Hukumusume fairy tale collection > Foreign language >Classical stories of the world

イラスト　myi　　　ブログ　sorairoiro

Rainbow birds

Translation　Laurence Hunter

おりがみをつくろう ( おりがみくらぶ より) カラス　　　とり

Japanese　←→　Japanese ＆ English　←→　English

　Long long ago and way before that, all birds were the color black or a dirty shade of grey.


　One day all the birds looked up into the sky and noticed a beautiful rainbow of seven colors with a black mark on it.

"What is that?"

　While the birds were looking, the black spot on the rainbow steadily got larger and larger.

　Then, down from the heavens came shining birds of seven colors, and this is what they said.

"Horrible insects have attached themselves to the rainbow and are now trying to eat all up of the seven colors.

　Please help us kill those bad insects."

　So, the birds that had enough courage replied to the seven colored birds, that they would help.

　But, no matter how hard the seven colored birds pleaded to the others, the birds without courage just looked away with indifference.

"Well, let just us fly off up then."

　The courageous birds and the seven colored birds then took off into the air.


　But when the courageous birds reached the rainbow, they noticed that the insects had eaten away most of the color and that the rainbow was in tatters.

"This is terrible! Hurry up! If we don’t, then the whole rainbow will become black."

　The birds then attacked the insects.

　However, the insects were not to be beaten so easily.

　The insects stung and bit at the birds with their stings.

　The birds that had flown so far were very tired and had fought a tough battle.

　But somehow, they had done their best and fought off the insects.

"We did it! The evil insects have been defeated! "

"We saved the rainbow! "

　The birds looked at each other with relief.

　Then, the birds noticed their wings had become the most beautiful of colors.

　It seems, that when the birds were fighting with the insects, the colors of the rainbow had mixed with their bodies.

"Wow, what beautiful colors"

"Look ,look at me. I’m pink."

"And me! I’m blue."

　While all the birds were feeling happy with this, the seven colored birds spoke out.

"The colors of the rainbow will never leave you now.

　To all the birds who had enough courage to fight the insects, this beautiful color will also be handed down to your children and grandchildren."



　Now, all the birds down below on the ground thought that the courageous birds would come back down, defeated and in tatters.

　However, all the birds that came back down were shining brightly and were all of the most beautiful appearance.

"What beautiful colors! I wish I was that color."

“If only we could have been so brave, we could have….”

　All the birds that had remained on the ground now felt ashamed of their miserable appearance and presently hid themselves away.

　So, this is the reason why some birds are of beautiful colors and others are not.

The end

One piece of advice: ?You may be awarded greatly for your courage.

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