The
Rice Ball Tale
Contributed by Momoko Ono
Once
upon a time, there was an old man and an old woman. Though they
were poor, they lived happily. One day, when the old man was working
on the mountain, he sat on a stump to rest. He took out a rice ball
that was wrapped in a bamboo leaf. But the rice ball fell out of
his hands and on to the ground. As a matter of fact, it rolled down
the mountain and fell into a hole!
The
old man looked down into the hole. Then he heard someone singing:
"Omusubi-korolin-sutton-ton." The old man was greatly
amused, so he dropped another rice ball into the hole. He dropped
another and another until he was completely out of rice balls. He
laid his ears down near the hole: "Omusubi-korolin-sutton-ton."
He tried to listen closer, but fell down the hole!
To
his surprise, in the hole were many mice holding a festival. His
rice balls had been changed into rice cakes by the mice. The mice
cordially welcomed the old man. He sang and danced with them and
had a pleasant time. In thanks for the rice balls, the mice gave
him a lucky mallet.
The
old man returned home and told his wife of the happenings. He showed
her the lucky mallet. When he shook it, money came out.
The
old man and woman lived happily forever.
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