Books: Japanese Fairy Tales
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Yei Theodora Ozaki >> Japanese Fairy Tales
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The jelly fish was very disappointed when he heard this, for he
believed every word the monkey said. The monkey was of no good
without a liver. Finally the jelly fish stopped and told the monkey
so.
"Well," said the monkey, "that is soon remedied. I am really sorry
to think of all your trouble; but if you will only take me back to
the place where you found me, I shall soon be able to get my liver."
The jelly fish did not at all like the idea of going all the way
back to the island again; but the monkey assured him that if he
would be so kind as to take him back he would get his very best
liver, and bring it with him the next time. Thus persuaded, the
jelly fish turned his course towards the Monkey Island once more.
No sooner had the jelly fish reached the shore than the sly monkey
landed, and getting up into the pine-tree where the jelly fish had
first seen him, he cut several capers amongst the branches with joy
at being safe home again, and then looking down at the jelly fish
said:
"So many thanks for all the trouble you have taken! Please present
my compliments to the Dragon King on your return!"
The jelly fish wondered at this speech and the mocking tone in which
it was uttered. Then he asked the monkey if it wasn't his intention
to come with him at once after getting his liver.
The monkey replied laughingly that he couldn't afford to lose his
liver: it was too precious.
"But remember your promise!" pleaded the jelly fish, now very
discouraged.
"That promise was false, and anyhow it is now broken!" answered the
monkey. Then he began to jeer at the jelly fish and told him that he
had been deceiving him the whole time; that he had no wish to lose
his life, which he certainly would have done had he gone on to the
Sea King's Palace to the old doctor waiting for him, instead of
persuading the jelly fish to return under false pretenses.
"Of course, I won't GIVE you my liver, but come and get it if you
can!" added the monkey mockingly from the tree.
There was nothing for the jelly fish to do now but to repent of his
stupidity, and to return to the Dragon King of the Sea and to
confess his failure, so he started sadly and slowly to swim back.
The last thing he heard as he glided away, leaving the island behind
him, was the monkey laughing at him.
Meanwhile the Dragon King, the doctor, the chief steward, and all
the servants were waiting impatiently for the return of the jelly
fish. When they caught sight of him approaching the Palace, they
hailed him with delight. They began to thank him profusely for all
the trouble he had taken in going to Monkey Island, and then they
asked him where the monkey was.
Now the day of reckoning had come for the jelly fish. He quaked all
over as he told his story. How he had brought the monkey halfway
over the sea, and then had stupidly let out the secret of his
commission; how the monkey had deceived him by making him believe
that he had left his liver behind him.
The Dragon King's wrath was great, and he at once gave orders that
the jelly fish was to be severely punished. The punishment was a
horrible one. All the bones were to be drawn out from his living
body, and he was to be beaten with sticks.
The poor jelly fish, humiliated and horrified beyond all words,
cried out for pardon. But the Dragon King's order had to be obeyed.
The servants of the Palace forthwith each brought out a stick and
surrounded the jelly fish, and after pulling out his bones they beat
him to a flat pulp, and then took him out beyond the Palace gates
and threw him into the water. Here he was left to suffer and repent
his foolish chattering, and to grow accustomed to his new state of
bonelessness.
From this story it is evident that in former times the jelly fish
once had a shell and bones something like a tortoise, but, ever
since the Dragon King's sentence was carried out on the ancestor of
the jelly fishes, his descendants have all been soft and boneless
just as you see them to-day thrown up by the waves high upon the
shores of Japan.
THE QUARREL OF TEE MONKEY AND THE CRAB.
Long, long ago, one bright autumn day in Japan, it happened, that a
pink-faced monkey and a yellow crab were playing together along the
bank of a river. As they were running about, the crab found a rice-
dumpling and the monkey a persimmon-seed.
The crab picked up the rice-dumpling and showed it to the monkey,
saying:
"Look what a nice thing I have found!"
Then the monkey held up his persimmon-seed and said:
"I also have found something good! Look!"
Now though the monkey is always very fond of persimmon fruit, he had
no use for the seed he had just found. The persimmon-seed is as hard
and uneatable as a stone. He, therefore, in his greedy nature, felt
very envious of the crab's nice dumpling, and he proposed an
exchange. The crab naturally did not see why he should give up his
prize for a hard stone-like seed, and would not consent to the
monkey's proposition.
Then the cunning monkey began to persuade the crab, saying:
"How unwise you are not to think of the future! Your rice-dumpling
can be eaten now, and is certainly much bigger than my seed; but if
you sow this seed in the ground it will soon grow and become a great
tree in a few years, and bear an abundance of fine ripe persimmons
year after year. If only I could show it to you then with the yellow
fruit hanging on its branches! Of course, if you don't believe me I
shall sow it myself; though I am sure, later on, you will be very
sorry that you did not take my advice."
The simple-minded crab could not resist the monkey's clever
persuasion. He at last gave in and consented to the monkey's
proposal, and the exchange was made. The greedy monkey soon gobbled
up the dumpling, and with great reluctance gave up the persimmon-
seed to the crab. He would have liked to keep that too, but he was
afraid of making the crab angry and of being pinched by his sharp
scissor-like claws. They then separated, the monkey going home to
his forest trees and the crab to his stones along the river-side. As
soon as the crab reached home he put the persimmon-seed in the
ground as the monkey had told him.
In the following spring the crab was delighted to see the shoot of a
young tree push its way up through the ground. Each year it grew
bigger, till at last it blossomed one spring, and in the following
autumn bore some fine large persimmons. Among the broad smooth green
leaves the fruit hung like golden balls, and as they ripened they
mellowed to a deep orange. It was the little crab's pleasure to go
out day by day and sit in the sun and put out his long eyes in the
same way as a snail puts out its horn, and watch the persimmons
ripening to perfection.
"How delicious they will be to eat!" he said to himself.
At last, one day, he knew the persimmons must be quite ripe and he
wanted very much to taste one. He made several attempts to climb the
tree, in the vain hope of reaching one of the beautiful persimmons
hanging above him; but he failed each time, for a crab's legs are
not made for climbing trees but only for running along the ground
and over stones, both of which he can do most cleverly. In his
dilemma he thought of his old playmate the monkey, who, he knew,
could climb trees better than any one else in the world. He
determined to ask the monkey to help him, and set out to find him.
Running crab-fashion up the stony river bank, over the pathways into
the shadowy forest, the crab at last found the monkey taking an
afternoon nap in his favorite pine-tree, with his tail curled tight
around a branch to prevent him from falling off in his dreams. He
was soon wide awake, however, when he heard himself called, and
eagerly listening to what the crab told him. When he heard that the
seed which he had long ago exchanged for a rice-dumpling had grown
into a tree and was now bearing good fruit, he was delighted, for he
at once devised a cunning plan which would give him all the
persimmons for himself.
He consented to go with the crab to pick the fruit for him. When
they both reached the spot, the monkey was astonished to see what a
fine tree had sprung from the seed, and with what a number of ripe
persimmons the branches were loaded.
He quickly climbed the tree and began to pluck and eat, as fast as
he could, one persimmon after another. Each time he chose the best
and ripest he could find, and went on eating till he could eat no
more. Not one would he give to the poor hungry crab waiting below,
and when he had finished there was little but the hard, unripe fruit
left.
You can imagine the feelings of the poor crab after waiting
patiently, for so long as he had done, for the tree to grow and the
fruit to ripen, when he saw the monkey devouring all the good
persimmons. He was so disappointed that he ran round and round the
tree calling to the monkey to remember his promise. The monkey at
first took no notice of the crab's complaints, but at last he picked
out the hardest, greenest persimmon he could find and aimed it at
the crab's head. The persimmon is as hard as stone when it is
unripe. The monkey's missile struck home and the crab was sorely
hurt by the blow. Again and again, as fast as he could pick them,
the monkey pulled off the hard persimmons and threw them at the
defenseless crab till he dropped dead, covered with wounds all over
his body. There he lay a pitiful sight at the foot of the tree he
had himself planted.
When the wicked monkey saw that he had killed the crab he ran away
from the spot as fast as he could, in fear and trembling, like a
coward as he was.
Now the crab had a son who had been playing with a friend not far
from the spot where this sad work had taken place. On the way home
he came across his father dead, in a most dreadful condition--his
head was smashed and his shell broken in several places, and around
his body lay the unripe persimmons which had done their deadly work.
At this dreadful sight the poor young crab sat down and wept.
But when he had wept for some time he told himself that this crying
would do no good; it was his duty to avenge his father's murder, and
this he determined to do. He looked about for some clue which would
lead him to discover the murderer. Looking up at the tree he noticed
that the best fruit had gone, and that all around lay bits of peel
and numerous seeds strewn on the ground as well as the unripe
persimmons which had evidently been thrown at his father. Then he
understood that the monkey was the murderer, for he now remembered
that his father had once told him the story of the rice-dumpling and
the persimmon-seed. The young crab knew that monkeys liked
persimmons above all other fruit, and he felt sure that his greed
for the coveted fruit had been the cause of the old crab's death.
Alas!
He at first thought of going to attack the monkey at once, for he
burned with rage. Second thoughts, however, told him that this was
useless, for the monkey was an old and cunning animal and would be
hard to overcome. He must meet cunning with cunning and ask some of
his friends to help him, for he knew it would be quite out of his
power to kill him alone.
The young crab set out at once to call on the mortar, his father's
old friend, and told him of all that had happened. He besought the
mortar with tears to help him avenge his father's death. The mortar
was very sorry when he heard the woful tale and promised at once to
help the young crab punish the monkey to death. He warned him that
he must be very careful in what he did, for the monkey was a strong
and cunning enemy. The mortar now sent to fetch the bee and the
chestnut (also the crab's old friends) to consult them about the
matter. In a short time the bee and the chestnut arrived. When they
were told all the details of the old crab's death and of the
monkey's wickedness and greed, they both gladly consented to help
the young crab in his revenge.
After talking for a long time as to the ways and means of carrying
out their plans they separated, and Mr. Mortar went home with the
young crab to help him bury his poor father.
While all this was taking place the monkey was congratulating
himself (as the wicked often do before their punishment comes upon
them) on all he had done so neatly. He thought it quite a fine thing
that he had robbed his friend of all his ripe persimmons and then
that he had killed him. Still, smile as hard as he might, he could
not banish altogether the fear of the consequences should his evil
deeds be discovered. IF he were found out (and he told himself that
this could not be for he had escaped unseen) the crab's family would
be sure to bear him hatred and seek to take revenge on him. So he
would not go out, and kept himself at home for several days. He
found this kind of life, however, extremely dull, accustomed as he
was to the free life of the woods, and at last he said:
"No one knows that it was I who killed the crab! I am sure that the
old thing breathed his last before I left him. Dead crabs have no
mouths! Who is there to tell that I am the murderer? Since no one
knows, what is the use of shutting myself up and brooding over the
matter? What is done cannot be undone!"
With this he wandered out into the crab settlement and crept about
as slyly as possible near the crab's house and tried to hear the
neighbors' gossip round about. He wanted to find out what the crabs
were saving about their chief's death, for the old crab had been the
chief of the tribe. But he heard nothing and said to himself:
"They are all such fools that they don't know and don't care who
murdered their chief!"
Little did he know in his so-called "monkey's wisdom" that this
seeming unconcern was part of the young crab's plan. He purposely
pretended not to know who killed his father, and also to believe
that he had met his death through his own fault. By this means he
could the better keep secret the revenge on the monkey, which he was
meditating.
So the monkey returned home from his walk quite content. He told
himself he had nothing now to fear.
One fine day, when the monkey was sitting at home, he was surprised
by the appearance of a messenger from the young crab. While he was
wondering what this might mean, the messenger bowed before him and
said:
"I have been sent by my master to inform you that his father died
the other day in falling from a persimmon tree while trying to climb
the tree after fruit. This, being the seventh day, is the first
anniversary after his death, and my master has prepared a little
festival in his father's honor, and bids you come to participate in
it as you were one of his best friends. My master hopes you will
honor his house with your kind visit."
When the monkey heard these words he rejoiced in his inmost heart,
for all his fears of being suspected were now at rest. He could not
guess that a plot had just been set in motion against him. He
pretended to be very surprised at the news of the crab's death, and
said:
"I am, indeed, very sorry to hear of your chief's death. We were
great friends as you know. I remember that we once exchanged a rice-
dumpling for a persimmon-seed. It grieves me much to think that that
seed was in the end the cause of his death. I accept your kind
invitation with many thanks. I shall be delighted to do honor to my
poor old friend!" And he screwed some false tears from his eyes.
The messenger laughed inwardly and thought, "The wicked monkey is
now dropping false tears, but within a short time he shall shed real
ones." But aloud he thanked the monkey politely and went home.
When he had gone, the wicked monkey laughed aloud at what he thought
was the young crab's innocence, and without the least feeling began
to look forward to the feast to be held that day in honor of the
dead crab, to which he had been invited. He changed his dress and
set out solemnly to visit the young crab.
He found all the members of the crab's family and his relatives
waiting to receive and welcome him. As soon as the bows of meeting
were over they led him to a hall. Here the young chief mourner came
to receive him. Expressions of condolence and thanks were exchanged
between them, and then they all sat down to a luxurious feast and
entertained the monkey as the guest of honor.
The feast over, he was next invited to the tea-ceremony room to
drink a cup of tea. When the young crab had conducted the monkey to
the tearoom he left him and retired. Time passed and still he did
not return. At last the monkey became impatient. He said to himself:
"This tea ceremony is always a very slow affair. I am tired of
waiting so long. I am very thirsty after drinking so much sake at
the dinner!"
He then approached the charcoal fire-place and began to pour out
some hot water from the kettle boiling there, when something burst
out from the ashes with a great pop and hit the monkey right in the
neck. It was the chestnut, one of the crab's friends, who had hidden
himself in the fireplace. The monkey, taken by surprise, jumped
backward, and then started to run out of the room.
The bee, who was hiding outside the screens, now flew out and stung
him on the cheek. The monkey was in great pain, his neck was burned
by the chestnut and his face badly stung by the bee, but he ran on
screaming and chattering with rage.
Now the stone mortar had hidden himself with several other stones on
the top of the crab's gate, and as the monkey ran underneath, the
mortar and all fell down on the top of the monkey's head. Was it
possible for the monkey to bear the weight of the mortar falling on
him from the top of the gate? He lay crushed and in great pain,
quite unable to get up. As he lay there helpless the young crab came
up, and, holding his great claw scissors over the monkey, he said:
"Do you now remember that you murdered my father?"
"Then you--are--my--enemy?" gasped the monkey brokenly.
"Of course," said the young crab.
"It--was--your--father's--fault--not--mine!" gasped the unrepentant
monkey.
"Can you still lie? I will soon put an end to your breath!" and with
that he cut off the monkey's head with his pitcher claws. Thus the
wicked monkey met his well-merited punishment, and the young crab
avenged his father's death.
This is the end of the story of the monkey, the crab, and the
persimmon-seed.
THE WHITE HARE AND THE CROCODILES
Long, long ago. when all the animals could talk, there lived in the
province of Inaba in Japan, a little white hare. His home was on the
island of Oki, and just across the sea was the mainland of Inaba.
Now the hare wanted very much to cross over to Inaba. Day after day
he would go out and sit on the shore and look longingly over the
water in the direction of Inaba. and day after day he hoped to find
some way of getting across.
One day as usual, the hare was standing on the beach, looking
towards the mainland across the water, when he saw a great crocodile
swimming near the island.
"This is very lucky!" thought the hare. "Now I shall be able to get
my wish. I will ask the crocodile to carry me across the sea!"
But he was doubtful whether the crocodile would consent to do what
wanted. So he thought instead of asking a favor he would try to get
what he wanted by a trick.
So with a loud voice he called to the crocodile, and said:
"Oh, Mr. Crocodile, isn't it a lovely day?"
The crocodile, who had come out all by itself that day to enjoy the
bright sunshine, was just beginning to feel a bit lonely when the
hare's cheerful greeting broke the silence. The crocodile swam
nearer the shore, very pleased to hear some one speak.
"I wonder who it was that spoke to me just now! Was it you, Mr.
Hare? You must be very lonely all by yourself!"
"Oh, no, I am not at all lonely," said the hare, "but as it was such
a fine day I came out here to enjoy myself. Won't you stop and play
with me a little while?"
The crocodile came out of the sea and sat on the shore, and the two
played together for some time. Then the hare said:
"Mr. Crocodile, you live in the sea and I live on this island, and
we do not often meet, so I know very little about you. Tell me, do
you think the number of your company is greater than mine?"
"Of course, there are more crocodiles than hares," answered the
crocodile. "Can you not see that for yourself? You live on this
small island, while I live in the sea, which spreads through all
parts of the world, so if I call together all the crocodiles who
dwell in the sea you hares will be as nothing compared to us!" The
crocodile was very conceited.
The hare, who meant to play a trick on the crocodile, said:
"Do you think it possible for you to call up enough crocodiles to
form a line from this island across the sea to Inaba?"
The crocodile thought for a moment and then answered:
"Of course, it is possible."
"Then do try," said the artful hare, "and I will count the number
from here!"
The crocodile, who was very simple-minded, and who hadn't the least
idea that the hare intended to play a trick on him, agreed to do
what the hare asked, and said:
"Wait a little while I go back into the sea and call my company
together!"
The crocodile plunged into the sea and was gone for some time. The
hare, meanwhile, waited patiently on the shore. At last the
crocodile appeared, bringing with him a large number of other
crocodiles.
"Look, Mr. Hare!" said the crocodile, "it is nothing for my friends
to form a line between here and Inaba. There are enough crocodiles
to stretch from here even as far as China or India. Did you ever see
so many crocodiles?"
Then the whole company of crocodiles arranged themselves in the
water so as to form a bridge between the Island of Oki and the
mainland of Inaba. When the hare saw the bridge of crocodiles, he
said:
"How splendid! I did not believe this was possible. Now let me count
you all! To do this, however, with your permission, I must walk over
on your backs to the other side, so please be so good as not to
move, or else I shall fall into the sea and be drowned!"
So the hare hopped off the island on to the strange bridge of
crocodiles, counting as he jumped from one crocodile's back to the
other:
"Please keep quite still, or I shall not be able to count. One, two,
three, four, five, six. seven, eight, nine--"
Thus the cunning hare walked right across to the mainland of Inaba.
Not content with getting his wish, he began to jeer at the
crocodiles instead of thanking them, and said, as he leapt off the
last one's back:
"Oh! you stupid crocodiles, now I have done with you!"
And he was just about to run away as fast as he could. But he did
not escape so easily, for so soon as the crocodiles understood that
this was a trick played upon them by the hare so as to enable him to
cross the sea, and that the hare was now laughing at them for their
stupidity, they became furiously angry and made up their minds to
take revenge. So some of them ran after the hare and caught him.
Then they all surrounded the poop little animal and pulled out all
his fur. He cried out loudly and entreated them to spare him, but
with each tuft of fur they pulled out they said:
"Serve you right!"
When the crocodiles had pulled out the last bit of fur, they threw
the poor hare on the beach, and all swam away laughing at what they
had done.
The hare was now in a pitiful plight, all his beautiful white fur
had been pulled out, and his bare little body was quivering with
pain and bleeding all over. He could hardly move, and all he could
do was to lie on the beach quite helpless and weep over the
misfortune that had befallen him. Notwithstanding that it was his
own fault that had brought all this misery and suffering upon the
white hare of Inaba, any one seeing the poor little creature could
not help feeling sorry for him in his sad condition, for the
crocodiles had been very cruel in their revenge.
Just at this time a number of men, who looked like King's sons,
happened to pass by, and seeing the hare lying on the beach crying,
stopped and asked what was the matter.
The hare lifted up his head from between his paws, and answered
them, saying:
"I had a fight with some crocodiles, but I was beaten, and they
pulled out all my fur and left me to suffer here--that is why I am
crying."
Now one of these young men had a bad and spiteful disposition. But
he feigned kindness, and said to the hare:
"I feel very sorry for you. If you will only try it, I know of a
remedy which will cure your sore body. Go and bathe yourself in the
sea, and then come and sit in the wind. This will make your fur grow
again, and you will be just as you were before."
Then all the young men passed on. The hare was very pleased,
thinking that he had found a cure. He went and bathed in the sea and
then came out and sat where the wind could blow upon him.
But as the wind blew and dried him, his skin became drawn and
hardened, and the salt increased the pain so much that he rolled on
the sand in his agony and cried aloud.
Just then another King's son passed by, carrying a great bag on his
back. He saw the hare, and stopped and asked why he was crying so
loudly.
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