Kodomo ni Kataru Asia no Mukashibanashi II
Folk Tales from Asia for Children Everywhere II, published under the Asian Copublication Programme
Translated into Japanese by Matsuoka Kyoko and published by KOGUMA Publishing Co., Ltd. in 1997
(Original version in English published by ACCU)
This book contains 14 stories from various countries. Makato
and the Cowrie Shell (Thailand) tells how an honest and
diligent orphan finds success in life. Big Liar (Vietnam) is a
story about the end of a liar and the relationship between this
liar and the patterns on the surface of the moon; The Four
Puppets (Myanmar) is about a man who finally finds
happiness and wealth after going the long way round in life.
The Farmer’s Wife and the Tiger (Pakistan) tells the tale of a
brave farmer’s wife who beats a tiger. The Tale of Tao (the
Philippines) is a story of the Creation, with an unexpected
catalyst. The White Elephant (India) is a metaphor for human
greed, similar to the Japanese story Kumo no Ito. Mr. Friend
and Mr. Foe (Iran) is the story of an honest man and a greedy man.
Although comparisons between the weak and the strong, the rich and the poor, and
the wise and the foolish provide the backbones of these old stories, the characters reflect the
particular cultural and religious concerns of their places of origin.
The stories all come from countries blessed in nature, with blue seas and
semitropical forests, and therefore feature a lot of cheerful characters. At the same time they
contain tones of bitterness and ruthlessness. Although some stories are based on
extraordinary situations and settings, both adults and children will understand the allegoric
meanings of the stories, which I think is one of the main reasons stories come to be passed
down from generation to generation.
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