Hukumusume fairy tale collection > Foreign language (English) > Japanese classical stories

From the Wall

(Japanese classical stories)

Translation　ちいさな翻訳屋さん

Japanese　←→　Japanese ＆ English　←→　English

　Once upon a time, there lived a loving couple of an old man and old woman.

　One night, he said to her,

“Hey, honey. When either of us die, the other should rub the dead body into the wall of the house, not put into a grave.

　Then we’ll stay together for good.”

“Good idea. And if you heard the dead calling your name, be sure to respond to it,”

they promised.

　Before long, however, the old woman suddenly passed away,

and the old man rubbed the old woman’s body into the wall as he promised.

　Ever since then,

“Darling, are you there?”

the dead old woman had talked to him from the wall.

“Yeah, I’m here.”

“What are you doing?”

“I’m doing some straw work.”.

　Later on, the old woman talked him again,

“Darling, are you there? What are you doing?”

　The old man gradually felt annoyed because she asked the same thing over and over again in a day.

“Is there anybody who can respond to her on my behalf?”

　Fortunately, a traveler came over while the old man was giving a sigh.

“Excuse me. I’m a traveler, but could you please let me stay overnight here?”

　On hearing it, the old man was greatly pleased and said,

“I’d love to. Feel free to stay here.

　Instead, can you say ‘yeah, I’m here’ if you hear the woman from the wall saying ‘darling, are you there?’

　If she asks ‘what are you doing?’ you just can make it up.”

“Ok. You can count on me on that.”

　The old man felt relieved that the traveler took on the job and went out for a drink.

　The man who was asked to stay home responded to the old woman’s voice every time he heard it.

　But she asked the same question repeatedly and he felt annoyed,

“Shut up! The old man went out for a drink,”

he accidentally told the truth.

　Then the wall suddenly got ripped.

and a half skeleton ghost of the old woman with a scary looking face popped out of it.

“Where is my darling? Who are you?”

“Eek!!!! G…ghost!!!!!

　The guy was so surprised that he barely escaped with his life.

The end

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