Japanese Fairy Tales
hour of great danger, was the time to use the Jewels of the Flow and
Ebb of the Tide and prove whether what the Sea King had told him was
true or not.
So he took out the Jewel of the Flood Tide from the bosom of his dress
and raised it to his forehead. Instantly over the fields and over the
farms the sea came rolling in wave upon wave till it reached the spot
where his brother was standing. The Skillful Fisher stood amazed and
terrified to see what was happening. In another minute he was
struggling in the water and calling on his brother to save him from
drowning.
The Happy Hunter had a kind heart and could not bear the sight of his
brother’s distress. He at once put back the Jewel of the Flood Tide and
took out the Jewel of the Ebb Tide. No sooner did he hold it up as high
as his forehead than the sea ran back and back, and ere long the
tossing rolling floods had vanished, and the farms and fields and dry
land appeared as before.
The Skillful Fisher was very frightened at the peril of death in which
he had stood, and was greatly impressed by the wonderful things he had
seen his brother do. He learned now that he was making a fatal mistake
to set himself against his brother, younger than he thought he was, for
he now had become so powerful that the sea would flow in and the tide
ebb at his word of command. So he humbled himself before the Happy
Hunter and asked him to forgive him all the wrong he had done him. The
Skillful Fisher promised to restore his brother to his rights and also
swore that though the Happy Hunter was the younger brother and owed him
allegiance by right of birth, that he, the Skillful Fisher, would exalt
him as his superior and bow before him as Lord of all Japan.
Then the Happy Hunter said that he would forgive his brother if he
would throw into the receding tide all his evil ways. The Skillful
Fisher promised and there was peace between the two brothers. From this
time he kept his word and became a good man and a kind brother.
The Happy Hunter now ruled his Kingdom without being disturbed by
family strife, and there was peace in Japan for a long, long time.
Above all the treasures in his house he prized the wonderful Jewels of
the Flow and Ebb of the Tide which had been given him by Ryn Jin, the
Dragon King of the Sea.
This is the congratulatory ending of the Happy Hunter and the Skillful
Fisher.
THE STORY OF THE OLD MAN WHO MADE WITHERED TREES TO FLOWER
Long, long ago there lived an old man and his wife who supported
themselves by cultivating a small plot of land. Their life had been a
very happy and peaceful one save for one great sorrow, and this was
they had no child. Their only pet was a dog named Shiro, and on him
they lavished all the affection of their old age. Indeed, they loved
him so much that whenever they had anything nice to eat they denied
themselves to give it to Shiro. Now Shiro means “white,” and he was so
called because of his color. He was a real Japanese dog, and very like
a small wolf in appearance.
The happiest hour of the day both for the old man and his dog was when
the man returned from his work in the field, and having finished his
frugal supper of rice and vegetables, would take what he had saved from
the meal out to the little veranda that ran round the cottage. Sure
enough, Shiro was waiting for his master and the evening tit-bit. Then
the old man said “Chin, chin!” and Shiro sat up and begged, and his
master gave him the food. Next door to this good old couple there lived
another old man and his wife who were both wicked and cruel, and who
hated their good neighbors and the dog Shiro with all their might.
Whenever Shiro happened to look into their kitchen they at once kicked
him or threw something at him, sometimes even wounding him.
One day Shiro was heard barking for a long time in the field at the
back of his master’s house. The old man, thinking that perhaps some
birds were attacking the corn, hurried out to see what was the matter.
As soon as Shiro saw his master he ran to meet him, wagging his tail,
and, seizing the end of his kimono, dragged him under a large yenoki
tree. Here he began to dig very industriously with his paws, yelping
with joy all the time. The old man, unable to understand what it all
meant, stood looking on in bewilderment. But Shiro went on barking and
digging with all his might.
The thought that something might be hidden beneath the tree, and that
the dog had scented it, at last struck the old man. He ran back to the
house, fetched his spade and began to dig the ground at that spot. What
was his astonishment when, after digging for some time, he came upon a
heap of old and valuable coins, and the deeper he dug the more gold
coins did he find. So intent was the old man on his work that he never
saw the cross face of his neighbor peering at him through the bamboo
hedge. At last all the gold coins lay shining on the ground. Shiro sat
by erect with pride and looking fondly at his master as if to say, “You
see, though only a dog, I can make some return for all the kindness you
show me.”
The old man ran in to call his wife, and together they carried home the
treasure. Thus in one day the poor old man became rich. His gratitude
to the faithful dog knew no bounds, and he loved and petted him more
than ever, if that were possible.
The cross old neighbor, attracted by Shiro’s barking, had been an
unseen and envious witness of the finding of the treasure. He began to
think that he, too, would like to find a fortune. So a few days later
he called at the old man’s house and very ceremoniously asked
permission to borrow Shiro for a short time.
Shiro’s master thought this a strange request, because he knew quite
well that not only did his neighbor not love his pet dog, but that he
never lost an opportunity of striking and tormenting him whenever the
dog crossed his path. But the good old man was too kind-hearted to
refuse his neighbor, so he consented to lend the dog on condition that
he should be taken great care of.
The wicked old man returned to his home with an evil smile on his face,
and told his wife how he had succeeded in his crafty intentions. He
then took his spade and hastened to his own field, forcing the
unwilling Shiro to follow him. As soon as he reached a yenoki tree, he
said to the dog, threateningly:
“If there were gold coins under your master’s tree, there must also be
gold coins under my tree. You must find them for me! Where are they?
Where? Where?”
And catching hold of Shiro’s neck he held the dog’s head to the ground,
so that Shiro began to scratch and dig in order to free himself from
the horrid old man’s grasp.
The old man was very pleased when he saw the dog begin to scratch and
dig, for he at once supposed that some gold coins lay buried under his
tree as well as under his neighbor’s, and that the dog had scented them
as before; so pushing Shiro away he began to dig himself, but there was
nothing to be found. As he went on digging a foul smell was noticeable,
and he at last came upon a refuse heap.
The old man’s disgust can be imagined. This soon gave way to anger. He
had seen his neighbor’s good fortune, and hoping for the same luck
himself, he had borrowed the dog Shiro; and now, just as he seemed on
the point of finding what he sought, only a horrid smelling refuse heap
had rewarded him for a morning’s digging. Instead of blaming his own
greed for his disappointment, he blamed the poor dog. He seized his
spade, and with all his strength struck Shiro and killed him on the
spot. He then threw the dog’s body into the hole which he had dug in
the hope of finding a treasure of gold coins, and covered it over with
the earth. Then he returned to the house, telling no one, not even his
wife, what he had done.
After waiting several days, as the dog Shiro did not return, his master
began to grow anxious. Day after day went by and the good old man
waited in vain. Then he went to his neighbor and asked him to give him
back his dog. Without any shame or hesitation, the wicked neighbor
answered that he had killed Shiro because of his bad behavior. At this
dreadful news Shiro’s master wept many sad and bitter tears. Great
indeed, was his woful surprise, but he was too good and gentle to
reproach his bad neighbor. Learning that Shiro was buried under the
yenoki tree in the field, he asked the old man to give him the tree, in
remembrance of his poor dog Shiro.
Even the cross old neighbor could not refuse such a simple request, so
he consented to give the old man the tree under which Shiro lay buried.
Shiro’s master then cut the tree down and carried it home. Out of the
trunk he made a mortar. In this his wife put some rice, and he began to
pound it with the intention of making a festival to the memory of his
dog Shiro.
A strange thing happened! His wife put the rice into the mortar, and no
sooner had he begun to pound it to make the cakes, than it began to
increase in quantity gradually till it was about five times the
original amount, and the cakes were turned out of the mortar as if an
invisible hand were at work.
When the old man and his wife saw this, they understood that it was a
reward to them from Shiro for their faithful love to him. They tasted
the cakes and found them nicer than any other food. So from this time
they never troubled about food, for they lived upon the cakes with
which the mortar never ceased to supply them.
The greedy neighbor, hearing of this new piece of good luck, was filled
with envy as before, and called on the old man and asked leave to
borrow the wonderful mortar for a short time, pretending that he, too,
sorrowed for the death of Shiro, and wished to make cakes for a
festival to the dog’s memory.
The old man did not in the least wish to lend it to his cruel neighbor,
but he was too kind to refuse. So the envious man carried home the
mortar, but he never brought it back.
Several days passed, and Shiro’s master waited in vain for the mortar,
so he went to call on the borrower, and asked him to be good enough to
return the mortar if he had finished with it. He found him sitting by a
big fire made of pieces of wood. On the ground lay what looked very
much like pieces of a broken mortar. In answer to the old man’s
inquiry, the wicked neighbor answered haughtily:
“Have you come to ask me for your mortar? I broke it to pieces, and now
I am making a fire of the wood, for when I tried to pound cakes in it
only some horrid smelling stuff came out.”
The good old man said:
“I am very sorry for that. It is a great pity you did not ask me for
the cakes if you wanted them. I would have given you as many as ever
you wanted. Now please give me the ashes of the mortar, as I wish to
keep them in remembrance of my dog.”
The neighbor consented at once, and the old man carried home a basket
full of ashes.
Not long after this the old man accidentally scattered some of the
ashes made by the burning of the mortar on the trees of his garden. A
wonderful thing happened!
It was late in autumn and all the trees had shed their leaves, but no
sooner did the ashes touch their branches than the cherry trees, the
plum trees, and all other blossoming shrubs burst into bloom, so that
the old man’s garden was suddenly transformed into a beautiful picture
of spring. The old man’s delight knew no bounds, and he carefully
preserved the remaining ashes.
The story of the old man’s garden spread far and wide, and people from
far and near came to see the wonderful sight.
One day, soon after this, the old man heard some one knocking at his
door, and going to the porch to see who it was he was surprised to see
a Knight standing there. This Knight told him that he was a retainer of