Hukumusume fairy tale collection > A hundred stories > December

illustrator　myi　　　blog　sorairoiro

The Gratitude of the Snow Woman

・Japanese  ・English　・Chinese

・Japanese＆English　・Japanese＆Chinese

　Once upon a time, there were a rich man’s house and a poor man’s house at the edge of a village.

　On a blizzard night,

　A beautiful lady in a white kimono knocked a door of a rich man’s house.
“Hello, I am a tourist. I get stuck with this blizzard. Would you please give me a room for tonight?”

　A rich man answered.
“Hey, it is nothing to do with me. Go away.”
　then, he shut the door.

　So, the lady reluctantly knocked a door of neighboring poor man’s house.

“Hello, I am a tourist. I get stuck with this blizzard. Would you please give me a room for tonight?”

　Then a poor farmer answered
“Come in, although there are nothing special, if you like, do not hesitate to stay here.”
　and he took her near a sunken hearth and made the fire stronger.

　His wife also said to the lady,
“It must have been cold outside. We have only this kind of food, but please take it.”
　and she gave her a rice porridge, which was for themselves.

　The lady had one bite and said,
“Thank you. I am feeling like being revived”
　and was pleased with tears.

　Moreover, the farmer and the wife gave her their bedding while they laid themselves down in straws.

　On the next morning, they got up early and cooked a delicious miso soup for the lady.
“Here, breakfast is ready.”
　When the wife came close to the bedding, somehow she could not find the lady.

“Oh, where has she gone? … What is this letter?”
　Then the wife found the letter at the side of the bedding.
　She read it and got surprised.
　It said that

“I am a snow woman and I knew my life is going to end on this winter.
　As I was given a hearty service at the end of my life, I could leave for an afterlife with a human heart.
　Thank you.
　I left my token inside my cloths, please use it.”

　Once the wife turn over the bedding immediately, there was the lady’s cloths.

　It is believed that when the wife picked up the cloths, it was very wet and there were many koban coins in it.

The End

(Click here to return)