The Bamboo-Cutter and the Moon-Child

From Japanese Fairy Tales

Long, long ago, there lived an old bamboo went towards the light. On nearer approach he
wood-cutter. He was very poor and sad also, for saw that this soft splendor came from a hol-
no child had Heaven sent to cheer his old age, low in the green bamboo stem, and still more
and in his heart there was wonderful to behold, in
no hope of rest from work the midst of the brilliance
till he died and was laid stood a tiny human being,
in the quiet grave. Every only three inches in height,
morning he went forth into and exquisitely beautiful in
the woods and hills wher- appearance.
ever the bamboo reared its You must be sent to
lithe green plumes against be my child, for I find you
the sky. When he had made here among the bamboos
his choice, he would cut where lies my daily work,
down these feathers of the said the old man, and tak-
forest, and splitting them ing the little creature in his
lengthwise, or cutting them hand he took it home to
into joints, would carry the his wife to bring up. The
bamboo wood home and tiny girl was so exceedingly
make it into various articles beautiful and so small, that
for the household, and he the old woman put her into
and his old wife gained a a basket to safeguard her
small livelihood by selling them. from the least possibility of being hurt in any
One morning as usual he had gone out to way.
his work, and having found a nice clump of The old couple were now very happy, for
bamboos, had set to work to cut some of them it had been a lifelong regret that they had no
down. Suddenly the green grove of bamboos children of their own, and with joy they now
was flooded with a bright soft light, as if the expended all the love of their old age on the
full moon had risen over the spot. Looking little child who had come to them in so marvel-
round in astonishment, he saw that the bril- ous a manner.
liance was streaming from one bamboo. The From this time on, the old man often found
old man, full of wonder, dropped his ax and gold in the notches of the bamboos when he

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The Bamboo-Cutter and the Moon-Child From Japanese Fairy Tales

hewed them down and cut them up; not only would grow pale beside her, so they said. The
gold, but precious stones also, so that by de- fame of the Princesss loveliness spread far and
grees he became rich. He built himself a fine wide, and many were the suitors who desired to
house, and was no longer known as the poor win her hand, or even so much as to see her.
bamboo woodcutter, but as a wealthy man. Suitors from far and near posted them-
Three months passed quickly away, and in selves outside the house, and made little holes
that time the bamboo child had, wonderful to in the fence, in the hope of catching a glimpse
say, become a full-grown girl, so her foster-par- of the Princess as she went from one room to
ents did up her hair and dressed her in beauti- the other along the veranda. They stayed there
ful kimonos. She was of such wondrous beauty day and night, sacrificing even their sleep for a
that they placed her behind the screens like a chance of seeing her, but all in vain. Then they
princess, and allowed no one to see her, waiting approached the house, and tried to speak to the
upon her themselves. It seemed as if she were old man and his wife or some of the servants,
made of light, for the house was filled with a but not even this was granted them.
soft shining, so that even in the dark of night it Still, in spite of all this disappointment
was like daytime. Her presence seemed to have a they stayed on day after day, and night after
benign influence on those there. Whenever the night, and counted it as nothing, so great was
old man felt sad, he had only to look upon his their desire to see the Princess.
foster-daughter and his sorrow vanished, and At last, however, most of the men, seeing
he became as happy as when he was a youth. how hopeless their quest was, lost heart and
At last the day came for the naming of hope both, and returned to their homes. All ex-
their new-found child, so the old couple called cept five Knights, whose ardor and determina-
in a celebrated name-giver, and he gave her tion, instead of waning, seemed to wax greater
the name of Princess Moonlight, because her with obstacles. These five men even went with-
body gave forth so much soft bright light that out their meals, and took snatches of whatever
she might have been a daughter of the Moon they could get brought to them, so that they
God. might always stand outside the dwelling. They
For three days the festival was kept up with stood there in all weathers, in sunshine and in
song and dance and music. All the friends and rain.
relations of the old couple were present, and Sometimes they wrote letters to the Prin-
great was their enjoyment of the festivities held cess, but no answer was vouchsafed to them.
to celebrate the naming of Princess Moonlight. Then when letters failed to draw any reply, they
Everyone who saw her declared that there never wrote poems to her telling her of the hopeless
had been seen any one so lovely; all the beauties love which kept them from sleep, from food,
throughout the length and breadth of the land from rest, and even from their homes. Still

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The Bamboo-Cutter and the Moon-Child From Japanese Fairy Tales

Princess Moonlight gave no sign of having re- hope of winning her, and they were willing to
ceived their verses. consider this long vigil as pleasure if she would
In this hopeless state the winter passed. but give them one chance of pleading their
The snow and frost and the cold winds gradu- cause with her.
ally gave place to the gentle warmth of spring. The old man lent a willing ear to their tale
Then the summer came, and the sun burned of love, for in his inmost heart he felt sorry for
white and scorching in the heavens above and these faithful suitors and would have liked to
on the earth beneath, and still these faithful see his lovely foster-daughter married to one of
Knights kept watch and waited. At the end of them. So he went in to Princess Moonlight and
these long months they called out to the old said reverently:
bamboo-cutter and entreated him to have some Although you have always seemed to me
mercy upon them and to show them the Prin- to be a heavenly being, yet I have had the trou-
cess, but he answered only that as he was not ble of bringing you up as my own child and
her real father he could not insist on her obey- you have been glad of the protection of my
ing him against her wishes. roof. Will you refuse to do as I wish?
The five Knights on receiving this stern Then Princess Moonlight replied that there
answer returned to their several homes, and was nothing she would not do for him, that she
pondered over the best means of touching the honored and loved him as her own father, and
proud Princesss heart, even so much as to grant that as for herself she could not remember the
them a hearing. They took their rosaries in hand time before she came to earth.
and knelt before their household shrines, and The old man listened with great joy as she
burned precious incense, praying to Buddha to spoke these dutiful words. Then he told her
give them their hearts desire. Thus several days how anxious he was to see her safely and hap-
passed, but even so they could not rest in their pily married before he died.
homes. I am an old man, over seventy years of
So again they set out for the bamboo-cut- age, and my end may come any time now. It
ters house. This time the old man came out to is necessary and right that you should see these
see them, and they asked him to let them know five suitors and choose one of them.
if it was the Princesss resolution never to see Oh, why, said the Princess in distress,
any man whatsoever, and they implored him must I do this? I have no wish to marry now.
to speak for them and to tell her the greatness I found you, answered the old man,
of their love, and how long they had waited many years ago, when you were a little crea-
through the cold of winter and the heat of sum- ture three inches high, in the midst of a great
mer, sleepless and roofless through all weathers, white light. The light streamed from the bam-
without food and without rest, in the ardent boo in which you were hid and led me to you.

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The Bamboo-Cutter and the Moon-Child From Japanese Fairy Tales

So I have always thought that you were more they had endured and all the patience they had
than mortal woman. While I am alive it is right shown in their desire to win his foster-daughter.
for you to remain as you are if you wish to do Then he gave them her message, that she would
so, but some day I shall cease to be and who consent to marry whosoever was successful in
will take care of you then? Therefore I pray you bringing her what she wanted. This was to test
to meet these five brave men one at a time and them.
make up your mind to marry one of them! The five all accepted the trial, and thought
Then the Princess answered that she felt it an excellent plan, for it would prevent jeal-
sure that she was not as beautiful as perhaps ousy between them.
report made her out to be, and that even if she Princess Moonlight then sent word to the
consented to marry any one of them, not really First Knight that she requested him to bring
knowing her before, his heart might change af- her the stone bowl which had belonged to Bud-
terwards. So as she did not feel sure of them, dha in India.
even though her father told her they were The Second Knight was asked to go to the
worthy Knights, she did not feel it wise to see Mountain of Horai, said to be situated in the
them. Eastern Sea, and to bring her a branch of the
All you say is very reasonable, said the wonderful tree that grew on its summit. The
old man, but what kind of men will you con- roots of this tree were of silver, the trunk of
sent to see? I do not call these five men who gold, and the branches bore as fruit white jew-
have waited on you for months, light-hearted. els.
They have stood outside this house through the The Third Knight was told to go to China
winter and the summer, often denying them- and search for the fire-rat and to bring her its
selves food and sleep so that they may win you. skin.
What more can you demand? The Fourth Knight was told to search for
Then Princess Moonlight said she must the dragon that carried on its head the stone
make further trial of their love before she would radiating five colors and to bring the stone to
grant their request to interview her. The five her.
warriors were to prove their love by each bring- The Fifth Knight was to find the swallow
ing her from distant countries something that which carried a shell in its stomach and to bring
she desired to possess. the shell to her.
That same evening the suitors arrived and The old man thought these very hard tasks
began to play their flutes in turn, and to sing and hesitated to carry the messages, but the
their self-composed songs telling of their great Princess would make no other conditions. So
and tireless love. The bamboo-cutter went out her commands were issued word for word to
to them and offered them his sympathy for all the five men who, when they heard what was

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The Bamboo-Cutter and the Moon-Child From Japanese Fairy Tales

required of them, were all disheartened and out for Mount Horai in the hope of getting her
disgusted at what seemed to them the impos- a branch of the gold and silver tree which she
sibility of the tasks given them and returned to so much wished to have. He only allowed his
their own homes in despair. servants to accompany him half-way, and then
But after a time, when they thought of the sent them back. He reached the seashore and
Princess, the love in their hearts revived for her, embarked on a small ship, and after sailing away
and they resolved to make an attempt to get for three days he landed and employed several
what she desired of them. carpenters to build him a house contrived in
The First Knight sent word to the Princess such a way that no one could get access to it. He
that he was starting out that day on the quest then shut himself up with six skilled jewelers,
of Buddhas bowl, and he hoped soon to bring and endeavored to make such a gold and silver
it to her. But he had not the courage to go all branch as he thought would satisfy the Princess
the way to India, for in those days traveling was as having come from the wonderful tree grow-
very difficult and full of danger, so he went to ing on Mount Horai. Every one whom he had
one of the temples in Kyoto and took a stone asked declared that Mount Horai belonged to
bowl from the altar there, paying the priest a the land of fable and not to fact.
large sum of money for it. He then wrapped it When the branch was finished, he took
in a cloth of gold and, waiting quietly for three his journey home and tried to make him-
years, returned and carried it to the old man. self look as if he were wearied and worn out
Princess Moonlight wondered that the with travel. He put the jeweled branch into
Knight should have returned so soon. She took a lacquer box and carried it to the bam-
the bowl from its gold wrapping, expecting it to boo-cutter, begging him to present it to the
make the room full of light, but it did not shine Princess.
at all, so she knew that it was a sham thing and The old man was quite deceived by the
not the true bowl of Buddha. She returned it at travel-stained appearance of the Knight, and
once and refused to see him. The Knight threw thought that he had only just returned from
the bowl away and returned to his home in de- his long journey with the branch. So he tried to
spair. He gave up now all hopes of ever winning persuade the Princess to consent to see the man.
the Princess. But she remained silent and looked very sad.
The Second Knight told his parents that The old man began to take out the branch and
he needed change of air for his health, for he praised it as a wonderful treasure to be found
was ashamed to tell them that love for the Prin- nowhere in the whole land. Then he spoke of
cess Moonlight was the real cause of his leaving the Knight, how handsome and how brave he
them. He then left his home, at the same time was to have undertaken a journey to so remote
sending word to the Princess that he was setting a place as the Mount of Horai.

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The Bamboo-Cutter and the Moon-Child From Japanese Fairy Tales

Princess Moonlight took the branch in her Yes, this is Mount Horai!
hand and looked at it carefully. She then told With much difficulty I climbed to the
her foster-parent that she knew it was impossi- summit, here stood the golden tree growing
ble for the man to have obtained a branch from with silver roots in the ground. The wonders
the gold and silver tree growing on Mount Ho- of that strange land are many, and if I began
rai so quickly or so easily, and she was sorry to to tell you about them I could never stop. In
say she believed it artificial. spite of my wish to stay there long, on break-
The old man then went out to the expectant ing off the branch I hurried back. With utmost
Knight, who had now approached the house, and speed it has taken me four hundred days to get
asked where he had found the branch. Then the back, and, as you see, my clothes are still damp
man did not scruple to make up a long story. from exposure on the long sea voyage. I have
Two years ago I took a ship and started in not even waited to change my raiment, so anx-
search of Mount Horai. After going before the ious was I to bring the branch to the Princess
wind for some time I reached the far Eastern Sea. quickly.
Then a great storm arose and I was tossed about Just at this moment the six jewelers, who
for many days, losing all count of the points of had been employed on the making of the
the compass, and finally we were blown ashore branch, but not yet paid by the Knight, ar-
on an unknown island. Here I found the place rived at the house and sent in a petition to the
inhabited by demons who at one time threat- Princess to be paid for their labor. They said
ened to kill and eat me. However, I managed that they had worked for over a thousand days
to make friends with these horrible creatures, making the branch of gold, with its silver twigs
and they helped me and my sailors to repair and its jeweled fruit, that was now presented
the boat, and I set sail again. Our food gave to her by the Knight, but as yet they had re-
out, and we suffered much from sickness on ceived nothing in payment. So this Knights de-
board. At last, on the five-hundredth day from ception was thus found out, and the Princess,
the day of starting, I saw far off on the horizon glad of an escape from one more importunate
what looked like the peak of a mountain. On suitor, was only too pleased to send back the
nearer approach, this proved to be an island, branch. She called in the workmen and had
in the center of which rose a high mountain. I them paid liberally, and they went away happy.
landed, and after wandering about for two or But on the way home they were overtaken by
three days, I saw a shining being coming to- the disappointed man. who beat them till they
wards me on the beach, holding in his hands a were nearly dead, for letting out the secret, and
golden bowl. I went up to him and asked him they barely escaped with their lives. The Knight
if I had, by good chance, found the island of then returned home, raging in his heart; and
Mount Horai, and he answered: in despair of ever winning the Princess gave up

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The Bamboo-Cutter and the Moon-Child From Japanese Fairy Tales

society and retired to a solitary life among the His numerous retainers and servants start-
mountains. ed out in different directions, with no inten-
Now the Third Knight had a friend in tion, however, of obeying what they considered
China, so he wrote to him to get the skin of an impossible order. They simply took a holi-
the fire-rat. The virtue of any part of this ani- day, went to pleasant country places together,
mal was that no fire could harm it. He prom- and grumbled at their masters unreasonable-
ised his friend any amount of money he liked ness.
to ask if only he could get him the desired ar- The Knight meanwhile, thinking that his
ticle. As soon as the news came that the ship retainers could not fail to find the jewel, re-
on which his friend had sailed home had come paired to his house, and fitted it up beautifully
into port, he rode seven days on horseback to for the reception of the Princess, he felt so sure
meet him. He handed his friend a large sum of of winning her.
money, and received the fire-rats skin. When One year passed away in weary waiting,
he reached home he put it carefully in a box and still his men did not return with the drag-
and sent it in to the Princess while he waited on-jewel. The Knight became desperate. He
outside for her answer. could wait no longer, so taking with him only
The bamboo-cutter took the box from the two men he hired a ship and commanded the
Knight and, as usual, carried it in to her and tried captain to go in search of the dragon; the cap-
to coax her to see the Knight at once, but Prin- tain and the sailors refused to undertake what
cess Moonlight refused, saying that she must first they said was an absurd search, but the Knight
put the skin to test by putting it into the fire. If compelled them at last to put out to sea.
it were the real thing it would not burn. So she When they had been but a few days out
took off the crape wrapper and opened the box, they encountered a great storm which lasted
and then threw the skin into the fire. The skin so long that, by the time its fury abated, the
crackled and burnt up at once, and the Princess Knight had determined to give up the hunt of
knew that this man also had not fulfilled his the dragon. They were at last blown on shore,
word. So the Third Knight failed also. for navigation was primitive in those days.
Now the Fourth Knight was no more en- Worn out with his travels and anxiety, the
terprising than the rest. Instead of starting out fourth suitor gave himself up to rest. He had
on the quest of the dragon bearing on its head caught a very heavy cold, and had to go to bed
the five-color-radiating jewel, he called all his with a swollen face.
servants together and gave them the order to The governor of the place, hearing of his
seek for it far and wide in Japan and in China, plight, sent messengers with a letter inviting
and he strictly forbade any of them to return him to his house. While he was there thinking
till they had found it. over all his troubles, his love for the Princess

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The Bamboo-Cutter and the Moon-Child From Japanese Fairy Tales

turned to anger, and he blamed her for all the cutters house, and see the Princess himself.
hardships he had undergone. He thought that He sent word to the old man of his intention,
it was quite probable she had wished to kill him and he received consent to the scheme. The
so that she might be rid of him, and in order next day the Emperor set out with his retinue,
to carry out her wish had sent him upon his which he soon managed to outride. He found
impossible quest. the bamboo-cutters house and dismounted.
At this point all the servants he had sent He then entered the house and went straight
out to find the jewel came to see him, and were to where the Princess was sitting with her at-
surprised to find praise instead of displeasure tendant maidens.
awaiting them. Their master told them that he Never had he seen any one so wonder-
was heartily sick of adventure, and said that he fully beautiful, and he could not but look at
never intended to go near the Princesss house her, for she was more lovely than any human
again in the future. being as she shone in her own soft radiance.
Like all the rest, the Fifth Knight failed When Princess Moonlight became aware that
in his questhe could not find the swallows a stranger was looking at her she tried to es-
shell. cape from the room, but the Emperor caught
By this time the fame of Princess Moon- her and begged her to listen to what he had to
lights beauty had reached the ears of the Em- say. Her only answer was to hide her face in
peror, and he sent one of the Court ladies to see her sleeves.
if she were really as lovely as report said; if so he The Emperor fell deeply in love with her,
would summon her to the Palace and make her and begged her to come to the Court, where he
one of the ladies-in-waiting. would give her a position of honor and every-
When the Court lady arrived, in spite of her thing she could wish for. He was about to send
fathers entreaties, Princess Moonlight refused to for one of the Imperial palanquins to take her
see her. The Imperial messenger insisted, saying back with him at once, saying that her grace
it was the Emperors order. Then Princess Moon- and beauty should adorn a Court, and not be
light told the old man that if she was forced to hidden in a bamboo-cutters cottage.
go to the Palace in obedience to the Emperors But the Princess stopped him. She said
order, she would vanish from the earth. that if she were forced to go to the Palace she
When the Emperor was told of her per- would turn at once into a shadow, and even as
sistence in refusing to obey his summons, and she spoke she began to lose her form. Her fig-
that if pressed to obey she would disappear al- ure faded from his sight while he looked.
together from sight, he determined to go and The Emperor then promised to leave her
see her. So he planned to go on a hunting ex- free if only she would resume her former shape,
cursion in the neighborhood of the bamboo- which she did.

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The Bamboo-Cutter and the Moon-Child From Japanese Fairy Tales

It was now time for him to return, for his said, to think of leaving her kind foster-parents,
retinue would be wondering what had hap- and the home where she had been happy for so
pened to their Royal master when they missed long.
him for so long. So be bade her good-by, and When her attendants heard this they were
left the house with a sad heart. Princess Moon- very sad, and could not eat or drink for sadness
light was for him the most beautiful woman in at the thought that the Princess was so soon to
the world; all others were dark beside her, and leave them.
he thought of her night and day. His Majesty The Emperor, as soon as the news was car-
now spent much of his time in writing poems, ried to him, sent messengers to the house to
telling her of his love and devotion, and sent find out if the report were true or not.
them to her, and though she refused to see him The old bamboo-cutter went out to meet
again she answered with many verses of her the Imperial messengers. The last few days of
own composing, which told him gently and sorrow had told upon the old man; he had aged
kindly that she could never marry any one on greatly, and looked much more than his sev-
this earth. These little songs always gave him enty years. Weeping bitterly, he told them that
pleasure. the report was only too true, but he intended,
At this time her foster-parents noticed that however, to make prisoners of the envoys from
night after night the Princess would sit on her the moon, and to do all he could to prevent the
balcony and gaze for hours at the moon, in a Princess from being carried back.
spirit of the deepest dejection, ending always in The men returned and told His Majesty
a burst of tears. One night the old man found all that had passed. On the fifteenth day of that
her thus weeping as if her heart were broken, month the Emperor sent a guard of two thou-
and he besought her to tell him the reason of sand warriors to watch the house. One thou-
her sorrow. sand stationed themselves on the roof, another
With many tears she told him that he had thousand kept watch round all the entrances of
guessed rightly when he supposed her not to be- the house. All were well trained archers, with
long to this worldthat she had in truth come bows and arrows. The bamboo-cutter and his
from the moon, and that her time on earth wife hid Princess Moonlight in an inner room.
would soon be over. On the fifteenth day of The old man gave orders that no one was
that very month of August her friends from the to sleep that night, all in the house were to keep
moon would come to fetch her, and she would a strict watch, and be ready to protect the Prin-
have to return. Her parents were both there, cess. With these precautions, and the help of the
but having spent a lifetime on the earth she Emperors men-at-arms, he hoped to withstand
had forgotten them, and also the moon-world the moon-messengers, but the Princess told
to which she belonged. It made her weep, she him that all these measures to keep her would

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The Bamboo-Cutter and the Moon-Child From Japanese Fairy Tales

be useless, and that when her people came for The time has come, he said, for Princess
her nothing whatever could prevent them from Moonlight to return to the moon from whence
carrying out their purpose. Even the Emperors she came. She committed a grave fault, and as
men would be powerless. Then she added with a punishment was sent to live down here for a
tears that she was very, very sorry to leave him time. We know what good care you have taken
and his wife, whom she had learned to love as of the Princess, and we have rewarded you for
her parents, that if she could do as she liked she this and have sent you wealth and prosperity.
would stay with them in their old age, and try We put the gold in the bamboos for you to
to make some return for all the love and kind- find.
ness they had showered upon her during all her I have brought up this Princess for twen-
earthly life. ty years and never once has she done a wrong
The night wore on! The yellow harvest thing, therefore the lady you are seeking cannot
moon rose high in the heavens, flooding the be this one, said the old man. I pray you to
world asleep with her golden light. Silence look elsewhere.
reigned over the pine and the bamboo forests, Then the messenger called aloud, saying:
and on the roof where the thousand men-at- Princess Moonlight, come out from this
arms waited. lowly dwelling. Rest not here another mo-
Then the night grew gray towards the dawn ment,
and all hoped that the danger was overthat At these words the screens of the Princesss
Princess Moonlight would not have to leave room slid open of their own accord, revealing
them after all. Then suddenly the watchers saw the Princess shining in her own radiance, bright
a cloud form round the moonand while they and wonderful and full of beauty.
looked this cloud began to roll earthwards. The messenger led her forth and placed her
Nearer and nearer it came, and every one saw in the chariot. She looked back, and saw with
with dismay that its course lay towards the pity the deep sorrow of the old man. She spoke
house. to him many comforting words, and told him
In a short time the sky was entirely ob- that it was not her will to leave him and that he
scured, till at last the cloud lay over the dwell- must always think of her when looking at the
ing only ten feet off the ground. In the midst moon.
of the cloud there stood a flying chariot, and The bamboo-cutter implored to be allowed
in the chariot a band of luminous beings. One to accompany her, but this was not allowed.
amongst them who looked like a king and ap- The Princess took off her embroidered outer
peared to be the chief stepped out of the char- garment and gave it to him as a keepsake.
iot, and, poised in air, called to the old man to One of the moon beings in the chariot
come out. held a wonderful coat of wings, another had a

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The Bamboo-Cutter and the Moon-Child From Japanese Fairy Tales

phial full of the Elixir of Life which was given

the Princess to drink. She swallowed a little and
was about to give the rest to the old man, but
she was prevented from doing so.
The robe of wings was about to be put
upon her shoulders, but she said:
Wait a little. I must not forget my good
friend the Emperor. I must write him once
more to say good-by while still in this human
form.
In spite of the impatience of the messen-
gers and charioteers she kept them waiting
while she wrote. She placed the phial of the
Elixir of Life with the letter, and, giving them
to the old man, she asked him to deliver them
to the Emperor.
Then the chariot began to roll heavenwards
towards the moon, and as they all gazed with
tearful eyes at the receding Princess, the dawn
broke, and in the rosy light of day the moon-
chariot and all in it were lost amongst the fleecy
clouds that were now wafted across the sky on
the wings of the morning wind.
Princess Moonlights letter was carried to
the Palace. His Majesty was afraid to touch the
Elixir of Life, so he sent it with the letter to the
top of the most sacred mountain in the land.
Mount Fuji, and there the Royal emissaries
burnt it on the summit at sunrise. So to this
day people say there is smoke to be seen rising
from the top of Mount Fuji to the clouds.

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