Japanese folktales

Long, long ago, people in the ancient Japan believed that the days were ruled by the Sun Goddess , and the nights by the Moon God . One day, the Sun Goddess had a visit from her brother, the God of the Storm . He was such a rough god that, during his stay, he committed several evil acts such as trampling the Goddess's paddy fields, filling the ditches with mud, and making her palace a mess. As she loved her brother, she had endured his rough behavior over and over, and again and again. Not noticing her consideration, however, the crazy god became more radical until at last he threw a raw horse skin from the roof of the weaving room. S...

Long, long ago a strong young man lived with his parents in a mountainous village. When he was born, his parents wished that he would become the strongest man in the country, so they named him Rikitaro. (Riki means strength in Japanese.) They called him Ricky for short. Ricky grew up to be a tall strong man and helped his parents a lot, but what they worried about was that their son didn't speak a word until he reached twenty years. One day, as the young man was sitting in front of his parents, he suddenly started speaking, "Father, Mother, I desperately need an iron bar. Please have the smith make a big iron bar. It should weigh at l...

Long, long ago an old lady was preparing for dinner in her kitchen. When she put beans into a pan, one bean rolled down to a corner of the kitchen. When she put straws for burning under the pan, a wind flew one straw to the corner, near the bean. When she put charcoals on the burning straws, one charcoal rolled over to the corner, near the bean and the straw. "It's nonsense for us to be burned or eaten here. Why don't we go praying at a famous shrine?" proposed the charcoal to the others and they started their travel. Soon they came across a stream. "What shall we do?" said the charcoal. "Why don't you walk on me?" said the st...

Long, long ago there lived a mother and her son in a village. When he was 12 years old, he said to his mother. "Mom. I owe what I am to you. Now I am 15 years old, so I'll work and help you." One day he went to a mountain to gather woods instead of his mother with a lunch box made by her. He put the lunch box on a big stone and gathered woods. Soon a strange old man appeared from somewhere and began to eat it without his permission. He thought the old man was so poor and has nothing to eat. He allowed him to eat his lunch. "Old man, please help yourself to it." said the boy to the old man. "Thank you so much. I'm so hungry." said ...

This is an old story of a Mouse. Long, long ago there was a beautiful young mouse-lady in a house. The parents were always thinking like this: "We must look for the most wonderful bridegroom in the world for my daughter." One day the father said to his wife. "Mother. It is the Sun that is the most wonderful, because it shines over us and gives us light." They went to the Sun and asked him, "Mr. Sun. You are the most wonderful man in the world,aren't you? Would you mind marrying our daughter?" The Sun answered, smiling. "Well, Mr. Mouse. I am not the most wonderful in the world. It is the cloud that is the most wonderful, because I am ...