MomotarouMomotarou, the Peach Boy

--

Long, long ago, in some place there was an old man and and old woman.

When the old man went to the mountain to cut trees,

the old woman went out to the river to wash clothes.

"Old man, come back quickly."

"Old woman you also be careful please."

Each day they gently say to each other and go out.

--

= wash clothes = dialect for = return, come back = dialect of command form of = dialect, meaning "please" = gentle = from to say = say to each other

--

It happened one day, while the old woman was washing clothes at the river,

tsunburako tsunburako a peach floated up.

She picked it up and ate it and,

it was so delicious as if to make her cheeks fall.

She though she also wanted to make her husband eat one, and

"Sweet peach come here.

Bitter peach go away."

she said, and

donburako donburako a huge peach floated up.

The old woman was happy, and took the peach home.

--

= flow, stream, run = pick up, find, take = how! = cheek = fall, drop = huge, big

--

In the evening the old man returned from the mountain.

"Husband, husband, please eat the sweet peach I picked up."

When the old woman tried to cut,

the peach split jyaku,

hogyaa hogyaa a baby boy jumped out.

--

= evening = eat = cut = break, be divided = sound of newborn baby = baby = fly out, run out

--

"This is startling."

"What a lively baby!"

Together they hurriedly boiled water and looked for a kimono and so on.

--

= = for old people = be startled = for old people = what! = hot water = boil

--

Together they gave the name Momotarou to this child, and

brought him up with so much care.

If Momotarou ate one cup of rice he grew one cup,

if he ate two cups he grew two cups and

quickly became large, and

came to be very powerful.

Whatever they teach him he learns quickly, and

from house work to mountain work he helped them.

"It is rare that there is a child like this."

The old man and the old woman loved Momotarou more and more.

--

= a serious matter = bring up = rice = rapidly, fast, by leaps and bounds = teach = remember = help = somebody do for somebody ~ = rare, seldom = more and more = love

--

But, at that time,

devils often approached the village and

were doing bad things.

"Ok, I'll get rid of (the devils)."

That day, Momotarou sat with both hands on the floor in front of the old man and old woman and said,

"I am going to Devil's Island to get rid of the devil, so

please make Japan's best millet dumplings for me."

"What did you say?

However strong your power, you can not defeat the enemy."

They were surprised and stopped him, but

Momotarou did not accept.

--

= but = at that time = plural, like = often = ok = get rid of = like = both hands = put on = strong = you = can win = enemy = stop = accept

--

"If so, it is no use (stopping you)".

The old woman made Japan's best millet dumplings for him, which if he eats, will give him the power of 100 persons.

The old man got out a new kimono, and

also made a flag for him.

Like a strong man he tied his headband,

when he put the sword at his waist,

he became like a strong young man.

--

= dialect for = if so = it is no use ~ing = take out (of) = flag = masculine (adverb) = head band = tie = waist = put in

--

"If you are defeated, we will not forgive you."

"Try hard and come back."

The old man and old woman held back tears and said

"Then, I will go."

Momotarou stretched his breast with confidence, and bit his lip (with a jerk).

--

= be defeated, lose = accept = man's dialect version of = try hard = bear, stand = go (polite form) = breast = stretch one's breast (with confidence) = stretch = with a jerk = bite

--

When he came to the outskirts of town a dog came.

"Mr. Momotarou, Mr. Momotarou, where are you going?"

"To devil's island to get rid of the devil."

"What is that thing at your waist?"

"Japan's best millet dumplings."

"So please give me one, and I will be your attendant."

"Ok, I will give you. Come along with me."

--

= outskirts (of town) = an attendant = follow = command to come = follow, come along with ~ = polite endings

--

They went to the mountain and a monkey came.

"Mr. Momotarou, Mr. Momotarou, where are you going."

"To devil's island to get rid of the devil."

"What is that thing you have at your waist?"

"Japan's best millet dumplings."

"So please give me one, and I will be your attendant."

Ok, I will give you. Come along with me."

--

--

They went deep inside the mountain and a pheasant came flying.

"Mr. Momotarou, Mr. Momotarou, where are you going."

"To devil's island to get rid of the devil."

"What is that thing you have at your waist?"

"Japan's best millet dumplings."

"So please give me one, and I will be your attendant."

Ok, I will give you. Come along with me."

--

--

Momotarou took the dog and monkey and pheasant along with him,

finally they departed for Devil's island.

They went over the mountains, and over the valleys,

and came out to the sea, and

there was a devil's boat.

They boarded the boat.

The boat went ahead strongly kicking up waves.

"I see Devil's Island."

The pheasant cried out.

--

= take along with = departure = board = kick up = strongly, vigorously, on and on = go ahead = cry (out), shout

--

On Devil's Island there was a big gate standing.

"Please."

Momotarou knocked at the gate.

But, there was no reply.

Then the monkey climbed up the gate, and

from within he unlocked the key.

--

= ask = strike, hit, knock = reply response = climb (up) = take off

--

"I am Japan's number one Momotarou.

Devils make yourselves ready."

Momotarou pulled out his sword and jumped in.

"What a shameless boy!"

The devils raised their iron rods, and

attacked Momotarou.

The pheasant pecked with his beak,

the monkey scratched with his nails,

The dog bit.

Momotarou continued cutting.

Because he ate millet dumplings he had the power of one hundred people.

--

= plural = readiness, (a) resolution = be ready (for), make up one's mind = jump into = pull out = shameless = boy = iron rod = wave = lift up = swing up = attack assault = peck, poke = nails = scratch = bite = cut = continue cutting = because

--

Finally not one devil remained unbeaten.

"I am beaten. Please spare only my life."

The boss devil put both hands on the ground and apologized.

"I will not do bad things again.

I will hand over all the treasure so please pardon us.

"Ok, if so I will spare you."

--

= finally, at last = remain = beat, attack = be beaten = only = help = boss (mafia) = both hands = put on = apologize = give, hand over = forgive, pardon

--

Momotarou loaded the treasure on the cart and

with difficulty went back to the village.

"As expected our Momotarou is Japan's best."

When the old man and old woman said that

the people of the village clapped their hands, and also

said "Japan's number one Momotarou."

Momotarou also divide the treasure among the people of the village, and

With the old man and old woman, as three,

they lived happily for ever after.

--

= pile up, load = say to encourage yourself = clap = divide, share

--

Listen, you should also eat well and become like Momotarou.

--

= listen = hard, tight(ly), firm(ly) = rice = to express one's feeling or thought

SarukaniThe Monkey and the Crab

--

Long ago, at the foot of some mountain, there was one crab.

It happened on a comfortably warm spring day.

A crab was walking liesurely along a nearby river.

And then, although we don't know who dropped it,

in the grass there was a big rice ball

(rolling sound), which had been dropped.

"This, what a good thing I found."

--

= foot (of mountain) = comfortably warm = on = relaxed = leave, drop, forget = the bush, the grass, a thicket = rice ball = a sound = drop, fall = find

--

Then, a monkey approached.

When the greedy monkey saw the rice ball, he came to want it.

"Ms. crab. The persimmon seed that I picked up is better than the rice ball.

When you eat the rice ball it completely disappears but,

if you put the persimmon seed in the ground and grow it, then

it comes to have as much delicious fruit as you like,

and you can eat them."

On hearing the moneky's story, "indeed" the crab thought.

Then, she exchanged the rice ball for the persimmon seed, and,

returned home and put it in the ground. -- = a glutton, greedy pig = I (me), used by males = pick up = a persimmon = seed = use to compare, to refer to one thing = not exist, a form of = disappear, cease to exist = though (to connect two phrases) = earth, soil = put ~ in the ground = bring up, raise = as much as = fruit = hear, listen = I see, indeed = change, exchange

--

"Bud quickly persimmon seed

if you don't I will dig you out with my pinchers"

while singing the song the crab,

busily gave water and fertilizer.

"I can't stand to be dug out." (seed's perspective)

The persimmon seed, sprouted a small bud.

"Persimmon seedling quickly become a tree

if you don't become, I will chop off with my pinchers"

the crab sang when she saw the bud sprout.

"I can't stand to be cut." (persimmon's perspective)

The persimmon seedling, quickly became a big tree.

--

= bud = take out (of) = negation of = pinchers = dig = hard, busily = manure, fertilizer = to give = I can't stand = seedling, a young plant = dismiss, chop off = cut, chop = fast, quickly

--

"Quickly make fruit, make them red, if you don't make, I will chop your trunk" the crab sang again, then

the persimmon tree made a lot of red fruit.

--

= the root, the base = chop

--

The crab very happily tried to take and eat the fruit, but she could not climb the tree.

Then, the monkey approached.

"This is wonderful. I see it bore a lot.

Let's see, I think I will eat."

The monkey easily climbed the tree, and

(sound of devouring) began eating the delicious ripe persimmon fruit.

"Mr. monkey. Please don't feed only youself,

please pick some for me to."

Waving his pinchers the crab said, and

"Hmmm noisy. Then eat just this."

said that (the monkey), and

threw a still hard green (blue) persimmon fruit at the crab.

--

= take ~ = to try to ~ = wonderful, beautiful = grow, bear = let's see = smoothly, easily = ripen = sound of devouring = only, just, exclusively, always = wave = waving = noisy = = if so, then = = eat (impolite) = hard = throw at

--

(sound of crab being smashed by the fruit).

The hard persimmon fruit, hit the back, and

the poor crab was smashed.

Then, tens of little baby crabs were born from the dead crab's belly, and came out with a rustling sound.

--

= hit = crushed, smashed = finish, put away (used for bad results) = rustle

--

"Mother died!" (babies said)

"Mother was killed by the monkey!"

The baby crabs were crying, with their pinchers raised, and shedding tears.

--

= kill = raise = way of raising = tears = shed (tears) = cry

--

"What happened? What happened? Why are you crying?"

Buzz, the big wasp came flying and asked. "The mother was killed by the monkey!"

The baby crabs said, and next,

"What happened? What happened? Why are you crying?"

(rolling sound) a chestnut came rolling and said.

--

= what happened = sound of flying (wasp) = bee or wasp = fly = ask = sound of something light rolling = chestnut = roll

--

"That monkey is sly, and is always doing mischief.

Shouldn't we do something?"

Said the chestnut, and,

(sound of hitting soft thing) a cow dropping approached.

"If you punish the monkey, I also want to help!"

"Alright! Let's all go to the monkey's house."

The wasp and chestnut and cow dropping, shouted together, and,

(sound of heavy thing hitting something) and the ground trembled, and

a big stone mortar approached.

"Please let me join in."

The stone mortar said in a big voice.

--

= cunning, sly = mischief = always = somehow, manage to is from = sound of hitting soft thing = give ~ a lesson, punish = sound of very heavy thing hitting something = the ground = tremble = big stone mortar = stone = mortar = company, join in = admit, let in ~ = to ask (a favor)

--

The baby crabs made a kashakasha sound with their pinchers, and went forward.

After them, the chestnut and stone mortar followed.

--

= sound of something hard or dry, but light, hitting together = make sound with something = go forward, advance

--

The cow dropping walked making a pettan pettara sound.

The wasp flew bunbun above everybody, and left for the monkey's house.

--

= leave for

--

"The monkey's not home. He is out.

Only a fire is burning torotoro in the fireplace inside the house."

Said the wasp who went to scout and returned, while everyone hid themselves and waited in the grass,

"Good!

Then everyone hide themselves in the house, and wait for the monkey to return."

The big stone mortar made the strategy.

--

= absence, be out, be not in = a fireplace = sound of small slow fire = burn = hide (oneself) = situation = scouting, or, wait and see = return = good! = tactics, strategy = make

--

The chestnut dove into the ash in the fireplace.

The wasp hid inside of the miso tub.

The baby crabs zorozoro entered into the earthenware water pot.

The cow dropping laid down petan in the exit of the house.

Finally the stone mortar, "yoikorasho" climbed up on top of the ceiling beam.

--

= ash = dive = soybean paste = a tub, a pail = a jar, an earthenware pot, a jug = in great numbers, sound of large numbers of something moving = lie down = sound old people say when standing up = ceiling = beam = climb up

......

--

"Ooo, suddenly it is getting cold."

The monkey came back when it became early evening.

His rear was cold so, he stirred the fire in the fireplace, and and warmed his rear.

At that time.

Papaaan!

The chestnut popped and jumped at the moneky's rear.

...... "Achi, Achichichichi..."

The monkey jumped up and, in order to apply miso which is effective for the burn,

quickly opened the lid of the tub containing the miso.

--

= suddenly = early evening (5-7 pm) = becasue, so = stir, churn = broil, toast, warm, dry = pop = jump at = jump up = burn = effective = paint, apply = lid

......

--

Then, the wasp hidden in the tub came flying, pusu (sound of a needle prick)!

and stung the monkey's forehead with his stinger.

...... "Aitatata..."

--

= then = needle, stinger = forehead = sting

--

While holding his forehead and rear, in order to cool himself with water, he opened the lid of the water jar.

"The enemy of my mother. Let's go!"

Next the baby crabs raised their waving pinchers, and jumped at the monkey's body.

--

= press, hold, press down = cool (something down) = an enemy

--

"What are you doing. What are you doing!"

The monkey tried to shake off the baby crabs.

But, the baby crabs wouldn't come off.

Everywhere, they pinched the monkey's body with their pinchers.

"It hurts. It hurts. Please help!!"

The monkey ran around giving a cry.

--

= shake off = part (from), leave = everywhere (regardless of where) = pinch = crying voice = run away, escape = go around

...... ......

--

Finally he shook off the baby crabs, and

the monkey tried to go out of the house, as if rolling.

But, at the exit, he stepped on the cow dropping, tsururin (sound slipping on smooth surface), he slipped and fell down on his back.

...... "Itata, itata...

...... What is going on in my house!"

--

= finally, with a big effort = roll = just like = to try to do (the verb) = but = step on = slip = fall down on one's back

--

"Such a greedy monkey. I would not let you go."

And last, from on the ceiling beam, the heavy stone mortar, came jumping down with force, which the monkey could not bear.

"Uuunn."

With eyes peeled open the monkey was flattened.

He was extended like a rice cracker.

Here the Sarukani story ends.

--

= greedy = let go, set free, release = powerfully = jump down = unbearable = open (eye) = while = be flat = rice cracker = extend

ShitakirisuzumeThe Sparrows' Inn

--

Very long ago, in some place there was an old man and an old woman.

Every day the old man goes out to the mountain to cut firewood.

One day,

the old man left his lunch hanging on a tree, and

chunchun a sparrow approached.

"Oh, it is a delicious looking meal."

The sparrow secretly dove into the lunch bag.

--

= brushwood, firewood = cut firewood = hang something on something = to leave something, in some state = a sparrow = oh, oh dear, well = (adjective) looking delicious = a dish, a dinner = a package = secretly, in secret = to dive into

--

"Yare, yare, I'm hungry." (the old man said)

The old man stopped working,

he tried to take the lunch bag, and (found)

the sparrow sleeping with its head stuck out of the lunch bag.

"Yoshi, yoshi, I also feed you."

--

= thank heaven!, well, good grief = stomach = decrease = take verb + + = to try to do verb = sound describing a state in which a small thing is doing something = head = take out (of) = sleep = sound we make when we talk to babies = you = feed, support = do ~, help, ~ for a person

--

Do you know what happened when the old man opened the bag?

The sparrow had already made a hearty meal of the lunch, and was fat as a ball.

--

= open = to one's fill, take a hearty meal = sound for the way a ball rolls = already

--

The old man took the sparrow back home.

The sparrow was quite cute, and

chirp chirp, it never left the old man's side.

--

= take, take along = (adverb) quite = sound made by a little bird = compressed form of = by, beside, near = leave

--

The old man named this sparrow Ochon, and

raised her with great care.

--

= Ochon, proper name = give a name = (adverb) emphasizes meaning, like "very", "quite" = important, valuable, a serious matter, = raise (children)

......

--

It was a day of good weather.

The old woman was cooking starch, gutsugutsu, on the fireplace.

"Old man, please go quickly to work."

...... "But, Ochon is so cute..."

The old man picked Ochon up in his hand and did not part from her.

"Crap!, you only love the sparrow."

the old woman said angrily.

So the old man reluctantly parted with Ochon and

went out to the mountain to work.

--

= fireplace (in center of room) = sound of boiling = starch = cook, boil = short for fast, quickly = go = makes the verb a command, from lower rank person = old fashioned form of = pick up, give a ride = part = only = love = reluctantly

--

"Ochon, watch the starch closely so that the cat doesn't eat it."

The old woman went to the river to wash clothes.

The starch cooled down nicely, and looked quite delicious.

Ochon could no longer resist and ate the starch.

--

= eat (impolite) = = is not eaten by = so that (refers to thing before) = hard, tight(ly), firm(ly) = to watch something = a command (from above) = a way, fashion, manner = cool down = (adverb) makes meaning strong, quite = look delicious = can not do

--

The old woman came back, and

there was no starch in the pot.

"Ochon, what happened to the starch."

"The cat ate it."

The old woman looked at the cat's mouth and did not see any starch there.

But on Ochon's mouth there was a lot of starch.

Ochon hurriedly licked, but it was too late.

"You ungrateful thing!"

The old woman was angry and

she cut Ochon's tongue with scissors, and

drove her outside.

--

= a pot, a pan = stick (to) = but = hurry = lick = too late = ingratitude noun + = using the noun to blame somebody = cut (child's word) = outside = dive (something) out

......

--

The old man wanted to see Ochon and

when the work finished he hurried back.

But Ochon's figure was not there.

"Old woman, what happened to Ochon."

"She ate the starch, so

I cut her tongue and did the favor of driving her out."

"What!

...... Such a cruel thing..."

--

= want to meet ... and = finish = hurriedly, quickly = but = a figure, appearance = adds meaning of doing a favor

--

The old man poroporo shed tears.

For a while he was looking miserable, but

when he thought of Ochon he was not able to be still.

"I am going to search for Ochon."

--

= sound of tiny things dropping (tears) = shed, spill = lonesomely, looking miserable = still, patiently

--

Sparrow Ochon which way did you go?

Cut tongue sparrow which way did you go?

While calling with a trembling voice

the old man went walking sadly.

And then a cow washer was washing a cow in the river.

"Mr. cow washer, Mr. cow washer, haven't you seen cut tongue sparrow?"

"I saw I saw.

But,

unless you drink three buckets of water used to wash the cow

I won't tell you."

The old man patiently drank that water.

"Then you had better ask the horse washer over there."

--

= cry = (adjective) about to cry = call = while = a way of walking, slow, sad, depressed = to wash = but (country style) = (country style) = unless you drink = over there (nearby) ~ = had better ~ (country way is usual way is )

--

He went for a while and,

a horse washer was washing a horse in the river.

"Mr. horse washer, Mr. horse washer, haven't you seen cut tongue sparrow?"

"I saw I saw.

But, unless you drink three buckets of water used to wash the horse

I won't tell you."

The old man patiently drank that water.

"Then you had better ask the greens washer over there."

--

= greens (vegetables)

--

Once again he went for a while, and

The greens washer was washing Japanese raddish in the river.

"Mr. greens washer, Mr. greens washer, haven't you seen cut tongue sparrow?"

"I saw I saw.

But, unless you drink three buckets of water used to wash the raddish

I won't tell you."

The old man patiently drank that water.

"Then you had better go to the bamboo grove over there."

--

= once again = bamboo grove

--

Cut tongue sparrow which way did you go?

Sparrow Ochon which way did you go?

The old man entered into the bamboo grove, and

From a hole in one thick bamboo

there was a sparrow's voice.

"Old man, or old woman?"

"This is old man this is old man."

"Then please enter without delay."

The old man peeped into the hole in the bamboo, and

In a moment his surroundings became dark, and

he lost consciousness

--

= quickly, hurriedly (informal or dialect for ) = look into, peep in = in a moment = surroundings = dark = consciousness becomes distant

--

Ha! he regained consciousness, and

the old man was sitting in a magnificent drawing room.

"Old man, welcome."

Sparrows wearing pretty kimonos were

carrying delicious food and singing songs.

The old man forgot the passing of time and was charmed.

--

= sound of waking up = regain consciousness = a room floored with tatami mats, drawing room = sit = be charmed = to pass (for time)

--

When the old man was about to return,

the sparrows brought two wicker baskets.

"Old man, this is a gift.

Which to you want, the heavy basket or the light basket?"

"I am old so the light one is good."

--

verb = to try to ... verb, to be about to ... verb = a wicker basket

--

The old man returned home and opened the basket,

and guess what happened.

It was full of large and small gold coins.

"Wow, old man, where did you get it."

"I received it from the sparrows."

The old man told the old woman today's story in detail.

Immediately, the old woman said,

"What a fool you are.

Why didn't you bring the heavy basket.

Alright, I am going."

--

= tightly, fully = in detail

--

Cut tongue sparrow which way did you go?

Sparrow Ochon which way did you go?

The old woman shouted and

from the hole in the bambu there were sparrows voices.

"Old man, or old woman?"

"This is old woman this is old woman."

"Then please enter without delay."

--

= to make a loud voice

--

She regained consciousness and

without knowing when it happened the old woman was sitting in a drawing room.

And then sparrows wearing kimonos

brought tea in a chipped cup.

"I don't want such a thing as tea.

Give me the wicker basket right away."

The old woman put the heavy basket on her back and

quickly left.

--

= without her knowing when it happened = broken, chipped = break off, be chipped = bowl, cup = anything like = put on your back (and carry) = quickly

--

But the basket was heavy and the old woman staggered over there, and staggered over here.

Finally, she came out of the bambu grove and she couldn't walk even one step more.

"While taking a rest around here shall I try and peek in?"

The old woman took off the basket, and quietly opened the lid.

"Gyaaa!"

--

= but = stagger = finally, at last = bambu grove = around here = surroundings = for a short while = peek into, look into = take off = quietly = lid

--

The old woman jumped up.

Surprisingly from within the basket

one after another snakes and centipedes and other things came out

and bit and stung the old woman to death.

--

= surprisingly = snake = centipede = one after another = = kill

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