Japanese Fairy Tale Series No. 1

^x

1

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Published by T. 17

Kami

HASEGAWA, Negishi, Tokyo, Japan.

MOMOTARO urns

A

long long time ago lived

old woman.

went

w$u0.

there

an old man and an

One day

the old

man

to the mountains to cut grass;

and the old woman went river to

wash

clothes.

to the

While she

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was washing a great big thing

came

tumbling

down

the stream.

woman saw

it

and

splashing

When

the old

she was very glad,

and pulled

it

to her with a piece

of bamboo that lay near by.

When

she

took

'

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vS7u&*< ''jfeWl;

it

up

and

looked at

a

very

it

she saw that

large

peach.

it

She

was then

and quickly finished her washing returned home intending to give

man

the peach to her old

When

to eat.

she cut the peach in two,

out came a child from the large kernel. Seeing this the old couple rejoiced,

and named

Momotaro, or

Little

the

child

Peachling,

because he came out of a peach.

As both

the

old

people

took

good care of him, he grew and

became strong and

enterprising.

So the old

couple

had

their

'

expectations raised, and bestowed still

more care on

his education.

**

""-H~-r"..~.

"

:",.

-

Momotaro

he

that

finding

I

excelled every body in strength ,

.

determined to cross over to the island

of the

riches,

and come back,

devils,

take

their

He

at

once consulted with the old

man

woman about

the

and

the

matter,

old

and got them

him some dumplings.

to

make

These he

put in his pouch. Besides this he

made every kind of preparation for his

journey to the island

of

the devils and set out.

Then the

side

first

a

of the

"Momotaro!

dog came

way and

What

to

said;

have

there hanging at your belt!"

you

He

replied: "I

have some of the very

best Japanese millet dumplings."

"Give

me

one and I will go with

you," said the dog. So

Momotaro

took a dumpling out of his pouch

and gave a

it

Then

to the dog.

monkey came and got one

A

same way. flying

and

dumpling

pheasant also came

said:

too,

the

"Give

and

along with you." So

I

all

me

a

will

go

three

went

along with him. In no time they arrived at the island of the devils,

and

at

once broke

through the

front gate; his

met

Momotaro

three followers.

a

great

Here they

multitude

devil's retainers

but they pressed

of

who showed still

then

first;

the

fight,

inwards, and

1)

encountered the chief of

at last

the devils, called Akandoji.

came the tug of war.

made club,

at

Then

Akandoji

Momotaro with an iron

but Momotaro was ready for

him, and dodged him adroitly.

At

last

they grappled each other,

and without just crushed tied

difficulty

Momotaro

down Akandoji and

him with a rope

so tight that

he could not even move. All

was done

this

in a fair fight.

After this Akandoji the chief of

the

devils

said

he

would

surrender

all

his riches.

"Out with

your riches then;" said Momotaro

Having

laughing.

collected

ranged in order a great precious things,

them, and rejoicing,

and

pile

of

Momotaro took

set out for his

home,

as he marched bravely

back, that, with the help of his three

companions,

!

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to

whom

he attributed

all

he had been able so

success,

liis

easily

to accomplish his end.

Great was the joy of the old

man and

the

Momotaro came

woman

old

back.

He

-when feasted

every body bountifully, told

many

stories of his adventure, displayed

his riches,

and

leading man, a

at

last

man

became a

of influence,

very rich and honorable; a to

be

indeed

very !

!

man

much congratulated

JAPANESE FAIRY TALE SERIES. 1.

2. 3.

4. 5.

Momotaro or Little Peachling. The Tongue Cut Sparrow. The Battle of the Monkey and the Crab. The Old Man who made the Dead Trees Blossom. Kachi-Kachi Mountain.

7.

The Mouses' Wedding. The Old Man and the Devils.

8.

Urashima, the Fisher-boy.

6.

14.

The Eight- Headed Serpent The Matsuyama Mirror. The Hare of Inaba. The Cub's Triumph. The Silly Jelly-Fish. The Princes Fire-Flash and Fire-Fade

15.

My

9.

10. 11. 12.

13.

1 6.

Lord Rag-o'-Rice. The Wonderful Tea-Kettie.

17.

Schippeitaro.

The Ogre's Arm, The Ogres of Oyeyama. 20. The Enchanted Waterfall. 2nd Series No. i. The Goblin-Spider. 9 9 2. The Wonderful Mallet. 1 f * The Broken Images. 3. 1 8.

19.

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