Japanese Fairy Tales With Original Illustrations

Japanese folklore has remained a topic of interest for people across the world. Many stories that originated from Japan have inspired horror movies, graphic novels, anime, manga, and books, often because the stories' characters make a lasting impression. An interest in Japanese culture and enthusiasm for sharing their traditions with other countries led to the publication of several books in the earlier 20th century. Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki captures the exotic flavor, traditions, and customs of this ancient land. Published in 1903 entitled the Japanese Fairy Book, the title was changed in the 1908 edition to Japanese Fairy Tales. Theodora Ozaki was the daughter of a wealthy Japanese aristocrat Baron Ozaki, the first Japanese man to study in the West, and his wife, an American schoolteacher's daughter. The couple separated after a brief marriage and Theodora lived with her father in Japan. She worked as a secretary and spent much of her spare time collecting traditional Japanese stories. She was encouraged to publish the collection by the Scottish writer Andrew Lang, who was himself an accomplished writer of children's literature. The 22 stories contained in this volume include one of the best-known Japanese tales, The Tongue-Cut Sparrow, which tells of a vengeful old woman who cruelly cuts off the tongue of her husband's talking sparrow. The charming details in this story are indeed very interesting. My Lord Bag of Rice The tongue-cut sparrow The story of Urashima Taro, the fisher lad The farmer and the badger The "shinansha," or the south pointing carriage The adventures of Kintaro, the golden boy The story of princess Hase The story of the man who did not wish to die The bamboo-cutter and the moon-child The mirror of Matsuyama The goblin of Adachigahara The sagacious monkey and the boar The happy hunter and the skillful fisher The story of the old man who made withered trees to flower The jellyfish and the monkey The quarrel of the monkey and the crab The white hare and the crocodiles The story of Prince Yamato Take Momotaro or the story of the son of a peach The ogre of Rashomon How an old man lost his wen The stones of five colors and the Empress Jokwa.