Japanese folk tales #6: There’s nothing here(find my tales tagged here or visit my blog for both eng

Japanese folk tales #6: There’s nothing here(find my tales tagged here or visit my blog for both english and french versions)Many thanks to @missmyloko for beta reading this text :)Once upon atime, there lived a old woman named Izumi-san. Near her small village spread afallow field. Its soil was black and would have born many good crops.But, thelord of the land had requisitioned all of the men around and, like many others,Izumi-san’s husband had gone to war.In thevillage, only old or sick women, who had not been able to seek refuge away withrelatives, remained. All of the healthy ones were ladies living in a nearbytown, unwilling to get their hands dirty.Izumi-sancouldn’t cultivate that field alone because, right in the middle, stood a wide,grey rock. The big boulder was large and heavy. She had never been able to moveit even an inch.That damnstone! Always standing in the way! If it wasn’t there, work wiould be easy!Yet, Izumi-sanwas a clever woman. She thought and thought and one day…That’s it!… she cameup with a plan.She put onher best kimono on and went to town. Soon, the gossips took notice of herunusual demeanor:Oi,Izumi-san! Here you are looking all dolled up! Why are so you so pretty today ?Shhh not soloud! Actually, I just got a lot of money selling my best ox.Keeping hervoice low, the sly woman sounded as if she was about to tell them a big secret.But, keepingthat much money home is dangerous. You, my friends, where would you hide such afortune?The otherwomen had no good ideas to share. Bu,t quick enough, the word of Izumi-san’sgood fortune spread.What a fool,to talk so freely about her gold!The nextday, Izumi-san went to the fallow field. Just in front of the big boulder, sheput a wooden board on which was written:There’s nothing hereAnd she wentback to her usual routines.The town wasbuzzing with envy.Izumi-san istruly a fool. Nothing here? Pfff! I sure can bet that’s where she hid themoney!Behinddoors, ladies whispered about the hidden coins and Izumi-san kept paradingaround town, a smug smile playing on her lips.Then, threedays later, she went back to the fallow field.The boardwas gone and in its place was a big hole, so deep that it was equal to theheight of two men and wide enough for a cart to have settled in. Ladies hadcaught the bait and dug hard during the night, hoping to find the non-existenttreasure.Izumi-sanburst out in laughter:Ah, finally!This is just perfect!She broughtoxen and tied them to the big rock. The beasts pulled hard and, thanks to theirstrength, the boulder fell neatly into the hole.The onlything left then was to fill the hole back.Izumi-sansat and sighed happily. Where the rock had once stood, now there was only anice little field… with a good turned soil.Notes :I’ve founddifferent versions of this story, some with selfish and lazy protagonists (muchlike in this tale). But I preferthis one showing a trickster working her wits for the benefit of her community^^To explainthe lack of workforce, I have chosen to set this story in a war time context,especially one like Muromachi Onin wars or Sengoku warring states. Since those periodschanged a lot of things for the ruling and military classes, they also had deepimpacts on the “lesser” people promised to fight (like ashigaru, and the ones who had to stay athome. Just think how brave and tough were all of those people who had to keeplife going with the constant threat of pillage and famine without their lord toprotect them![Pictures sources: 1 / 2 / 3 ] -- source link

More pics about