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

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Illustrator　「Ai Yumemiya」　　blog　「夢見る小さな部屋」

Princess Gourd

・日本語(Japanese)  ・英語(English)　・Japanese＆English

・日本語＆中国語

Translation　ちいさな翻訳屋さん

　Once upon a time, there lived an old man and his old wife who had no child.

　One day, the old wife went to the river to do the laundry. She saw a large gourd was flowing in the river, floating up and down toward her.

“Look at that, what a large gourd! I should take it back home to eat with my husband.”

　The old wife picked up the gourd and took it back home.

　A gourd was the old man’s favorite. He was very pleased to see the gourd.

“I’ve never seen such a large gourd. … OK, let me cut it for you.”

　The old man lifted a knife to cut the gourd.

　It was when the gourd split itself, and

　a lovely girl came out of it.

“What?”
“Oh, my!”
　Having no child, the old man and his old wife were very happy to see her.

　The girl was born out of a gourd so they named her “Princess Gourd.”

　The Princess Gourd was a lovely baby girl, and as she grew, she became lovelier and lovelier.
　Before long, she grew to be a beautiful young lady like a poppy flower.

　She was so beautiful, even the King proposed to her.
　The Princess Gourd was very good at weaving. She enjoyed weaving while

　waiting for the old man and his old wife to come home.

　One day, as always, the Princess Gourd was weaving alone. Someone with a kind voice knocked on the door.

“Hello, the lovely Princess Gourd. Please open the door. I want to see a very fine weave you made.
　The Princess Gourd answered without opening the door.

“No, I cannot open the door for you.
　Maybe, you are someone evil called a Demon.No matter who visited, I must not open the door. That’s what the old man tells me.”
　Then, the voice became more kind.
“Come on, do you think the Demon can make this kind voice? You will be fine, so open the door.”
“… Even so, I cannot open the door.”
“All right, then. Please open the door just a little.”

“Just a little, so I can put my finger in.”
“… Then, just enough to put your finger in.”

　The Princess Gourd opened the door just a little.
　Then, the kind voice asked her again.
“Thank you. You are a very good girl
　Can you do me a bit more favor.

　Open a little more, just enough to put my hand in.”
“Then, just enough to put your hand in.”

　The Princess Gourd opened the door a little more.
“You are a really good girl.
　Can you do me a bit more favor.

　Open a little more, just enough to put my head in.”
“Then, just enough to put your head in.”

　The Princess Gourd opened the door a little more again.

　The Demon put his head in through the gap in the door and sneaked into the house.

“He-He-He.
　What a silly girl you are.

　You broke your promise with the old man and let me in the house.”

　The Demon stripped a dress off the Princess Gourd and

　he tied her up on a persimmon tree on a hill at the back.
　Then, the Demon put on her dress and

　he disguised himself as the Princess Gourd.

　Before long, the old man and his old wife came back home.

“Princess Gourd, sorry to have left you alone.”
　The Demon mimicked the Princess Gourd’s voice.

“Yes, I was missing you very much.”
　It was when it got noisy in front of the house.

　A palanquin sent from the King arrived to pick up the Princess Gourd as the bride.

“Princess Gourd, the King’s men are here to pick you up. You will live happily ever after.”
　The old man and his old wife were very happy and let the Demon who disguised himself as the Princess Gourd into the palanquin.

　The palanquin and the King’s men headed to the castle. They walked up on the hill at the back.

　Then, at the top of the persimmon tree, a crow started crying.

♪Caw, Caw, Caw, Caw, what a poor girl.

♪The Princess Gourd is left on the tree.
♪Inside the palanquin is the Demon.
“What?”

　They all heard the crow and looked up at the persimmon tree, to which the Princess Gourd is tied.

“Oh, no, I got to run.”

　The Demon tried to run away from the palanquin, but

　the King’s men caught him and chopped his head off.

　Then, the real Princess Gourd was carried in the palanquin to the castle.

　The Princess Gourd became the bride of the King and lived happily ever after.

The End

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