Hukumusume fairy tale collection >Classical stories of the Japanese >November

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illustration　「Kaoru Mizushi」

Runny nose boy

Japanese  ・English　・Japanese＆English

Translation　ちいさな翻訳屋さん

Let's make origami ( Origami Club) Shrimp 　boy

　Once upon a time, there was an old man. He sold firewood to make a living.

　One day, the old man carried firewood on his back to town.
“Firewood, Firewood!  Anyone wants firewood?”
　He walked calling aloud all day, but no one wanted the firewood.

　The old man was tired out and sat down on the bridge.
　He felt too weak to take the firewood back home.

“No one wants the firewood, so perhaps I should offer these to the God of River.”
　The old man held a bundle of firewood at a time and dropped them into the river.
“The God of River, please accept my little offering.”
　The old man dropped all the firewood into the river.  Then, he tried to go home with heavy feet.

　It was when a beautiful lady appeared from the river. She was holding a little child.
“I am on an errand for the God of River.The God of River is very happy to have your firewood.He offers this boy to you in return.”
　Listening to her, the old man shook his head quickly.
“No way, I am so poor, I cannot raise any child.”

“No worries. This boy is called a runny nose boy. Whatever you ask for, he will give you one.”
“Is it true?”
“Yes, but in return, you need to feed him prawns every day. Please do not forget, you have to every day.”
　The lady told him so and left the runny nose boy.

　The old man took the runny nose boy back home. He kept him next to the altar and looked after him well.

　What the lady told him was true.
“Runny nose boy, give me some rice.”

　If he told him so, he made a sound like blowing his nose, “WAH-CHOO.”Then, in a second, he brought rice.

“Runny nose boy, give me some money.”
“WAH-CHOO.”

“Runny nose boy, give me a new house.”
“WAH-CHOO.”

“Runny nose boy, give me a warehouse.”
“WAH-CHOO.”
　The old man got whatever he asked for, and soon, he became the richest man in the village.

　Now he was rich, he did not have to go to the mountain to get firewood.

　All he needed to do was to go to town to get prawns for the runny nose boy.

　But before long,

　The old man began to feel lazy about buying prawns.

　One day, the old man told the runny nose boy.
“I have nothing to ask for now, so go back to the God of River.”

　Then, what do you think happened?
　The runny nose boy made a sound like sniffling, “SNORT.”

　The old man’s grand house, warehouse, and everything else disappeared.
　What was left was the shabby house he used to live in.
“Good bye, then.”
　The runny nose boy greeted him so and walked to the river.

“Oh, wait, Runny nose boy, please!”
　The old man chased him in a haste but could no longer find the runny nose boy anywhere.

The End

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