[Illustration: THE MOON MAIDEN _Frontispiece._]
JAPANESE FAIRY TALES
by
GRACE JAMES
Illustrations by Warwick Goble
TO MISS ETSUKO KATO
NOTE
These tales and legends have been collected from many sources. Some of them have been selected from the _Ko-ji-ki_, or _Record of Ancient Matters_, which contains the mythology of Japan. Many are told from memory, being relics of childish days, originally heard from the lips of a school-fellow or a nurse. Certain of them, again, form favourite subjects for representation upon the Japanese stage. A number of the stories now gathered together have been translated into English long ere this, and have appeared in this country in one form or another; others are probably new to an English public.
Thanks are due to Marcus B. Huish, Esq., who has allowed his story, "The Espousal of the Rat's Daughter," to be included in this collection; and to Mrs. T. H. James for permission to use her version of "The Matsuyama Mirror."
CONTENTS
PAGE
1. GREEN WILLOW 1
2. THE FLUTE 10
3. THE TEA-KETTLE 17
4. THE PEONY LANTERN 25
5. THE SEA KING AND THE MAGIC JEWELS 37
6. THE GOOD THUNDER 50
7. THE BLACK BOWL 56
8. THE STAR LOVERS 65
9. HORAIZAN 71
10. REFLECTIONS 78
11. THE STORY OF SUSA, THE IMPETUOUS 89
12. THE WIND IN THE PINE TREE 101
13. FLOWER OF THE PEONY 108
14. THE MALLET 116
15. THE BELL OF DOJOJI 127
16. THE MAIDEN OF UNAI 134
17. THE ROBE OF FEATHERS 142
18. THE SINGING BIRD OF HEAVEN 148
19. THE COLD LADY 153
20. THE FIRE QUEST 161
21. A LEGEND OF KWANNON 165
22. THE ESPOUSAL OF THE RAT'S DAUGHTER 171
23. THE LAND OF YOMI 180
24. THE SPRING LOVER AND THE AUTUMN LOVER 185
25. THE STRANGE STORY OF THE GOLDEN COMB 191
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: Japanese Fairy Tales by Grace James
- 2: He had a sweet voice and a beautiful face
- 3: And away he rode upon his quest
- 4: I am a samurai in the service of the Lord of Noto
- 5: The Green Willow began to shake and shiver
- 6: He travelled from shrine to shrine
- 7: Kioto was the name of the city
- 8: And he carried the little flute with him
- 9: A novice cleaned and scoured the tea kettle
- 10: The tinker was a happy man and carried home the kettle
- 11: And he called the show Bumbuku Chagama
- 12: In Yedo there dwelt a samurai called Hagiwara
- 13: Hagiwara laughed softly and scaled the fence
- 14: The samurai grew cold as he stood and wondered
- 15: Is there any hope for Hagiwara Sama
- 16: Hagiwara slept in his weakness
- 17: I am aweary of the green hills
- 18: But broad of fin or narrow of fin
- 19: Therefore climb thou into the branches of the cassia tree
- 20: If thy brother sow rice upon the uplands
- 21: Prince Fire Fade found his brother
- 22: One night Rai den Sama said to Rai Taro
- 23: Kwannon have mercy on a sinful soul
- 24: Rai Taro grew up straight and strong
- 25: Fetch me the great black rice bowl from the shelf
- 26: With that he whips his biwa round
- 27: For he thought no more of Kioto
- 28: Dear maiden with the wooden bowl
- 29: And her fingers plied the shuttle
- 30: IXHORAIZAN Jofuku was the Wise Man of China
- 31: But Jofuku stood silent and downcast
- 32: Said the inhabitants of Horaizan
- 33: And the fisherman raised him in his arms
- 34: You're prettier than the bean flower in the field
- 35: I'm thinking of going to Kioto
- 36: What for does he go so often to the toko no ma
- 37: I bought him in Kioto for two bu
- 38: And Tsuki Yomi no Kami softly ruled the night
- 39: Who is called the Queen of Yomi
- 40: Streamers of white and streamers of blue
- 41: But her face Susa could not see
- 42: Illustration The Story of Susa
- 43: And Susa cut the tails of the serpent also
- 44: Jewels of jade upon a silken string
- 45: The branches of the Pine Tree received them
- 46: Where Aya and her maids laughed together
- 47: That night the Lady Aya called piteously for the cooler air
- 48: And his shining eyes were fixed upon the Lady Aya
- 49: Cho says that out of filial piety
- 50: Kane was out when he got there
- 51: Battledore and shuttlecock for me
- 52: And behold there was no mallet there
- 53: Sent the young monk Anchin upon an errand of mercy
- 54: So the monk Anchin made him ready
- 55: At length Anchin went to the good Abbot
- 56: With her Dragon's tail she lashed the bell
- 57: Now I am a soothsayer by profession
- 58: And tied the girdle of brocade
- 59: And in the same instant down sprang the champion of Unai
- 60: How like thou art to Mio Strand
- 61: And he made to take his way along Mio Strand
- 62: For earthly deities made strife
- 63: But sat upon the branch of the cassia tree
- 64: So he carried his companion to the hut
- 65: Nor that he should pass the time of day
- 66: When O'Yuki was recovered of her swoon
- 67: Have you never heard the story of the Firefly Queen
- 68: Ama no Hashidate was the Floating Bridge of Heaven
- 69: There was a holy man of Kioto called Saion Zenji
- 70: Then presently Saion Zenji took a knife
- 71: To him the rat had often unburdened his mind
- 72: Rat unburdened himself of all that was in his mind
- 73: Concealed in a truck load of rice
- 74: The strongest thing in the world
- 75: He followed the Lady Izanami to the entrance of Yomi
- 76: But the Females of Yomi still pursued him
- 77: Or combed her long hair with a golden comb
- 78: The wistaria was white and purple
- 79: And she was the second loveliest lady in Sendai
- 80: These are the short roads to Yomi
- 81: And presently were borne away in kago
- 82: Konojo asked her Are you Aiyame
- 83: That you will take to wife Aiyame
- 84: How shall I find a monkey's liver
- 85: And the monkey was up in the persimmon tree in a twinkling
- 86: But she said again Urashima
- 87: Did you know a fisherman of this place called Urashima
- 88: And in time they came to Kioto and to the Mikado's Palace
- 89: Where he prepared a great feast in her honour
- 90: Then Abe Yasu performed divination
- 91: Beware the Death Stone of Nasu
- 92: So they made him the kimi dango
- 93: XXXTHE MATSUYAMA MIRROR Illustration The Matsuyama Mirror
- 94: The mother kept the mirror carefully hidden away
- 95: The younger brother was a dreamer
- 96: The dreamer saw a man who stood at his right hand
- 97: Three apes were the three messengers
- 98: After supper the sparrow danced
- 99: They brought in two wicker baskets
- 100: At bedtime O Matsu sang songs and lullabies
- 101: But O Matsu answered not a word
- 102: So Sakura ko served at feasts every night
- 103: Sakura ko shut the door in his face
- 104: Sakura ko came home at dawn from a festival in a great house
- 105: High and low the lover wandered
- 106: The old man helped with his spade
- 107: But lit a fire and burnt the mortar
- 108: Take Tori picks up the two halves
- 109: About a persimmon and gold pieces
- 110: The Mikado took the elixir of life in his hand
- 111: Now Tatewaki came to the threshold of the house
- 112: Tatewaki stood up and spoke Child
- 113: When there was a great fire in Yedo
- 114: So they made her stand upon the bridge of Nihonbashi