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Hello, everyone.
Well, I guess everyone except Asami. I seem to be alone today.
No matter. I think I have a plan.
Maybe we could do a little reading.
Listening? Well, I'll be reading, but you all will be listening.
I think I'm going to go ahead and read a story today.
Something new. Trying out something new.
And, hopefully, you enjoy it.
I had been trying to think of a story that might be interesting to listen to.
And I've got a few that might be holiday-themed.
Maybe from the West. Maybe ones that I know.
But I was also made aware that, of course, there are great Japanese stories as well.
And I was looking for something short.
So I went looking for short stories.
And, in this case, I came across a collection of Japanese fairy tales.
And it seems to have been compiled by Yei Theodora Ozaki.
And the copy I'm using is from Gutenberg.
So this is a public domain resource in the United States.
And because it's public domain, I'm able to do this.
Now, it does note that there are many illustrations in the book itself.
Sadly, we cannot enjoy those together.
Instead, we can only enjoy the story itself.
And, hopefully, my audio version of it.
I'm going to go ahead and just take the first story out of this Japanese fairy tales book.
And read that one.
It's titled, My Lord, Bag of Rice.
I do not know what the Japanese title is.
I sort of have left that as a surprise for me later.
But I read through this little short story.
And I certainly found it fun and a little humorous.
Although I don't think it's the same type of humor I might expect in, perhaps, a comedy.
There's something more subtle here.
And it should also be noted that in the preface to this fairy tale book,
the author mentions that the stories are, quote,
not literal translations.
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And though the Japanese story and all quaint Japanese expressions have been faithfully preserved,
they have been told more with the view to interest young readers of the West
than the technical student of folklore.
End quote.
So, there is a leaning in the way that these stories have been translated.
But, hopefully, you enjoy, maybe, a retelling of one.
Nonetheless, I don't know.
Please let us know via the No Longer Bird app or any other means.
If you are interested or knew this story.
If you enjoy this.
And maybe I'll do this at least one more time while I'm on my own,
alone here in the imagined recording studio of the podcast world.
And we'll see if anyone wants to hear more.
So, with that, I think we can begin.
So, again, this is from the Japanese Fairy Tales book collection, a compilation,
by Yei Theodora Ozaki.
And this, I think, is actually from the early 1900s.
Hence why it's in the public domain.
And the story that I will read is titled, in English,
My Lord Bag of Rice.
So, with that, let's begin.
Long, long ago, there lived, in Japan, a brave warrior,
known to all as Tawara Tora, or My Lord Bag of Rice.
His true name was Fujiwara Hidesato.
And there is a very interesting story of how he came to change his name.
One day, he sallied forth in search of adventures,
for he had the nature of a warrior and could not bear to be idle.
So, he buckled on his two swords,
took his huge bow, much taller than himself, in his hand,
and slinging his quiver on his back, started out.
He had not gone far when he came to the bridge of Setonokarashi,
spanning one end of the beautiful Lake Biwa.
No sooner had he set foot on the bridge
than he saw lying right across his path a huge serpent dragon.
Its body was so big that it looked like the trunk of a large pine tree,
and it took up the whole width of the bridge.
One of its huge claws rested on the parapet of one side of the bridge,
while its tail lay right against the other.
The monster seemed to be asleep,
and as it breathed, fire and smoke came out of its nostrils.
At first, Hidesato could not help feeling alarmed
at the sight of this horrible reptile lying in his path,
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for he must either turn back or walk right over its body.
He was a brave man, however,
and putting aside all fear, went forward dauntlessly.
Crunch, crunch, he stepped now on the dragon's body,
now between its coils, and without even one glance backward.
He went on his way.
He had only gone a few steps when he heard someone calling him from behind.
On turning back, he was much surprised
to see that the monster dragon had entirely disappeared,
and in its place was a strange-looking man
who was bowing most ceremoniously to the ground.
His red hair streamed over his shoulders
and was surmounted by a crown in the shape of a dragon's head,
and his sea-green dress was patterned with shells.
Hidesato knew at once that this was no ordinary mortal,
and he wondered much at the strange occurrence.
Where had the dragon gone in such a short space of time?
Or had it transformed itself into this man?
And what did the whole thing mean?
While these thoughts passed through his mind,
he had come up to the man on the bridge and now addressed him.
Was it you that called me just now?
Yes, it was I, answered the man.
I have an earnest request to make to you.
Do you think you can grant it to me?
If it is in my power to do so, I will, answered Hidesato.
But first, tell me who you are.
I am the Dragon King of the Lake,
and my home is in these waters just under this bridge.
And what is it you have to ask of me, said Hidesato.
I want you to kill my mortal enemy, the centipede,
who lives on the mountain beyond.
And the Dragon King pointed to a high peak on the opposite shore of the lake.
I have lived now for many years in this lake,
and I have a large family of children and grandchildren.
For some time past we have lived in terror,
for a monster centipede has discovered our home,
and night after night it comes and carries off one of my family.
I am powerless to save them.
If it goes on much longer like this, not only shall I lose all my children,
but I myself must fall a victim to the monster.
I am therefore very unhappy,
and in my extremity I determined to ask the help of a human being.
For many days with this intention I have waited on the bridge
in the shape of the horrible serpent dragon that you saw
in the hope that some strong, brave man would come along.
But all who came this way, as soon as they saw me,
were terrified and ran away as fast as they could.
You were the first man I have found able to look at me without fear,
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so I knew at once that you were a man of great courage.
I beg you to have pity upon me.
Will you not help me and kill my enemy, the centipede?
Hidesato felt very sorry for the dragon king on hearing his story,
and readily promised to do what he could to help him.
The warrior asked where the centipede lived
so that he might attack the creature at once.
The dragon king replied that its home was on the mountain Mikami,
but that as it came every night at a certain hour to the palace of the lake,
it would be better to wait till then.
So Hidesato was conducted to the palace of the dragon king, under the bridge.
Strange to say, as he followed his host downwards,
the waters parted to let them pass,
and his clothes did not even feel damp as he passed through the flood.
Never had Hidesato seen anything so beautiful as this palace,
built of white marble beneath the lake.
He had often heard of the sea king's palace at the bottom of the sea,
where all the servants and retainers were saltwater fishes.
But here was a magnificent building in the heart of Lake Biwa.
The dainty goldfishes, red carp, and silvery trout
waited upon the dragon king and his guests.
Hidesato was astonished at the feast that was spread for him.
The dishes were crystallized lotus leaves and flowers,
and the chopsticks were one of the rarest ebony.
As soon as they sat down, the sliding doors opened
and ten lovely goldfish dancers came out,
and behind them followed ten red carp musicians
with the koto and the samisen.
Thus the hours flew by till midnight,
and the beautiful music and dancing had banished all thoughts of the centipede.
The dragon king was about to pledge the warrior in a fresh cup of wine
when the palace was suddenly shaken by a tramp, tramp,
as if a mighty army had begun to march not far away.
Hidesato and his host both rose to their feet and rushed to the balcony,
and the warrior saw on the opposite mountain
two great balls of glowing fire coming nearer and nearer.
The dragon king stood by the warrior's side, trembling with fear.
The centipede! The centipede!
Those two balls of fire are its eyes.
It is coming for its prey.
Now is the time to kill it!
Hidesato looked where his host pointed,
and in the dim light of the starlit evening,
behind the two balls of fire,
the warrior saw the long body of an enormous centipede
winding round the mountains,
and the light in its hundred feet glowed like so many distant lanterns
moving slowly towards the shore.
Hidesato showed not the least sign of fear.
He tried to calm the dragon king.
Don't be afraid. I shall surely kill the centipede.
Just bring me my bow and arrows.
The dragon king did as he was bid,
and the warrior noticed that he had only three arrows left in his quiver.
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He took the bow, and, fitting an arrow to the notch,
took careful aim and let fly.
The arrow hit the centipede right in the middle of its head,
but instead of penetrating it,
glanced off, harmless, and fell to the ground.
Nothing daunted. Hidesato took another arrow,
fitted it to the notch of the bow, and let fly.
Again, the arrow hit the mark.
It struck the centipede right in the middle of its head,
only to glance off and fall to the ground.
The centipede was invulnerable to weapons.
When the dragon king saw that even this brave warrior's arrows
were powerless to kill the centipede,
he lost heart and began to tremble with fear.
The warrior saw that he had now only one arrow left in his quiver,
and if this one failed, he could not kill the centipede.
He looked across the waters.
The huge reptile had wound its horrid body seven times round the mountain
and would soon come down to the lake.
Nearer and nearer gleamed the fireballs of eyes,
and the light of its hundred feet began to throw reflections
in the still waters of the lake.
Then, suddenly, the warrior remembered that he had heard
that human saliva was deadly to centipedes.
But this was no ordinary centipede.
This was so monstrous that even to think of such a creature
made one creep with horror.
Iresato determined to try his last chance.
So, taking his last arrow and first putting the end of it in his mouth,
he fitted the notch to his bow, took careful aim once more, and let fly.
This time, the arrow again hit the centipede right in the middle of its head,
but instead of glancing off harmlessly as before,
it struck home to the creature's brain.
Then, with a convulsive shudder, the serpentine body stopped moving,
and the fiery light of its great eyes and hundred feet darkened to a dull glare
like the sunset of a stormy day, and then went out in blackness.
A great darkness now overspread the heavens.
The thunder rolled, and the lightning flashed, and the wind roared in fury,
and it seemed as if the world were coming to an end.
The Dragon King and his children and retainers all crouched in different parts of the palace,
frightened to death, for the building was shaken to its foundation.
At last, though, the dreadful night was over.
Day dawned beautiful and clear.
The centipede was gone from the mountain.
Then Hidesato called to the Dragon King to come out with him on the balcony,
for the centipede was dead, and he had nothing more to fear.
Then all the inhabitants of the palace came out with joy,
and Hidesato pointed to the lake.
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There lay the body of the dead centipede floating on the water,
which was dyed red with its blood.
The gratitude of the Dragon King knew no bounds.
The whole family came and bowed down before the warrior,
calling him their preserver and the bravest warrior in all Japan.
Another feast was prepared, more sumptuous than the first.
All kinds of fish, prepared in every imaginable way,
raw, stewed, boiled, and roasted,
served on coral trays and crystal dishes, were put before him,
and the wine was the best that Hidesato had ever tasted in his life.
To add to the beauty of everything, the sun shone brightly,
the lake glittered like a liquid diamond,
and the palace was a thousand times more beautiful by day than by night.
His hosts tried to persuade the warrior to stay a few days,
but Hidesato insisted on going home,
saying that he had now finished what he had come to do and must return.
The Dragon King and his family were all very sorry to have him leave so soon,
but since he would go they begged him to accept a few small presents,
so they said, in token of their gratitude to him
for delivering them forever from their horrible enemy of the centipede.
As the warrior stood on the porch taking leave,
a train of fish was suddenly transformed into a retinue of men,
all wearing ceremonial robes and dragon's crowns on their heads
to show that they were servants of the great Dragon King.
The presents that they carried were as follows.
First, a large bronze bell.
Second, a bag of rice.
Third, a roll of silk.
Fourth, a cooking pot.
Fifth, a bell.
Hidesato did not want to accept all these presents,
but as the Dragon King insisted, he could not well refuse.
The Dragon King himself accompanied the warrior as far as the bridge
and then took leave of him with many bows and good wishes,
leaving the procession of servants to accompany Hidesato to his house with the presents.
The warrior's household and servants had been very much concerned
when they found that he did not return the night before,
but they finally concluded that he had been kept by the violent storm
and had taken shelter somewhere.
When the servants on the watch for his return caught sight of him,
they called to everyone that he was approaching,
and the whole household turned out to meet him,
wondering much what the retinue of men
bearing presents and banners that followed him could mean.
As soon as the Dragon King's retainers had put down the presents, they vanished,
and Hidesato told all that had happened to him.
The presents which he had received from the grateful Dragon King
were found to be of magic power.
The bell was only ordinary, and as Hidesato had no use for it,
he presented it to the temple nearby, where it was hung up,
to boom out the hour of day over the surrounding neighborhood.
The single bag of rice, however much was taken from it day after day
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for the meals of the knight and his whole family, never grew less.
The supply in the bag was inexhaustible.
The roll of silk, too, never grew shorter,
though time after time long pieces were cut off
to make the warrior a new suit of clothes to go to court in at the new year.
The cooking pot was wonderful, too.
No matter what was put into it, it cooked deliciously,
whatever was wanted, without any firing.
Truly a very economical saucepan.
The fame of Hidesato's fortune spread far and wide,
and as there was no need for him to spend money on rice or silk or firing,
he became very rich and prosperous,
and was henceforth known as My Lord Bag of Rice.
Now, I admit, I hope everyone enjoyed that reading.
I admit, when I first scanned through it,
I found it humorous because it seemed odd to me
to name the character or title the character
My Lord Bag of Rice,
and I think there's something definitely lost in translation here.
So at some point, I should go ahead and look that up.
Or maybe I'll see an explanation
when I look at some of the responses to this little podcast bit.
I hope that there was some enjoyment listening to this story.
I've certainly got some other notes as well.
I feel like I'm wondering if my copy is perhaps the best one.
I feel like out of all the presents that were listed,
there were two bells, but we only ever noted what happened to one of them.
So I'm not really sure if something is amiss here,
or maybe I'm also missing something again in translation.
And yeah, I found this curious.
It's certainly different in style
than I tend to see short stories that perhaps I read more regularly.
But of course, this is both rather old
as well as having a particular spin based on the translators.
And on top of that, different culturally, right?
So I hope that there was something you could connect with.
Maybe you've heard this story before.
If you haven't, maybe you know of it now.
And with that, I think I'll close out this first reading session.
So take care, everyone.
Maybe I'll see you back one more time
before both Asami and I are back into the imagined recording studio.
And until then, take care.
That's it for the show today.
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Thanks for listening and find us on X at Eigo de Science.
That is E-I-G-O-D-E-S-C-I-E-N-C-E.
See you next time!
