Two Fables of Japan

Title

en_US Two Fables of Japan

Description

en_US Original language: jpn

en_US By Suneatsu Mushakoji; translated by Jun-ichi Natori

Creator

en_US Mushanokōji, Saneatsu

Contributor

en_US Kishida, Ryusei

Date

2016-01-25T19:02:53Z

en_US 1998-04

en_US 1957

Date Available

2016-01-25T19:02:53Z

Date Issued

en_US 1957

Abstract

en_US A spring trip to a Creighton alumni gathering in Denver gave me a chance to look for books, and here is one that I found. The two dramas here are, I believe, extended fables: The Man of the Flowers and The Rabbit's Revenge. There is a good deal of the miraculous and magical at work, but at base the first story is one of a sustained confrontation between generosity (the title-character, Mr. Righteousness) and avarice (Mr. Greed). The special take of the story is on the power of each of these to interpret the same events differently. The former can sprinkle ashes, and they turn to flowers; the latter sprinkles ashes, and they turn to worms. The second story is about tricking the wicked trickster. Wicked badger talks his way out of being served up as stew by Grandpa and Grandma. He fakes a conversion, kills Grandma, takes her form, and serves her up as badger-stew to Grandpa. Rabbit, a good friend of Grandpa and Grandma, convinces badger that he is stupid and so deceives him in turn--and so gets revenge against him for what he did to Grandma. The expressive and copious illustrations for both stories are all marked 1917. Towards the back of the book, there is a pasted-in sticker with a stamp on it. It gives the price of this book as $1.

Identifier

en_US 4132 (Access ID)

uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10504/79456

Language

en_US eng

Publisher

en_US Hokuseido

en_US Tokyo

Subject

en_US GR340.M85 1957

en_US Japanese

en_US Title Page Scanned

Type

en_US Book, Whole