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

The tortoises failed to go to heaven

(Japanese classical stories)(Okayama city)

Translation　ちいさな翻訳屋さん

Japanese　←→　Japanese ＆ English　←→　English

　A long time ago, there lived many tortoises in a pond.



　One day, the boss of the tortoises said,

“I heard if a dragon lives in the sea for a thousand years, and lives in the river for another thousand years, he will go to heaven.

　I am living in this pond for three thousand years. So I think it is time for me to go to heaven.”

　When the boss was going to the heaven, his son who was looking at it said to him,

“If so, please take me with you.”

　Then the wife of the son said,

“If you are going to the heaven, take me with you, too.”

　She asked to her husband.

　Likewise, one after another, all of the grandchildren and great-grand children asked

“Please take me to the heaven with you.”

　As a result, the boss said,

“All right. If you wish, I will take all of you to the heaven.

　But even myself, I cannot hold all of you. So you hold the tail of a tortoise ahead of you in your mouth.”

　And he let his son held his tail in his mouth and began to go up to the heaven.

　Then the wife hold the tail of the son, the grandchild hold the tail of the wife,

　and over tens of thousands of tortoises hold the tail of a tortoise ahead and gradually they went up to the heaven.

　However, when it was almost in the heaven, the boss of the tortoise looked back,

“Hey, all. Are you following safe?”

　He asked.

　On hearing that,

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

“Yes.”

“Yes.” …..

　All of them replied,

　and they released the tails. Thus all of the tortoises soon fell into the pond where they came all the way from.

The end

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