Week 7 Extra Reading Diary: Japanese Fairy Tales (Ozaki)

Image Information: My Lord Bag of Rice (Minus the Lord). Source: Efoodmart

This is my extra reading diary post for week 7. And since I missed the deadline for the reading diary on Monday I decided to go ahead and just do that section for the extra reading diary post. So, here it is.

My Lord Bag of Rice:

Why is this his name? Search for adventure (meaning). Huge serpent-dragon. Didn’t even phase him, he just walked past it. Monster dragon transformed into a person? A prince? Asks the LBOR for help killing another monster. Centipede comes nightly and steals members of his family.

My Lord Bag of Rice continued:

Helping a stranger for no reason other than the good in his heart. Treated as a valued guest by Dragon King in his palace as he waits for the centipede monster. Monster invulnerable to weapons. Quick thinking in moments of stress. Still not fear. He won.

My Lord Bag of Rice end:

Water turned red with the blood of the centipede. Brave warrior. Given presents to show their gratitude. One of the gifts was a bad of rice that never ran out. No need for him to spend money because the gifts provided for him. He became rich and happy. 

The Adventures of Kintaro, The Golden Boy:

Man falls in love but gets disgraced from court and must leave. So upset about it, he died. His young wife fled the country and fear and hid in the woods where she birthed a son. Son was mgical and grew stronger and stronger with each year beyond human bounds. He began working with woodcutters at the age of 8. Grew up with animals as friends. Became master of the forest and they helped him however he wished. Best friends with dear, monkey, bear, and the hare. 

The Adventures of Kintaro, The Golden Boy continued:

Wrestling match between bffs. Jealousy. Working together.

The Adventures of Kintaro, The Golden Boy continued 2:

His actions impressed a random woodcutter who decided he must know who the kid’s father was. Woodcutter challenges him to an arm wrestling match to find who is stronger…they tied. 

The Adventures of Kintaro, The Golden Boy end:

Destined to be the strongest man in all of Japan when he is fully grown. Woodcutter said he could become a samurai. Everyone was sad to see him go when he left for the capital. 

The Man Who Did Not Wish to Die:

Man living off the wealth of his father until middle age. Began to fear death and illness. Wished to extend his life. Not being happy with life because of the possibility of death. Search for elixir of life. 

The Man Who Did Not Wish to Die continued:

Selfish desire not easily granted. Carried by a crane made of paper to the land of Perpetual Life. No death or sickness there. How? Oh of course. He immediately finds out that everyone on this island sees death as peace and they can now never reach it. Food was poison, everything was opposite. Lived forever worrisome and sad. 

The Man Who Did Not Wish to Die end:

He told himself he would never be like these people and that he would love this eternal life. Was the only happy man on the island. The same crane eventually took him back but ended up dying in the journey. Oh okay so its all just a dream.