by How to Fool a Cat- Japanese Folktales for Children (retail) (epub)
After that, this apprentice said, “I want these cats to rest in peace with Buddha. I must learn Buddhism for them.” He studied the scriptures very hard.
He remained in this temple, and became the priest for the villagers.
Oshimai
COMMENT FROM FUJITA-SAN: There is an old saying in Japan, “What you like you will do well.” This is a story about a apprentice who liked drawing better than reading sutras. He became very good at drawing, which he liked to do. But he only started studying sutra passionately once he had determined to do so, in order to help his cats rest in peace in heaven.
KANNON
Kannon (Kwan Yin) is a Buddhist goddess of mercy. She answers prayers and helps people.
Wealth From a Straw
Once upon a time, there was a man who was not lucky. No matter what he did, it never turned out good. Though he worked hard, he had very little savings. He decided, “I’m going to ask Kannon-sama for help.”
And he went to a temple dedicated to Kannon and prayed for three times seven, that is, twenty-one days. “Please let me make a lot of money. Teach me how I can do it,” he prayed.
Finally it was the twenty-first day. He finished his prayer to Kannon-sama. “Now, I’m going home,” he said.
But suddenly, he felt somewhat sleepy. He dozed off on the temple steps. And he had a dream.
Kannon-sama appeared in his dream and told him, “You came here every day for twenty-one days, so I’m going to make your wish come true. The first thing you touch on your way home will be the starter. So treasure it.”
The man woke up suddenly. “Wow. Kannon-sama answered me! All I have to do is to treasure the first thing I touch.”
He hopped around in joy and fell down with a thump. When he got up, he realized that he was grasping the stalk of a dried rice plant that he had grabbed on the ground. He thought, “Oh, no! I touched a rice straw! I don’t think this can be the starter. But Kannon-sama told me to keep the first thing I touch, so I have no choice. I think I will take this with me.”
A Jisama carrying a basket full of pears on his back came walking by. Suddenly, the thong of his straw sandal broke. “Oh, no! I can’t walk like this! What should I do? Isn’t there a straw or something that I can fix my sandal thong with?” the Jisama was saying.
The man thought, “This straw might be the starter, but I can’t just keep it when somebody in trouble needs it.”
So he said, “Jisama, Jisama, I have a straw.” And he fixed the sandal for the Jisama and handed it to him. “Here, now you can walk again.”
Jisama was very thankful. “Oh, thank you, thank you! My sandal is now as good as new. I know this is not enough, but please take these pears with you.” And Jisama handed the man three pears.
The man said, “Thank you.”
He walked into the mountains holding the three pears. At the top of the mountain, he saw a merchant sitting under a tree with his baggage at his side, saying, “Whew, it’s so hot. I’m so tired I can’t move an inch any more. I’m so thirsty, too. My throat is all dried up. I wish there was some water, but I see no clear water around. Oh, if only there was a cup of water, or if this was a pear tree!”
The merchant was looking up at the tree above.
The man said, “I have some pears. Would you want them?” And he handed all three of his pears to the merchant.
“Oh, thank you! I was so thirsty and I was hoping I could get some water.”
The merchant took a big bite out of a pear and said, “This pear is very juicy. Thank you, thank you.” And he gobbled up all three pears. Then he thanked the man, “Thanks to you, I’m all fine again. I’m carrying many rolls of cloth in my baggage. I know this is not enough, but please take these.” And the merchant handed the man three rolls of cloth.
Carrying the cloth, the man walked on. He saw another Jisama leading two horses. Suddenly one of the horses collapsed with a thud.
Jisama was startled and began to wail, “Oh, no! Don’t fall down here! I have to go to the market, but I’ll never be able to make it in time if I have to take care of this horse now.”
The man said, “Jisama, Jisama, what is the matter?”
The troubled Jisama said, “I have to make enough money for my daughter’s wedding. I was going to take these horses to the market and sell them. But one of my horses fell down, and if I take care of it here, I’ll never make it in time for the market. Oh, I don’t know what to do. It will be a pity though if I just leave this horse here.”
The man said to the Jisama, “Your daughter is marrying soon? Well, I have three rolls of cloth here. I’ll give them to you if you let me have this sick horse.”
Jisama was happy. “Oh, thank you, thank you. Now I’ll take this good horse to the market and sell it. And I can make my daughter’s wedding kimono with these rolls of cloth you gave me.” And the Jisama went away leading one horse behind him.
The man started taking care of the fallen horse. He patted its shoulder. He went to a river far away, fetched water and watered the horse. “Hang in there! Don’t die!” He did everything he could.
Finally, the horse stood up and neighed, “Hii—n!” And the horse trotted around so merrily that he could hardly believe that it had seemed almost dead a few minutes before.
The man said, “You’re all better now! I’m so glad.”
The man walked on leading the horse behind him until he saw a man standing in front of the gate of a huge house. This wealthy man was saying, “What should I do? I have to go on a journey, but I can’t find a suitable horse. What shall I do now?”
The man with the horse said, “Sir, if this horse is good enough, please take this horse.”
Delighted, the wealthy man said, “Wow. This is a brilliant chestnut horse! Can I really have it? Can I really go riding on it?”
The man answered pleasantly, “This horse was not mine, either. Of course you can!”
The grateful man gave the horse plenty of food and water. Then he said, “I’m off on a very long journey. I may not come back here for many, many years. I’d like you to live here in my house and take care of my vegetable field in the back yard.”
The man answered, “I agree.”
So he gave the wealthy man the horse and began living in that big house.
He is still living happily there and taking care of the vegetable field.
Oshimai
NOTE FROM FRAN: It is tempting to add, “And all of that came from just a straw.” Americans are used to strong endings on our stories, but many of these Japanese country stories just stop when the action is finished. Mrs. Fujita says that a soft ending perhaps allows listeners to decide for themselves what the story means to them.
The Strength of a Thousand Men
Once upon a time, there was a small shrine in the mountains that looked like a small house. In that shrine sat the statue of Kannon-sama. It was said that Kannon-sama would grant your wish, any wish, if you visit her and make a wish at midnight on the middle day of Bon, the three-day Buddhist festival in late summer honoring the souls of the ancestors.
A man in the village said, “I am strong, but I want to be even stronger, so strong as to beat everyone at Sumo wrestling. I will go and ask Kannon-sama to grant me the strength of a thousand men!”
He went to the shrine at midnight after everyone fell asleep, and repeated in front of the Kannon statue, “Please give me the strength of one thousand men. Please give me the strength of one thousand men. Please give me the strength of one thousand men.”
He felt his strength growing in his body.
“Oh, I think Kannon-sama granted me my wish. I’m glad. I’m glad.”
He took the first step to go home.
Thump! His foot sank into the ground. As he had the strength of one thousand men, every step that he took sank into the ground and made a pit. Thump! Thump! Thump!
He went home. “I’m back,” he was going to say. But he had the strength of one thousand men. When he slid the door open, th
e door flew three hundred feet away.
He went in the house.
His first step crashed through the floor.
His wife came out and said, “Welcome home. You must be thirsty. Please have some tea.”
She brought a cup of tea. When the man held it, the cup broke into pieces. It was impossible to drink tea.
“Well, I will give you another cup. Be careful this time.” His wife gave him another cup, but again, it broke into pieces. Asking for another cup, he patted his wife on the shoulder—and broke her bone. She had to go to the doctor.
Every time he touched a thing in the house, it broke.
Every time he tried to eat rice, he broke the rice bowl.
“Oh, having the strength of a thousand men isn’t easy.”
His house was broken down. The floor was gone. Where his house once was, there remained only a big pit.
He sat in the pit for one year, barely eating anything. He became very thin.
Then on the middle day of Bon the next year, he went to Kannon-sama’s temple in the mountains to make a wish again. Though he was very thin, every step he took made a pit in the ground. He tottered and thump! He tottered and thump! He tottered and finally he came to Kannon-sama.
“I want to return my strength of a thousand men. Please take it.”
At last, he got rid of the strength of a thousand men. Phew! I’m glad.
Oshimai
MANY GODS
The ancient Shinto religion of Japan teaches that there is a kami (god, spirit) in everything. They are not divine or all-knowing gods, but were very important in traditional village life. So there are many stories about them.
Twelve Animal Years
Long, long ago, not long after god had just created people and animals, he decided to name each year after an animal. So he made an announcement:
“Everyone who wants a year named after him should come to my gate on the morning of January 2.”
Ox was so happy to hear this. “Oh, I want to be included in this, but I know I’m such a slow walker.” So, in the very, very early morning of January 2, when there were still many stars in the sky,
NOssora, NOssora (sound of slow walking)
NOssora, NOssora he started to walk.
He didn’t know that Mouse was hiding on his horn.
NOssora, NOssora, he walked.
Finally, he arrived at god’s house. He saw nobody at the gate.
“Good! I am the first!” Happily, he waited for god to open the gate. Dawn came, and god opened the gate. Ox was about to take a step inside when Mouse jumped off his horn and ran inside.
So, Mouse became the first, and Ox was the second.
Tiger thought, “I want to be the first, by any means.” When the morning came, he hurried toward god’s house. “Nobody can run as fast as I can. I must be the first.”
He ran, and ran, and ran. But when he arrived at the gate, he saw a big behind just going in. That was Ox.
“What? Someone came faster than I?”
He was furious. Since then, Tiger has made it a rule to bite and scratch Ox.
Rabbit was a great hopper. PYONtsura! PYONtsura! (hop! hop!)
He hopped and hurried. But he couldn’t beat Tiger.
Rabbit was the fourth.
Snake and Dragon arrived at the gate at the same time, but Snake said to Dragon, “After you.”
Why? It is said that snakes can become dragons, but it takes hundreds of years of hard training. So, Dragon is superior to Snake.
That’s why Snake gave way to Dragon. Dragon was fifth, Snake was sixth.
Horse was a fast runner, if he would just keep going. But he was also a big eater. On his way to god’s gate, he stopped and nibbled grass here and there, there and here. He was the seventh.
Sheep was not originally from Japan. He worried, “Will they let a foreigner like me join? I hope they will. But maybe they won’t. Should I try? But maybe they’ll say no. Should I try anyway?”
He started, and then turned back. Started again, but returned. By the time he finally made up his mind to go ahead, he was late and became the eighth.
Monkey and Dog were on their way to god’s gate when they ran into each other. Monkeys and dogs are well known for always fighting, like “cat and dog” in English. So they started to wrestle.
Rooster came by and tried to stop them. “Hey! Stop fighting!”
But what a peacemaker he was! He pecked Monkey on the tail. He pecked Dog on the back.
Monkey and Dog became even more furious. It turned into a three-way battle. So it took a long time for them to remember that they were going to god’s place.
“Ooops! We have to hurry!”
They ran and ran. Finally, they made it in time. But god put Rooster in between Monkey and Dog, so that Monkey and Dog wouldn’t fight any more.
God said, “So, is this all who want to join? Let me count you. Mouse is the first. Next is Ox, then Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog. Eleven animals! No more? Hmm, shall I now close the list?”
At that moment, somebody ran toward them yelling, “Wait for me! Let me in!”
Wild Boar, of course. It is well known that wild boars run impulsively, dashing ahead without any thought.
They let him in, and that was how the twelve animals were chosen.
Cat had wanted to be in the list too, but he forgot the date. He asked his old friend Mouse, “Mouse, Mouse, when are we supposed to meet at god’s place?”
Mouse lied craftily, “It’s January 3.”
In the very early morning of January 3, Cat waited at god’s gate.
When god opened the gate, he saw Cat. “Well, Cat, what brought you here?” he asked.
“I’m waiting for the gathering. I want a year named after me,” Cat replied.
“What? I already decided it yesterday. You must be half asleep. Wash your face and wake up.”
Even today, cats still wash their faces like this whenever they are embarrassed. Also, cats always chase mice, who tricked them.
Oshimai
COMMENT FROM FUJITA-SAN: For many years when I told this story, I just told about Mouse and Ox, Wild Boar, and Cat. Nobody in Japan asked me why Tiger was the third and Rabbit the fourth. But Fran asked me why. Then I remembered this version, which I had heard when I was a child. This version explains the order of all the animals.
NOTE FROM FRAN: This is the only version we know that “chunks” the twelve animals in related groups, making the order easier to remember. Listeners enjoy practicing the sequence. Pause every few steps and ask, “What animals do we have so far?”
How God of Happiness Turned to God of Poverty
Once upon a time, there were a very poor man and his wife. From early morning till late at night, this man worked very hard. But still, he was poor.
“Why are we always so poor? Vegetables never grow in our farm. Money we lend never comes back. How long do we have to remain this poor?”
When they were talking like that, they heard a faint voice from the household shrine. They had to listen carefully, but it was saying, “Are you tired of being poor?”
What can that be? Wondering, they looked up into the shrine. A tiny, very skinny man was looking down on them.
“Who are you?” they asked.
“I’m the god of Poverty. I have lived here since the days of your father. It was very comfortable living here then. But unlike your father, you work very hard from morning till night. So I was thinking, maybe it is time for me to move. When I am gone, a god of Happiness will come here. Give him a warm welcome, will you? Well, I’d better get going.”
Saying so, the pale skinny god jumped down from the shrine. “It was very nice living here, but because you work very hard, I shouldn’t stay here anymore. So long.” He went out of the door.
But after he was gone, the house felt different. Both the man and his wife felt like they had lost a member of their families.
“Well, our god is gone. He said we
’ll have a new god. But maybe the god of Happiness won’t like our house. We want our god of Poverty back.”
They called out, “God of Poverty! Please come back! We won’t let the god of Happiness in. So please come back to our house!”
Because they didn’t want the god of Happiness to enter their house, they shut all the doors tight, and waited silently in the house.
A very fat god of Happiness came tottering. He was carrying a mallet of luck. “Ah, this is the house where I’m going to live.” He went around the house, looking for the entrance.
He had never been refused before. Usually, people welcomed him with their door wide open. “So, where is the door?”
He looked for the door. But there was no door open. “How can I get in? I have to get in somehow.”
He kept looking. There was a crack, about this size, in the door. “I have to get through this.”
He tried to push his head in. He tried to push his body in. But it wasn’t easy. All night long, he tried to push himself in.
Finally he got in. But he couldn’t bring his mallet of luck with him. He had to leave it outside.
He climbed onto the household shrine, very tired.
Until the night before, he was a god of Happiness. But when he entered the house through that little crack, he had become a skinny, pale god without even a mallet of luck.
He had become a god of Poverty.
Oshimai
Wolf’s Eyebrow
INSIGHT: Wolf (Oukami) sounds like O-Kami (big god), and therefore wolf was considered sacred.
Once upon a time, there were Jisama and Basama. Basama was very capable, but this Jisama was a man who couldn’t do anything right.
When Jisama went to a mountain to collect wood, he came back with almost nothing. When he went to a river to catch fish, he brought home none. He couldn’t do anything right.
