort in our superior understanding of the world. We’re asked to at some of the marvels these flattened characters come across, but we’re not supposed to see them as people we might somehow fully commune with. I’d love to try my hand at telling the story of the boy who drew cats, but I’m not sure at the moment that I’d know how. For now, this one goes back to the library shelf and likely stays there.
January 28, 2020
Loved this collection!
September 6, 2016
Some of these stories were creepy. My favorite was the one about the boy who drew cats.
May 28, 2017
Very dated adaptations, but very cute illustrations.
September 20, 2018
This was an interesting volume of fairy and folk tales of Japan, a quick read (even for me) and quite entertaining. The writing style was rather creaky - but charmingly so, and even the antiquated style added to the sense that these are ancient tales about a mythical, long-ago Japan. Some stories reminded me of Aesop's fables, others seemed unique takes of classic Western fairy tales - perhaps there are universal themes that independently pop in fairy tales world-wide. The stories usually have a moral - those that do good get rewarded, those that do not are punished somehow. Many are about funny or idiosyncratic characters, or simple people that the reader - who is being flattered by being told they are reading a story about simple country people - is invited to mock, but also derive some underlying truth from the tale. The stories are indeed interesting. Without spoiling the book, I'll list my impressions of each story.
1. "Chin-chin Kobakama" - Moral tale about a spoiled young wife who is tormented by hundreds of miniature Japanese warriors every night. Her husband eventually solves the problem... moral of the story is not to spoil kids. The world is again all right once the issue of laziness caused by having been a spoiled child, is solved.
2. "The Goblin-spider" An exciting story about a temple haunted by an enormous goblin-spider, which can take on the form of a charming priest who can play unearthly music on a samisen, which a warrior fights.
3. "The Old Woman who Lost her dumplings" In this story, an old woman falls through a hole in her kitchen, trying to retrieve a dumpling, onto a far-away road. She encounters stone images of deities who tell her not to go down the road any further, since a man-eating hairy monster is heading toward them. She continues on the road, talking to additional stone idols she encounters, each of which warns her the same way. Finally, an idol says that the monster is about to appear, and to hide behind the idol. Sure enough, the monster does appear and immediately senses the presence of a human. The idol makes the monster promise not to harm the old woman -- the monster says he is only going to take her home so she can cook for him and his pals. At the monster's home, the monster instructs the old woman about a rice paddle that can make an entire pot of rice from one grain. The old lady cooks for the monsters every day, and wasn't mistreated by them. She decides though to escape, and takes with her the magic rice paddle. She rows across the river, but the monsters catch up with her. Saying more would give the story away - but it does have a happy ending, as the old woman became rich by selling her dumplings and had as much rice as she wanted.
4. "The Boy Who Drew Cats" - Story about an intelligent but strange little boy who was brought by his parents to the temple to become a priest given his diminutive size and weakness. However, he couldn't stop drawing cats everywhere. The priest realized he would never become a priest, but probably should follow a career in art, and so asked the little boy to leave but not before giving him one bit of advice: "Avoid large places, keep to small!" The boy travels to an abandoned temple and therein he again draws cats. Spoiler alert: This is the rest of the story, more or less: That night, he is about to fall asleep when he remembers the priest's advice. He crawls into a cabinet to sleep. Overnight there is a huge ruckus. The next day, he sees that the cats he drew all over the temple have rid the temple of the goblins that had haunted it - because their mouths are now bloody. Eventually, the boy did become a famous artist - he had to draw.
5. "The Silly Jelly-Fish" - A dying sea dragon Queen demands a monkey liver - convinced it will cure her - and the Dragon King commands a Jelly Fish to go on land and bring back a monkey. At that time, the jelly fish were like the other fish with fins and scales, and even had little feet to walk around on land. Spoiler alert: The Jelly Fish finds a monkey, but the monkey is a clever fellow and realizes what is going on and takes advantage of the naive fish to return to the monkey island by telling him that he left his liver in the tree. When he gets to the tree, he tells the fish he doesn't see his liver there and must go look for it elsewhere and the fish should return to the undersea kingdom to tell the Dragon King what has happened. The Jelly Fish does so - but the King, in his rage, orders that the fish be beaten to a pulp. That is why jelly fish have no bones but are simply a mass of pulp. The Dragon Queen finds out she cannot get the monkey liver and gets well without it.
6. "The Hare of Inaba" This is sort of a Brer Rabbit/reverse Cinderella story. 81 mean brothers were vying for the hand of a pretty princess, but 80 of them were in league to torment 1 good brother - essentially turning him into their slave. The 80 bad brothers mistreated a hare, but the good brother helped the hare regain his fur, after he lost it at the hands of a crocodile, because he could not keep his mouth shut after having tricked them into lining up so he could cross a river, by telling them he was doing a census of the crocodile population in order to compare it with the hare population. Spoiler alert: The grateful hare tells the good brother that he will win the princess. The princess rejects the 80 bad brothers and chooses the good and kind brother, who becomes King and lived a happy life.
7. "My Lord Bag-o'-Rice" A warrior encounters a giant serpent on a bridge, and instead of running, walks over the reptile. The snake turns into tiny dwarf who had been trapped in the serpent body for ages, and could only be freed by someone who would avenge him on his enemy the giant Centipede. The warrior was the only one who was not a coward and stepped on the serpent, and so the dwarf asks him to help him find his enemies. The warrior agrees - and after they dine at the dwarf's miraculous summer house at the bottom of the lake, the giant Centipede arrives. Spoiler alert: The warrior finally destroys the poisonous centipede and then is miraculously transported back to his own castle. There he finds gifts from his grateful dwarf: A large bronze bell, which the warrior hangs in the temple where his ancestors are buried. A sword which allows him to vanquish all his enemies. An impenetrable suit of armor. A roll of silk that never grew smaller. And the fifth was an inexhaustible bag of rice, which gave the warrior his name and made him a rich and happy man.
8. "The Old Man and the Devils" A story about an old man who takes shelter in a storm in a tree trunk. He witnesses a jovial gathering of devils and decides to join them in their dancing. They like his dancing so much they make him promise to return to their future parties to dance again - but to enforce the promise they decide to remove a lump he has on the side of his face - which they consider a token of wealth - as "collateral." He gets home with a smooth face and explains all to his wife. Spoiler alert: A neighbor who has a lump on the other side of his face decides to emulate the old man in order to get his lump "treated." But the devils dislike his dancing and not realizing he is not the first old man, return the lump to his face. The man returns home with lumps on both sides of his face!
9. "The Tonge-cut Sparrow" A mean old woman cut the tongue of a sparrow that a neighbor kept because the pet drank up the clothing starch. The pet's owner grieved and set out with her husband to look for her pet. They found the bird's home. The bird extended hospitality to its old owner and loaded them down with gifts. Spoiler alert: The bird asked them which basket they wanted, the heavy one or the light one? They picked the light one, and when they got home they found in it miraculous gifts: Gold, silver, jewels, rolls of silk. The supply was inexhaustible. They became rich. When the mean old woman heard about the basket, she decided to find the bird and get one for herself. She decided to take the heavy basket, figuring it would have more gifts. When she took off the lid at home, a whole troop of frightful devils flew out and tore her to pieces.
10. "The Wooden Bowl" An old couple had a beautiful daughter but eventually the dad and then the mom died. The mom was so concerned about her daughter's looks - that they might lead to harm - that she asked her to always wear a wooden bowl on her head so as to hide her beautiful face. The daughter did so, even though she was derided for the seeming eccentricity. She was eventually adopted by a kind couple, whose son fell in love with the hardworking, obedient maiden. He decided to marry her, despite opposition by his mom and relatives. Spoiler alert: The girl rejects his proposal and decides to leave so as not to cause trouble at his home, but that night has a dream in which a vision of her mom appears and tells her to do what she wishes to do - follow the dictates of her heart. The next day, although she had previously turned the young man down, she now agrees when he again asks her to marry him. At the magnificent wedding, the bowl could not be pulled off the bride's head. Only when she was about to drink the ceremonial sake did the bowl shatter in a million pieces of its own accord - causing a shower of precious stones, pearls, gold and silver to fall along with its pieces, which became her dowry. Even more astonishing though was the bride's beauty once the bowl had disintegrated.
11. "The Tea-Kettle" A priest was a bargain hunter and one day spotted an old bronze kettle. The kettle was really a badger kettle - and one day, began dancing around causing confusion in the temple with the novices. He sells the enchanted kettle to a tinker for a profit, and the tinker and the badger kettle become friends. The kettle suggests they stage a traveling show where the kettle can dance - and make money. Spoiler alert: They are successful and the tinker grows fat and rich- but one day the kettle informs the tinker that the enchantment is about to end. The kettle will be an ordinary kettle henceforth. The distraught tinker asks what he should do? The kettle asks to be taken to the temple as a sacred treasure. The tinker gives the kettle to the temple along with half his wealth. The kettle is then venerated for a long time, and some even worshiped it as a saint.
12. "Urashima" (This story reminded me of the story of Rip Van Winkle.) This was a story of a fisherman who is waylaid by the Daughter of the Deep Sea. She enchants the fisherman, even though he wants to return to his family. He finally agrees to stay with her one night. The next day, she gives him a beautiful little casket of mother-of-pearl, coral and jade, as a going-away gift but tells him never to open it. Spoiler alert: Unfortunately, about a hundred years have elapsed and his wife, his kids, and his kid's kids are all gone. In despair he opens the casket and a puff of white smoke emerges. Urashima immediately ages and then lays down on the sand and dies.
13. "Green Willow" A young samurai is sent on a mission by his daimyo, who warns him never to look at any maidens he may encounter between the eyes. A storm drives him to the home of an old couple in the wilderness - in front of which there are three weeping willows. They are kind to him and his horse, but have an uncanny daughter. He falls in love with her - because he looked at her between the eyes. Her name is Green Willow. He becomes love-sick. He leaves the next day after leaving money for the old couple, but cannot get his mind off Green Willow. He finds a deserted shrine - but in the shrine is Green Willow. They ride off together looking into each other's eyes - impervious to the elements. He forgets about the mission his daimyo sent him on. Spoiler alert: They happily lived for three years in an unknown city. They go for a walk one night but Green Willow becomes ill and dies... telling him they cut down her tree! In the end she slipped from his arms to his feet - but only her warm bright garments and sandals were left on the ground. The warrior became a holy man. He wanders into a lonely moor and finds the ruins of a poor cottage - there were the stumps of willow trees that had been cut down. He sadly sings the song he had composed for Green Willow and ruefully exclaims that he should have recited the Holy Sutra for the Dead instead of the long song he composed for her.
14. "The Matsuyama Mirror" - A country couple had a little daughter, one day the father had to travel to Tokyo on some business and promised to bring back a present when he returned. He returned with a present for his wife - a mirror. She had never seen a mirror before and was fascinated with it. She decides to put it away though since she deems it too precious for everyday use. Eventually, the mother fell ill. She gives the mirror to the daughter telling her to look into it every morning and night, and there she will see her mother. Spoiler alert: The daughter did so, and eventually the widower asks his daughter what is going on with the mirror. When the daughter tells her dad that she speaks with her dead mother everyday when she looks at her in the mirror, the old farmer sheds tears of pity and affection. Nor can he bring himself to explain to her that the image is her own, which by constant sympathy and association was becoming more and more like that of her dead mother's.
15. "Reflections" A widower lived with his son in the country, about a day's journey from Kyoto. But the father knowing he was growing old, advised his son to find a wife who could take care of him once the father dies. They find a wife for the son, named "Tassel." The father died, but left money for his son, who is now the richest man in the country-side. But he was grieving, such that his wife suggests he travel to Kyoto - to cheer up. He goes to Kyoto and buys a cheap metal mirror - but is so simple he thinks his father is in the mirror. He puts the mirror in a cabinet when he returns home speaks with his "father" in the mirror every morning and night. Tassel is curious about her husband's chats. The man explains that the dead father is in the mirror. Spoiler alert: As soon as the man goes out, she unlocks the cabinet and looks into the mirror. The dead father is not there - instead there is a woman in the mirror! She decides her husband has deceived her and they have a bad argument. They decide to get the matter settled by the local abbess. The abbess says the person in the mirror is a woman, who has become so distraught at the argument she caused that she has decided to take vows, has shaved her head, and become a holy nun. The abbess will therefore keep the mirror to instruct her in prayers and meditations and tells the couple to go home and make up. The couple were reconciled - but the young man wondered how his old father is going to get on at the holy convent, since he was not one for religion.
16. "Momotaro" - An old country couple was childless, but one day the old woman finds a miraculous peach floating down a stream and gives it to her husband to eat. The peach bursts in two and inside there is a baby boy where the stone would have been, who eats one half and then the other half of the peach. The couple took good care of the infant - Momotaro "the eldest son of the peach" -
and he grows up to be a fine young man. Momotaro decides to go an adventure to Ogres' Island, to get their treasure. His mom gives him millet dumplings for his trip to the Ogres' Island. Along the way, he meets a monkey, a dog, and a pheasant - each of which ask for a dumpling. He gives each one a dumpling on condition they help him fight the ogres. Spoiler alert: They agree, there is a great battle with the ogres, whom they vanquish; they find the treasure, which includes magic jewels, gold and silver, jade and coral, amber and tortoise-shell and mother-of-pearl and caps and coats of invisibility. Momotaro generously offers his animal friends to take their fill of the treasure - to reward them for their efforts! They thank him their own way: "Kia, kia" says the monkey - thanks! "Ken, Ken" says the pheasant - thanks! "Bow! Wow! Wow!" says the dog - thanks, Lord Momotaro.
1. "Chin-chin Kobakama" - Moral tale about a spoiled young wife who is tormented by hundreds of miniature Japanese warriors every night. Her husband eventually solves the problem... moral of the story is not to spoil kids. The world is again all right once the issue of laziness caused by having been a spoiled child, is solved.
2. "The Goblin-spider" An exciting story about a temple haunted by an enormous goblin-spider, which can take on the form of a charming priest who can play unearthly music on a samisen, which a warrior fights.
3. "The Old Woman who Lost her dumplings" In this story, an old woman falls through a hole in her kitchen, trying to retrieve a dumpling, onto a far-away road. She encounters stone images of deities who tell her not to go down the road any further, since a man-eating hairy monster is heading toward them. She continues on the road, talking to additional stone idols she encounters, each of which warns her the same way. Finally, an idol says that the monster is about to appear, and to hide behind the idol. Sure enough, the monster does appear and immediately senses the presence of a human. The idol makes the monster promise not to harm the old woman -- the monster says he is only going to take her home so she can cook for him and his pals. At the monster's home, the monster instructs the old woman about a rice paddle that can make an entire pot of rice from one grain. The old lady cooks for the monsters every day, and wasn't mistreated by them. She decides though to escape, and takes with her the magic rice paddle. She rows across the river, but the monsters catch up with her. Saying more would give the story away - but it does have a happy ending, as the old woman became rich by selling her dumplings and had as much rice as she wanted.
4. "The Boy Who Drew Cats" - Story about an intelligent but strange little boy who was brought by his parents to the temple to become a priest given his diminutive size and weakness. However, he couldn't stop drawing cats everywhere. The priest realized he would never become a priest, but probably should follow a career in art, and so asked the little boy to leave but not before giving him one bit of advice: "Avoid large places, keep to small!" The boy travels to an abandoned temple and therein he again draws cats. Spoiler alert: This is the rest of the story, more or less: That night, he is about to fall asleep when he remembers the priest's advice. He crawls into a cabinet to sleep. Overnight there is a huge ruckus. The next day, he sees that the cats he drew all over the temple have rid the temple of the goblins that had haunted it - because their mouths are now bloody. Eventually, the boy did become a famous artist - he had to draw.
5. "The Silly Jelly-Fish" - A dying sea dragon Queen demands a monkey liver - convinced it will cure her - and the Dragon King commands a Jelly Fish to go on land and bring back a monkey. At that time, the jelly fish were like the other fish with fins and scales, and even had little feet to walk around on land. Spoiler alert: The Jelly Fish finds a monkey, but the monkey is a clever fellow and realizes what is going on and takes advantage of the naive fish to return to the monkey island by telling him that he left his liver in the tree. When he gets to the tree, he tells the fish he doesn't see his liver there and must go look for it elsewhere and the fish should return to the undersea kingdom to tell the Dragon King what has happened. The Jelly Fish does so - but the King, in his rage, orders that the fish be beaten to a pulp. That is why jelly fish have no bones but are simply a mass of pulp. The Dragon Queen finds out she cannot get the monkey liver and gets well without it.
6. "The Hare of Inaba" This is sort of a Brer Rabbit/reverse Cinderella story. 81 mean brothers were vying for the hand of a pretty princess, but 80 of them were in league to torment 1 good brother - essentially turning him into their slave. The 80 bad brothers mistreated a hare, but the good brother helped the hare regain his fur, after he lost it at the hands of a crocodile, because he could not keep his mouth shut after having tricked them into lining up so he could cross a river, by telling them he was doing a census of the crocodile population in order to compare it with the hare population. Spoiler alert: The grateful hare tells the good brother that he will win the princess. The princess rejects the 80 bad brothers and chooses the good and kind brother, who becomes King and lived a happy life.
7. "My Lord Bag-o'-Rice" A warrior encounters a giant serpent on a bridge, and instead of running, walks over the reptile. The snake turns into tiny dwarf who had been trapped in the serpent body for ages, and could only be freed by someone who would avenge him on his enemy the giant Centipede. The warrior was the only one who was not a coward and stepped on the serpent, and so the dwarf asks him to help him find his enemies. The warrior agrees - and after they dine at the dwarf's miraculous summer house at the bottom of the lake, the giant Centipede arrives. Spoiler alert: The warrior finally destroys the poisonous centipede and then is miraculously transported back to his own castle. There he finds gifts from his grateful dwarf: A large bronze bell, which the warrior hangs in the temple where his ancestors are buried. A sword which allows him to vanquish all his enemies. An impenetrable suit of armor. A roll of silk that never grew smaller. And the fifth was an inexhaustible bag of rice, which gave the warrior his name and made him a rich and happy man.
8. "The Old Man and the Devils" A story about an old man who takes shelter in a storm in a tree trunk. He witnesses a jovial gathering of devils and decides to join them in their dancing. They like his dancing so much they make him promise to return to their future parties to dance again - but to enforce the promise they decide to remove a lump he has on the side of his face - which they consider a token of wealth - as "collateral." He gets home with a smooth face and explains all to his wife. Spoiler alert: A neighbor who has a lump on the other side of his face decides to emulate the old man in order to get his lump "treated." But the devils dislike his dancing and not realizing he is not the first old man, return the lump to his face. The man returns home with lumps on both sides of his face!
9. "The Tonge-cut Sparrow" A mean old woman cut the tongue of a sparrow that a neighbor kept because the pet drank up the clothing starch. The pet's owner grieved and set out with her husband to look for her pet. They found the bird's home. The bird extended hospitality to its old owner and loaded them down with gifts. Spoiler alert: The bird asked them which basket they wanted, the heavy one or the light one? They picked the light one, and when they got home they found in it miraculous gifts: Gold, silver, jewels, rolls of silk. The supply was inexhaustible. They became rich. When the mean old woman heard about the basket, she decided to find the bird and get one for herself. She decided to take the heavy basket, figuring it would have more gifts. When she took off the lid at home, a whole troop of frightful devils flew out and tore her to pieces.
10. "The Wooden Bowl" An old couple had a beautiful daughter but eventually the dad and then the mom died. The mom was so concerned about her daughter's looks - that they might lead to harm - that she asked her to always wear a wooden bowl on her head so as to hide her beautiful face. The daughter did so, even though she was derided for the seeming eccentricity. She was eventually adopted by a kind couple, whose son fell in love with the hardworking, obedient maiden. He decided to marry her, despite opposition by his mom and relatives. Spoiler alert: The girl rejects his proposal and decides to leave so as not to cause trouble at his home, but that night has a dream in which a vision of her mom appears and tells her to do what she wishes to do - follow the dictates of her heart. The next day, although she had previously turned the young man down, she now agrees when he again asks her to marry him. At the magnificent wedding, the bowl could not be pulled off the bride's head. Only when she was about to drink the ceremonial sake did the bowl shatter in a million pieces of its own accord - causing a shower of precious stones, pearls, gold and silver to fall along with its pieces, which became her dowry. Even more astonishing though was the bride's beauty once the bowl had disintegrated.
11. "The Tea-Kettle" A priest was a bargain hunter and one day spotted an old bronze kettle. The kettle was really a badger kettle - and one day, began dancing around causing confusion in the temple with the novices. He sells the enchanted kettle to a tinker for a profit, and the tinker and the badger kettle become friends. The kettle suggests they stage a traveling show where the kettle can dance - and make money. Spoiler alert: They are successful and the tinker grows fat and rich- but one day the kettle informs the tinker that the enchantment is about to end. The kettle will be an ordinary kettle henceforth. The distraught tinker asks what he should do? The kettle asks to be taken to the temple as a sacred treasure. The tinker gives the kettle to the temple along with half his wealth. The kettle is then venerated for a long time, and some even worshiped it as a saint.
12. "Urashima" (This story reminded me of the story of Rip Van Winkle.) This was a story of a fisherman who is waylaid by the Daughter of the Deep Sea. She enchants the fisherman, even though he wants to return to his family. He finally agrees to stay with her one night. The next day, she gives him a beautiful little casket of mother-of-pearl, coral and jade, as a going-away gift but tells him never to open it. Spoiler alert: Unfortunately, about a hundred years have elapsed and his wife, his kids, and his kid's kids are all gone. In despair he opens the casket and a puff of white smoke emerges. Urashima immediately ages and then lays down on the sand and dies.
13. "Green Willow" A young samurai is sent on a mission by his daimyo, who warns him never to look at any maidens he may encounter between the eyes. A storm drives him to the home of an old couple in the wilderness - in front of which there are three weeping willows. They are kind to him and his horse, but have an uncanny daughter. He falls in love with her - because he looked at her between the eyes. Her name is Green Willow. He becomes love-sick. He leaves the next day after leaving money for the old couple, but cannot get his mind off Green Willow. He finds a deserted shrine - but in the shrine is Green Willow. They ride off together looking into each other's eyes - impervious to the elements. He forgets about the mission his daimyo sent him on. Spoiler alert: They happily lived for three years in an unknown city. They go for a walk one night but Green Willow becomes ill and dies... telling him they cut down her tree! In the end she slipped from his arms to his feet - but only her warm bright garments and sandals were left on the ground. The warrior became a holy man. He wanders into a lonely moor and finds the ruins of a poor cottage - there were the stumps of willow trees that had been cut down. He sadly sings the song he had composed for Green Willow and ruefully exclaims that he should have recited the Holy Sutra for the Dead instead of the long song he composed for her.
14. "The Matsuyama Mirror" - A country couple had a little daughter, one day the father had to travel to Tokyo on some business and promised to bring back a present when he returned. He returned with a present for his wife - a mirror. She had never seen a mirror before and was fascinated with it. She decides to put it away though since she deems it too precious for everyday use. Eventually, the mother fell ill. She gives the mirror to the daughter telling her to look into it every morning and night, and there she will see her mother. Spoiler alert: The daughter did so, and eventually the widower asks his daughter what is going on with the mirror. When the daughter tells her dad that she speaks with her dead mother everyday when she looks at her in the mirror, the old farmer sheds tears of pity and affection. Nor can he bring himself to explain to her that the image is her own, which by constant sympathy and association was becoming more and more like that of her dead mother's.
15. "Reflections" A widower lived with his son in the country, about a day's journey from Kyoto. But the father knowing he was growing old, advised his son to find a wife who could take care of him once the father dies. They find a wife for the son, named "Tassel." The father died, but left money for his son, who is now the richest man in the country-side. But he was grieving, such that his wife suggests he travel to Kyoto - to cheer up. He goes to Kyoto and buys a cheap metal mirror - but is so simple he thinks his father is in the mirror. He puts the mirror in a cabinet when he returns home speaks with his "father" in the mirror every morning and night. Tassel is curious about her husband's chats. The man explains that the dead father is in the mirror. Spoiler alert: As soon as the man goes out, she unlocks the cabinet and looks into the mirror. The dead father is not there - instead there is a woman in the mirror! She decides her husband has deceived her and they have a bad argument. They decide to get the matter settled by the local abbess. The abbess says the person in the mirror is a woman, who has become so distraught at the argument she caused that she has decided to take vows, has shaved her head, and become a holy nun. The abbess will therefore keep the mirror to instruct her in prayers and meditations and tells the couple to go home and make up. The couple were reconciled - but the young man wondered how his old father is going to get on at the holy convent, since he was not one for religion.
16. "Momotaro" - An old country couple was childless, but one day the old woman finds a miraculous peach floating down a stream and gives it to her husband to eat. The peach bursts in two and inside there is a baby boy where the stone would have been, who eats one half and then the other half of the peach. The couple took good care of the infant - Momotaro "the eldest son of the peach" -
and he grows up to be a fine young man. Momotaro decides to go an adventure to Ogres' Island, to get their treasure. His mom gives him millet dumplings for his trip to the Ogres' Island. Along the way, he meets a monkey, a dog, and a pheasant - each of which ask for a dumpling. He gives each one a dumpling on condition they help him fight the ogres. Spoiler alert: They agree, there is a great battle with the ogres, whom they vanquish; they find the treasure, which includes magic jewels, gold and silver, jade and coral, amber and tortoise-shell and mother-of-pearl and caps and coats of invisibility. Momotaro generously offers his animal friends to take their fill of the treasure - to reward them for their efforts! They thank him their own way: "Kia, kia" says the monkey - thanks! "Ken, Ken" says the pheasant - thanks! "Bow! Wow! Wow!" says the dog - thanks, Lord Momotaro.
July 2, 2018
It's always a pleasure to experience the nuances of another culture, especially through their books. I don't really know how much has been lost in translation in this book, but I still enjoyed what I read.
These are not like your typical fairytale for kids. For one thing, most of the fantastic creatures are sinister or mischievous, quite a far cry from golden hearted fairies with magic wands! For the other, most of the stories end in a life-lesson, or tragedy. I wouldn't call the stories dark, but they aren't happy either in their simplicity. While they are quite enjoyable, I wouldn't recommend them for kids!
These are not like your typical fairytale for kids. For one thing, most of the fantastic creatures are sinister or mischievous, quite a far cry from golden hearted fairies with magic wands! For the other, most of the stories end in a life-lesson, or tragedy. I wouldn't call the stories dark, but they aren't happy either in their simplicity. While they are quite enjoyable, I wouldn't recommend them for kids!
February 28, 2019
"Long-haired maiden, do you blush?
Or is it the first rose light of dawn
Bidding me be off upon my lonely journey?"
.
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This endearing collection of Japanese fairy tales transported me back to my childhood when my sister and I would read Thakuma-r Jhuli with unabashed awe. It was quite heartening to know that adults who are separated from us by continents read a version of these stories that shape us to be the people we are. Thank you to that kind colleague for gifting me this book. It wasn't something that I wanted, but I can safely say after reading this gem that it was something I desperately needed.
Or is it the first rose light of dawn
Bidding me be off upon my lonely journey?"
.
.
This endearing collection of Japanese fairy tales transported me back to my childhood when my sister and I would read Thakuma-r Jhuli with unabashed awe. It was quite heartening to know that adults who are separated from us by continents read a version of these stories that shape us to be the people we are. Thank you to that kind colleague for gifting me this book. It wasn't something that I wanted, but I can safely say after reading this gem that it was something I desperately needed.
February 18, 2019
Love the Shippeitaro story the best!
September 23, 2021
A bit nostalgic. This book takes me back to my childhood in Hawaii when I attended Japanese language school. Some of these or versions of these stories we read to learn and practice reading in the Japanese language. These are classic. As an adult reading these in English, my attitude has changed somewhat. Besides being entertaining for a child, many could be used to teach morals and sense of values. The one criticism of the book is that some of the stories appear to condensed from something that was even better.
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