Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki
23 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 4 years ago - ★★★★★ - 46 ratingsMany of us are familiar with Grimm's Fairy Tales, or children's stories from France, England, China, India and Germany, but are less aware of similar folk tales and children's stories from Japan. Japanese Fairy Tales by Yei Theodora Ozaki captures the exotic flavor, traditions and customs of this ancient land.
Published in 1903 entitled the Japanese Fairy Book, the title was changed in the 1908 edition to Japanese Fairy Tales. Theodora Ozaki was the daughter of a wealthy Japanese aristocrat Baron Ozaki, the first Japanese man to study in the West, and his wife, an American schoolteacher's daughter. The couple separated after a brief marriage and Theodora lived with her father in Japan. She worked as a secretary and spent much of her spare time collecting traditional Japanese stories. She was encouraged to publish the collection by the Scottish writer Andrew Lang, who was himself an accomplished writer of children's literature.
The twenty-two stories contained in this volume include one of the best-known Japanese tales, The Tongue-Cut Sparrow, which tells of a vengeful old woman who cruelly cuts off the tongue of her husband's talking sparrow. The charming details in this story are indeed very interesting, as many of the architectural and cultural features of Japanese houses and traditions are provided in it. The Ogre of Rashomon is another macabre tale, while the delightful Adventures of Kintaro the Golden Boy is sure to charm young and old. An interesting feature is that the author often gives the meaning of Japanese words and terms and explains many of the customs for the benefit of non-Japanese readers. In the preface she states that her aim is to bring these beautiful tales to those outside her country so that they may love and enjoy them too.
The original edition had some superb illustrations and wood-cuts by Japanese artists.
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Episodes
01 – My Lord Bag of Rice
January 01, 2024 00:00 - 16 minutes - 6.68 MBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
02 – The Tongue-Cut Sparrow
December 31, 2023 00:00 - 21 minutes - 9.54 MBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
03 – The Story of Urashima Taro, The Fisher Lad
December 30, 2023 00:00 - 24 minutes - 10.5 MBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
04 – The Farmer and the Badger
December 29, 2023 00:00 - 15 minutes - 6.68 MBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
05 – The Shinansha, or The South Pointing Carriage
December 28, 2023 00:00 - 8 minutes - 2.86 MBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
06 – The Adventures of Kintaro, The Golden Boy
December 27, 2023 00:00 - 18 minutes - 8.58 MBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
07 – The Story of Princess Hase
December 26, 2023 00:00 - 20 minutes - 8.58 MBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
08 – The Story of the Man Who Did Not Wish to Die
December 25, 2023 00:00 - 17 minutes - 7.63 MBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
09 – The Bamboo-Cutter and the Moon-Child
December 24, 2023 00:00 - 36 minutes - 16.2 MBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
10 – The Mirror of Maysuyama
December 23, 2023 00:00 - 34 minutes - 15.3 MBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
11 – The Goblin of Adachigahara
December 22, 2023 00:00 - 10 minutes - 4.77 MBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
12 – The Sagacious Monkey and the Boar
December 21, 2023 00:00 - 5 minutes - 1.91 MBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
13 – The Happy Hunter and the Skillful Fisher
December 20, 2023 00:00 - 40 minutes - 18.1 MBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
14 – The Story of the Old Man Who Made Withered Trees to Flower
December 19, 2023 00:00 - 18 minutes - 7.63 MBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
15 – The Jelly Fish and the Monkey
December 18, 2023 00:00 - 20 minutes - 8.58 MBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
16 – The Quarrel of the Monkey and the Crab
December 17, 2023 00:00 - 18 minutes - 7.63 MBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
17 – The White Hare and the Crocodiles
December 16, 2023 00:00 - 14 minutes - 5.72 MBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
18 – The Story of Prince Yamato Take
December 15, 2023 00:00 - 33 minutes - 15.3 MBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
19 – Momotaro, or The Story of the Son of a Peach
December 14, 2023 00:00 - 27 minutes - 12.4 MBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
20 – The Ogre of Rashomon
December 13, 2023 00:00 - 14 minutes - 5.72 MBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
21 – How an Old Man Lost his Wen
December 12, 2023 00:00 - 14 minutes - 5.72 MBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com
22 – The Stones of Five Colors and The Empress Jokwa
December 11, 2023 00:00 - 20 minutes - 8.58 MBMore great books at LoyalBooks.com