Folk Tales Around the World





January 18th 2008 ( Friday )













The Old Man and The Raccoon Daughter



Once upon a time, there lived an old man in a cabin on the top of a mountain. He could not get along with his family and other villagers. He became more and more stubborn and began to guard against others. That's why he lived all alone there, making bamboo baskets.
The old man said, "You all are liars! You all just think of yourselves.! You all keep everything to yourselves! You all talk tall and make so much fuss! I hate you all! "
The villagers were disgusted at his words and behaviors, and never went around him. However, in fact, he was in nature a true man and really sympathetic to others. He hated humans but loved animals, saying, "My fellow animals never tell a lie, never betray me." He shared his own food with them and took good care of them. He was too innocent to get along in the world, too naive to know how to succeed in this world where a lie is often necessary.

One day, hunters came in the mountains. "Crack, crack! " Guns went this way and that. A raccoon ran into his cabin, shouting, " Help me! Help me! Sir! Men are hunting the mountains and catching me! " "OK! " the old man said, " I have a good idea. Why don't you get on my shoulders and pretend to be my fur scarf ! I shall never give you up to the hunters! " The raccoon thanked him and jumped on his shoulders. The old man sat on the floor weaving bamboo baskets with the raccoon on him, just like a scarf.
Soon the hunters ran in and shouted, "Did you see a raccoon? "
"Oh, hunters," he said ," Do you mean this raccoon scarf on my shoulders? "
"No, no! Not a scarf like that! " said the hunters. "I don't know, Hunters. Why should I know it at all? "
"Oh no, We lost it ! " the hunter said, " Did you hide it?" "Never! Please search, as you like."
The hunters searched his cabin, but could not recognize the raccoon clinging to the old man's shoulders just like a scarf. They gave up and left. The raccoon had a narrow escape.
The old man was getting older and older and could hardly go down the hill to sell his bamboo baskets in the village. So the raccoon he had saved from hunters, took the form of a pretty daughter and helped him sell his baskets in towns.

Here concludes the happy story of the old man and the raccoon daughter.












Spinning a Web Across the Sky

In the evening, have you ever seen a silky thread trailing from a spider, running across the sky?
Here we have a lovely story told about it.
Now long ago, there lived a nice young couple of spiders. The boy-spider's name was Bonchi, and girl-spider's name was Ponchi. They always took a walk together, Bonchi going Bochi-Bochi, Ponchi going Pochi-pochi after him. They always took a nap together.
One day, they caught a dragonfly in their web. They came up to it, saying, "Now, we've got you, Dragonfly! " The dragonfly struggled to get free from their web, shouting, " You can't catch me! I'm a dragonfly! " Then he tore the web up and carried off the girl-spider, Ponchi, and flew across the river! "Where are you, my sweetheart? Where are you? " Bonchi tried to bring back his sweet wife, Ponchi, but he could not get there because of the rapid river. " I miss you, my sweetheart! I miss you! " , he cried and cried, and was even losing his appeitite.
His neighbor, Old Lady Spider, was worried that he would be getting weak. She said, " Come on! Bonchi! Eat a lot and be cheerful! Why don't you bring back your sweet wife? You can get across this rapid river. You can do it! Do it for your life! " She sang cheerfully to raise his spirit, " Ride the breeze, whee! Ride the breeze, whee! Bring back your sweet wife! " Then the evening breeze blew Bonchi across the river, to her singing voice. He could ride on the breeze and at last he landed on the other side of the river!
There, his sweet wife, Ponchi was waiting to see him. They finally reunited! He gave her a big spider hug and they lived happily ever after, Bonchi going Bochi-Bochi, Ponchi going Pochi-Pochi. Here ends the story of the spider couple.
In the evening, if you find a long silky thread running far away across the sky, please remember this story. It's surely the thread of web a spider spun to see his sweetheart.












The folktale of how the island of Zealand was made.

(Zealand is considered the main island in Denmark where the capital
Copenhagen is situated)

In the time when King Gylfe ruled in Sweden a woman who were lost came
to him and entertained him with fine singing.

For this he gave her from his kingdom a piece of land the size that she
could plow with her four oxen from sunrise to sunrise.

This woman were of Usernes family and were named Gefion. She then took
her four sons that she had from a relationship with a Giant from Jotunheim,
turned them into four oxen and put them in front of the ploughs.

Now she makes a furrow (a line) with the plough to mark out the piece of
land she had picked out. The furrow were so deep that the land was cleared
completely.

After this she made the 4 oxen in front of the plough run tired until they
met the sound, bringing the land with them. The land then became the island
we today call Zealand.

The proof of Gefion’s plowing is in the swedish lake; Maelaren. This is
the lake created when Zealand was taken into the sea, and when contrasting
Zealand to Maelaren, it supposedly shows Gefions plowing.

To this day we know that the island and the sea originated from that same
place.

by Kaethe
















January Meeting 2008 Information


Everyone is likely to have some pleasant childhood memories of hearing folk tales and identifying with fanciful characters, sitting on laps by the fire or lying snug in bed. We can find numerous folk tales around the world, which were told by one person to another, remembered and told again. They are characteristic of a certain country or a certain district, however, it is also usually the case that there are similarities in stories, ideas or characters beyond their nationalities. Happy, sad, cruel, mysterious or ironic stories are simple entertainment and sometimes teachings or satires on the authority.

Please enjoy 3 interesting Japanese folk tales performed by the professional Japanese storytellers. And what's more, 3 members of our circle, from Britain, Denmark and India will also tell the popular folk tales of their countries. Please do not miss this exciting opportunity !

...

Date: January 18th 2008 ( Friday )

Time: 10:00 〜 13:30 ( Reception 9:30〜 )

Place: Kanagawa Volunteer Support Center Rm.301
Near Yokohama Station
2-2-24,Tsuruya-cho ,Kanagawa-ku,Yokohama phone: 045-312-1121 　

Fee : Members 600yen : Non-members 1300yen

Reservation : From Nov.11〜Jan.10
Your reservation is comfirmed on receipt of payment

Contact: Ms.Tsukuko Ito or Ms. Waka Ogawa

Number Limit : 90 persons
( First come, first served basis.)


Cancellation : Jan.10,2008

Payment can be made at Nov. meeting Bazaar

Please bring your own cup to keep our natural.
















Trash should be separated according to category in Yokohama.






Minami Circle