Tango no kuni no Tanyomu – 丹後の国のたんよむ

PART 2

JUST few words before starting.

hotoke sama – a Buddha

Gohoubi – a reward

Kusa – grass

Erai – great

Otono sama – a price

nakigoe – a chirp

meirei suru – give an order/command

The children started bulling the grasshopper again.

Tannomy told the children.

「You might not know but if you release the grasshopper A Buddha is supposed to give you a reward.」

After having heard that the children looked at each other.

「Ok, shall we release him?」 「Let’s do that!」

The grasshopper jumped and escaped into the grass.

Tannomu smiled and said.

「You are all great. Any small insects has a soul. You must not bully them. 」

When Tanyomu tried to go the children stopped him.

「Mr Tanyomu, when can we receive the reward from God?」Tanyomu was taken aback and turned round without responding.

「Mr Tanyomu, did you cheat us?」「You are a lair.」

All children blamed him.

Tanyomu who got himself in trouble took his wallet out of his pocket and told.

「Come on, I shall give you the reward. 」

The children who got the reward were so happy that they had gone.

When Tanyomu was walking and smiling, he heard the grasshopper’s chirping in the grass at the roadside.

When a price is listening to insects chirping at his castle at a night there is a grasshopper specially chirping beautifully among many insects.

「What a beautiful voice!」

The price who was listening carefully to the grasshopper’s beautiful chirp pricked up his ears.

“Chokiri rin rin,

if you do not give a reward to Tanyomu who lives in Tango no kuni

I will chop your (price) head off.

The price who was shock and puzzled gave an order to his servant.

「Find Tanyomu who lives in Tango no kuni and bring him here.」

Tanyomu who was brought in front of the price told the story of the grasshopper he saved from the children who were harming him.

The priced was amazed and told him.

「I shall give you a rewarm, Tanyomu.」

Tanyomu received many rewards from the price, became his servant and lived happily ever after.

It had been said that since then the grasshopper chirped every night at the castle garden.

The end.

To families

The animals we kill in order to live are also very precious friends to human beings in nature. Even grasshoppers never forget to appreciate things human beings do to them. As a result of helping the grasshopper, Tanyomu received the reward and became the price’s servant. In this story we deeply feel the thought of people, who lived at old times, that they dearly loved creatures.

I know we need to kill animals and creatures for us to eat. But let’s us show our gratitude to them. “Thank you because of cows, chickens, fishes, pigs etc, we are able to enjoy a lovely meal everyday!!

Thank you so much.