modern

Five Japanese
Folktales
For the Stage20
02Adapted and written by the studentsof Matthew Barbee’s English Practicum Class

2020

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Five Modern Japanese
Folktales for the Stage
Blowing Up ............................................ 5
Yuriko Fujimoto
Rio Inoue
Masahiro Terazawa
Diyun Kong

Cell Phone Tanuki .............................. 13
Kenta Shibata
Takeru Matsui
Yukiho Kashimoto

Overly-Attached Girlfriend ............... 18
Rin Toyoda
Taishi Fujiwara
Kazuha Nakai
Maika Kawasaki

Let’s Go, Taro ...................................... 23
Sean Poole
Airi Kusaka
Taichi Nishikawa

Revenge of the Child Crab 2020 ..... 28
Moe Nagasawa
Soya Suzuki
Yakutaka Yamaguchi
Ayuka Tsuzuku

202

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Revised and Edited by Matthew Barbee
Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan
Copyright 2020

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Blowing Up
A modern, English adaptation of the traditional Japanesefolktale, Kachikachi Yama (Click Clack Mountain)

Authors:
Scene 1 – Yuriko Fujimoto
Scene 2 – Rio Inoue
Scene 3 – Masahiro Terazawa
Scene 4 – Diyun Kong

Characters:
Storyteller
Old man (Grandpa)
Old woman (Grandma)
Tanuki
RabbitScene 1
Storyteller:

Once upon a time, there lived an old man, an old woman, and a rabbit. They
lived together like a real family. Also, they ran a restaurant and cultivated thenearby mountain to increase their land.

Tanuki:(sadly) We have nothing to eat because an old human couple is cultivating all
the land around our dwelling. The only way to live is to steal food from the humanfields at the foot of this mountain…
(Tanuki goes down the mountain and steals the crops from the old couple’s field.)

Tanuki:(secretly) Just a little…Just a little…
(The old woman found the Tanuki stealing crops from her field.)

Old Woman:(calling-out) What are you doing?!

Tanuki:(frightened) N-n-no, no, I just…

Old Woman:(angrily) Don’t make excuses! You tried to steal our crops, didn’t you?

Tanuki:T-t-that’s true, but…

5Old Woman:

Get over here, now!

Storyteller:

The old woman grabbed Tanuki’s hands and handcuffed him to a pillar.

Tanuki:(Worried) That wasn’t supposed to happen. How can I get out of here? That old
woman should have a key to my handcuffs. I wish I could get that key. Hmm, thisis hard… (gets an idea) oh, I got it! I hear that old people eat rice cakes a lot.
Let’s let the old woman eat a rice cake. When the rice cake is stuck in her throat, I
can steal the key and get away from here! This is good idea. (to Old Woman)
Hey, grandma.

Old Woman:

What?

Tanuki:Aren’t you hungry? I’m so hungry. Could we eat those rice cakes over there?

Old Woman:

Hmm…well, okay. Now that you mention it, I am a little hungry. If you’re not going
to run away, I’ll share some of the rice cakes with you.

Tanuki:(Gladly) Thank you! How sweet of you!
(They start eating rice cakes)

Old Woman:

As soon as the old woman put rice cakes in her mouth, Tanuki held her mouth
shut.

Tanuki:(Gladly) Hot dog!

Old Woman:(choking) mhmm…mhmm

Tanuki:Oh, you poor thing!

Storyteller:

Sadly, the old woman died from choking on rice cakes as Tanuki had expected.
(Tanuki searches around in the old woman’s pocket for the key)

Tanuki:Let’s see…where’s the key? …oh, I got it! (very happy and jumping for joy.) I’m
free. No one can keep rabbit locked up.
(Tanuki frees himself from the handcuffs and runs away)

Storyteller:

After the tanuki freed himself, the old man and Rabbit returned from working in
the fields.

Rabbit:Hey, grandma. How was your d… (finds the old woman dead) oh, Grandma!

Old man:What happened? (finds the old woman dead) What the hell…this is unbelievable.

Rabbit:(sadly) Grandma…what happened to her…

Old man:

Security camera! Let’s check the security camera! I’ve set it recently. We can see
what happened.

Rabbit:

Got it. (checks security camara footage)

Storyteller:

They all checked the security camera footage, and it showed Tanuki fleeing.

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Rabbit:

It was Tanuki! He killed my dear grandma!

Scene 2
Storyteller:

After the old man and Rabbit found the old woman dead, they cried andscreamed a lot.
(They stood up and started to talk.)

Old Man:(angrily) I will never forget what Tanuki did to my sweet Grandma. I’ll take revenge
on Tanuki! Right. Now!

Rabbit:No, no, you shouldn’t do that. You helped me a lot before. Grandma and you
rescued me when I was bullied by Rabbit in my childhood. In turn, it is time to takerevenge on him.

Old Man:(sadly) You will? I don’t want you to dirty your hands.

Rabbit:Tanuki did such murderous things to me. I’ve never talked to you about the thing
Tanuki did because it would make you sad. All I can tell you is that I will do anything
to take revenge on that dirty, murderous Tanuki. Please allow me to do that.

Old Man:(feeling sorry) But…well…all right. Are you really sure that you can make it? How
do you plan to take revenge on Tanuki? I’m so worried about you.

Rabbit:(looks happy) Thank you! I’ll definitely do it.
(They held their hands together and sat down.)

Old Man:(beginning to cry) Oh, my dear Rabbit ….

Rabbit:Don’t worry, Grandpa. I have thought about plans for taking revenge on Tanuki
for several years. I strategized very well, so I am ready to take my revenge.

Old Man:I can’t believe it. I think you are too kind to hurt anything or anybody.

Rabbit:That was true but now that’s not the case. I will forget my true nature and sink to
Tanuki’s level. Poor, sweet Grandma deserves to rest in peace.

Old Man:

I got it. So, before taking revenge on Tanuki, can you tell me what your plans are?

Rabbit:(sadly) Sorry, I can’t.

Old Man:Why not?

Rabbit:Because that’s what I really hate to do. That’s against my policy.

Old Man:

Are you sure? This is not like you.

Rabbit:A long time ago, Tanuki also bullied me terribly.

Old Man:

Yeah.

Rabbit:For example, when I started to run my own restaurant, Tanuki said to me, “Whocomes to such an old fashion restaurant? Nobody will. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha….” He
knew my long dream of owning my own restaurant in the future. He also dreamedof having his own restaurant.

Old Man:(comforting Rabbit) That’s too bad. You were envied by him. You are better thanhim!

Rabbit:Yes, thanks. Even though he spoke ill of my restaurant, a few months later hestarted his own restaurant next to mine! Furthermore, his restaurant was also
Japanese like mine.

Old Man:

What!? Isn’t it against the law?

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Rabbit:Yeah, I think so. But he never cared about that. From the beginning, his goal wasto copy me. Again, he did it.

Old Man:What a tanuki! And your plans of taking revenge on him are…?

Rabbit:(with mixed feelings) Hold on a second. I have another story to tell you.

Old Man:Ok, I’ll listen to you.
(Old man sat up straight.)

Rabbit:(breathing deeply) Soon after you arrived here, the animals of the mountains
complained that you and the other humans had cultivated our mountains. You
destroyed our homes, and we have to leave our beautiful mountains.

Old Man:(shocked) Oh, what a…

Rabbit:Yeah. We had no land for our restaurant gardens, so the running of our restaurants
was doomed. Every day, no one came, so Tanuki and I decided to go back up
the mountain and to ask you and the other humans to stop cultivating our home.

Old Man:(keep silent)

Rabbit:And arriving at the foot of the mountains, Tanuki changed his mind. He began to
say that we should attack the humans’ homes. I tried to stop him, but he said that
he wanted to do the same thing that they did to us.

Old Man:

And…?

Rabbit:As we were quarreling about whether we would attacked the humans’ houses ornot, Tanuki began to light a fire wanting to burn the human houses. When I tried
to stop him, Tanuki hit me so strongly. I got injured and he burned my restaurant
instead. Then. . .

Old Man:. . .then Grandma and I saved you? We saw the fire but…

Rabbit:(as determined) Yes. You save my life. But I couldn’t save my restaurant, andthat’s why I want to get revenge, to let him know the pain and hurt I felt.

Storyteller:

They stayed up talking about the revenge plan all night.

Scene 3
Storyteller:

One morning, Tanuki woke up with a mobile phone notification.
(phone notification sound)

Tanuki:(waking up from bed, yawning) Umm?… what is going on with my phone?… there
are a lot of comments on Instagram and Taberogu, a famous dining blog.
(reading cell phone) It says I have 730 new messages… (shocked) Wait, what?
Why do I have 730 messages? Maybe my restaurant is going viral. But why? Oh,
well. I’ll check later. I’m still sleepy. (Tanuki goes to sleep again.)(phone ringing)

Tanuki:Who called me? It’s 6 in the morning… (phone display call from unannounced) It’s
so weird. (Answer the call) Hello?

Rabbit:(Rabbit changes his voice) You are Tanuki, right?

Tanuki:

Yes, I am.

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Rabbit:And you are the owner of the restaurant, The Click?

Tanuki:

Yes, I am the manager of The Click. What can I do for you?

Rabbit:Just remember. What goes around, comes around. Take care of yourself, Mr.
Tanuki.

Tanuki:Um, OK. Thanks. Thank you for your advice. Umm, may I ask your name, sir?
(Rabbit hangs up the phone.)

Tanuki:Hello? Are you still there? Hmm… I don’t like this. How does he know my nameand number… What does he want with me…

Storyteller:

Tanuki suddenly felt that something was wrong, and he checked his Instagram
again.

Tanuki:What is this… What is going on?! (All messages and comments on The Clickaccount smeared and criticized Tanuki and his place. Reading) “The Click is theworst restaurant on the earth. Tanuki, the owner, always serves cheap food andrips me off. You should not visit there.” What? It’s nothing but a fake story… My
food is delicious… (Tanuki checks whole message) Why is everyone criticizing me
and liking this comment?! (he also checks Taberogu evaluations and comments)
What? The Click’s evaluation on Taberogu is 0.03… It couldn’t be true… Ok, but
this is only on the internet, so everybody will come to my restaurant as usual… It is
not a problem. (Tanuki goes to his restaurant and prepares to open) There are noreservations today… Even the reservations made before are all canceled … Whatshould I do? If there are no guests today, I cannot pay my rent… (suddenly,
something breaks through the window) Wow! What was that? Is there somebody
outside? Ok, I will call the police. (Tanuki checked the phone but no signal) Hey!
Something is very wrong. Help!
(someone knocks on the door)

Tanuki:

Who is it? Help me!

Rabbit:(walks in the restaurant) Hey, what’s going on in here? You seem confused, can I
do something for you? I can help you. How is your business today?

Tanuki:Hey, my old friend, something is really wrong today. Help me! My restaurant’s
page and website have been smeared by many anonymous complaints andbad reviews. Also, I got a strange call, my restaurant’s window was broken, andthere aren’t any guests today. I can’t stand this crazy situation.

Rabbit:I am very sorry to hear that. You should go home today. Do not come out of yourhouse and keep your windows closed.

Tanuki:Thanks, thank you my old friend. Could you stay here at my restaurant today? Ifeel scared to leave it alone.

Rabbit:Sure. I will stay here today, so you need not request the police’s help. I’ll checkeverything! You should go home as soon as possible.

Tanuki:Thanks, thank you from the my bottom of my heart. If something happens, let me
know.

Storyteller:

Tanuki then left The Click and went home.

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Rabbit:

Stay safe my friend!

Storyteller:

But no sooner had Tanuki arrived home, he heard a fire alarm.

Tanuki:Is something on fire? Oh god, what a day… (look out the window) Wait… I can’t
believe this… Is that my restaurant on fire? No, no, this can’t be happening. First ofall, Rabbit stayed in my restaurant, and no one else was there. Let make call
Rabbit and check if my restaurant is safe.

Storyteller:

Tanuki made a phone call to Rabbit, but Rabbit didn’t take the call.

Tanuki:What should I do… Alright, I will text Rabbit and ask what is going on. Oh, he justposted an Instagram story… (shocked) Wait, WHAT?

Storyteller:

His Instagram story showed and picture with fire and the caption: “What goesaround, comes around.”Scene 4
Storyteller:

Now comes the final step of Rabbit’s plan. It is a cold morning, so most of theanimals and humans are still sleeping. Rabbit comes to Tanuki’s home, carrying abottle of strong alcohol that had been brewed by the late Grandma.

Rabbit:(Concerned) Tanuki? Are you feeling better?

Tanuki:(Shake his head) No, it’s worse.

Rabbit:Oh, poor thing. That’s what you get. I warned you to be careful.

Tanuki:

Yes, and you burned my restaurant, and posted the story on Instagram!

Rabbit:What are you talking about? Story? I was robbed and my smartphone was stolenthat night. (acting like a victim) Poor, poor me.

Tanuki:What? Really? Oh no. We are both victims.

Rabbit:(acts oblivious) Exactly, someone must really hate you a lot to also attack me. Do
you still suspect me?

Tanuki:

Well…oh, you saved me...sorry. You know, the headache and hunger have mademe crazy.

Rabbit:I see. (shows the bottle of beer) I think you need this bottle of delicious beer.

Tanuki:Beer! (hesitantly) But, are you sure...

Rabbit:Sure. Take it! I know you like it. I believe that this special drink could serve as aneffective pain reliever. And, you know, it can warm your frozen body up andincrease your energy.

Tanuki:Oh, thanks. You are so kind.

Storyteller:

Rabbit passed the bottle to Tanuki, who uncorked it and drank it straight down in
one gulp. The alcohol immediately paralyzed his senses. He could barely standand walk.

Rabbit:Are you alright?

Tanuki:(feigning confidence) Yes, of course! Very good! I can walk! Even run!
(Tanuki runs outside his home but soon loses his balance on the slope)Rabbit:10

Wait! Where are you going?! (runs after Tanuki)

Tanuki:(Sitting on the ground) Throat...burn...burning!

Rabbit:What?

Tanuki:My throat’s burning! Water...Water! Where’s water!

Rabbit:Calm down. Don’t worry. I know where to find water. Come with me.

Storyteller:

Rabbit ran in front to lead the way. A while later, they reached a swamp. It was abeautiful undeveloped swamp, but all the sober animals who lived in themountains know to be careful around the swamp or you can find yourself being
swallowed by it, and could find yourself dead. Unfortunately, Tanuki was notsober. Rabbit slowed down when he began to see the swamp and pointed it out
to Tanuki. With his throat on fire, Tanuki ran straight into the swamp toward thewater, just as Rabbit expected.
(finally deciding to stop ten meters away from the swamp)

Rabbit:(asks loudly) Tanuki! Is the water ok?

Tanuki:(drinking water without restraint) Yes. Yes, it’s so good.

Rabbit:(in a loud voice) Do you like it here? It’s beautiful, isn’t it?

Tanuki:(gradually calming down but still not understanding his situation) Yeah, I think so?

Rabbit:(cheerful) Great. It’s pleasing to know that you like your grave.

Tanuki:(confused) What? What are you talking... (sees something approaching him) wait,
what is…?

Storyteller:

Suddenly, a snake leaped up at Tanuki and bit him as they both fell into thewater.

Tanuki:(surprised and scared) Snake! Help! Help! I can’t move!

Storyteller:

Tanuki, didn’t have too much time to yell and struggle. He eventually sank deep
into the swamp, gone forever.

Rabbit:(looks on calmly with a slight smile) Good night, Tanuki. Sleep well.

Storyteller:

And with that, Rabbit got his revenge. He should have returned to Grandpa's
house and led a happy and peaceful life together, but Rabbit didn’t feel happyor relaxed at all. He didn’t know why. Confused, he didn't return home directly,
but instead, he went to Grandma's grave, and stood in front of it silently. He could
still feel her with him, and he was reminded of the first time he and Tanuki went to
the old couple's house. When Tanuki was about to attack them, Rabbit stopped
him. Indeed, Rabbit also hated humans’ arrogance, but he also didn’t agree withthe use of force as a solution.

Rabbit:I have insisted that force isn’t the answer to everything. But now, to seek revenge,
I killed my enemy, choosing the way I once opposed. I succeeded; I'm sure I did agood job. . .but, what did I get?
(Silence)

Rabbit:No. She’s dead. My old friend is dead. And I’m too ashamed to return toGrandpa. Grandma?
(Silence)

Storyteller:

But no one answered Rabbit and he just stayed there alone. In the end, violencesolves nothing.

The End11

Cell Phone Tanuki
A modern, English adaptation of the traditional Japanesefolktale, Bunbuku Chagama (The Teakettle Tanuki)

Authors:
Scene 1 & 2 – Kenta Shibata
Scene 3 & 4 – Takeru Matsui
Scene 5 & 6 – Yukiho Kashimoto

Characters:
Storyteller
Monk
Clerk
Priestling
TanukiStudent

Scene 1
Storyteller:

Once upon a time, there was a poor Monk who lived in a temple called Orin
temple. One day, the Monk walked far into the city to a second-hand shop
because he didn’t have much money to spend. He looked around carefully, but
he couldn’t find what he was looking for.

Monk:

(Sadly) Times are changing and I need an easier way to communicate with theworld. I have never trusted technology, but the time has come to buy asmartphone. I can’t deny technology any more. Could someone help?

Storyteller:

With that, the Monk decided to ask for help from the clerk.

Monk:(to the clerk) Excuse me. I have walked very long distance, and I am looking for asmartphone to make my life more convenient. Can you please help me find theperfect smartphone.

Clerk:

Of course, sir. We have a huge selection of smart phones, but some of them arevery expensive.

Monk:

Oh no, but I only have a little money. Do you have something cheap and easy tooperate? I don’t need anything fancy.

Clerk:

Well, I do have this one. . .(hesitates) No. You don’t want this one. It’s been here along time and no one wants it. But it’s so cheap that it’s almost free. It’s yours if
you want it.

Monk:(excited) Really? That sounds great. I’ll take it.

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Storyteller:

Finally, the Monk found a nice smartphone that looked like what he wanted, so hebought it.

Monk:(content) I finally found a good one. I’m can’t wait to go home and use it.

Scene 2
Storyteller:

One week after he ordered his smartphone, he got a package in the mail andwas excited to open the box. However, the Monk was old and not good atelectronic devices, so he asked his little priestling to help setup the phone.

Monk:(a little frustrated) I don’t know how to setup the phone. I can’t do this,priestling, Can you do this for me instead?

Priestling:

Sure! I usually use a smartphone, so I’m sure I can help you set it up.

Storyteller:

When he tried to insert the SIM card into the new smartphone, suddenly the newsmartphone said, “Ouch! Ouch!” The little priestling was startled and cried.

Priestling:(Very scared) What was that?

Storyteller:

The Monk heard his little priestling screaming and came to see what was going
on.

Monk:

What are you doing? Why are you so upset?

Priestling:

I heard the smartphone speak suddenly, and I was very scared.

Monk:(Angrily) It is impossible for a smartphone to speak to you directly. They can’t. I
guess it was just Siri. You are ridiculous!

Storyteller:

The Monk didn’t believe that his smartphone talked, and he scolded thelittle priestling.

Scene 3
Storyteller:

A few hours later, the Monk got a Line notification.
(The smartphone rings “Hi”)

Monk:(He looks at it with distrust) What? What’s that sound? This smartphone is broken?
But I just bought it. That’s why I should never trust technology.

Storyteller:

He came up with an idea.

Monk:(has an idea) Siri must know the reason. Siri is so useful. Siri is the best! I love Siri!

Storyteller:

He tried to talk to Siri.

Monk:

Hey Siri, when a smartphone makes a strange sound, how can I fix it?

Storyteller:

But Siri didn’t respond.

Monk:

Hey… Hey, hey Siri!

Storyteller:

Suddenly his smartphone turned into a Tanuki.
(Monk was stunned with his mouth open)

Monk:

Wh. . .what? A tanuki? What is a Tanuki doing here? Where is my smartphone?

Storyteller:

The Monk searched around, but the smartphone was nowhere to be seen.

Tanuki:Here.

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Monk:

You are a tanuki. I don’t want to have a tanuki-looking smartphone. I just want tohave an ordinary smartphone that doesn’t make strange sounds and looks like aregular cellphone.

Scene 4
Storyteller:

Disheartened, the Monk went and tried to sell his phone at the same secondhand shop where he bought it.

Monk:

Hey! This smartphone is broken! I don’t need it anymore.

Clerk:(very angry) What are you saying!? You bought it. It’s your smartphone!

Monk:

I know, but it’s broken. It’s not my fault; it’s yours!

Clerk:

Ok, ok. Please calm down. Because you’re a Monk, I will refund half the money.
Take it or leave it.

Monk:Okay. I just wanted a regular smartphone, not this awful creature that makes funnynoises.
(The Monk throws the phone at the clerk and storms out of the shop)

Storyteller:

At that time, there was a student in the store who was also looking for a newsmartphone, but like the Monk he couldn’t afford to buy a new one.

Student:(disappointed) Ah, I’m the only one who doesn’t have a smartphone yet.
Everyone has their own smartphone except for me. Maybe I can find asmartphone at this second-hand shop. There are many smartphones withreasonable prices here. (to the clerk) Excuse me, I want to buy a smartphone. Do
you have any recommendations?

Clerk:(Nervous, holding an old cellphone) Ah, ah, this, this smartphone is very
reasonable and looks very nice! It’s just an ordinary smartphone, and it doesn’t
make strange noise at all. It’s perfect…and it’s free.

Student:

Free? Is something wrong with it?

Clerk:(panicking a little) N…n…no, of course not! Just a regular, ordinary phone. And it
was even once owned by a monk from the Orin Temple. It might even bring you
luck. Do you want it or not?

Student:

Yes, I want it! I can’t get cheaper than free. I’ll take it.

Storyteller:

The student was so happy, but it was getting late. He went home excited to use
his new phone.

Student:

I will wake up at…umm… at 7:00 tomorrow. So, I will set an alarm at 7:00. Hey Siri,wake me up at 7’am tomorrow.
(In a strange voice, the smartphone talks but it is really the Tanuki)

Tanuki:Okay, I your alarm is set for 7:00 tomorrow morning.

Student:

That voice is a bit strange sound. I wonder what is wrong with the voice. Hey Siri,
why is your voice so strange?

Storyteller:

Suddenly, the smartphone turned into a Tanuki and the student fell back andpassed out.

Tanuki:That’s because I am a tanuki. I’m sorry to scare you. Hello? Hello? Can you hearme?

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Scene 5
Storyteller:

The next day, the student woke up slowly with a huge headache. He wasn’t surewhat he had seen.

Student:(holding his head, in pain) Ow, what, what happened?

Tanuki:Good morning, sunshine. I made you some food (offers plate to student).

Student:

What? Who? What are you? How did you turn into a smartphone?

Tanuki:I came here to get some food, but I was not able to walk in this big city. If
someone saw me, I would be caught or shot. So, I decided to change into asmartphone. Everyone has a smartphone, so I thought I would be safe. Now, I
have lost my way and need a place to stay.

Student:

I want to let you stay with me, but I am so poor that I can't pay for you to live withme.

Tanuki:Don't worry about money. I have a great idea about that. I think I can make you
rich. Actually, I think it would be a great idea to make some funny or interesting
videos and become YouTubers! If we could make some good ones, maybe wewill be able to earn a lot of money!

Student:

Are you serious? Do you think it's possible?

Tanuki:Yeah, I'm serious. I swear we can make a lot of money!

Student:

Okay.

Tanuki:Let’s try anyway.

Scene 6
Storyteller:

The student and the tanuki spent all day discussing about what kind of videos thatthey could make.

Student:

What kind of videos do you want to make?

Tanuki:Actually, I can do really nice performances like dancing, singing, or whatever.

Student:

Oh, you do? Okay, let’s make something like that. Do you want me to be in thevideo too?

Tanuki:Maybe it’s better that you introduce me as your friend. And we can make somevideos of our lives too. What do you think?

Student:

Sounds nice! We can make some videos about various kinds of things. YouTube
videos with groups of crazy friends are so popular these days. Maybe it’ll work.
(They work on making videos for YouTube.)

Storyteller:

They worked together to make a lot of interesting and funny videos.

Tanuki:

I will make a dancing video this time, so will you edit it for me?

Student:

Okay. (working on computer) I’m done. Can you check it out?

Tanuki:Okay. It’s good! Let’s upload it.

Student:

Okay!

Storyteller:

Their first video was uploaded on their YouTube channel.

Student:

Hey look! Some people liked our first video! Let’s take more videos and upload
them!

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Tanuki:Maybe we can make a vlog this time. Let’s introduce who we are and how webecame friends.

Student:

What a great idea. Let’s do it.

Storyteller:

Their YouTube channel became popular little by little.

Student:

We did it! Look, more than a million people are subscribing to us!

Tanuki:I knew from the beginning! I believed this would work.

Storyteller:

Luckily, they became so popular all over Japan, and they earned a lot of money.
They could buy a luxury condominium, and they spend a lot of time together.
One day, the poor university student wanted to tell Tanuki that he was grateful forhim.

Student:

Hey Tanuki! Come over here!

Storyteller:

The student saw that the Tanuki had turned back into the smartphone. He asked
the smartphone to turn back into the Tanuki, but it didn't answer.

Student:(nervous and saddened) Tanuki? Tanuki! Wake up. I know you’re tired, but weshould celebrate. We made so much money and you earned your keep.

Storyteller:

But there was no word from the tanuki. Finally exhausted, he had turned back intoa smartphone for good. The student was so sad because they had become bestfriends. He decided to take the smartphone to the Orin Temple, where the shop
clerk had told him it was once owned by a monk. The student walked andwalked, and finally arrived at the temple. The Monk greeted him and agreed to
let the cell-phone tanuki stay there forever. If you visit the Orin Temple, you canstill see the famous phone where it is stored as a treasure to this day.

The End16

Overly-Attached Girlfriend
A modern, English adaptation of the traditional Japanesefolktale, Shita-kiri Suzume (Cut-tongue Sparrow)

Authors:
Scene 1 – Rin Toyoda
Scene 2 – Taishi Fujiwara
Scene 3 – Kazuha Nakai
Scene 4 – Maika Kawasaki

Characters:
Storyteller
Ben
Tom (Ben’s Friend)
Kate (Ben’s Girlfriend)

Scene 1
Storyteller:

In some city in Japan, Ben, a good, young man, was living with his girlfriend, Kate.
Kate was very jealous and greedy, and the couple had completely different
personalities. Because of those differences, many people couldn’t understand
why they were still a couple. One day, on the way home, Ben cameacross his childhood friend, Tom.
(Ben and Tom are surprised, and greet each other happily)Tom:

Hey Ben!

Ben:

Oh, long time no see, Tom! How are you doing?

Tom:

Well, Basically I’m fine, but…

Ben:

Hey, are you OK? What’s up?

Tom:Well, you know I’m living with my girlfriend, right?

Ben:

Yes. How’s she doing these days? Is she doing well?

Tom:

Yeah, she’s fine… but too energetic. We just had a little argument, and she kickedme out of our house.

Ben:

Wow. That’s so... awful... I mean, I’m sorry about that.

Tom:

Please don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine.

Ben:

Well, how about my house? You can live with me if you need a place to stay.

Tom:

Excuse me?

17

Ben:

My apartment! For your temporary house!

Tom:

That’s sounds like a very good idea, but... Didn’t you tell me that you
are living with your girlfriend?

Ben:

Yes. Well, she’s a little jealous, but I think it’ll be okay. You’re male.

Tom:

I think maybe that’s not the point... However, thank you for your offer, Ben. I
appreciate it.

Ben:

No problem. Here, let’s go to my home.

Tom:

Thanks.

Storyteller

They both arrive at Ben’s home.

Ben:

I’m home, honey!
(Kate, Ben’s girlfriend, comes to the entrance smiling)

Kate:

Welcome back, Ben!
(Tom appears from behind Ben)Kate:

(suspiciously) Ah... Who’s that guy, Ben? The guy behind you...

Tom:Oh, hi Kate, I’m Tom, Ben’s friend, and...

Ben:

He can’t go home, so he’ll stay here for a while. It’s okay, right?

Kate:(tembles and becomes angry) No... no, no, no! Nothing is okay! What the hell are
you thinking?!

Ben:(trying to calm her) Hey. honey. why are you so mad? He’s my dear friend.

Kate:

I can’t believe it... Why did you think it’d be okay? Of course not! I’m yourgirlfriend. You can’t just bring home a friend anytime you want. Are you kidding
me? No.
(Tom is puzzled, but he tries to participate in arguing)Tom:(trying to diffuse the situation) Hey, um, excuse me.

Ben:

Okay, okay... Calm down, honey...

Kate:

Shut up, Ben. I will never take care of him. Never. Keep him away from me, andkick him out of my apartment as soon as possible, got it!?
(Ben tries to soothe Kate)Ben:

Okay, I got it, Kate, completely.

Kate:

Okay, then. Good night, honey.
(Kate turns and walks into her room with her shoulders squared)

Ben:

Good night, honey.
(Ben waves his hand a little, Tom timidly tries to say good night to Kate)

Tom:

Good night, mis... (waving his hand a little)

Kate:(from the bedroom) No, nothing from you. You’re not welcome here.

Tom:(back to Ben) You told me it would be okay!

Ben:

I thought so, but... that was unexpected. By the way, you can stay here for awhile, so let’s drink for now. I don’t care what she says, and plus, I want to hearmore from you about what is going on between you and your girlfriend.

Tom:

Um...thanks Ben, and please say sorry to Kate.

18

Storyteller:

This is how Tom came to Ben’s house and decided to stay for a while. In the
beginning, Tom intended to stay at Ben’s house for just a few days, but they were
truly childhood friends. They really got along with each other, and that led toKate acting in an even more eccentric and jealous way.

Scene 2
Storyteller:

After Tom brought Ben to their house, he agreed to let him stay there with him andhis girlfriend for a few days.

Tom:

Are you Ok, Ben?

Ben:

Thank you, Tom. If you hadn’t found me, I would have been in big trouble now. I
can’t thank you enough.

Tom:

Don’t worry.

Storyteller:

Kate does not like his attitude toward Ben because she thinks Tom has run out oftime and money since he came.

Kate:(Coldly asks Ben) How long will you stay in this house?

Ben:

Maybe 3 or 4 days......

Kate:

What? Are you crazy?

Tom:

Calm down, Kate. Ben doesn’t bother me at all.

Kate:

I cannot believe you! Don’t you care about me? Since Ben came to our home,
you rarely spend time with me. And don’t you care about living expenses? I’mskipping some of my meals to pay for Ben’s meals.

Tom:

Of course, I understand you.

Kate:

Are you seriously saying that? I cannot trust what you say!

Storyteller:

She gets in a worse mood day by day. And finally, she kicked them both out of
the house. Ben and Tom had no choice but to live in a hotel.

Tom:(depressed) I’m sorry Ben. No way did I think this would happen.

Ben:

I’m really grateful to you for making me see who my girlfriend really is.

Storyteller:

A few days later, they saw something awful. Tom was slandered on SNS withhundreds of posts. The content was filled with complaints about Tom’s personal
life and the embarrassing things in Tom’s past.
On Social Media:“Tom is a pervert, everyone be careful.
Tom complains about his company boss Bob every day.
Tom often screams suddenly.”

Scene 3
Storyteller:

Tom became sick because of the bullying from Ben’s girlfriend. Ben was worried
about Tom. Therefore, Ben stayed home from work to cheer him up.
(Ben enters)

Ben:

Hey! Are you OK? Let’s hang out together.

19

Tom:

I’m OK because you always take care of me. Thank you so much, friend.

Ben:(smiling) I’m glad to hear that.

Storyteller:

While Ben was at the hotel, Kate continued to be jealous of Tom. Kate thoughtthat she didn’t have enough time to spend with Ben because Ben was always
concerned about Tom. Tom really appreciated Ben. If Tom gave a present to Ben,Ben might be happy, Tom thought. So, Tom prepared a present for Ben.

Tom:

(holding two presents) Hey, Ben. I have two gifts for you.

Ben:

Really? Why?

Tom:

I’m so grateful for you. You always cheer me up. Therefore, I feel better than
before. I just want to give you a present to show my gratitude.

Ben:

I see. Thank you.

Tom:

Please choose one out of the two. Which present do you want, the big one
or the small one?

Ben:

Well...I’ll choose the small one. My girlfriend might get angry if she finds out thatyou gave me such a big present, so maybe I can hide the small one from her.

Tom:

Alright. Here you are.
(Tom gives small present to Ben.)Ben:

Thank you very much.

Storyteller:

Ben brought it home and opened it. The present Tom gave to Ben was abeautiful watch. Ben was very pleased. Then, Ben started to wear it every day.
However, Kate saw the watch Ben wore, and she confronted him.

Kate:(suspiciously) What’s this? Did you have this watch before? When did you get it?

Ben:(lying and pretending to be upset) Huh!?!? I... I bought it the other day.

Kate:

(more suspiciously) Is it true?

Ben:(afraid of Kate) Sorry. I lied to you. I got this from Tom.

Kate:

(so angry) What?! Are you crazy?

Ben:

Tom just wanted to give me something for his gratitude.

Kate:(irritated) That’s stupid. I can’t believe that he would give you such a beautiful
and expensive watch. Are you guys really just friends?

Tom:

Yes, yes, we’re just friends. He just wanted to cheer me up by giving me this asa gift. I even took the smaller of the two boxes that Tom offered me because it
didn’t want to upset you more.

Kate:

Just friends? Then he really must be rich if he gave you such a nice present. Wait?
Two presents?
(Kate thinsk to herself and then exits suddenly)

Scene 4
Storyteller:

20

On the way to the hotel, Kate became more and more angry. This time it was
because Ben chose the small box. You see, the only thing worse than Kate’s
jealousy was her greed. And after some thought, she decided that she wanted to
get the big box that Ben didn’t choose. And she resents Tom for depriving her of
the time she and Ben spent together. Therefore, she went to the hotel where Tom
stayed to yell at him.

Kate:

Arriving at the hotel, in a loud voice) Tom, I know you are here. Open the door!

Tom:

Oh my god! Kate’s here! She came to see me? Oh! What should I do? She needs
to learn a lesson.

Kate:(in a big voice) Open the door! Open the door! (She repeats over and over)(Tom opens the door and Kate barges into the room)

Kate:(speaking louder and louder) Tom, you deprived me of the time I spent with Ben.
And then you gave him a watch. I cannot believe what you have done. Is it truethat you guys are really just friends? You have taken him away from me, he stays
with you in this hotel, and you gave him a beautiful present. What’s the meaningof all of that?

Tom:

I’m so sorry. I did not expect it to make you angry. Of course, we’re just friends. I
love him for helping me and supporting me, but that’s all. Nothing is happening
between us.

Kate:(shouting) Well, even if that’s true, I will never forgive you.
(Kate searches the room with her eyes secretly and finds the big box. Tom realizes
that Kate has found the box and knows she wants it)

Kate:(attitude suddenly changes) Oh what a big and beautiful box! Oh, well. Nevermind. I’m sorry. I have reflected on my actions, and I forgive you.

Tom:

No, it was my fault. I will give you this big box as my apology. (hands the box toKate.)

Kate:

Thank you. (takes the box) Then I go home now. Please visit Ben anytime,
especially if you have more boxes like this.
(Tom laughs after she leaves)

Storyteller:

Kate achieved her original purpose and received the big box from Tom, so shereturned home.

Kate:(greedily) I really wanted this big box. I can’t wait to open it. What could it be?
Jewelry, clothes, cash? A lot of cash?... (suddenly screams) Ahhh! Bugs! I hatebugs the most in the world. No, no, they’re all over me. Nooo…

Storyteller:

And just like that, a lot of bugs came out of the big box, and Kate scratched atthem screaming. As Kate was trying to run away in terror, Ben arrived on thescene and stopped her.

Ben:

Wow! So many bugs! (Ben finds the big box.) Kate? I guess you visited Tom andgot the big box. How greedy you are. And you made our house full of bugs. I
want to break up! I hate how much you try to control my life and how greedy youare.
(Kate continues scratching at the bugs and runs away screaming.)

Storyteller:

With that, Ben left and never saw Kate again. Ben and Tom have been getting
along well after Ben broke up with Kate, and Kate now reflects on her jealousy
and greed. Hopefully, one day she will return over a new leaf.

The End21

Let’s Go, TaroA modern, English adaptation of the
traditional Japanese folktale, Urashimataro

Authors:
Scene1 – Sean Poole
Scene2 – Airi Kusaka
Scene3 – Taichi Nishikawa

Characters:
Storyteller
Urashimataro (Taro)
Meddling kids (Kids)
TurtleOtohimeBoy

Scene 1
Storyteller:

Once upon a time there was a young man called Urashima Taro. Since he wasborn, Taro had a wonderful mother that filled his heart with goodness and justice.
(Taro enters) One day, Taro was walking across the beach when he saw some
meddling kids beating and throwing rocks at a turtle.

Taro:(angrily) What are you doing?! Stop bullying that turtle.

Kids:(surprised) Ai, it’s Urashima Taro! Come on, let’s leave the stupid turtle and go.

Storyteller:

After seeing Taro coming toward them, they ran as fast as they could to escapeTaro’s fist of justice.

Taro:(sadly) Poor turtle, not all people are like that, so I hope you forgive us.

Turtle:(happily) That’s okay!

Storyteller:

Taro was surprised as he had never met a turtle that could speak.

Taro:(surprised) Y..y..you can speak?!

Turtle:(a bit smug) Yes. Yes. I can.

Taro:

Wow, I guess we learn new things every day. Well, I’m glad that you’re okay.
Gotta go now.

Storyteller:

Taro walked back to where he came from and continued on his journey ofjustice.

Turtle:(in a big voice) Wait! I want to repay your kindness!

22

Taro:

Don’t worry about it.

Turtle:No, please. I have the best way to repay you, and you will only be able to go
there once in your life!

Storyteller:

Hearing about this weird, but mysterious place, Taro was curious to where he wasbeing invited. He had never been satisfied with his small hometown, and helonged to see new places and do new things.

Taro:Okay, where is this place?

Turtle:Well, it’s called Ryugu Castle, and well it’s at the deepest part of the sea.

Taro:

Okay. (shocked) Wait, what? Under the sea?! How am I supposed to get there?!

Turtle:Well, there is a whirlpool that leads straight to the castle, but you’ll need a jet ski to
get to the whirlpool. And, of course only creatures who live there know the exact
location.

Taro:

Oh, okay. I thought I had to go on your back or something (laughing).

Turtle:(laughing) What year were you born in? That’s just a pain in the ass.

Taro:

True.

Storyteller:

And with that, they sped off on their journey to Ryugu Castle, the mysterious castle
under the sea.

Scene 2
Storyteller:

Taro and the turtle were in the middle of the sea, but they were getting closer andcloser.

Turtle:And… we’re here! We have to enter the whirlpool, and soon you will see myhome, Ryugu Castle. Take this oxygen tank, and put it on.
(the turtle hands Taro a tank of oxygen)Taro:(happily) Thanks! Let’s go!

Turtle:Nobody knows where my home is located except those that live there, but withthis google map “waterproof version” you can also find your way!

Taro:

Wow, great!

Storyteller:

Taro and the turtle could see many kinds of colorful fish and coral under the sea.
Taro was amazed at the wonderful view around him. And after a while…

Taro:

Oh, now I can see the castle! It’s so… huge.

Turtle:Welcome to my home, Ryugu Castle!

Taro:

Wow it’s gorgeous! And around the castle, there are so many kinds of lovely fish!
This is so beautiful.

Turtle:I’m happy to hear that. Okay, so now let me introduce you to my master, theprincess, (with a loud voice) Otohime.

Storyteller:

The gate opened automatically with a fanfare music as a beautiful maiden
approached them from the castle. “She smells better than any perfume,” thought
Taro.

Otohime:(Smiling) I was waiting for you, Mr. Urashima Taro. May I call you Taro? (Taro nods)
Thank you so much for saving my turtle’s life. Please make yourself at home.

Storyteller:

Taro could say nothing because he had never met such a beautiful woman.

23

Otohime:(a bit of confused because Taro said nothing) Okay, let me entertain you.

Taro:(with a nervous voice) Thank you.

Otohime:Oh, and you must be hungry. Here are hundreds of dishes. Pick up whatever you
like and please enjoy yourself.

Taro:Thank you so much, your majesty. (eating)…Oh I love them! I have never tried somany kinds of delicious foods!

Otohime:Tempura, natto, okra, and what you just drunk was bubble tea, which is called
tapioca here. You can find it on Instagram. That is popular among the youth.

Taro:(surprised) Bubble tea, tapioca? I’ve never heard of it, but it is really nice.

Otohime:I am glad to hear that. Okay, let’s move on to the concert.
(Otohime walks to the center of the stage and the others move to the sides)

Taro:

That sounds like a great idea. I love concerts!

Storyteller:

Now, on the center of the stage appeared Otohime. She was wearing darkglasses and holding a guitar.

Otohime:(in a loud rock voice) Are you ready, guys?

Audience:

Yeah!

Storyteller:

Otohime sang many songs. When Taro saw Otohime at first, he thought she wastoo bright and too beautiful. However, during the concert, she entertained Taro alot. It was incredible to him, but deep inside he felt a certain longing.
(after the concert)

Taro:

I’d never dreamed of you singing rock music, breaking your guitar, headbanging!
But that was wonderful. Thank you, Otohime. I have been enjoying my life here
for several days, but... (with a sad voice) I miss my hometown now. Could you
please allow me to return home?

Otohime:(almost crying) Oh well, I’m a little sad, but then that may be better for you. (shecalls the turtle and he brings something) Let me give you this precious box as a
goodbye present. This will remind you of your stay here. But listen…(with a seriousface) Never open it. You promise?

Taro:(staring at Otohime) Of course. Thank you so much, Otohime!

Scene 3
Storyteller:

After Taro finished his visit at Ryugu Castle, Taro swam back through the sea, got
on the jet ski, and returned to the shore and to his hometown.

Taro:(walking cheerfully) I’m back!

Storyteller:

Taro was surprised by what he saw. There had been a lot of changes to the village.

Taro:(confused searching everywhere) Where am I? I can’t find my house.

Storyteller:

Taro got confused. He had no idea what had happened.

Taro:(still searching) Where is my mother?

Storyteller:

Because of all the changes, Taro’s mother was not there, and he missed
her. Taro decided to call her.

Taro:(typing her phone number and calling) What? No answer? Hmm, what is she
doing?

24

Storyteller:

Nobody answered. He tweeted his feelings and his mysterious experiences
at Ryugu Castle on Twitter.

Taro:(typing to tweet) What’s happening…? Someone replied to my tweet so quickly?

Storyteller:

Indeed, a man had replied to Taro’s tweet.

Taro:(reading his reply loudly) “I’ve heard the story of a man with a sense of justice who
helped a turtle who was being bullied by meddling kids. The man dove into thesea with a turtle and disappeared forever, but this story was over 100 years ago.”
What? Really? (surprised) Oh my god. I didn’t know I had spent so much time at
Ryugu Castle. It means. . .my mother. . . (crying) must have died alone. What have I
done?! I’m so sorry. . .I’m really sorry, mother. . .I wanted to say “thank you” to you.
You were always so kind. I loved you so much.

Storyteller:

Taro cried all night long until he couldn’t cry anymore.

Taro:(stops crying) It’s really strange. Staying for only seven days at Ryugu Castle wasabout 100 years in the real world. Ryugu Castle must be a magical place!

Storyteller:

Taro tried to find Ryugu-castle on Google maps.

Taro:(typing) Ryugu. . .castle!

Storyteller:

But he could not find it.

Taro:(tired) Oh .. Nothing comes up. It seems that it doesn’t exist. I don’t evenknow the phone number. What can I do?

Storyteller:

At that time, Taro remembered the box given to him by the princess.

Taro:(Energetically) I know! The princess’ phone number must be in the box! I will openit!

Storyteller:

Taro opened the box excitedly, even though the princess made him promise tonever open it.

Taro:(opening the box) Her phone number is almost mine! Aaaaaaaa~

Storyteller:

Suddenly, smoke rose out of the box, and it turned Taro into a turtle.

Taro:(coughing). I feel strange, and it’s difficult to walk .. (Looking at his arms, and inshock) l am a turtle? Oh my god! What happened to me!? I’m a turtle!

Storyteller:

The next morning, Taro was caught and bullied by meddling kids on the beach.

Kids:(Kicking and yelling at the turtle) This turtle is so stupid!

Taro:

Stop hitting me! It hurts.

Storyteller:

At that time, a boy full of goodness and justice found Taro, the turtle, and scolded
the meddling kids to stop bullying him.

The boy:(approaching) Hey! Stop bullying that poor turtle! Leave him alone and go away.

Kids:(they went away silently) Let’s just go. Come on, let’s leave.

The boy:Hi, poor turtle, are you ok?

Taro:Oh, please call me Taro, and yes, thanks a lot. I would have died without you. I will
return the favor someday.

The boy:

Don’t worry, Taro, the turtle, I don’t need anything in return.

Storyteller:

That night, Taro thought deeply. He wanted to return the favor to the boy, but
he had no idea what to do. The next day, Taro again saw the boy on the beach.

Taro:

Hi! Thanks for yesterday!

25

The boy:You're welcome.

Taro:

I have something to tell you. It’s really important.

The boy:

What?

Taro:

You should say “thank you” to your mom and to the people around you. Nothing
is better than this world and this simple life you live. This world is the best. This life is
the best.

The boy:

I know. I’m going to celebrate my mother’s birthday today!

Taro:(happily) That’s amazing. My mother’s birthday is today too. She would
have turned 150 years old today. But she died long ago, and I have no one.

The boy:

Oh, I see. But you don’t have to be lonely.

Taro:

But I’m alone now.

The boy:

Taro, you never have to be alone again. Please go home with me and mymother. It would be our pleasure to be your family.

Storyteller:

And with that, Taro found a new home and was never lonely or unsatisfied with hislife again.

The End26

Revenge of the Child Crab20
A modern, English adaptation of the traditional Japanesefolktale, Saru Kani Gassen (The Monkey and the Crab)

20

Authors:
Scene 1 – Moe Nagasawa
Scene 2 – Soya Suzuki
Scene 3 – Yakutaka Yamaguchi
Scene 4 – Ayuka Tsuzuku

Characters:
Narrator
MonkeyMother Crab
Child Crab
Virus
Smartphone Owner (S.P. Owner)
Uber Eats Driver (Driver)

Scene 1
Narrator:

Once upon a time, there was a sick mother crab and her child. One day, theywalked along the beach peacefully, but they were also very hungry.
(Mother crab and child crab enter.)

Mother Crab: (Sadly) I’m sorry. I can’t find any food because of my disease. You must be sohungry.
Child Crab:Don’t worry, mom. I’m fine because I can drink some water.

Mother Crab: But you and I haven’t had any food for 3 days. Our bodies won’t stand it
anymore. I wish we could get something to eat.
Narrator:

They come upon a monkey sitting on a beach surrounded a lot of ripe persimmons.

Monkey:How delicious those persimmons look! One, two, three, four … Oh! I have so many,and they’re all mine, mine, mine. I can’t wait to eat them all.

Mother Crab: (In a weak voice) Excuse me. I’m sorry to ask you suddenly, but could you sparesome persimmons? We are so poor, and my child is so hungry. Please, we arehaving a lot of trouble.
Monkey:(feigning sympathy) Well, I think they may not be ripe enough. If your child eatsthese unripe persimmons, he will feel sick. I’m a good monkey, so I don’t want you

27

guys to be sick. (thinking) OK! I will check first. (eating quickly) Mmmmmm. Sweet
and delicious. These are good to eat.
Mother Crab: Excuse me. Please give us some. My baby is starving to death.
Monkey:(cutting Mother crab off) High-quality persimmons… Oh, I ate them all. There are
only seeds left.

Mother Crab: Ah…Don’t eat them all…
Monkey:Eh? Pardon?
(Monkey ignores mother crab and goes away.)

Mother Crab: I thought he would share at least one, but…(Regrettably) I’m so sorry.
Child Crab:

It’s not your fault. What a mean monkey he is.

Mother Crab: Wait. (Finding something in the sand) It’s a smartphone.
Child Crab:Mom, I heard that smartphones are very useful.
(Monkey approaches them after seeing that they had found a smartphone.)

Monkey:Hello again, mother crab and cute baby. (reaching for the phone greedily) What
did you find there?

Mother Crab: Do you need something from me? Keep away, or I’ll pinch you with my claw.
Monkey:Don’t be so angry, mother. What I’m going to say is good for you too. Anyway,
how can you use a smartphone when you only have claws?

Mother Crab: Err. (not knowing what to say)Monkey:Yeah, you can’t. You must know that you can’t use a smartphone with only yourclaws. So, would you like to exchange persimmon seeds for that smartphone? If
you grow these persimmon seeds, you and your child can eat a lot of
persimmons. You guys are no longer in need of food. I was saving them all for you.
(Mother crab puts down smartphone, and the monkey grabs it.)Monkey:Silly crab.
(Monkey picks it up and throws seeds at her.)

Mother Carb: Ouch, Ouch! Hey! Stop throwing seeds.
Monkey:Ha-ha! I got your smartphone now, and you have only worthless seeds instead.
Bye bye.
(Monkey runs away, while someone enters looking for something.)

Mother Crab: Hello? What are you doing here? Did you lose something?
S.P. Owner:

Do you know where my smartphone is? I lost it earlier, and I’ve been looking for it
everywhere.

Mother Crab: Oh! It’s yours! Sorry, that monkey took it. (Pointing to the monkey)(Smartphone owner chases after the monkey. Mother crab and child crab leavesadly. Monkey runs and re-enters.)
Monkey:28

Who was that man? He suddenly chased after me, but he couldn’t keep up withthe speed of my feet. Oh, I'm hungry again. Oh, I can order Uber Eats with mynew smartphone. What should I eat? Alright, I’ll order a hamburger, French fries,
noodle, pizza, curry, pasta, bento, and tapioca. And I can charge it all to thatman.

Scene 2
Narrator:

After the monkey and the owner ran away, the mother crab and her child went
back to their home.

Child Crab:

Although we gave the monkey that smartphone, we got persimmon seeds. Thesepersimmon seeds could allow us to be full! Let`s plant this quickly!

Mother Crab: You`re right. We should be able to eat a lot of persimmons. (Taking seeds andplanting them)Child Crab:Yeah, I`m looking forward to eating a lot of persimmons. I can`t wait!

Narrator:

They wait for days and days but nothing grew.

Child Crab:

Hmmm, nothing is growing at all. I don`t know why.

Mother Crab: Hey, persimmon seeds, why don’t you come out of the ground!? We will die if we
don`t eat something right now. Why do we always have such bad luck?
(The monkey passes nearby the crab home.)
Monkey:Ha-ha! You didn’t know it takes a few decades for seeds to grow into trees? You
are stupid to exchange the smartphone for those worthless seeds, hee-hee!
(The monkey leaves)

Mother Crab: Uhhh! The monkey cheated me! What are we to do!? (they begin to cry)Narrator:

Mother crab and her child can fell asleep and their tears poured over the seeds
just like rain. Little did they know, the seeds grew into beautiful trees overnight.

Child Crab:(Waking up) Mom, look! The seeds grew into trees! It must be magic. I don’t
understand.

Mother Crab: Wow! What good fortune, but we still can`t eat anything because there are noripe persimmons. What should we do?
Child Crab:

Hmmm… I know! I`ve heard that when we let plants listen to the music, they can
produce a lot of fruit.

Mother Crab: Nice idea! Let`s sing together!
Crabs:(Singing) Simmon tree, Simmon tree, hurry up and give us fruit. If you don`t, I`llpinch you right in two. (repeat twice)

Narrator:

And just like that, ripe fruit suddenly began to grow on the tree, the most delicious
looking persimmons they had ever seen.

Mother Crab: Their branches are heavy with ripe persimmons! The persimmons look so tasty.
Child Crab:At last, we can eat a lot of persimmons. We are no longer in trouble with food!
(The monkey heard this rumor and returned to the crab home.)

Monkey:What happened!? The seeds have grown into a tree so quickly, and there are somany tasty, ripe persimmons hanging from the tree. I want to eat them. (with anevil smile) Hey, Mrs. Crab, you`re a genius. However, the fruit you had worked so
hard for hangs far over your head, hopelessly out of reach. So, could I help you
get your persimmons? (Standing up respectfully)

Mother Crab: (confused) You may be right… Ok, I will ask you to help us, but you know they areours, right?
Monkey:(climbs the tree and begins to eat persimmons) Ok, Ok. I`ll choose one for you.
(eats a persimmon) Mmmm, Dee-lious!

Mother Crab: (Angry) Stop! Stop eating our persimmons!

29

Monkey:

Ha-ha! You are so stupid! All the persimmons are mine because you can`t climb!

Mother Crab: (Crying) Please, Please!
Child Crab:(Crying) Don’t eat all of our persimmons. Please!.

Monkey:Ok, Ok. I`ll find one just for you. Here, take this.
(Monkey throws an unripe persimmon at Mother Crab)

Mother Crab: Ouch! Stop! That hurts. No, no ouch!
(Monkey continues to throw the persimmons. Mother Crab falls to the ground)Monkey:Yes, strike! Aah! As I am full and satisfied, I`ll go home. Bye, Mrs. Crab.
(Monkey runs away, laughing, Mother crab is lying on the ground)Child Crab:(with concern) Mama! Mama! Are you OK?

Mother Crab: (in the weak voice) Don`t be worried about me. However, I just hope one thing.
Child Crab:

What’s that?

Mother Crab: (in a weak voice) Please take revenge on the monkey, my son….
Child Crab:Sure, we can do it together. I’ll definitely do it.

Mother Crab: (with a weak smile, silence) …….
Child Crab:(beginning to cry) Mama? Mamaaaaaaa!
(Mother Crab dies)Child Crab:(wipes away tears and shakes with rage) I will never forgive or forget the wickedmonkey. I will take my revenge.

Scene 3
Narrator:

Many years pass after the tragedy. The child crab had grown up and he decided
that the time was right to take action.

Child Crab:

I've grown up enough. Now, it's time to get my revenge.
(The child crab leaves the house.)

Virus:

Wait! Are you the child of the Mother crab who died so many years ago?

Child Crab:

Who is it!? (looks back surprised)

Virus:

I’m the virus which was in your mother’s body. I am very sorry for the bad things
that I did to her, but I saw what the monkey did also, and I have decided to help
you get revenge on him. Please let me go with you.

Child Crab:(Considering) I cannot fully forgive you, but I’m glad you are on my side. Comewith me! I think you can be useful.

Virus:

I can definitely be useful to you and help avenge your mother. Let’s do this!

Narrator:

After walking for a while, they come across with the Smartphone owner.

S.P. Owner:

Hi, where are you going?

Child Crab:

We’re heading to the monkey’s house to get revenge.

S.P. Owner:

Really? Actually, I had my smartphone stolen by the monkey. Can I go with you?
(In an angry voice) I want to teach him a lesson.

30Child Crab:(a little surprised) Oh, you are the owner of that smartphone. Of course. Comewith us!

Virus:

Let's get your smart phone back too!

Child Crab:

And… (hesitantly) I must tell you something.

S.P. Owner:

What?

Child Crab:

The monkey has ordered a lot of food on Uber Eats with your smartphone…He ischarging a lot of money to you.

S.P. Owner:

I... I’m very afraid of the invoices. Does he expect me to pay for his reckless
behavior?

Narrator:

The child crab and Virus met the Smartphone owner, and they all went on
together. Next, they encountered the Uber Eats driver.

Driver:(tired and hot from riding his bicycle all day) Why am I cycling with this heavy loadon my back all day long…?

Child Crab:

Hello, Uber Eats driver! How are you doing?

Driver:(breathing heavily and frustrated) Hey. I'm starting to hate my job.

Virus:

What's wrong?

Driver:I often deliver food to the monkey, but he has never paid for it. In addition, he
forces me to take out his trash.

S.P. Owner:

That's terrible. Actually, we are going to get back at the Monkey now.

Driver:Wow. What good timing. I’m coming with you. I want to pay back that awful
Monkey too. Let’s go.

Narrator:

The child crab, Virus, the smartphone owner, and the Uber Eats driver teamed up
and continued their walk toward the monkey’s house.

Scene 4
Narrator:

All the members of the revenge party, the Child crab, the Virus, the Smartphoneowner, and the Uber Eats driver arrived at the monkey’s house. They talked about
their plan to get revenge on the monkey.
(Virus, smartphone owner, Uber Eats driver, and child crab enter.)Child Crab:Ok, what shall we do to get revenge on the monkey? Who has an idea?

Virus:

Ok. First, I could enter the monkey’s body and make him weak.

S.P. Owner:

Well then, I could take my smartphone back and spread the monkey’s
wrongdoing on SNS. In fact, when I lost my smartphone on the beach, thecamera was still recording. (In a hopeful voice) So, the recorded videos could
show the monkey’s wrongdoing.

Child Crab:Surely, that will make him weak physically and mentally. (full of determination)
When he is sick and embarrassed, I’ll pinch the monkey again and again.

Driver:OK. and I’ll finally throw all of the Monkey’s garbage back at him. The monkey willbe crushed under the weight of the garbage.

Child Crab:(In a determined voice) Good. Let’s start.

Narrator:

At last, the revenge of the child crab and his friends started.

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(Monkey is lying on the floor and using the smartphone. They break inside of his
house.)
Virus:(In an angry voice) I’m a virus. I’ll make you be sick.
(Virus gets near the monkey. Monkey starts coughing and itching.)

Monkey:(coughs) Suddenly, I don’t feel so good. I feel sick. I think I’m going to vomit(heaves).
(Smartphone owner enters the house.)

S.P. Owner:

Oh! (Pointing his finger at his smartphone) That’s my smartphone! (In an angry
voice) How dare you steal my smartphone! I’m spreading your wrongdoing on
SNS. (clicks the phone) send, send, send, SEND!

Narrator:

The Smartphone owner operated his smartphone and spread the Monkey’s
embarrassing videos all over the internet.

Monkey:Stop! Stop! Oh my god! Everyone will blame me, and my life will be ruined. No.
Don’t destroy my reputation.
(Child crab enters.)

Child Crab:(In an angry voice) Monkey! How dare you kill my mother! I’ve never forgiven you.
(pinches the monkey)Take this and this and this and this.

Monkey:Ouch! Ouch! (In a panic) I’m sorry for my cruel treatment of your mother.
(Uber Eats driver enters.)

Driver:(In a slow and heavy voice) Monkey, your wrongdoing is not only cruel, it’s
wasteful and greedy. I delivered a lot of food many times, but you never paid.
What’s more, you made me take your garbage. (In an angry voice) I can’t standit anymore. Here, take all your garbage back. You’re the king of garbage.
(Uber Eats driver throws all the garbage on the monkey.)

Monkey:(In a painful voice) It’s so heavy. Heavy. Take it off! I can’t breathe. (Monkey givesa groan.)(Monkey stops moving.)

Child Crab:(After a short pause and in a voice as if he doubts the monkey died.) Did themonkey die? It serves him right.

Driver:

It looks like it. (In a very kind voice) You got your revenge, child crab. I’m sure thatyour mother is proud of you in heaven.

Child Crab:(In a bright voice) Thank you, Uber Eats driver. Thank you, everyone, for helping
me to get revenge.

Driver:No problem. I’m happy to help you. (After a short pause) By the way, we beat themonkey, so why don’t we have a party?

Child Crab:(Cheerfully) Yeah!

S.P. Owner:

That sounds great. Well, leave it to me. I took my smartphone back. I’ll order agiant pot from Amazon. Let’s cook the monkey.
(They all cheer.)

Narrator:

After the pot was delivered, the group of new friends, who had defeated theMonkey, cooked him in the pot and ate every delicious bite. Finally, the child crab
and the crab’s friends lived happily ever after.

The End
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