Rensselaer Union, Volume 3, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 March 1871 — Japanese Nursery Tales. [ARTICLE]

Japanese Nursery Tales.

The Japanese, as rude and unpoetical as they seem to be, have fairies, genii, Peris and imps, answering to these of which European juveniles tell such wonderful tales. Some of these stories are. very ingenious, and would bear copying into the fairy lore of America, while others would be fur from acceptable, owing to the great difference in Customs and religion. I do not know that the subjoined tales which were told by a Japanese nurse to the European children in liioho, some of whom were under her charge, are really a part of Japanese folk lore, or made up for tho present amusement of the children. But in either case the children were pleased, and when they repeated some of the stories to me they were very enthusiastic in the praise of tbe old Japanese grandmother who had thus entertained them. THE I.ITTI.E BOY WHO PULLED A TURNIP. Once there was a little Japanese boy dressed iu a nice suit of black linen, and he said to himself one day: “I will be a great. Daimio, I will have big swords and fine dress, and my father anil mother shall be happy, witli plenty of rice and jewel rings. Itut the little boy was poor, and all he had was this one suit of clothes. He was walking on the side of Fusiyaga one day, thinking how he should be great, when the mountain shook anil great smoke devils came out of the top. The boy w r as afraid until a little fairy, awakened by the noise, rose up at his feet, and taking him by the hand led him from the mountain. When the little spirit was about to leave, the boy said: “You know howto save me from smoke devils, and you must know how to make me a great Daimio. Will you tell me V ” “Go pull a turnip,” said the little fairy spirit as she took her way back to the sacred mountain. So the the little boy looked about him for a turnip. He soon found a great one with tall leaves, and ho set about digging around the roots. “ No, no,” said the turnip, "my roots are deep and you cannot dig so low, but take hold of my head and pull, for my root will follow where my heaa goes.” So he seized hold of the stalk aud pulled. Lo! it came up so easy that the boy fell over in the mud. “ilo, ho 1” laughed the turnip, “ you have something to learn if you would be a great Daimio. Men, like turnips, pull easiest; by the head, but you had better leave them where they have taken root, than to overturn yourself in trying to pull them up." And the little boy took the advice, and made the acquaintance of leaders only. lie was never, however, over-anxious to be in the company of great men, and soon the Tycoon, seeing his great care and wisdom, made him a Prince. 11c was so happy. THE GIRL THAT DID NOT OBEY. Once a little girl was told by her mother to make rice cakes. But the little girl wanted to play shuttlc-cock, and left the dough in the bowl. A little imp in the shape of a frog came, and when the girl was about to hit the cock a blow, he threw the dough into the air. It fell upon the girl’s head aud streamed down over her shoulders until she was entirely covered. Her mother came, and, supposing it was all dough, threw her into the oven, and so the naughty little girl was baked. THE INDUSTRIOUS MAN. One man worked iu his rice and wheat fields while his neighbors spent their time in wrestling, drinking sapky, and playing ball. Finally winter came and they had no food. So "they went to the industrious man and said: “ Give us rice and bread.” But the other said : “ No; you serve the spirit of amusement. I serve the spirit of work. Go to your spirit for food and I will go to mine.”. 8o they all starved. THE LONIN. A poor lonin lay by the roadside, all alone, one dark night, and the wind came and talked to him, telling him to die and be happy. But this poor weak lonin sfiid: “ No. Buddah has something for mje to do. Ido not feel that I should die easy.” So he got up in tho morning anil traveled toward the great temple of Isjey. He soon met a great monster, with a nose six feet long, and a tail like a horse. When the poor lonin saw the monster, he was afraid. But the monster said to the lonin, “ I shall not hurt you, because you are not worth eating. But I advise you to warn others on your way, for I shall come over the same road which you go.” Then the lonin said to himself: “ This is what Buddah has for me to do.” So he went on until he saw two women in a house, spooling and reeling cotton for nice clothes. Lonin said: “If you weave them in pride, the monster will swallow you, clothes anil all.” But they were so intent upon their nice gowns that they heeded not the lonin. Soon he saw a boy climbing an orangetree, and stealing fruit, “The monster will devour you, boy,” said the louit), “ if your belly is sweet with that fruit." But the boy laughed at the beggar, and stuffed himself with oranges. NeXT the lonin met a peddler, - with jewelry and porcelain ware. l “Do you sell true ?" asked the lonin. “ I get all I can,” said the peddler, grinning. “ Beware,” said tho lonin, “ a monster comes this way, and if you are too rich ho will eat you.” Next the lonin met a boy at study, and so intent was he upon his books that the lonin passed unnoticed. “ Ah," sHd the lonin, “ monsters don’t feed oil reading; they like fat, not thought." Soon after ho met a priest, whq_ sneered at him for his poverty, and a Daimio, who made the lonin smart under a stroke of his whip. The poor lonin paid his -ows to the gods of Isjey—and while he was burning tapers the monster came roaring by. Than the lonin retraced his steps to see what the monster had done. Lo, the cruel Daimio, the proud priest, the peddler, the boy who was stealing oranges, and tbe two vain women had been devoured, "but the little boy at his books was peacefully reading as before. Many other long tales having morals, and many that have not/ are told to the children, which will compare favorably will), the best German stones with regard to instruction or amusement.— Cor, Boston lYavcler. .

—A Connecticut school-teacher, who wanted to make an impression on two of Ids boys who had been fighting, proposed that they should be tried by a jury of their fellows. The proposition was accepted, and the charge proved, but the pedagogue,, who had constituted himself judge, was a little taken back when the Jury rendered-.a verdict? of “ not guilty ," without-leaving their seats.