Week 9 Reading Notes: Japanese Fairy Tales (Lang), Part A

Un-Textbook Japanese Fairy Tales (Lang)

I've chosen my favorite of the six stories from Part A to write about below:

The Two Frogs: This story tells the tale of two frogs, one from Osaka and one from Kyoto, who each begins a journey to the other city at the same time. They meet on a mountain halfway between the two, and they hop up on each other's back to get a preview of their destinations. Since the frogs' eyes are near the top/back of their head, they are actually looking back where they came from when they stand on each other's shoulders. They (mistakenly) decide it is not worth a long journey to go somewhere that looks exactly like home, and both turn around.

Image Source. The Stonecutter

The Stonecutter: A humble and happy stonecutter has a very rich customer. When he sees the rich mans home he wishes to be rich himself, and his wish is granted by a mysterious voice belonging to a mountain-dwelling spirit. From his new mansion, the stonecutter sees a prince living even better than him and wishes to have this life as well. Still ungrateful, he wishes to be the sun, then a cloud, then a rock. A stonecutter comes by and the man no longer wishes to be a rock. He wants to be human again, so he is right back where he started as a stonecutter.

The Maiden with the Wooden Helmet: This is the story of a beautiful girl whose mother, on her death bed, told her to always wear a wooden helmet to cover her face in public. The girl did so every day until one day a young man catches a glimpse of her face while she is washing it by a stream. He is determined to marry her and after persuading the girl and his own parents, they have a wedding. During the ceremony, the wooden helmet suddenly bursts into pieces, revealing the girl's beauty (as well as precious stones it is made from) to everybody.

Image Source. Gon and his owner, a musician

The Cat's Elopement: Two cat's, Gon and Koma, fall in love. Their owner's love them too much and will not give up their own cat to the other in order for them to be together, so the cat's decide to sneak away together one night. They are almost attacked by a dog when a princess' servant saves them, and takes Gon to the princess (Koma is left in the park). Some time later, Koma happens to wander by Gon's new home and the two recognize each other. They tell the princess of their story, and the princess promises to keep the two together happily ever after. The princess also finds a prince for her own happy ending!