Princess Kaguya: Japanese Folk Tale

A long time ago, an older husband and wife lived on a Japanese mountain. They were poor. They did not have their own child. One day, the husband went to mountain to get firewood. This mountain had a bamboo grove. He noticed that one bamboo shoot was brightening. He went there, and he cut that bamboo. One small girl was in the bamboo. He was very surprised, the he took her out to his house. His wife was surprised too. However, she was pleased. Then, they decided they would bring up this small girl in their house. After so many years, this small girl grew up to be a very beautiful girl. This pair became rich, because they could find gold bamboo some days in the bamboo grove. People who rich man made proposals to her. She said I can marry someone if you grant my demands. Those demands were difficult, such as going to get crystal of dragon or get gold coral, and so on. However, they could not get it. Kaguya knew that they could not do it. Therefore, she asked them. Her Old parents were getting relief. The Mikada, who is king of Japan, made a proposal to her. She could not refuse his offer, so her parents were made sad. But, she said to her parents, "I have to go back to the Moon. I am an inhabitant of the moon." The parents were very surprised. They did not want to her to go back to he moon. They asked Mikada she was not went back moon. The day that she was to go back to the moon came. She said to her parents "Thank you for your kindness, and that I could be brought up by you. I will go back to the moon tonight. Tonight, the moon messenger will come here". Her parents said, "please do not go back!". However, Kaguya said "I am sorry. I can not do it". That night, her messenger came to her house, and took her in a carriage. The carriage flews in the sky. Mikado and his followers released arrows to the carriage, but the arrows could not go to the carriage. Kaguya said "thank you so much, and good bye". Mikado and her parents saw that.


Natsumi-EAP2, CESL Today v56, 2004