Japanese Fairy Tales Read online

  Prince Yamato Take bade his wife help him to attire himself like a woman.

  Published by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.

  www.tuttlepublishing.com

  © 1970 by Charles E. Tuttle Publishing Co., Inc.

  All rights reserved

  LCC Card No. 70-109415

  ISBN 978-1-4629-0352-8 (ebook)

  First edition, 1970

  Printed in Singapore

  Distributed by:

  Japan

  Tuttle Publishing

  Yaekari Building, 3rd Floor

  5-4-12 Osaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141-0032

  Tel: (81) 3 5437-0171; Fax: (81) 3 5437-0755

  Email: [email protected]

  North America, Latin America & Europe

  Tuttle Publishing

  364 Innovation Drive

  North Clarendon, VT 05759-9436, U.S.A.

  Tel: 1 (802) 773-8930; Fax: 1 (802) 773-6993

  Email: [email protected]

  www.tuttlepublishing.com

  Asia Pacific

  Berkeley Books Pte. Ltd.

  61 Tai Seng Avenue, #02-12 Singapore 534167

  Tel: (65) 6280-1330; Fax: (65) 6280-6290

  Email: [email protected]

  www.periplus.com

  14 13 12 11 9 8 7 6 5

  TUT TLE PUBLISHING® is a registered trademark of Tuttle Publishing, a division of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.

  To

  Eleanor Marion-Crawford.

  Dedicate this Book

  To you and to the sweet child-friendship that you gave me in the days spent with you by the southern sea, when you used to listen with unfeigned pleasure to these fairy stories from far Japan. May they now remind you of my changeless love and remembrance.

  Y.T.O.

  Tokyo, 1903.

  Table of Contents

  PUBLISHER’S FOREWORD

  9

  PREFACE

  11

  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

  13

  MY LORD BAG OF RICE

  17

  THE TONGUE-CUT SPARROW

  25

  THE STORY OF URASHIMA TARO, THE FISHER LAD

  37

  THE FARMER AND THE BADGER

  51

  THE SHINANSHA, OR THE SOUTH POINTING CARRIAGE

  60

  THE ADVENTURES OF KINTARO, THE GOLDEN BOY

  65

  THE STORY OF PRINCESS HASE

  76

  THE STORY OF THE MAN WHO DID NOT WISH TO DIE

  87

  THE BAMBOO-CUTTER AND THE MOON-CHILD

  96

  THE MIRROR OF MATSUYAMA

  114

  THE GOBLIN OF ADACHIGAHARA

  131

  THE SAGACIOUS MONKEY AND THE BOAR

  138

  THE HAPPY HUNTER AND THE SKILFUL FISHER

  142

  THE STORY OF THE OLD MAN WHO MADE WITHERED TREES TO FLOWER

  161

  THE JELLY FISH AND THE MONKEY

  171

  THE QUARREL OF THE MONKEY AND THE CRAB

  182

  THE WHITE HARE AND THE CROCODILES

  192

  THE STORY OF PRINCE YAMATO TAKE

  200

  MOMOTARO, OR THE STORY OF THE SON OF A PEACH

  216

  THE OGRE OF RASHOMON

  230

  HOW AN OLD MAN LOST HIS WEN

  238

  THE STONES OF FIVE COLOURS AND THE EMPRESS JOKWA .

  246

  Publisher’s Foreword

  FAIRY tales never go out of style; they are the stuff of dreams and life and imagination, immortalized in the human spirit.

  These beautiful legends and tales of old Japan were written for the children of the West, and have been translated from the modern version by Sadanami Sanjin. They are not literal translations, although the Japanese story and all quaint Japanese expressions have been faithfully preserved. In a few instances, to enhance interest and enjoyment, the compiler has used incidents from other versions.

  The quaint Japanese expressions have been superbly matched by the quaint but evocative and humanly stirring illustrations by Kakuzo Fujiyama, an artist who lived in Tokyo. There are 66 pictures for the 22 tales, an average of three for each tale.

  The tales are about commoners and kings; castles and fairy-lands; good old folks and bad old folks; princesses and warriors; animals, birds, the sky and sea, and the illimitable realms of the imagination.

  The stories are the old favorites, such as “Momotaro, or the Story of the Son of a Peach,” and “The Story of Urashima Taro, the Fisher Lad”—and many of the lesser known ones such as “The Stones of Five Colours and the Empress Jokwa.”

  All will have wide appeal to children whose minds and imaginations transcend racial barriers. The “twain shall meet” through the medium of these delightful magic carpets. This book was originally published by Archibold Constable & Co., Ltd., Westminster.

  Preface

  THIS collection of Japanese fairy tales is the outcome of a sugges-tion made to me indirectly through a friend by Mr. Andrew Lang.

  They have been translated from the modern version written by Sadanami Sanjin. These stories are not literal translations, and though the Japanese story and all quaint Japanese expressions have been faithfully preserved, they have been told more with the view to interest young readers of the West than the technical student of folk-lore.

  Grateful acknowledgment is due to Mr. Y. Yasuoka, Miss Fusa Okamoto, my brother Nobumori Ozaki, Dr. Yoshihiro Takaki, and Miss Kameko Yamao, who have helped me with translations.

  The story which I have named “The Story of the Man who did not Wish to Die” is taken from a little book written a hundred years ago by one Shinsui Tamenaga. It is named Chosei Furo, or “Longevity.” “The Bamboo-cutter and the Moon-child” is taken from the classic “Taketari Monogatari,” and is not classed by the Japanese among their fairy tales, though it really belongs to this class of literature.

  The pictures were drawn by Mr. Kakuzo Fujiyama, a Tokyo artist.

  In telling these stories in English I have followed my fancy in adding such touches of local colour or description as they seemed to need or as pleased me, and in one or two instances I have gathered in an incident from another version. At all times, among my friends, both young and old, English or American, I have always found eager listeners to the beautiful legends and fairy tales of Japan, and in telling them I have also found that they were
still unknown to the vast majority, and this has encouraged me to write them for the children of the West.

  Y. T. O.

  TOKYO, 1903.

  List of Illustrations

  Page

  PRINCE YAMATO TAKE BADE HIS WIFE HELP HIM ATTIRE HIMSELF LIKE A WOMAN

  Frontispiece

  PUTTING ASIDE ALL FEAR, HE WENT FORWARD DAUNTLESSLY

  18

  HIDESATO TOOK ANOTHER ARROW

  21

  THE PROCESSION

  24

  AND WITH THESE DREADFUL WORDS SHE DROVE THE BIRD AWAY

  27

  THE LADY SPARROW INTRODUCED ALL HER FAMILY

  30

  THE OLD WOMAN HAD NEVER BEEN SO FRIGHTENED IN HER LIFE

  35

  THE GATE OF SOME LARGE PALACE

  42

  URASHIMA TARO AND THE SEA KING’S DAUGHTER

  45

  A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE PURPLE CLOUD ROSE OUT OF THE BOX

  49

  THE FARMER’S WIFE POUNDING BARLEY

  52

  HE SET THE BUNDLE OF GRASS ON FIRE

  56

  HE RAISED HIS OAR AND STRUCK AT THE BADGER WITH ALL

  HIS STRENGTH

  58

  HE THOUGHT AND PONDERED DEEPLY

  61

  HE MOUNTED THE DRAGON

  63

  THEN THE MONKEY AND THE HARE HOPPED OUT

  67

  THE KIND GENERAL GRADUALLY UNFOLDED HIS PLAN

  72

  LORD RAIKO ORDERED KINTARO TO THE RESCUE

  74

  HASE-HIME LISTENED IN AN ATTITUDE OF RESPECT

  78

  HER FATHER SENT FOR HER AND TOLD HER WHAT WAS REQUIRED OF HER

  81

  TAKEN BY SURPRISE, SHE COULD HARDLY REALISE THAT IT

  WAS HER FATHER

  84

  THE CRANE FLEW AWAY, RIGHT OUT TO SEA

  90

  HE SCREAMED OUT TO JOFUKU TO COME AND RESCUE HIM

  93

  HE TOOK THE LITTLE CREATURE IN HIS HAND

  97

  THE SCREENS SLID OPEN, REVEALING THE PRINCESS

  110

  THEY ALL GAZED WITH TEARFUL EYES AT THE RECEDING PRINCESS.

  112

  THE WIFE GAZED INTO THE SHINING DISC

  115

  THEY WATCHED HIM AS HE WENT DOWN THE ROAD

  116

  “WHAT I HAVE BROUGHT YOU IS CALLED A MIRROR”

  118

  THE MOTHER ROUSED HERSELF, AND TOOK HER DAUGHTER’S HAND

  121

  IN THE ROUND MIRROR BEFORE HER SHE SAW HER MOTHER’S FACE

  123

  HE PRESSED THE OLD WOMAN TO LET HIM STAY, BUT SHE SEEMED VERY RELUCTANT

  132

  WHAT HE SAW FROZE THE BLOOD IN HIS VEINS

  135

  AFTER HIM RUSHED THE DREADFUL OLD HAG

  136

  THE MONKEY BEGAN HIS TALE OF WOE

  139

  THE MONKEY WAS RUNNING AFTER THE THIEF AS FAST AS HIS LEGS

  WOULD CARRY HIM

  140

  THE HAPPY HUNTER IN VAIN BESOUGHT HIS BROTHER TO PARDON HIM

  143

  THE CUTTLEFISH OPENED THE TAI’S MOUTH

  154

  HE TOOK OUT THE JEWEL OF THE FLOOD TIDE

  158

  THE DEEPER HE DUG, THE MORE GOLD COINS DID THE OLD MAN FIND

  162

  THE WITHERED TREE AT ONCE BURST INTO FULL BLOOM

  166

  THE DAIMIO ORDERED HIS RETAINERS TO PUT THE IMPOSTOR IN PRISON

  168

  THE DRAGON KING BLAMED THE DOCTOR FOR NOT CURING THE QUEEN

  173

  “PLEASE DON’T GO SO FAST, OR I AM SURE I SHALL FALL OFF,” SAID THE MONKEY

  177

  THEY BEAT THE JELLY FISH TO A FLAT PULP

  180

  THE MONKEY PROPOSED THE EXCHANGE OF THE HARD PERSIMMON-SEED FOR THE CRAB’S NICE DUMPLING

  183

  THE MONKEY BEGAN TO PLUCK AND EAT AS FAST AS HE COULD

  185

  “IT WAS YOUR FATHER’S FAULT, NOT MINE,” GASPED THE UNREPENTANT MONKEY

  190

  SOME OF THE CROCODILES RAN AFTER THE HARE AND CAUGHT HIM

  194

  THIS MAN HAD A KIND HEART, AND LOOKED AT THE HARE VERY

  PITYINGLY

  196

  WHEN THE PRINCESS HAD LOOKED AT THE KIND BORTHER’S FACE, SHE WENT STRAIGHT UP TO HIM

  199

  A DAGGER FLASHED BEFORE HIS EYES

  205

  A MONSTER SERPENT APPEARED

  213

  SHE SET TO WORK TO WASH THE CLOTHES

  217

  THE PEACH SPLIT IN TWO OF ITSELF

  218

  MOMOTARO RETURNED TRIUMPHANTLY HOME, TAKING WITH HIM THE DEVIL CHIEF AS HIS CAPTIVE

  228

  WATANABE FINDS THE ARM OF THE OGRE

  232

  SOMEONE WAS KNOCKING AT THE PORCH, ASKING FOR ADMITTANCE

  235

  IN THIS WAY THE OGRE ESCAPED WITH HIS ARM

  237

  THE DEMON TOOK THE GREAT LUMP FROM THE OLD MAN’S CHEEK

  241

  THE OLD MAN TOLD HIS NEIGHBOUR ALL THAT HAD HAPPENED

  243

  THERE WAS NOW A GREAT WEN ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF HIS FACE AS ON THE
LEFT

  244

  THE EMPRESS JOKWA

  247

  HAKO LOOKED BACK, AND SAW EIKO UNSHEATHING A LARGE SWORD

  248

  EIKO VISITS THE FIRE KING

  252

  THE AMBASSADORS SET OUT IN THE MAGIC CHARIOTS

  255

  My Lord Bag of Rice

  LONG, long ago there lived in Japan a brave warrior known to all as Tawara Toda, or “My Lord Bag of Rice.” His true name was Fujiwara Hidesato, and there is a very interesting story of how he came to change his name.