Five Japanese
Folktales

For the Stage

Adapted and written by the studentsof Matthew Barbee’s English Practicum Class

2019

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Table of Contents
Click Click Mountain....................... 5
Megumi Yokoi
Sumika Fujii
Wako Honda
Yukari Kunimatsu

Urashimagoro ................................. 11
Haruna Asano
Ibuki Shimasaki
Mayu Maeda
Natsumi Okada

The Tongueless Sparrow...............16
Nanami Yoshimura
Ryosuke Sasaki
Tagaku Ichi
Yudai Shirai

The Beatbox Coffee Pot ................ 21
Anna Hase
Yejin Kwan
Yui Ikesako
Yuma Hashimoto

The Monkey and the Turtle ......... 27
Shun Nagamachi
Sihyun Moon
Sota Yazawa
Yuka Shimano

Edited and revised by Matthew Barbee
Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan
Copyright 20193

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Click Click Mountain
Characters:
Two storytellers
Old Man (Grandpa)
Old Woman (Grandma)
RabbitTanukiStoryteller 1:

Once upon a time, there lived an old man and an old woman on
the top of a mountain. There was also a rabbit who lived nearby.
(Rabbit enters)

Storyteller 2:

The rabbit visited to help the old man and the old woman every day.

Rabbit:Hi, Grandma and Grandpa!

Old man:

Hi, Rabbit!

Old Woman:

Hello, dear friend. Shall we have lunch together?

Rabbit:Thank you. I always love the delicious food from your garden.

Storyteller 1:

In the forest, there also lived a tanuki, a creature of magic andmystery. You should know that this tanuki was known as a bad guy.

Storyteller 2:

One day, the old man went walking in the forest while the oldwoman went to the river to wash.
(The old woman washes by the river. The tanuki enters.)

Tanuki:Look at the old woman over there. I wanna do ill to her…
(Tanuki magically changes into Rabbit.)

Tanuki:(As the rabbit) Hi, Grandma! Long time no see! May I help you?

Old woman:

Oh, Rabbit! But I just saw you this morning. Thank you! You are so kind.

Storyteller 2:

Suddenly, the tanuki pushed the old woman into the rapid runningriver.

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Old woman:

What? Rabbit, what are you doing? Help! Help! I can’t swim.

Tanuki:(Changing back into the tanuki.) I’m not a rabbit, I’m a tanuki. I
deceived you! (laughing) Haha.

Old woman:

Oh, my goodness… Someone help me! (She drowned in the river.)Tanuki:

Bye-bye!

Storyteller 1:

So, the old woman died. Eventually, the old man, who didn’t know
anything yet, came home from the forest.

Old man:

I’m home! The mountain was so lovely today. The momiji is juststarting to turn red. (Looking for Grandma.) Grandma?

Storyteller 2:

Little did Grandpa know, but the tanuki as changed into the
grandma and was hiding in their home.
(Tanuki appears disguised as Grandma.)

Tanuki:(As Grandma) Hi, Grandpa! How was your day?

Old man:Today, I got some chestnuts. Could you cook something with themfor me?

Tanuki:(excited) Chestnuts! My favorite food!

Old man:

Oh… you don’t like chestnuts, do you?

Tanuki:Ahhh, I didn’t like them, but now, I like them. (nervous laughing) Haha

Storyteller 1:

In all the confusion, Tanuki forgot to hide his tail.

Old man:(seeing the tail) Why do you have a tail? You are… You are Tanuki!

Tanuki:(In a panic) I killed Grandma. Bye-bye! (Tanuki runs away.)

Storyteller 2:

The old man cried over his wife’s death. The next day, the rabbit
visited the old man like he did every day.

Rabbit:Hi, Grandma and Grandpa!

Grandpa:(sad and crying) Not today, Rabbit. Please go away.

Rabbit:Grandpa, you look so sad. Where’s Grandma? What happened?

Grandpa:

Grandma has died. Tanuki killed her… I can’t believe it… How can I
live without Grandma… and I can never forgive that tanuki!

Rabbit:(Angry) That is awful. I loved Grandma so much. I hate that Tanuki,
too. Okay…I really want to get revenge on Tanuki!

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Storyteller 1:

So, the rabbit decided to get revenge on Tanuki. The rabbit planned
for three days and three nights. Then Rabbit’s revenge for the old
man and his wife began.

Storyteller 2:First, the rabbit got some fresh vegetables from the old man andvisited Tanuki’s house with them.
(Rabbit piles firewood in front of the Tanuki’s house and knocks at thedoor of Tanuki’s house.)

Rabbit:(knocking) Knock, knock.

Tanuki:

Who is it?

Rabbit:It’s Rabbit.

Tanuki:(meanspirited) What do you want? (Tanuki comes out of his house.)

Rabbit:I collected some firewood in this forest, but it’s heavy…. Please,please help me carry them up the mountain to my home.

Tanuki:No, it’s troublesome for me. (Tanuki tries to shut the door.)

Rabbit:That’s right. Sorry. But if you help me, I will give you some fresh
vegetables.

Tanuki:

OK! OK! I’ll help you! (excitedly, Tanuki suddenly opens the door.)(Rabbit and Tanuki start walking with firewood on their shoulders.)

Storyteller1:

The two began to carry firewood up the mountain.

Tanuki:Hey, Rabbit, where is your house?

Rabbit:It’s in a village beyond the mountain road.

Tanuki:OK.

Storyteller2:

Rabbit started to carry out her plan.
(Rabbit walks behind Tanuki and starts to set fire to the firewood on
the Tanuki’s back using two pieces of flint. “click, click”)

Tanuki:

Rabbit, what is that sound?

Rabbit:Oh, just a Click Click Bird from Click Click Mountain. Don’t you knowit?

Tanuki:A bird?

Rabbit:Yeah, I hear it’s rare. You are lucky today to hear such a rare bird.

Tanuki:I see.

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Storyrteller1:

After a while, the firewood on the back of Tanuki began to burn andit made crackling noises.

Tanuki:Hey, Rabbit, what is that crackling sound?

Rabbit:Just a Crackle Crackle Bird from Crackle Crackle Mountain. You arevery lucky indeed to hear two such rare birds in one day.

Tanuki:Another bird? I have never heard a bird make a sound like that
before… I feel something hot on my back… and don’t you smell
something burning?

Rabbit:Well, I don’t smell anything. It’s just the smell of autumn.

Tanuki:No, really, I smell a…. (Tanuki looks back.) Fire! What?! Why am I on
fire? Help! Help! Yeow, I’m b…b…b…burning! (Tanuki runs away
leaving a trail of smoke.)

Storyteller2:

Tanuki screamed and ran away crying. When the smoke cleared,
Rabbit was laughing and waving goodbye to the sinister tanuki.

Rabbit:(laughing and sarcastic) I appreciate your kindness! Bye-bye.
(Rabbit waves good-bye.)

Storyteller1:

A few days later, Rabbit visited Tanuki’s house again to get revenge
on the tanuki for a second time.

Rabbit:(knocking) Knock, knock.

Tanuki:(in pain) Who is it?

Rabbit:I’m Rabbit. I brought some medicine which is good for burns
because I thought your back looked like it hurt a lot the other day.
Will you take this?
(Tanuki opens the door violently.)

Tanuki:(Snatching the medicine out of Rabbit’s hand.) Wow! You shouldhave given me this medicine earlier. (He sniffs the bottle.) It smells
really sweet. This looks really delicious!

Rabbit:Don’t eat it! It’s medicine.

Tanuki:I know, I know. (He tries to rub it into his back, but he cannot reachhis back.) Um…I can’t rub it on my back by myself. Can you helpme?

Rabbit:Sure. (Rabbit rubs it on Tanuki’s back.)

Tanuki:Ouch! It hurts. So much pain!!

Storyteller2:

Actually, what Rabbit brought was not medicine. Instead, it washoney mixed with a lot of red pepper and salt.

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Rabbit:Don’t worry. The more it hurts the better it is for healing the burns on
your back.

Tanuki:(shouting) It hurts. It hurts! It hurts!!! Are you sure it’s medicine?

Rabbit:Yep. You’ll feel better soon.

Tanuki:(in a lot of pain) Thank you.

Rabbit:You’re welcome. See you. (Rabbit leaves but stays on the edge ofthe stage to watch what happens next.)

Storyteller1:

Suddenly, Tanuki heard a strange noise growing louder and louder.

Tanuki:What’s that noise? (He notices a bee flying around him.) Bee? A
swarm of bees?

Storyteller2:

A swarm of bees swarmed around Tanuki. They were following thesmell of honey.

Tanuki:(He tries to run away, but he lands on his rear end and he is attacked
by the swarm of bees.) Ow! Ow! Stop! Don’t sting me!… Ouch! Ouch!
(Rabbit laughs at Tanuki for being in great pain, and then clenches
fists in triumph.)

Rabbit:(laughing and triumphant) Bye-bye!

Storyteller 1:

After a week passed, the rabbit visited the tanuki’s house again forthe last phase of his revenge plan.

Tanuki:(tired) What is it this time? (Tanuki lies down and looks up at the rabbit
doubtfully.)

Rabbit:I am so sorry for last time. Look at the beautiful sky! It’s blue like thesea. It would feel good to float on the water and go fishing!

Storyteller 2:

Tanuki thought it was a great idea. He couldn’t eat delicious foods
because of his injury, so he decided to go to the sea to catch somefish.
(The rabbit and Tanuki exit and reenter together.)

Storyteller 1:

Tanuki and Rabbit arrives at the sea where Rabbit had prepared twoboats. One was made of wood and the other was made out of mud.

Rabbit:(Pointing to the mud boat proudly) I’ll give you the best one! I spent
many days and nights making this boat.

Storyteller 2:

Tanuki thought he was lucky to get the best one.

Tanuki:Thank you. Let’s go out to sea in the boats and go fishing!
(They get on their respective boats and start fishing.)

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Storyteller 1:

Tanuki looked happy at first, but he started to panic gradually
because the mud boat began to crumble.

Tanuki:(He screamed and looked up at the rabbit.) Help me! My boat is
sinking. I can’t swim.

Rabbit:(The rabbit stood up in his boat and said loudly.) Do you know who
also couldn’t swim?

Tanuki:(Flailing arms and trying to swim poorly) What are you talking about?
Please help me.

Rabbit:Grandma couldn’t swim either, and you just let her drown. Well, now
it’s your turn. Down you go to the bottom of the sea. You havecaused harm to many. You killed my precious grandmother!

Storyteller 2:

The tanuki finally realized what was happening and what he had
done. He got scared and he asked the rabbit to help him many times.

Tanuki:I’m so sorry! I finally understand how terrible I was. I’ll never do those
things again! I promise! I’m very sorry for what I did to Grandma.

Storyteller 1:

The rabbit gradually felt sorry and decided to help Tanuki.

Rabbit:OK. I’ll help you this time. But if you do such terrible things again, I’ll
never forgive you. (Rabbit approaches Tanuki and helps him out of
the water.)

Tanuki:Thank you so much. I’ll do only good things from now on.

Storyteller 2:

The tanuki went to the old man’s house to apologize from the bottomof his heart. And he now helps the old man around his farm like therabbit.

Storyteller 1:

Tanuki showed us that if we do a bad thing, bad things could also
happen to us. Also, it’s never too late to change your ways.

Storyteller 2:

Eventually the old man, the rabbit, and the tanuki all became goodfriends and they lived happily ever after. The end.

THE END

10Urashimagoro
Characters
Urashimagoro (Goro)
Mother bird (The Queen)
Small bird
Torihime (The Princess)Narrators 1 & 2

Narrator 1:

Once upon a time in the 1800s, there was a kind and brave boy
named Urashimagoro. The place where he lived was near the sea.

Narrator 2:

There was a legend that when any young man in the Urashima family
met some kind of animal, he would enter the phantom world.

Narrator 1:

But Urashimagoro didn’t believe it. One day, he went out for a walkin the neighborhood around his house.
(Goro enters breathing deeply.)

Goro:It’s a perfect day for taking a walk! I always meet someone when I
walk around my house. Who can I meet today?

Narrator 1:

Goro always looked forward to meeting someone when he wasoutside.

Narrator 2:

He was very social and loved talking to people.

Goro:

Oh! There is a big bird in the front of a that tree!

Narrator 1:

Goro saw that the big bird was walking with a basket. He wassurprised because there were some eggs in the basket.

Narrator 2:

Suddenly, one egg fell out of the basket and onto the road. Without
noticing it, the big bird continued walking and left out of sight.

Goro:(Running after the bird) Wait! Wait! You dropped your egg. Pleasewait. Your egg…

Narrator 1:

But it was no use. By that time, the big bird was nowhere to be found.
So, Goro gently picked up the fallen egg and took it home.

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Goro cared for the egg every day and watched it closely. Eventually,
the egg hatched.

Small Bird:(hatching) Hello. Who are you?

Goro:Oh, hello, little one. My name is Urashimagoro, but you can call me
Goro.

Small Bird:

Hello, Goro. Are you my mother?

Goro:(laughing) Oh, no. I found you when you were just an egg. I havecared for you for a long time now, and I will continue to take care ofyou.

Small Bird:

Thank you, Goro. I think I’m very lucky that you found me.

Narrator 1:

Goro continued to care for the small bird. Each day, they becamecloser and closer.

Goro:(to the small bird) You’re getting so big, even though you are still
small.

Narrator 2:

When the small bird was big enough to go out into the world, Gorodecided to take the small bird for a walk.
(Goro and the small bird take a walk.)

Goro:It’s a perfect day for a walk, right? I always meet someone when I
walk. I’m happy to walk with you because I usually walk alone.

Narrator 1:

Goro was happily walking with the small bird.

Narrator 2:

Suddenly, a big bird flew towards them.
(Mother Bird enters. Goro is surprised and hides the small bird behindhis back.)

Mother Bird:(to the small bird) My baby. I have finally found you. I have searched
for your everywhere.

Small bird:(hiding and a bit scared) Who are you?

Mother bird:

I am your mother. I lost you as an egg, and I have been looking
everywhere for you. I thought I would never find you.

Goro:

(to the big bird) Is it really you? I saw you the day that you dropped
your egg. (to the small bird) This is your mother.

Mother bird:

It seems he has grown up well thanks to you. Thank you so much forfinding and taking care of my child.

Narrator 1:

Goro gave the small bird to the big bird even though he was lonely.
The mother bird flew into the sky with her child on her back.

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Narrator 2:

After one year passed, the small bird grew up and returned to Goro.

Small bird:

I told Mother bird of how you saved me and cared for me every day.
She has asked me to bring you to her. She really appreciates
everything that you did. Please come with me and ride on my wings.

Narrator 1:

Goro felt afraid, but he rode on the bird’s wings. Soon, the bird took
him to the Sky Kingdom.
(The small bird flies high above the clouds and arrives at the sky
kingdom.)

Small bird:

Welcome to the Sky Kingdom. It is one of three kingdom’s in thephantom world, the Water Kingdom ruled by the Dragon King, theMountain Kingdom ruled by the Rock Giant, and the Sky Kingdom
ruled by…well, my mother is waiting to see you again.
(Goro nervously walks forward to meet the Mother Bird. Now themother bird is dressed in a beautiful gown and crown.)

Mother bird:

Hello again, Goro. I have been looking forward to meeting you again.
I have always wanted to repay you for taking care of my child. You
see, I am not just any bird, I am the queen of the Sky Kingdom. To
thank you, I want you to enjoy your life here in the Sky Kingdom. You
can have everything your heart desires.

Goro:(surprised) Thank you for welcoming me. I am happy to meet you
again, your majesty. I am so excited! I heard about the different
kingdoms in the phantom world many times from my family, but I
can’t believe those stories were true.

Narrator 1:

The Queen held a festival to thank Goro. She gave Goro all the foodand drink he could ever want. There was also a bird chorus anddancing.

Narrator 2:

At the festival, the Queen introduced Goro to Torihime, her oldest
daughter and princess of the Sky Kingdom. The princess was very
beautiful and kind, and Goro fell in love with her at first sight.

Goro:

Hello! I am Goro. It is a pleasure to meet you. I have never seen
someone as beautiful as you before. I can’t take my eyes off of you.

Torihime:(a bit shy) Why, thank you, Goro. I am very thankful to you for yourkindness and for helping my family. Would you like to fly in the sky
with me?

Goro:

Really? Yes, thank you, but I can’t fly.

Torihime:

Don’t worry. Just take my hand.

Narrator 1:

Suddenly, Torihime and Goro flew away. The days passed and theyspent a lot of time together. They explored the Sky Kingdom, ate
food together, and talked about their opinions on everything. Theygrew closer and closer.

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Narrator 2:

They fell in love; however, it wasn't long before Goro began to misshis village. Torihime was quick to notice this change in him. One day
he sat on a cloud with Torihime dreaming about the flowers aroundhis house.

Torihime:(a bit sad) You're anxious to return, aren't you, Goro? I've grown very
fond of you, you know, and I wish you could stay forever. But I
understand how you must feel. You miss your home, don’t you?

Narrator:

Before Goro could speak, the princess left him for a moment andreturned with a small lacquered box.
(Torihime leaves and returns with a small box. She hands it to Goro.)

Torihime:

Perhaps the time has come for you to leave. Please accept this box
as a reminder of the time we've spent together.

Goro:

Dear, Torihime. I have grown to love you very much, but it is true that
I miss my home and the life I left behind.

Torihime:

I will certainly miss you, but I love you enough to let you go. If you
find yourself confused by anything you see back home, all you needto do is lift the lid. Remember, though, if you do open the box, you
can never return to the Sky Kingdom again. The choice is yours.
Farewell, my dear Goro.

Narrator 1:

After these words of parting, Torihime called for Goro’s old friend, thesmall bird, to take him back home.

Narrator 2:

With the box in hand, Goro climbed onto his old friend's back, andtogether they headed back to the small village where Goro once
lived.

Goro:

Oh, I can't wait to get home! I will miss you and the Sky Kingdom verymuch.

Small bird:

We will miss you, too. Thank you for your kindness.

Narrator:

And with that, the bird left Goro at the path leading to his village.

Goro:

Thank you!

Narrator:

Goro teared up and waved as the bird flew away.

Goro:(crying and waving) Goodbye! I will miss you.

Narrator 1:

Goro ran up the path toward his village.

Narrator 2:

When Goro arrived back at his village, he was very surprised because
the village had almost completely changed.

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Goro:(Surprised) What is that? An iron and glass castle? Carriages moving
without horses? Why are the carriages moving at very high speed!
Also, why are people wearing such strange clothes?

Narrator 1:

Of course, Goro was actually seeing modern buildings, cars, andpeople. In fact, Goro had arrived home in the year 2019.

Narrator 2:

Two hundred years had passed since he first left his village. Goro wasdeeply confused by the world he didn’t know.

Goro:

What should I do? I don’t understand this strange, new world. I can’t
live in this world for the rest of my life. What should I do?

Narrator 1:

Suddenly, Goro remembered the box Torihime had given him.

Goro:Oh, the box from Torihime. She said not to open it, but it’s the only
possession I have. I can’t live in this world; I have no other choice.
(Goro opens the box.)

Narrator 2:

All of a sudden, smoke came pouring out of the box. At that moment,
he wore a suit and there was a smart phone in his hand.

Goro:(In shock) Oh my god!!! What’s happening? I look like the people
who are walking around here. Oh, I seem to be a man in this world.
(The smart phone in Goro’s hand starts ringing.)

Narrator 1:

Goro received a phone call from Torihime.

Goro:(suspiciously) Hello?

Torihime:

Oh, Goro, how are your clothes? In fact, you returned to your village
in 2019. Your clothes, the phone, your life is now that of 2019. Liveyour life, enjoy your new home, and be well. I will always love you.

Goro:

My sweet princess, Torihime. You warned me about opening the box,
but with your love and advice I am sure I can live a happy life here.
Thank you.

Narrator 2:

Thanks to the advice from Torihime, Goro became a modern man.

Narrator 1:

He lives somewhere in Japan now. Perhaps you have even seen him
around. He is certainly enjoying his new life, happily ever after.

Narrator 1 & 2: The end.

THE END

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The Tongueless Sparrow

Characters
Storyteller
Grandpa
Grandma
O-Chon (The Sparrow)
Strange & Other Sparrow

Storyteller:

Once upon a time there lived an old man and old woman.
(Grandpa, grandma enter) Grandpa was such a kind person that hecouldn’t leave someone in trouble.

Grandpa:(Grandpa talks to a stranger who is in trouble on the roadside.) Are
you hungry? Go and eat at my house. There is no need to repay me.

Stranger:Thank you, Thank you. I haven’t eaten in days. Thank you so muchfor your kindness. This will certainly fill my belly.

Storyteller:

But they were not rich. And Grandma, who was greedy, didn’t like it.

Grandma:Why do you do that? Is there a benefit to helping others? You’re
wasting our foods and money. Why don’t you go out and makemoney instead of giving it away?

Storyteller:

The relationship between the selfless grandpa and greedy grandma
grew worse and worse. One day, Grandpa was told by grandma totake the wood to change for money.

Grandma:Hey, Grandpa. Cut down a tree to make up for your waste. The usual
amount is not enough at all, cut more trees into money. Time ismoney. Go at once.
(Grandpa went into the woods.)

Storyteller:

When he was walking through the woods, Grandpa heard a cry
coming from nearby.

Sparrow:(In pain) Oh, help me someone! Please, help me! (The sparrow
moved her as if in pain)

Grandpa:

Poor birdie, I’ll take care of you.

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Storyteller:

Grandpa found the sparrow with a broken wing and took it home.
He decided to take care of her and called the sparrow O-Chon.
Several days passed, and Grandpa continued to tend to thesparrow’s wound. He fed her a few grains of rice every day, but
Grandma wasn’t happy.

Grandma:(shouting)What are you doing? You are still wasting our precious riceon the horrid little creature!

Grandpa:

Don’t get excited. We’ve plenty to spare, and O-Chon doesn’t eat
much.

Grandma:

Waste of rice, waste of money. You can’t do anything right.
(Grandma stormed out of the room.)

Grandpa:(to O-Chon) Oh, I’m sorry that Grandma can’t be nicer to you.
Please don’t worry yourself. I just want you to get well.

Storyteller:

Grandpa was very accustomed to grandma’s nagging complaints
that he continued to look after O-Chon. It was not many days until
O-Chon was able to fly around the room. O-Chon and grandpa
grew to love each other dearly. Her excited chirps and his chuckles
were heard all over the house.

Grandpa:

I’m so lucky to have found you.

O-Chon:Me too. If you had not found me, I would have died there.

Grandpa:

I don’t want to think about that. Just enjoy your time here and you
never have to leave.

O-Chon:Oh, thank you so much. Let’s play hide and seek!
(Grandpa and O-Chon laughed and ran off to play.)

Storyteller:

Several days later, Grandma shouted at Grandpa again.

Grandma:(shouting) Go into the woods to earn more money! You need tomake up for the rice that you are wasting on that bird.

Grandpa:

Ok. I’ll go. I’m sorry O-Chon. I have to go into woods.
(Grandpa hugs O-Chon and leaves, O-Chon whistles and chirps
goodbye)

Storyteller:

Only O-Chon and Grandma were left in the house.

Grandma:

Stupid bird, just be quiet while I do the laundry. (goes outside)

Storyteller:

O-Chon was very hungry because he went out earlier.

O-Chon:I’m very hungry. Oh, there is a lot of rice. Maybe Grandma will forgiveme as long as I eat a little.

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Storyteller:

But the rice was very delicious. O-Chon ate almost all the rice.

O-Chon:(scared) Oh no! Grandma will get angry.

Grandma:

Oh! I cannot find any rice everywhere in my house! (angry) O-Chon!
Come here! You must have eaten all the rice!

O-Chon:(making scared bird noises) I’m sorry! I’m sorry!

Grandma:

Noisy sparrow! I’ll cut off your tongue! (Grandma picks up a pair ofscissors and cuts the bird’s tongue.)

O-Chon:Gyaaa!! (O-Chon flys away.)

Storyteller:

O-Chon flew away as fast as the little sparrow could fly. After a while,
Grandpa came back. And he noticed what his wife did.

Grandpa:

How dare you do such a terrible thing! Why do you insist?

Grandma:

Because... I couldn’t stand it anymore. (She sighs) Every day thatsparrow sings really loud and she eats my precious food. So, I cut her
tongue. She will never sing again. (She laughs with a sinister smile)

Storyteller:

Grandpa was distressed when he heard the story. He turned away
without any words and he immediately went out to find O-Chon.
Grandpa went into the woods again. After walking for a while, hesomehow caught sight the of “Sparrow’s-Inn”. When he went into
the inn, there were so many sparrows and O-Chon was also there.

Grandpa:

Oh, O-Chon, I’m sorry that my wife did such a terrible thing…

Storyteller:

He apologized. But O-Chon answered she is fine now.

O-Chon:Grandpa! I’m fine! My tongue grew back! I want to invite you to theparty. Let us show gratitude for your kindness. I really appreciate yourkindness.

Other Sparrow: Welcome to our house! Please sit down here! You can take any food.
Please dance and sing! Let’s enjoy.
Storyteller:

Grandpa was invited to the sparrow’s party. He saw hundreds ofsparrows dancing, eating many kinds of food, and drinking. He had
a good time with them, but it grew dark.
(Grandpa glanced outside)

Grandpa:

Maybe I had better say goodbye, O-Chon. My wife must be worried.

Storyteller:

O-Chon brought two boxes. One was larger, and the another was
smaller.
(O-Chon brought two boxes)

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O-Chon:

OK, Grandpa. Here you are. This is present as a souvenir. Pleasechoose one of them.
(O-Chon showed the large and small boxes.)

Grandpa:Thank you, O-Chon, but I’m an old and simple man, so I don’t need
many things. I’ll take the smaller one, thank you.

Storyteller:

Grandpa chose the smaller box because he was a modest person,
AND because he wasn’t greedy. Grandpa then said goodbye to thesparrows, and he returned to his home.
(O-Chon hands Grandpa the small box, Grandpa bows, and leaves
while waving goodbye.)

Storyteller:

Grandpa returned home and told Grandma everything that
happened in the sparrow’s house.

Grandma:I’m not interested in your story. And why did you choose the smaller
box! Only a fool would choose the smaller box. Ah, never mind, go
ahead and open it.

Grandpa:Okay, okay…
(Grandma and Grandpa gasped.)

Storyteller:

They were very surprised. Even though the box was small, it was filledwith treasure, gold coins, jewelry, diamonds, and other precious
items.

Grandma:(Grandma smirked) I knew you should have chosen the bigger box.
If this small box contains so much, just imagine how much treasure
would be in the large box. (Grandma has an idea.) I will go to thesparrow’s house myself, and I will get the large box that you shouldhave chosen. Tell me how to get there.

Storyteller:

As soon as Grandpa had given her directions, Grandma ran out thedoor despite the darkness of the night.

Storyteller:

On the way, she found golden coins which were lining the road. She
certainly picked them up.

Granma:(Surprised and picking up the coins.) Oh, money! Maybe my stupidhusband dropped them. I will follow them. Oh! Another one! Oh,
there are so many! I will follow them to the sparrow’s house.

Storyteller:

She followed the golden coins into the woods. When she raised herhead from the ground, she noticed a beautiful house.

Grandma:

Oh, my little sparrow, I’m here to see you. I want to apologize forwhat I did to you. Sorry... (hiding the coins that she picked up)

O-Chon:It’s fine. I don’t care. Welcome to my home, please come inside.

19

Other Sparrow: Welcome to our house! Please sit down here! You can take any food.
Please dance and sing! Let’s enjoy.
Storyteller:

However, she was bored because she only was thinking about thelarge box.

Grandma:

O-Chon, I don’t have much time, bring me the box that my husband
didn’t choose. I want the big box. (with a deceitful grin) Please.

O-Chon:Okay, please wait here, Grandma.

Storyteller:

While waiting, she saw some gold figurines which looked very
expensive.

Grandma:Um, no one is in this room. I think I can take one without anyone
noticing. (She carefully put a figurine into her pocket)

Storyteller:

With the figurine carefully in her pocket, O-Chon brought the box.

O-Chon:(putting the large box on the floor.) Here you are. Please, don’t open
it before you get home.

Grandma:

Okay.

Storyteller:

Soon, she left their house with the large box, golden coins that she
picked up, and the figurine which she stole. How heavy they were.
She walked, walked, walked and walked… However, she neverarrived at home. So, she decided to take a break near the cliff.

Grandma:(out of breath) I can’t wait anymore! I want to see what’s inside thebox! (Grandma slowly opens the box and looks inside.)

Storyteller:

She screamed. Many monsters came out of the box and wrappedaround Grandma.

Grandma:(Raising her hands, screaming, and losing balance.) Ahhhh!

Storyteller:

She lost her balance and fell off the cliff. If her pockets hadn’t been
so full and heavy, she wouldn’t have fallen off the cliff. Grandma
never returned home, but Grandpa was content. He lived the restof his life happy and full of friends. The end.

THE END

20The Beatbox Coffee Pot

Characters:
Storyteller
Teacher
Student 1 & 2
Tanuki (coffee-pot)
Anna (student)
Onlooker 1 & 2

Storyteller:

In Doshisha University, there was a teacher who liked drinking coffee
a lot. Because of his hobby, he owned a lot of coffee pots. One day,an unusual thing happened.
(The teacher enters followed by two students.)

Teacher:

Welcome, students. Let’s have some nice hot coffee together.

Student 1:

Oh, thank you.

Student 2:

Yes, let’s. Coffee will be great on such a cold day.

Teacher:

Wait, where is Anna? I also wanted to talk to her. Was she in herclasses today?

Student 1:

I haven’t seen her.

Student 2:

Oh, she was busy moving to a new apartment today. I heard that
she moved out of her family’s home and into an apartment on her
own.

Teacher:Well, that’s understandable, but I do hope she comes. I can give her
the homework from today.

Student 1:

I’ll tell her if I see her.

Student 2:

Yeah, me too.

Teacher:

No matter. Recently, I got a new coffee pot from an antique shop in
Kyoto. This coffee pot is my favorite, but I haven’t used it yet. So, why
don’t we try it. (handing it to a student) Please add some water andput it in the coffee maker if you don’t mind.

Student 1:

I’m happy to do that, teacher. I’ll switch on the coffee maker.

21

Student 2:

And I’ll add the water. I'm sure It’ll be ready soon. I can’t wait totaste it.

Storyteller:

The students busily switched on the coffee maker and added water
to the coffee pot. The water soon began to sizzle, when suddenly asound came from the coffee pot.

Tanuki:Ouch! ouch! It's too hot.
(A little fuzzy head, a bushy tail, and four paws appeared.)Student 1:(surprised)Wow! What was that noise?

Student 2:

Did the coffee pot just say something? Certainly no.

Tanuki:(louder) Owww! I'm burning! Please switch it off! (hysterical) Switch it
off!

Teacher:(terrified) Who are you?

Tanuki:I’m the coffee pot. It's too hot. Switch it off…please.

Student 1:(shocked) Oh my goodness, that coffee pot is alive.

Student 2:

Is this a dream? What’s happening? No, it’s a nightmare. Talking
coffee pot. Wha…ahhh (faints).

Teacher:(Switches off the coffee maker.) What should we do? We can’t leavethis evil thing here, not in the university. We can’t keep it here!

Student 1:

I don’t know, but we’re not staying. That thing is cursed. Good luckgetting rid of it.
(Student 1 & 2 leave quickly. Just at that moment, Anna arrived.)

Anna:

Excuse me, Excuse me. I’m sorry for being late. I was hoping to get
my homew…

Teacher:Hey, you! Don’t mind that now. I heard that you recently started
living alone. Do you need a coffee pot?

Anna:

Oh, thank you. I was planning to buy a new coffee pot soon. Thankyou so much.

Teacher:(almost throwing the coffee pot at Anna.) Great. It’s yours. Bye.
(pushes Anna and the pot out the door and slams it shut.)(Anna, a little confused, happily takes the coffee pot and leaves.)

Storyteller:

While the secret of the coffee pot still remained a secret to Anna, she
happily took it back to her apartment and proudly put her new
coffee pot in her little kitchen.

22

(Anna goes to her bedroom and sleeps. Sounds coming from the
kitchen.)
Anna:

What’s that popping sound? Did I leave my TV on?
(Anna lies down in bed again, but the sound came again. She goesto the kitchen to investigate.)

Anna:

Ah, the sound was coming from the kitchen. Who’s there? Hello?

Storyteller:

Suddenly, a head and tail and four feet which were covered withshort hair emerged from the coffee pot.
(The tanuki changes out of its coffee pot disguise into the tanuki.)Anna:(screaming) A tanuki?! What are you doing here?
dreaming.

I must be

Tanuki:(trying to calm her.) I'm sorry for surprising you. I'm a Tanuki who lived
in the mountains around Kyoto. I was bullied by my friends, but I
escaped from them and ran away from the mountains. I have been
hiding in this pot ever since. Please allow me to stay here for a while.

Anna:

I was very surprised. I understand your story, but I still can’t believe it.
It must be black magic.

Tanuki:I promise I couldn’t harm anyone, not even a fly. I’m just a simple
tanuki who needs a home.

Anna:

Well, Mr. Tanuki, my name is Anna. I recently moved into thisapartment by myself, but I can barely afford to pay the rent as it is.
So, I can’t keep you here.

Tanuki:Oh, please. I wouldn’t be much trouble. I don’t eat a lot, and I’mvery clean…for an animal.

Anna:

Oh, I just couldn’t. I don’t even know if I’m allowed to keep pets inthis apartment.

Tanuki:(upset) PET? I am not a pet. Animal, yes, but I’m not a pet! There
must be some way to help you make money. Hmm? (Starts thinking
and unconsciously makes a sound like beatboxing)

Anna:

Hey, that was the sound that I heard from my bedroom. It’s very
good. Where did you learn how to do that?

Tanuki:What? That is how tanuki’s communicate. All tanuki’s can do it.

Anna:

Well, it’s very good. And it sounds like human beatboxing. Some
performers have become famous because of their beatboxing.

Tanuki:Really? So, people would enjoy hearing me make these sounds?
And maybe they would also pay to hear them? (Gets idea). I know,23I can perform on the streets of Kyoto and many people will come tosee me!
Anna:

You know, it might just work. A beatboxing Tanuki? Everyone would
love it. That's a great idea! I think we could actually make this work.
(They nod to each other and shake hands.)

Storyteller:

The next day, Anna posted an advertisement on the bulletin board
at school. It read, “The World-Famous Beatboxing Tanuki.” Soon after,a crowd started to form. It seemed everyone was curious to see thebeatboxing tanuki.
(Onlookers gather around. They clap hands when Anna and thetanuki enters. Anna places a hat on the center of the stage in frontof the tanuki.)

Anna:

Come everyone. Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! Come andsee my “World-Famous Beatboxing Tanuki.” You won’t believe youreyes or your ears. Let the show begin.

Tanuki:(Shy at first, the tanuki starts beatboxing, but not so well. He is
nervous.) [Beatboxing poorly]

Onlooker 1:

What is this? He’s not beatboxing.

Onlooker 2:

He’s just makes strange noises. I’m not paying to watch this.

Anna:(quietly to the Tanuki) Don’t mind them. You can do it. Remember,
you are world-famous. (winks at the tanuki)

Tanuki:[Beatboxing with confidence and skill]

Onlooker 1:

Wow! The sound is not coming from the student's mouth. The tanuki
is really doing it. Amazing.

Onlooker 2:

What? The tanuki is really doing it!? I can't believe it. Amazing.

Onlooker 1:

Unbelievable.
amazing.

Onlooker 2:

Don’t stop. (onlookers begin to throw coins into the hat.) I am happy
to tip such a great artist. You’re wonderful.

He’s still going.

I have never seen something so(The tanuki finishes beatboxing and everyone cheers and applauds.)
Anna:

Thank you, everyone. Thank you.
(The crowd of onlookers leaves.)

Storyteller:

It seemed that everyone loved the beatboxing tanuki and they
were able to fill the hat with money.

24

Tanuki:Wow. We did it. We were able to get a lot of money. So, can I liveat your house now?

Anna:

Of course, you can. Let’s go home.

Storyteller:

Tanuki was allowed to stay at Anna’s house, and they both became
fast friends. Quickly, news of the “world-famous” beatboxing tanuki
spread from university to university. Everyone wanted to listen to his
beatboxing skills. He gained fans, Instagram followers, and together,he and Anna made more than enough money for the rent eachmonth.

Anna:

Tanuki, thank you so much! Thank you for helping me make a lot ofmoney. And now it is my turn! I want to help you! What do you want
to do?

Tanuki:

Because I had fun beatboxing with you, I want to participate in a
beatbox competition! I think we could win it.

Anna:

Really? I think that’s great. I am happy to help you.

Storyteller:

The tanuki practiced and performed a lot on the streets of Kyoto to
prepare for the competition. But one day, the tanuki fell ill and lay in
bed.

Anna:

No, please cheer up my friend. Please don’t give up. I applied for
you to enter the beatbox competition. You can`t die now.

Tanuki:My condition is very bad. I had fun spending time with you andbeatboxing, but my magic is fading now. I'm so sorry. Thank you,friend, for your friendship.

Storyteller:

And just like that, the Tanuki faded away and changed back into thecold coffee pot.
(Tanuki changes back into the coffee pot.)

Anna:(Hugging the coffee pot and crying) No! Please don't go. I shouldhave taken better care of your health. Thank you for your friendship.
Thank you.

Storyteller:

Anna cried very much, but the coffeepot did not turn back into thetanuki. A few days later, Anna cleaned the coffee pot, and brought
it back to the teacher’s office. She explained what had happened
to her and the beatboxing coffee pot.

Anna:

This coffee pot belonged to you, so I want you to take care of it. I
couldn’t bear to keep it knowing how much I miss my friend. Pleasekeep it…him safe. He no longer has the ability to transform back into
the tanuki form, so he won’t cause you any trouble.

Teacher:

Oh, it sounds like the both of you had a wonderful adventure
together. I understand, and I'll keep it safe. It is such a lovely pot. I’m
glad to have it back.

25

Storyteller:

The Beatboxing coffeepot never back turned into the tanuki again.
Anna soon graduated from university and misses her friend every day.
From time to time, she still views her cherished memories on
Instagram, memories of the world-famous beatboxing tanuki. The
end.

THE END

26

The Monkey

and the Turtle
Characters:
Storyteller 1
Storyteller 2
MonkeyMother Turtle
Father Turtle
Daughter Turtle

Storyteller 1:

Once upon a time, there was a big and beautiful persimmon tree.

Storyteller 2:

That tree was Mother Turtle’s tree, and she loved it. She had raised itfrom just a tiny seed. Every day she visited the tree and took care of
the tree.

Mother Turtle:(Walks to her persimmon tree and waters it) Hello, my beautiful
persimmon tree! Every day you grow and grow and finally you havemade fruit for me! I love you, my beautiful tree!

Storyteller 1:

One day, an old, mean and cunning monkey appeared. And hefound Mother Turtle’s persimmon tree.

Monkey:(wide-eyed and surprised) What a big and beautiful persimmon tree!
Not only is the tree great, but those persimmons also look delicious!

Storyteller 2:

Mother Turtle came back to the tree and found Monkey.

Mother Turtle:(Look at the monkey and ask curiously) Hello, Mr. Monkey. What are
you doing here?

Monkey:(Look at the persimmons) What a big and beautiful tree! And thosepersimmons also look delicious! I want to have that tree!

Mother Turtle:(Walk in front of the tree) No way! That persimmon tree is mine! I
watered it every day and finally my tree has grown fruit! You canhave a few persimmons, but this is my tree!

Storyteller 1:

The monkey was very angry. You see, the monkey was very greedy.
He didn’t just want a few persimmons; he wanted all of them. Out of
his greed and anger, he quickly climbed to the top of the tree.

27

Monkey:(Climbing the tree with a devious smile) As I expected, thispersimmon tree is very big and beautiful.

Mother Turtle:(Trying to stop the monkey climb the tree but she can’t) Hey! What
are you doing! Come down from my tree!

Monkey:(Taunting mother turtle and laughing) Haha. If you could climb up
the tree, you could catch me, but you can’t even climb your own
tree! (laughing) Haha. I will eat all these persimmons! (takes several
persimmons in his hands)

Mother Turtle:

No, no, please don’t eat all of my beautiful persimmons. I cared forthe tree for so long and it finally has fruit. Don’t eat them all.

Storyteller 2:

The monkey ignored Mother Turtle and started to eat all thepersimmons on the tree.

Mother Turtle:(Looking at the monkey with anger) Stop! Please stop eating all thepersimmons!

Monkey:(Taunting) No, I don’t want to stop, and you can’t make me, foolturtle. But you can have all the persimmons seeds! (laughing) Haha.

Storyteller 1:

Monkey started to throw all the persimmon seeds at Mother Turtle.

Mother Turtle:(Begging the monkey) Please! Stop throwing the seeds at me! It hurts!
(shouting) Help! Please stop.

Storyteller 1:

But the old, mean and cunning monkey didn’t stop throwing
persimmons seeds at Mother Turtle. Mother turtle tried to hide in her
shell, but she wasn’t fast enough.

Monkey:(with mean laughing) Here you go. Take these seeds. Maybe you
can grow more persimmon trees with the seeds. Take them.

Storyteller 2:

Pitifully, Mother Turtle was hit too many times by the persimmon seeds
and died. The monkey had killed her.
(Mother Turtle lies on the ground and stops moving. Monkey falls
asleep in the top of the tree, out of sight.)

Storyteller 1:

Later that day, Mother Turtle hadn’t come home, so the father
worried about her and looked for her.
(Father Turtle enters, walking from the sea.)

Father Turtle:

Ah, I’m tired…

Storyteller 2:

The day is clear and calm winds are blowing. When Father Turtle
looked around, there was a lifeless black object at the foot of MotherTurtle’s precious persimmon tree.

Father Turtle:(realizing that the object is Mother Turtle) Oh, she is so tired. She musthave fallen asleep. (trying to wake her up mildly) Wake up, dear.

28

Storyteller 1:

Father Turtle believed that she was only sleeping and tried to wake
her up, but that was not the case.

Father Turtle:(The father turtle is surprised and feels uneasy.) Wake up, wake up!
Hey! Are you OK? Why don’t you wake up? What’s happened toyou? Hey! Wake up! Are you…? (He feels something unusual, and hebecomes more upset.) Noooo!

Storyteller 2:

Deep sadness overwhelmed Father Turtle and he cried out for his
wife.

Father Turtle:

It’s my fault. I was a bad husband. (Father Turtle cries out and falls on
his knees.) I should not have left you every day while you cared forthis tree alone. I should have protected you.

Storyteller 1:

Suddenly, Father Turtle noticed something in the sand.

Father Turtle:

A footprint? (He is surprised) What? Many footprints? It looks just likea monkey’s footprint. Maybe, they belong to the bad monkey
everyone talks about. And what happened to all the persimmons?
Someone has eaten all of Mother Turtle’s lovely persimmons. She
didn’t die, she was killed…for the persimmon tree.

Monkey:(leaping down from the top of the tree) It’s true. I killed her. I wanted
to eat all the persimmons, but your wife tried to stop me. I threw thepersimmon seeds at her and now she’s dead. (Evil laughing andrunning off stage)

Father Turtle:(with deep anger and yelling at the monkey) What have you done?
Monkey! Get back here. You’ll pay for this. YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS,I PROMISE!

Storyteller 1:

Father Turtle dug a grave for Mother Turtle and lit some incense at it.
He closed his eyes and remembered his memories with her. He loved
her deeply.
(From anger to sadness and back to anger, Father Turtle gets an
idea.)

Father Turtle:

I must get revenge on that monkey! I have to revenge my wife’s
death, but how? On the land I’m not able to fight the monkey. If I’m
killed, it would be pointless.

Storyteller 2:

He couldn’t come up with good idea, so he decided to go home
and tell his daughter what had happened. He told her how themean monkey had killed Mother Turtle and that he wanted to get
revenge on the monkey.

Daughter Turtle: (with sadness and anger) What!? Mother is dead? It’s can’t be true.
What a horrible monkey! (gets an idea) But wait, what about thesea? You can’t beat the monkey on land, but he couldn’t matchyou in the sea.

29

Father Turtle:

Yes! The sea! That’s it. Let’s call him to the sea and fight him there.
(with confidence) In the sea I’m stronger than anyone!

Daughter Turtle: Yes, you are stronger than the monkey in the sea, but there is no
reason to fight him. Mother once told me that monkeys can’t swim.
There must be some way to use that to our advantage. Think, think,
think.
Father Turtle:(getting an idea) I’ve got it. There is an isolated island in the middleof the sea. On that island there is the most delicious persimmon tree
in the world. It is where your mother found the seed to grow her
persimmon tree.

Daughter Turtle: Another persimmon tree? But what good is another tree? That is thereason mother died in the first place.
Father Turtle:

Exactly! The monkey wants to eat persimmons so bad…so we’ll givehim all the persimmons he can eat.

Daughter Turtle: What? But that only benefits the monkey. Why do you want toreward him with more persimmons?
Father Turtle:

Just think. The persimmon tree is on an isolated island, and themonkey can’t swim. If you can convince the monkey to go with you
to the island, I will be waiting for him. Then, we can leave him behindon the island, so he can never return.

Daughter Turtle: That’s a good idea! We can do this and avenge my mother’s death.
Storyteller 1:

At last, the day of the plan finally arrived.

Storyteller 2:

The mean monkey was napping under Mother Turtle’s persimmon
tree. The young turtle approached him and started to speak to him.
(Daughter turtle appears and approaches the sleeping monkey. The
monkey wakes up.)

Daughter Turtle: Hello, Mr. Monkey.
Monkey:What do you want? There are no more persimmons to eat here, so
go away.

Daughter Turtle: Oh, do you like persimmons?
Monkey:Yeah, so what? There are no more persimmons around here.

Daughter Turtle: You’re right, but I know of another persimmon tree with the mostdelicious persimmons in the world. But it’s too bad; it’s on an island in
the middle of the sea. I don’t suppose you know how to swim, doyou?
Monkey:No. You know monkeys can’t swim…not that far anyway. (notices his
empty stomach) But I’m so hungry. I would love to eat thosepersimmons.

30

Daughter Turtle: Well, I was planning to swim out into the sea today. I suppose I could
take you if you wanted to ride on my backMonkey:Yes, of course. Hurry up! Let’s go.
(The monkey climbed onto the turtle’s back.)

Storyteller 1:

And with that, the monkey climbed up on Daughter Turtle’s backand rode with her to the solitary island in the middle of the sea.

Storyteller 2:

Time passed, and they eventually arrived at the island.

Monkey:(arriving on the island and seeing the persimmon tree) Wow! You
were right. Those persimmons look so delicious. I'm going to eat allof these persimmons, too.

Storyteller 1:

The monkey approached the persimmon tree and started to eat
them.

Storyteller 2:

Little did he know that Father Turtle was waiting for him.

Monkey:So delicious! I have never eaten such delicious persimmons like these.
Finger-licking good.

Father Turtle:(Jumping out from behind the tree) Well, hello, Monkey.

Monkey:(surprised and dropping the persimmons) Ah! Where did you comefrom? Get away from my persimmon tree; it’s mine.

Father Turtle:

Oh, I don’t want to take your precious persimmons. Please eat all ofthem. They are all yours. (Joining his daughter) My daughter and I
want you to enjoy every last one.

Monkey:Your daughter? But, why are you hear? I killed your wife, your mother,and now you want to give me all these delicious persimmons? Why
would you do that?
(Father Turtle and Daughter Turtle move to the edge of the stage,
ready to go.)Daughter Turtle: You killed my mother just because you were greedy! You wanted all
the persimmons, so you killed her. Well, you can have all of them.
Goodbye, Mr. Monkey.
Monkey:Goodbye? What? I can’t swim. How do I get back to the mainland?

Father Turtle:

Exactly! You can have all the persimmons you want…on this island…

Daughter Turtle: …in the middle of the sea…for the rest of your life…
Father Turtle:…alone. You will never see anyone again, only these persimmons.

31

Monkey:

But after I eat all the persimmons, I’ll only be left with the seeds. I’ll
starve to death.

Daughter Turtle: Well, you said it yourself, “maybe you can grow more persimmon
trees with the seeds.” Bye-bye.
(The turtles leave the monkey alone on the island.)Monkey:(pleading) WAIT! Please don’t leave me here. Please, you can’t dothis to me.

Storyteller 1:

The turtles went back home and left the monkey on the island withhis precious persimmons.

Storyteller 2:

The monkey stayed alone on that solitary island in the middle of thesea for the rest of his days. The end.

The End32