Japanese Fairy Tales

📖 The Scoop

This collection of Japanese fairy tales is the outcome of a suggestion made to me indirectly through a friend by Mr. Andrew Lang. They have been translated from the modern version written by Sadanami Sanjin. These stories are not literal translations, and though the Japanese story and all quaint Japanese expressions have been faithfully preserved, they have been told more with the view to interest young readers of the West than the technical student of folk-lore....The story which I have named "The Story of the Man who did not Wish to Die" is taken from a little book written a hundred years ago by one Shinsui Tamenaga. It is named Chosei Furo, or "Longevity." "The Bamboo-cutter and the Moon-child" is taken from the classic "Taketari Monogatari," and is NOT classed by the Japanese among their fairy tales, though it really belongs to this class of literature. In telling these stories in English I have followed my fancy in adding such touches of local color or description as they seemed to need or as pleased me, and in one or two instances I have gathered in an incident from another version. At all times, among my friends, both young and old, English or American, I have always found eager listeners to the beautiful legends and fairy tales of Japan, and in telling them I have also found that they were still unknown to the vast majority, and this has encouraged me to write them for the children of the West.

CONTENTS: MY LORD BAG OF RICE THE TONGUE-CUT SPARROW THE STORY OF URASHIMA TARO, THE FISHER LAD THE FARMER AND THE BADGER THE "shinansha," OR THE SOUTH POINTING CARRIAGE THE ADVENTURES OF KINTARO, THE GOLDEN BOY THE STORY OF PRINCESS HASE THE STORY OF THE MAN WHO DID NOT WISH TO DIE THE BAMBOO-CUTTER AND THE MOON-CHILD THE MIRROR OF MATSUYAMA THE GOBLIN OF ADACHIGAHARA THE SAGACIOUS MONKEY AND THE BOAR THE HAPPY HUNTER AND THE SKILLFUL FISHER THE STORY OF THE OLD MAN WHO MADE WITHERED TREES TO FLOWER THE JELLY FISH AND THE MONKEY THE QUARREL OF THE MONKEY AND THE CRAB THE WHITE HARE AND THE CROCODILES THE STORY OF PRINCE YAMATO TAKE MOMOTARO, OR THE STORY OF THE SON OF A PEACH THE OGRE OF RASHOMON HOW AN OLD MAN LOST HIS WEN THE STONES OF FIVE COLORS AND THE EMPRESS JOKWA

Genre: Juvenile Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore / Country & Ethnic (fancy, right?)