| 01. |
Once
upon a time, an おじいさんand おばあさん lived
in a bamboo forest in the mountains.
One day, おじいさん went
out to cut bamboo trees. |
|
| 02. |
He
saw a bamboo tree glowing with a magic light.
|
|
| 03. |
おじいさん cut
down the bamboo and inside he found a beautiful
baby girl, whom he brought home. |
|
| 04. |
おばあさん was
very happy to keep the baby girl. They named
her かぐやひめ,
Shining Princess, and decided to raise her
as their child. |
|
| 05. |
From
that day on, おじいさん found
gold coins in the bamboo every time he cut
down the trees.
They became very wealthy. |
|
| 06. |
With
the gold they bought かぐやひめ a
beautiful kimono. In three months she grew
into a beautiful woman, and news of her beauty
spread through the village. |
|
| 07. |
People
hearing of her beauty came by day and night
from everywhere in Japan to catch a glimpse
of かぐやひめ. |
|
| 08. |
Five
noblemen came from the imperial palace to
ask for かぐやひめ’s
hand, but she had no wish to marry. |
|
| 09. |
おじいさん urged
her to consider marrying one of them.
かぐやひめ reluctantly
agreed to make a decision on one condition. |
|
| 10. |
かぐやひめ asked
each nobleman to find and bring her one of
the following gifts:
・A
jewelled branch from the depths of the sea
海のなかの金のえだ
・Golden
fur 金の毛皮
・A
dragon king's necklace 竜の首飾り
・A
bowl which Buddha used ほとけさまが使った鉢
・Swallow's
seashells つばめの小安貝 |
|
| 11. |
Each
nobleman set out to find one of these things,
but each was rejected because he either failed
in the attempt or resorted to trickery. |
|
| 12. |
The
emperor heard this story and went to meet
かぐやひめ.
He was mesmerised by her beauty and tried
to bring her back to his palace, but she declined.
かぐやひめ never
wed, but spent four happy years with
おじいさん and
おばあさん. |
|
| 13. |
One
day, おじいさん and
おばあさん found
かぐやひめ shedding
tears, gazing at the moon. |
|
| 14. |
When
they asked かぐやひめ why
she was crying, she told them her secret;
she was from the Palace of the Moon and had
to go back to the moon on the 15th of August. |
|
| 15. |
Dismayed,
おじいさん and
おばあさん went
to ask the emperor for help. |
|
| 16. |
The
emperor sent 2000 samurai to protect
かぐやひめ on
the night of the 15th of August. |
|
| 17. |
At midnight, moonbeams streamed down from
the heavens carrying celestial maidens to
earth. |
|
| 18. |
All
the samurai were paralysed and could neither
shoot nor speak. |
|
| 19. |
かぐやひめ stepped
out, apologised, and bade farewell to
おじいさん and
おばあさん. |
|
| 20. |
かぐやひめ,
led by the celestial maidens, rose up to the
heavens. |
|
