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!

FUKURO NO SOMEMONO YA – ふくろうのそめもめ屋 （The Owl’s dye shop）

Part 2

JUST few words before starting.

Chigau –  (ちがう)ーdifferent

Iro – (いろ) – a color

Kirei (きれい）- beautiful, wonderful

Hayaku (はやく) – quickly

Aka – (あか） – red

Kiiro (きいろ) -　yellow

Kuro – (くろ ) – black

Mayou – （まよう）- confused, indecisive, can not make up mind

Wamekimasu -（わめきます）- to screme

Houhou no tei de-(ほうほうのていで）- scurry away

Kuchibashi -（くちばし）－ a beak

– let’s start!

The Owl dyer was smiling and said

「Of course, that will be fine! By the way, What kind of color would you like this time?」

「Dye a beautiful different color from any other bird!」

「I see, a beautiful different color? Hoot, hoot, that would be a trouble.」

The Owl dyer looked around the pots in which contained dye-stuffs and could not make up his mind. Then the crow demanded.

「Make a decision quickly!!」

「Even if you said so, because all birds have already used beautiful colors.」

「Anything will be fine. Mix all beautiful colors and dye!」

The Owl dyer took red , yellow and blue out of the pots and mixed them.

Then it became black. When the Owl was wondering if it is fine color or not, the crow screams.

[Why are you so confused? Do it quickly!」

And then the Owl said.

「It would be harmful if the dying stuff goes into your eyes, so please close your eyes properly for a while. ].

「Yeah, yeah understood! Do it quickly!」

The Owl is drying extremely fast.

「Not yet?!」

「Please wait for a minute」

「Done it?」

「Yes I have done it beautifully for you. 」

The crow looked at black wings and shouted!

「What a hell is this color! I can not see any beautiful color in it!」

「It is a wonderful black color that no other birds has ever used yet」

「Who told you to dye with black. It looks so ugly that I feel so embarrassed to fly around outside with such a color」

The furious crow suddenly attacked.

「What are you doing sir, don’t be violent」

「I don’t forgive you for having dyed my wings with the black. 」Attacking one after the other.

The crow chased the owl that run away and kept on beating.

The owl scurry away and run away into the forest.

「That was scary, hoot, hoot. 」

On the other hand, the crow was fluttering his black wings, shaking and said furiously.

「The owl! If I find you next time I will peck with my beak and make you paralyzed.」

The owl does not know when and where he meets the crow if he flies outside at daytime. Because the owl is scare of being pecked by the crow, it has seemed to become like the owl sleeps at daytime when the crow is awake and is awake only the night when the crow sleeps.

The end (owari).

My thought

This is a very interesting story. When I was a child I used to ask my parents too many “why”. Why is a crow black? Why does a owl come out at night. This fiction story anyhow explains the reason why. It is a very convincing story!