The Opelousas courier., 1904-08-27
THE JAPANESE TOM THUMB.
A .Wal-Loved Old Acquaintance in a
New Garb.

A .Wal-Loved Old Acquaintance in a
New Garb.
An aged Japanese wood cutter and
his wife lived in a small hut by the
side of a forest stream. Put the hap
py laughter of children had never
been heard in the house, and the wo-
man grieved in her heart that it
should be SO. One day while sitting
idly in the door, dreaming Of the
face of the child she had never
nursed, she saw a very large peach
floating in the water. With much
she succeeded in fishing 1t
put; then she put it away on a shelf
until her husband came home, thai
The might share it with him.
dBut when the tired wood cutter re-
9rned and seated himself on the floor
aside the mat on which his wife
sRrVed their supper, and the old wo-
LIN had placed the peach before him,
ilbegan to split-and, 10, instead OF a
sfone there was a little tiny boy in
8 lie. Though SO small, he proved
I'll be very strong, and when they
attempted to give him his first baby
bath he lifted the tub and held it
above his head. This was the first
Of a series of feats Of strength which
proved that he vas no ordinary child.
They called the little fellow Mo-
motaro Peachling for mono"
means peach" When he had grown
the fraction Of an inch or so he one
day called the old woman and asked
her to make him five "dango," that
is millet dumplings, for he was going
to attack the stronghold Of the ogres.
His adoutive mother was both sur
prised and alarmed, but she made the
dumplings, and Momotaro put them
in his bag and set forth on his jour-
ney. He had gone but a little way
when he heard q voice calling him
from q tree: "Momotaro, what have
you in your bag?"
He looked up and saw a bird with
beautiful plumage, then he answered:'
1.-THE best dango ever made in Japan;
come with me and you shall have
one"
So the beautiful bird left its perch
and few beside him. Next, a monkey
called: "Momotaro, what have you in
your bag?"
The boy laughed. "The best dump
ling in all Japan" he cried; "come
with me and you shall have one"
So the monkey followed him, too,
and presently they passed a dog, who
was summing himself by the wayside.
The dog barked q welcome, and then
said: "Momotaro, what have you got
In your bag?"
The boy stopped and patted the dog
on the head. i've dango my mother
made for me" he replied; come with
me and you shall have one"
So they four went on together, and
when they came near the stronghold
of the ogres the beautiful bird flew
on in advance of TIE others, and, pass
ing over the QUITE; wall of the fort
ress, made obsery .tions. Then the
bird called to the mpnkey, who climb
ed up the wall at tn place the feath.
cred spy pointed cit, and found a
short iron crowbar, which he set in
a handy place. He then slid down
the inner side of the wall and unfast,
ened the great gate, and in dashed
Momotaro and the dog. In a moment
all was confusion, for while the dog
snapped at the ogres' heels, and the
bird tapped her wings ir1their faces
and the monkey threw stones at them
from the wall, little Nom faro made
great play with his crowba Until they
fell on their knees and lhNyed fol
mercy. Then the gallant Nile Jap
anese Tom Thumb and his Gree ODD
companions entered the ogre strong
room, where he found gold a. silver
and coral in vast heaps, whoSb they
placed in bags and more In s'iumpt
to the good old people at homeSF THU
did Momotaro repay his adopt te pa
rents for their kindness, and enakt
them rich and happy for the remain
der Of their days. And the bird made
a nest on the roof of the hut, ant
the monkey lived in a tree nearby
and the dog guarded the door.