Hukumusume fairy tale collection > Hundred stories > April


illustrator　「AI YUMEMIYA」　　SNS　「夢見る小さな部屋」

Monster Cat living in Mount Nekodake

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・Japanese&English  ・Japanese&Chinese

　Once upon a time, Gosuke, a travelling merchant, came on business to Mount Aso in Kyushu.

　Gosuke did not realize he took the wrong way until he came around to a rocky area.

“Oh, what can I do. I am really lost now.”
　Gosuke was wondering what he could do. It was when he heard
“Mew.”
　A cat was mewing somewhere.

“Oh?
　Why is a cat mewing in the middle of mountains like this?

　… Come to think of it, I heard once that the Monster Cat Master lives round here, in the mountain called “Mt. Nekodake.

　… If I get caught, I will be in trouble.”

　Gosuke tried to move away from the area. He hurried away without knowing where to go.
　Then, he saw something like a house with light on, deep into the mountain.

“Thank god. I will ask them to let me stay overnight.”
　When he came toward the light, he saw a luxury mansion.

　Excuse me, I am a traveler. Would you be so kind as to let me stay over tonight?
　Gosuke talked toward the gate when a beautiful lady came out of the mansion.

“Why don’t you come in.”

　The lady led him through to the guest room.
“What a relief. I will not have to stay all night out there. What a luxury mansion, though.”

　Gosuke put his travel bag on the floor to have a rest. Then, the beautiful lady came talk to him.

“Your bath is ready.
　The bathroom is at the end of the corridor.
　While you are having a bath, we will get your dinner ready.”
“That’s great. The bath is ready.”

　When Gosuke was on his way to the bathroom, he walked past a woman. She looked very surprised and said to him,

“Gosuke, is that you?”
　She knew his name – Gosuke was surprised too.
“Sure, I am Gosuke, but have I met you somewhere?”
　The woman whispered to Gosuke’s ear.
“No humans should be here. You have to run now, or you will turn into a cat.”
“What? Who are you?”

“I am a tortoiseshell and I used to live near your home.”
　You were very good to me, Gosuke.”

“I got old so I now serve the Monster Cat Master here in Mount Nekodake.”
　Hearing her story, Gosuke remembered the tortoiseshell.
“Oh, yeah. You are that tortoiseshell. You disappeared out of the blue so I was worried about you.”

“Do not waste your time. Run now.”

　The tortoiseshell woman told Gosuke the way to the backdoor. He ran for his life.
　Before long …

“You wait!”
　Women having bathroom ladles in hands were running after Gosuke.

　The women were trying, one after another, to pour hot water in the ladle over Gosuke.
　Splash!

　The hot water wetted his foot a bit.

　Gosuke climbed down the mountain just like rolling down the hill. He eventually ran to a town.

　Gosuke got into an inn in the town and checked on his foot wetted by the hot water. He found cat hair coming out of the wetted part.

“If I had taken a bath at the time, I would have turned into a cat by now …”

　Ever since, Gosuke never came near Mount Nekodake again.

The End

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