storytime

::: old japanese folktales are legends that have been handed down from generation to generation...if you have a few minutes, we'd like to share with you "momotaro" (the peach boy)...

"Once upon a time, there lived an old man and an old woman. One day when the old woman was doing the wash by the river, a big peach floated by. She brought the big peach home, and when she tried to cut it, it opened up. Out came a lively baby boy, whom they named Momotaro.

[image source: www.kamishibai.com]

Momotaro grew up to be a strong boy. One day, fiends attacked the village, going on a wild rampage, disturbing the villagers. Momotaro decided to set out for thhe fiend's island. The old woman made millet dumplings (kibidango) for Momotaro to take with him.

On the way, Momotaro met a dog. He gave the dog a kibidango and the dog became his companion. Momotaro then met a monkey and a pheasant, both of which became his companions after he gave them kibidango too.

[image source: www.storycardtheater.com]

Once on the island, Momotaro and his followers attacked the fiends: the dog bit, the monkey clawed, and the pheasant pecked their eyes out. Momotaro defeated the fiends' leader.

The fiends surrendered and apologized to Momotaro, who brought back treasures. He returned to the village where all lived happily ever after."

::: ready for another folktale?...if so, here's "kaguyahime" (the moon princess)...

"Once upon a time, there lived a man called the Old Bamboo Cutter. One day he found a stalk of shining bamboo. He cut the bamboo and found a pretty baby girl inside of it.

[image source: www.asahi-net.or.jp]

The baby girl, named Kaguyahime, grew up to become a beautiful maiden who was talked about far and wide.

[image source: www.asahi-net.or.jp]

Five young noblemen came from the city to propose to Kaguyahime. She made difficult requests of them, saying that she would marry the man who could do what she asked. Her requests were quite difficult to fulfill, such as obtaining the five colored jeweled necklace hanging around the dragon's neck. None of the five noblemen succeeded.

In the meantime, Kaguyahime began to shed tears in the moonlit night, since it was on such a night that People of the Moon would come to fetch her and she would have to go back to the moon.

[image source: www.asahi-net.or.jp]

Hearing that she would have to return to the moon, the old man and woman asked the emperor to have his men keep guard over their house. On the full moon night when the messengers came, it was so bright that no one could keep their eyes open.

Kaguyahime was reluctant to leave the old man and woman, but she returned to the moon with People of the Moon."

[image source: www.avis.ne.jp/ ~tukioka/hanga.htm]

::: next time to you look at a peach or the moon, think of these stories and pray for the unreached nation of japan...