Hukumusume fairy tale collection > Foreign language (English) >Short stories of Edo

イラスト　myi　　　ブログ　sorairoiro

Steamed Dumplings

(Short stories of Edo)

Translation　Laurence Hunter

Japanese　←→　Japanese ＆ English　←→　English

　One day a group of boys were gathered together in their neighborhood talking, when a thin man with a white face appeared.

"No-, no-"

　The man then ran into the boys out of breath.

"He he heeeelllp me -"

　The man trembled and shook.

"What is it, what is it-- " Asked the boys.

　The boys surrounded the man and listened to his story.

"behind me, the dumpling seller is coming. ."

"....?"

"Well, the fact is, I’m just terrified of dumplings.　Hhh hide. I must hide somewhere quickly."

　The man ,then for the time being decided to hide in a nearby storeroom. But there was a boy who liked playing tricks on people.

"What a strange fellow that man is. I think I will play a trick on him."

　Straightaway, the mischievous boy went to the local shop and bought some dumplings, then piled them high onto a tray pushed them into the storeroom and closed the door shut from outside .

　However, after some time had passed , still no sound could be heard from inside .

"Well, I wonder. Maybe he was so scared that he fainted?"

　When the boy opened the door, the man inside was licking sweet dumpling paste from his lips, and not even one dumpling had been left.

"I thought I could scare you, but you’ve eaten up all the dumplings. What was so scary about them then?"

　After saying this ,the man replied,

"Tea, Tea , I’m also afraid of tea."

The end

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