Florence Sakade - Peach Boy and Other Japanese Childrens Favorite Stories

Published by Tuttle Publishing, an imprint of Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd., with editorial offices at 364 Innovation Drive, North Clarendon, Vermont 05759 U.S.A.

Copyright 2008 Periplus Editions (HK) Ltd.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Sakade, Florence.

Peach Boy and other Japanese childrens favorite stories / compiled by Florence Sakade;

illustrated by Yoshisuke Kurosaki. 1st ed.

p. cm.

Summary: A collection of traditional Japanese folktales, including Peach Boy, The Magic Teakettle, and The Tongue-Cut Sparrow.

ISBN: 978-1-4629-0832-5 (ebook)

1. TalesJapan. [1. FolkloreJapan.] I. Kurosaki, Yoshisuke, 1905 ill. II. Title.

PZ8.1.S2155Pe 2008

[398.20952]dc22

2007052483

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First edition

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Contents

Publishers Foreword

In todays ever-shrinking worldwhere e-mails zoom from one continent to another in the space of a heartbeat, where travelers can easily pass through political boundaries once more solid than stoneunderstanding and tolerance have never been at a higher premium. Parents and teachers are increasingly aware of the need for children to be citizens of this small world who will grow into thinking adults who, while proud of their own traditions and heritage, respect the varied experiences and viewpoints to be found in other cultures.

This collection of traditional stories can help set children on this enlightened path, introducing them to marvelous characters and places that have been loved by Japanese children for centuries.

Each of these storiesamusing, instructive and wiseis to be found in many forms and versions in Japan, and often in other countries as well. We have tried to select the most interesting version in each case and, in our translations, to remain true to the spirit of the Japanese originals. At the same time we have explained in the stories customs and situations that Western readers might not understand.

These timeless stories have both united and delighted children for hundreds of years, and will continue to do so for countless generations to come.

Peach Boy

Once upon a time there lived in Japan a kind old man and his wife. The old man was a woodcutter. He and his wife were very sad and lonely because they had no children.

One day the old man went into the mountains to cut firewood, and the old woman went to the river to wash clothes. No sooner had the old woman begun her washing than she was very surprised to see a big peach floating down the river. It was the biggest peach shed ever seen in all her life. She pulled the peach out of the river and decided to take it home and share it with the old man for their supper that night.

Late in the afternoon the old man came home, and the old woman said to him, Look what a wonderful peach Ive found for our supper. The old man said it was truly a beautiful peach. He was very hungry and said, Lets divide it and eat it right away.

So the old woman brought a big knife from the kitchen and got ready to cut the peach in half. But just then a human voice called out from inside the peach. Wait! Dont cut me! cried the voice. Suddenly the peach split open, and a beautiful baby boy jumped out of the peach.

The old man and woman were astounded. But the baby said, Dont be afraid. The God of Heaven saw how lonely you were without any children, so he sent me to be your son.

The old man and woman were very happy, and they took the baby to be their son. Since he was born from a peach, they named him Momotaro, which means Peach Boy. They loved Momotaro very much and raised him to be a fine boy.

When Momotaro was fifteen years old, he said to his mother and father, You have always been very kind to me. Now I am grown and I must do something to help our land. In a distant part of the sea is an island named Ogre Island. Many wicked ogres live there, and they often come here and do bad things like carrying people away and stealing our things. So Im going to go to Ogre Island to fight them and bring back the treasures that theyve stolen. Please let me do this!

Momotaros mother and father were surprised to hear this, but they were also very proud of Momotaro for wanting to help other people. So they helped Momotaro get ready for his journey to Ogre Island. The old man gave him a sword and some armor, and the old woman fixed him a good lunch of millet dumplings. Then Momotaro began his journey, promising his parents that he would be home soon.

Momotaro went walking toward the sea. It was a long way. As he went along, he met a brown dog. The dog growled at Momotaro and was about to bite him, but then Momotaro gave him one of his dumplings. He told the dog that he was going to fight the ogres on Ogre Island. So the brown dog said he would go along, too, to help Momotaro.