Stories of Japanese picture book’s are very interesting but at the same time teach us about a life, just like western’s children’s books. I hope you read this Japanese story to your children if you have and enjoy together!

Chikara Taro – ちから太郎

Part 2

JUST few words before starting.

Chinjyu no mori –  (ちんじゅのもり)ーgrove of the village shrine

Yashiro (やしろ）- a shirine

Musume (むすめ) – A young girl/daughter

Bakemono (ばけもの） – a monster

Shouya (しょうや) – a village headman

Omuko – （おむこ）a husband

＊tosa – dasouda – (とさ)　－it is said that

let’s start!

The big stone was broken into pieces and scattered. Ishiko Taro who saw this happening says,

[I give up! It was my lost. Please take me as your servant] and apologized to him.

When Chikara Taro took Midoko Taro and Ishiko Taro and they headed to the end of the grove of the village shrine they heard a crying voice from somewhere.

「Over there, the top of a shrine stand. It is a young girl. What has happened?」Three of them stood in from of the shrine.

[What’s going on at such a late night?]

A scary monster appears and come to eat a young girl at the village one by one once a month. And tonight is a my turn to be eaten.]

[That is awful but not worry any more. We will beat any kind of monsters!]

After Chikara Taro said that, he stared at the inside of the dark shrine.

Around midnight, wind brew and the monster looks like a mountain appeared on the roof of the shrine. At first, Midoko Taro jumped on him, next, Ishiko Taro attacked.

Two of them took hold of the tooth of the monster, who was widely open his mouth, and fought back but immediately they were swallowed by the monster.

[How dear you ate my servants.!]

Chikara Taro swung around a steel rod targetting the mosnter’s tummy and threw it.

[eeeeeeeeek.]

The monster became painful and threw up Midoko Taro and Ishiko Taro, and then slowly became smaller and disappeared into the darkness.

The young girl who scared and shivering was relived and thanked.

[Thank you so much for helping me. I am a daughter of the shoya at this village. Everyone, please do come over to my house」

The shoya is the richest house in this village. Many people gathered at the shoya welcoming three men with the joy.

[Now we do not need to worry about the village’s girls to be eaten by the monster anymore. We are so grateful to you all!」

The people at the village thanked to the three men. Before long, Chikata Taro became a husband of the shoya’s daughter. It is said that he called his dad and mum from their place to happily live with him together.

The end (owari・おわり)

Mata ne. またね。