Books: Japanese Fairy Tales
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Yei Theodora Ozaki >> Japanese Fairy Tales
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The old man could not refuse this kind proposal, and he chose the
smaller box, saying:
"I am now too old and feeble to carry the big and heavy box. As you
are so kind as to say that I may take whichever I like, I will
choose the small one, which will be easier for me to carry."
Then the sparrows all helped him put it on his back and went to the
gate to see him off, bidding him good-by with many bows and
entreating him to come again whenever he had the time. Thus the old
man and his pet sparrow separated quite happily, the sparrow showing
not the least ill-will for all the unkindness she had suffered at
the hands of the old wife. Indeed, she only felt sorrow for the old
man who had to put up with it all his life.
When the old man reached home he found his wife even crosser than
usual, for it was late on in the night and she had been waiting up
for him for a long time
"Where have you been all this time?" she asked in a big voice. "Why
do you come back so late?"
The old man tried to pacify her by showing her the box of presents
he had brought back with him, and then he told her of all that had
happened to him, and how wonderfully he had been entertained at the
sparrow's house.
"Now let us see what is in the box," said the old man, not giving
her time to grumble again. "You must help me open it." And they both
sat down before the box and opened it.
To their utter astonishment they found the box filled to the brim
with gold and silver coins and many other precious things. The mats
of their little cottage fairly glittered as they took out the things
one by one and put them down and handled them over and over again.
The old man was overjoyed at the sight of the riches that were now
his. Beyond his brightest expectations was the sparrow's gift, which
would enable him to give up work and live in ease and comfort the
rest of his days.
He said: "Thanks to my good little sparrow! Thanks to my good little
sparrow!" many times.
But the old woman, after the first moments of surprise and
satisfaction at the sight of the gold and silver were over, could
not suppress the greed of her wicked nature. She now began to
reproach the old man for not having brought home the big box of
presents, for in the innocence of his heart he had told her how he
had refused the large box of presents which the sparrows had offered
him, preferring the smaller one because it was light and easy to
carry home.
"You silly old man," said she, "Why did you not bring the large box?
Just think what we have lost. We might have had twice as much silver
and gold as this. You are certainly an old fool!" she screamed, and
then went to bed as angry as she could be.
The old man now wished that he had said nothing about the big box,
but it was too late; the greedy old woman, not contented with the
good luck which had so unexpectedly befallen them and which she so
little deserved, made up her mind, if possible, to get more.
Early the next morning she got up and made the old man describe the
way to the sparrow's house. When he saw what was in her mind he
tried to keep her from going, but it was useless. She would not
listen to one word he said. It is strange that the old woman did not
feel ashamed of going to see the sparrow after the cruel way she had
treated her in cutting off her tongue in a fit of rage. But her
greed to get the big box made her forget everything else. It did not
even enter her thoughts that the sparrows might be angry with her--
as, indeed, they were--and might punish her for what she had done.
Ever since the Lady Sparrow had returned home in the sad plight in
which they had first found her, weeping and bleeding from the mouth,
her whole family and relations had done little else but speak of the
cruelty of the old woman. "How could she," they asked each other,
"inflict such a heavy punishment for such a trifling offense as that
of eating some rice-paste by mistake?" They all loved the old man
who was so kind and good and patient under all his troubles, but the
old woman they hated, and they determined, if ever they had the
chance, to punish her as she deserved. They had not long to wait.
After walking for some hours the old woman had at last found the
bamboo grove which she had made her husband carefully describe, and
now she stood before it crying out:
"Where is the tongue-cut sparrow's house? Where is the tongue-cut
sparrow's house?"
At last she saw the eaves of the house peeping out from amongst the
bamboo foliage. She hastened to the door and knocked loudly.
When the servants told the Lady Sparrow that her old mistress was at
the door asking to see her, she was somewhat surprised at the
unexpected visit, after all that had taken place, and she wondered
not a little at the boldness of the old woman in venturing to come
to the house. The Lady Sparrow, however, was a polite bird, and so
she went out to greet the old woman, remembering that she had once
been her mistress.
The old woman intended, however, to waste no time in words, she went
right to the point, without the least shame, and said:
"You need not trouble to entertain me as you did my old man. I have
come myself to get the box which he so stupidly left behind. I shall
soon take my leave if you will give me the big box--that is all I
want!"
The Lady Sparrow at once consented, and told her servants to bring
out the big box. The old woman eagerly seized it and hoisted it on
her back, and without even stopping to thank the Lady Sparrow began
to hurry homewards.
The box was so heavy that she could not walk fast, much less run, as
she would have liked to do, so anxious was she to get home and see
what was inside the box, but she had often to sit down and rest
herself by the way.
While she was staggering along under the heavy load, her desire to
open the box became too great to be resisted. She could wait no
longer, for she supposed this big box to be full of gold and silver
and precious jewels like the small one her husband had received.
At last this greedy and selfish old woman put down the box by the
wayside and opened it carefully, expecting to gloat her eyes on a
mine of wealth. What she saw, however, so terrified her that she
nearly lost her senses. As soon as she lifted the lid, a number of
horrible and frightful looking demons bounced out of the box and
surrounded her as if they intended to kill her. Not even in
nightmares had she ever seen such horrible creatures as her much-
coveted box contained. A demon with one huge eye right in the middle
of its forehead came and glared at her, monsters with gaping mouths
looked as if they would devour her, a huge snake coiled and hissed
about her, and a big frog hopped and croaked towards her.
The old woman had never been so frightened in her life, and ran from
the spot as fast as her quaking legs would carry her, glad to escape
alive. When she reached home she fell to the floor and told her
husband with tears all that had happened to her, and how she had
been nearly killed by the demons in the box.
Then she began to blame the sparrow, but the old man stopped her at
once, saying:
"Don't blame the sparrow, it is your wickedness which has at last
met with its reward. I only hope this may be a lesson to you in the
future!"
The old woman said nothing more, and from that day she repented of
her cross, unkind ways, and by degrees became a good old woman, so
that her husband hardly knew her to be the same person, and they
spent their last days together happily, free from want or care,
spending carefully the treasure the old man had received from his
pet, the tongue-cut sparrow.
THE STORY OF URASHIMA TARO, THE FISHER LAD.
Long, long ago in the province of Tango there lived on the shore of
Japan in the little fishing village of Mizu-no-ye a young fisherman
named Urashima Taro. His father had been a fisherman before him, and
his skill had more than doubly descended to his son, for Urashima
was the most skillful fisher in all that country side, and could
catch more Bonito and Tai in a day than his comrades could in a
week.
But in the little fishing village, more than for being a clever
fisher of the sea was he known for his kind heart. In his whole life
he had never hurt anything, either great or small, and when a boy,
his companions had always laughed at him, for he would never join
with them in teasing animals, but always tried to keep them from
this cruel sport.
One soft summer twilight he was going home at the end of a day's
fishing when he came upon a group of children. They were all
screaming and talking at the tops of their voices, and seemed to be
in a state of great excitement about something, and on his going up
to them to see what was the matter he saw that they were tormenting
a tortoise. First one boy pulled it this way, then another boy
pulled it that way, while a third child beat it with a stick, and
the fourth hammered its shell with a stone.
Now Urashima felt very sorry for the poor tortoise and made up his
mind to rescue it. He spoke to the boys:
"Look here, boys, you are treating that poor tortoise so badly that
it will soon die!"
The boys, who were all of an age when children seem to delight in
being cruel to animals, took no notice of Urashima's gentle reproof,
but went on teasing it as before. One of the older boys answered:
"Who cares whether it lives or dies? We do not. Here, boys, go on,
go on!"
And they began to treat the poor tortoise more cruelly than ever.
Urashima waited a moment, turning over in his mind what would be the
best way to deal with the boys. He would try to persuade them to
give the tortoise up to him, so he smiled at them and said:
"I am sure you are all good, kind boys! Now won't you give me the
tortoise? I should like to have it so much!"
"No, we won't give you the tortoise," said one of the boys. "Why
should we? We caught it ourselves."
"What you say is true," said Urashima, "but I do not ask you to give
it to me for nothing. I will give you some money for it--in other
words, the Ojisan (Uncle) will buy it of you. Won't that do for you,
my boys?" He held up the money to them, strung on a piece of string
through a hole in the center of each coin. "Look, boys, you can buy
anything you like with this money. You can do much more with this
money than you can with that poor tortoise. See what good boys you
are to listen to me"
The boys were not bad boys at all, they were only mischievous, and
as Urashima spoke they were won by his kind smile and gentle words
and began "to be of his spirit," as they say in Japan. Gradually
they all came up to him, the ringleader of the little band holding
out the tortoise to him.
"Very well, Ojisan, we will give you the tortoise if you will give
us the money!" And Urashima took the tortoise and gave the money to
the boys, who, calling to each other, scampered away and were soon
out of sight.
Then Urashima stroked the tortoise's back, saying as he did so:
"Oh, you poor thing! Poor thing!--there, there! you are safe now!
They say that a stork lives for a thousand years, but the tortoise
for ten thousand years. You have the longest life of any creature in
this world, and you were in great danger of having that precious
life cut short by those cruel boys. Luckily I was passing by and
saved you, and so life is still yours. Now I am going to take you
back to your home, the sea, at once. Do not let yourself be caught
again, for there might be no one to save you next time!"
All the time that the kind fisherman was speaking he was walking
quickly to the shore and out upon the rocks; then putting the
tortoise into the water he watched the animal disappear, and turned
homewards himself, for he was tired and the sun had set.
The next morning Urashima went out as usual in his boat. The weather
was fine and the sea and sky were both blue and soft in the tender
haze of the summer morning. Urashima got into his boat and dreamily
pushed out to sea, throwing his line as he did so. He soon passed
the other fishing boats and left them behind him till they were lost
to sight in the distance, and his boat drifted further and further
out upon the blue waters. Somehow, he knew not why, he felt
unusually happy that morning; and he could not help wishing that,
like the tortoise he set free the day before, he had thousands of
years to live instead of his own short span of human life.
He was suddenly startled from his reverie by hearing his own name
called:
"Urashima, Urashima!"
Clear as a bell and soft as the summer wind the name floated over
the sea.
He stood up and looked in every direction, thinking that one of the
other boats had overtaken him, but gaze as he might over the wide
expanse of water, near or far there was no sign of a boat, so the
voice could not have come from any human being.
Startled, and wondering who or what it was that had called him so
clearly, he looked in all directions round about him and saw that
without his knowing it a tortoise had come to the side of the boat.
Urashima saw with surprise that it was the very tortoise he had
rescued the day before.
"Well, Mr. Tortoise," said Urashima, "was it you who called my name
just now?"
The tortoise nodded its head several times and said:
"Yes, it was I. Yesterday in your honorable shadow (o kage sama de)
my life was saved, and I have come to offer you my thanks and to
tell you how grateful I am for your kindness to me."
"Indeed," said Urashima, "that is very polite of you. Come up into
the boat. I would offer you a smoke, but as you are a tortoise
doubtless you do not smoke," and the fisherman laughed at the joke.
"He-he-he-he!" laughed the tortoise; "sake (rice wine) is my
favorite refreshment, but I do not care for tobacco."
"Indeed," said Urashima, "I regret very much that I have no "sake"
in my boat to offer you, but come up and dry your back in the sun--
tortoises always love to do that."
So the tortoise climbed into the boat, the fisherman helping him,
and after an exchange of complimentary speeches the tortoise said:
"Have you ever seen Rin Gin, the Palace of the Dragon King of the
Sea, Urashima?"
The fisherman shook his head and replied; "No; year after year the
sea has been my home, but though I have often heard of the Dragon
King's realm under the sea I have never yet set eyes on that
wonderful place. It must be very far away, if it exists at all!"
"Is that really so? You have never seen the Sea King's Palace? Then
you have missed seeing one of the most wonderful sights in the whole
universe. It is far away at the bottom of the sea, but if I take you
there we shall soon reach the place. If you would like to see the
Sea King's land I will be your guide."
"I should like to go there, certainly, and you are very kind to
think of taking me, but you must remember that I am only a poor
mortal and have not the power of swimming like a sea creature such
as you are--"
Before the fisherman could say more the tortoise stopped him,
saying:
"What? You need not swim yourself. If you will ride on my back I
will take you without any trouble on your part."
"But," said Urashima, "how is it possible for me to ride on your
small back?"
"It may seem absurd to you. but I assure you that you can do so. Try
at once! Just come and get on my back, and see if it is as
impossible as you think!"
As the tortoise finished speaking, Urashima looked at its shell, and
strange to say be saw that the creature had suddenly grown so big
that a man could easily sit on its back.
"This is strange indeed!" said Urashima; "then. Mr. Tortoise, with
your kind permission I will get on your back. Dokoisho!" [Footnote:
"All right" (only used by lower classes).] he exclaimed as he jumped
on.
The tortoise, with an unmoved face, as if this strange proceeding
were quite an ordinary event, said:
"Now we will set out at our leisure," and with these words he leapt
into the sea with Urashima on his back. Down through the water the
tortoise dived. For a long time these two strange companions rode
through the sea. Urashima never grew tired, nor his clothes moist
with the water. At last, far away in the distance a magnificent gate
appeared, and behind the gate, the long, sloping roofs of a palace
on the horizon.
"Ya." exclaimed Urashima. "that looks like the gate of some large
palace just appearing! Mr. Tortoise, can you tell what that place is
we can now see?"
"That is the great gate of the Rin Gin Palace, the large roof that
you see behind the gate is the Sea King's Palace itself."
"Then we have at last come to the realm of the Sea King and to his
Palace," said Urashima.
"Yes, indeed," answered the tortoise, "and don't you think we have
come very quickly?" And while he was speaking the tortoise reached
the side of the gate. "And here we are, and you must please walk
from here."
The tortoise now went in front, and speaking to the gatekeeper,
said:
"This is Urashima Taro, from the country of Japan. I have had the
honor of bringing him as a visitor to this kingdom. Please show him
the way."
Then the gatekeeper, who was a fish, at once led the way through the
gate before them.
The red bream, the flounder, the sole, the cuttlefish, and all the
chief vassals of the Dragon King of the Sea now came out with
courtly bows to welcome the stranger.
"Urashima Sama, Urashima Sama! welcome to the Sea Palace, the home
of the Dragon King of the Sea. Thrice welcome are you, having come
from such a distant country. And you, Mr. Tortoise, we are greatly
indebted to you for all your trouble in bringing Urashima here."
Then, turning again to Urashima, they said, "Please follow us this
way," and from here the whole band of fishes became his guides.
Urashima, being only a poor fisher lad, did not know how to behave
in a palace; but, strange though it was all to him, he did not feel
ashamed or embarrassed, but followed his kind guides quite calmly
where they led to the inner palace. When he reached the portals a
beautiful Princess with her attendant maidens came out to welcome
him. She was more beautiful than any human being, and was robed in
flowing garments of red and soft green like the under side of a
wave, and golden threads glimmered through the folds of her gown.
Her lovely black hair streamed over her shoulders in the fashion of
a king's daughter many hundreds of years ago, and when she spoke her
voice sounded like music over the water. Urashima was lost in wonder
while he looked upon her, and he could not speak. Then he remembered
that he ought to bow, but before he could make a low obeisance the
Princess took him by the hand and led him to a beautiful hall, and
to the seat of honor at the upper end, and bade him be seated.
"Urashima Taro, it gives me the highest pleasure to welcome you to
my father's kingdom," said the Princess. "Yesterday you set free a
tortoise, and I have sent for you to thank you for saving my life,
for I was that tortoise. Now if you like you shall live here forever
in the land of eternal youth, where summer never dies and where
sorrow never comes, and I will be your bride if you will, and we
will live together happily forever afterwards!"
And as Urashima listened to her sweet words and gazed upon her
lovely face his heart was filled with a great wonder and joy, and he
answered her, wondering if it was not all a dream:
"Thank you a thousand times for your kind speech. There is nothing I
could wish for more than to be permitted to stay here with you in
this beautiful land, of which I have often heard, but have never
seen to this day. Beyond all words, this is the most wonderful place
I have ever seen."
While he was speaking a train of fishes appeared, all dressed in
ceremonial, trailing garments. One by one, silently and with stately
steps, they entered the hall, bearing on coral trays delicacies of
fish and seaweed, such as no one can dream of, and this wondrous
feast was set before the bride and bridegroom. The bridal was
celebrated with dazzling splendor, and in the Sea King's realm there
was great rejoicing. As soon as the young pair had pledged
themselves in the wedding cup of wine, three times three, music was
played, and songs were sung, and fishes with silver scales and
golden tails stepped in from the waves and danced. Urashima enjoyed
himself with all his heart. Never in his whole life had he sat down
to such a marvelous feast.
When the feast was over the Princes asked the bridegroom if he would
like to walk through the palace and see all there was to be seen.
Then the happy fisherman, following his bride, the Sea King's
daughter, was shown all the wonders of that enchanted land where
youth and joy go hand in hand and neither time nor age can touch
them. The palace was built of coral and adorned with pearls, and the
beauties and wonders of the place were so great that the tongue
fails to describe them.
But, to Urashima, more wonderful than the palace was the garden that
surrounded it. Here was to be seen at one time the scenery of the
four different seasons; the beauties of summer and winter, spring
and autumn, were displayed to the wondering visitor at once.
First, when he looked to the east, the plum and cherry trees were
seen in full bloom, the nightingales sang in the pink avenues, and
butterflies flitted from flower to flower.
Looking to the south all the trees were green in the fullness of
summer, and the day cicala and the night cricket chirruped loudly.
Looking to the west the autumn maples were ablaze like a sunset sky,
and the chrysanthemums were in perfection.
Looking to the north the change made Urashima start, for the ground
was silver white with snow, and trees and bamboos were also covered
with snow and the pond was thick with ice.
And each day there were new joys and new wonders for Urashima, and
so great was his happiness that he forgot everything, even the home
he had left behind and his parents and his own country, and three
days passed without his even thinking of all he had left behind.
Then his mind came back to him and he remembered who he was, and
that he did not belong to this wonderful land or the Sea King's
palace, and he said to himself:
"O dear! I must not stay on here, for I have an old father and
mother at home. What can have happened to them all this time? How
anxious they must have been these days when I did not return as
usual. I must go back at once without letting one more day pass."
And he began to prepare for the journey in great haste.
Then he went to his beautiful wife, the Princess, and bowing low
before her he said:
"Indeed, I have been very happy with you for a long time, Otohime
Sama" (for that was her name), "and you have been kinder to me than
any words can tell. But now I must say good-by. I must go back to my
old parents."
Then Otohime Sama began to weep, and said softly and sadly:
"Is it not well with you here, Urashima, that you wish to leave me
so soon? Where is the haste? Stay with me yet another day only!"
But Urashima had remembered his old parents, and in Japan the duty
to parents is stronger than everything else, stronger even than
pleasure or love, and he would not be persuaded, but answered:
"Indeed, I must go. Do not think that I wish to leave you. It is not
that. I must go and see my old parents. Let me go for one day and I
will come back to you."
"Then," said the Princess sorrowfully, "there is nothing to be done.
I will send you back to-day to your father and mother, and instead
of trying to keep you with me one more day, I shall give you this as
a token of our love--please take it back with you;" and she brought
him a beautiful lacquer box tied about with a silken cord and
tassels of red silk.
Urashima had received so much from the Princess already that he felt
some compunction in taking the gift, and said:
"It does not seem right for me to take yet another gift from you
after all the many favors I have received at your hands, but because
it is your wish I will do so," and then he added:
"Tell me what is this box?"
"That," answered the Princess "is the tamate-bako (Box of the Jewel
Hand), and it contains something very precious. You must not open
this box, whatever happens! If you open it something dreadful will
happen to you! Now promise me that you will never open this box!"
And Urashima promised that he would never, never open the box
whatever happened.
Then bidding good-by to Otohime Sama he went down to the seashore,
the Princess and her attendants following him, and there he found a
large tortoise waiting for him.
He quickly mounted the creature's back and was carried away over the
shining sea into the East. He looked back to wave his hand to
Otohime Sama till at last he could see her no more, and the land of
the Sea King and the roofs of the wonderful palace were lost in the
far, far distance. Then, with his face turned eagerly towards his
own land, he looked for the rising of the blue hills on the horizon
before him.
At last the tortoise carried him into the bay he knew so well, and
to the shore from whence he had set out. He stepped on to the shore
and looked about him while the tortoise rode away back to the Sea
King's realm.
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