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.
Once upon a time in a small village, there lived a man named Hikozo.
As he was very poor, he prayed to God every day wishing to become rich.
Then one day, he heard God say,
"As you asked me so eagerly, I will tell you what you should do. Whatever you catch in your hand first after you leave this place, you keep it with good care."
Hikozo was very pleased to hear that.
Just as soon as he left the shrine, he stumbled over a stone and fell down. As he stood up, he grabbed a straw in his hand without realizing.
"A straw in my hand? God told me to value the first thing I grasped, but would this thing really help me?"
Hikozo wondered.
Still believing in God's words, Hikozo walked on holding the straw tightly in his hand.
After a while, a horsefly started buzzing around his face. Hikozo tried to drive it away, but it kept buzzing around; so, he caught the horsefly and tied it to the straw.
As he walked farther on, an ox carriage came toward him from up the road.
A small boy on the carriage saw the horsefly Hikozo was carrying, and said to his mother,
"I want that horsefly, Mother."
"Excuse me, young man. Will you please give that horsefly to my boy?"
The lady spoke to Hikozo from the ox carriage.
"Although this straw string is a precious gift from God, I will give it to your son."
Hikozo said as he handed over the horsefly and straw.
The lady, then, gave him three tangerine oranges in return.
After he went a little more, he saw a pretty princess sitting down on the side of the road.
"I am so thirsty I can't walk even another step. Please get me some water,"
said the princess with a very tired look on her face.
There didn't seem to be any water around.
Hikozo kindly said,
"Now Miss, have these oranges. They should quench your thirst."
Thankful for Hikozo's kind offer, she gave him three rolls of nice cloth.
As Hikozo continued on, he saw several samurai warriors standing around a fallen horse, saying,
"This is bad. Our horse collapsed suddenly. We're in a big hurry. What should we do with this horse?"
So, Hikozo approached them and said,
"Excuse me, sirs, but let me take the horse, and please accept these three rolls of cloth."
The samurai warriors happily accepted his offer, and left with the cloth.
Hikozo gave the horse water and grass, and nursed it.
As he went on with the horse, he came by a big mansion. Many people were carrying things and putting them on the carriages. It seemed the people of the mansion were moving out.
Then, a fine samurai appeared from the gate and said to Hikozo,
"Say, young man, may I ask you to hand over that horse of yours? We have to go up to east, and we need another horse to carry our luggage. If you do, I'll leave my house and field behind in your care until I come back."
The owner of the mansion never came back from the east, and the big mansion became Hikozo's.
The field cropped well also, and he grew very rich to be able to enjoy a comfortable life.
People called Hikozo "the miracle straw millionaire" because he became rich with one straw.
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?
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