There are a lot of fairy tales in Japan.
Most of Japanese really love fairy tales. Because we read so many times with parents in childhood.
And the fairy tale still continues to be read from one generation to another.
Let me share famous fairy tale with picture book. Let's try to read it.
This article was produced by General Incorporated Association of International Digital E-hon.
A long time ago, there lived a young fisherman called Urashima Taro.
One day, when Taro came back to the beach from fishing, a group of children were bullying a turtle. Feeling sorry for the turtle, Taro said to the children,
“Hey, boys, don’t be so mean to that turtle. It’s still a baby. I’ll give you these fish if you let it go.”
Taro saved the turtle from the children by trading it for his catch of the day and said to the turtle,
“It’s OK now. You should go home quickly”
as he gently put it into the sea.
Several days later, when Taro was fishing on his boat, he heard a voice saying,
“Mr. Taro, Mr. Taro.”
He turned to find a big turtle by his boat.
“I’m the mother of the turtle you saved. I’d like to take you to the Sea God’s Palace in reward for your kindness. Please ride on my back,”
said the turtle.
“You’re taking me to the Sea God's Palace? Hmmm, it sounds interesting,”
said Taro as he climbed aboard the turtle’s back. Then the turtle went down farther and farther into the sea. As they dove under water, a big palace appeared at the bottom of the sea.
At the vermilion gate stood a princess, surrounded by a lot of fish.
“Welcome, Mr. Taro. Thank you very much for saving our turtle. Please come in,”
said the pretty princess.
Taro was led into a large room, where he was treated to a feast and was entertained by dancing sea breams, flounders, octopuses and other fish.
Thus, Taro spent many days. It was so enjoyable that he didn’t care how long he stayed in the palace. Then one night, he had a dream about his hometown.
His mother was washing clothes in his dream and it made him homesick.
So, Taro went to the princess and said,
“I've been here for as many as seven days. I think it’s about time to go home.
Thank you for your hospitality.”
“I wish you could stay here forever. Please take this chest as a souvenir, and remember never to open it,”
said the princess.
Taro thanked her for the gift and headed for home on the turtle.
When he got back to the beach, Taro looked around and felt something was strange. It was his home beach with no doubt, but the roads and the houses there looked different.
He spoke to a passer-by,
“Excuse me. I am Urashima Taro. Do you know where my house is?”
“Urashima Taro? I don't know anybody by that name. Oh wait, I think I've heard of a young man with a name like that who went out to the sea about 100 years ago and never came back,”
said the person.
“My goodness, the seven days I spent in the Sea God's Palace must correspond to 100 years here,”
Taro thought. He was at a loss not knowing what to do.
“Ah, yes, I'm gonna open this chest,”
He said to himself, and opened the box, forgetting what the princess had told him.
In moments, white smoke came from the box. Covered with the smoke, Taro’s hair and beard turned all white instantly, and he became an old man with a bent back.
The end
Is there any similar story in your country? Some fairy tales were introduced by other countries and mixed with own culture. I hope that you enjoy reading famous fairy tale.
What do you think of this fairy tale?
Comments