Momotaro, the Peach Boy

Long ago in Japan, an old man and an old woman lived in a little house near the mountains. They were kind and happy, but they had no children. One day, while the old man was gathering firewood, the old woman went to wash clothes in the river. And floating down the river, bobbing up and down, came a huge, round, pink peach! "My," she said, "what a wonderful peach! I'll take it home for my husband."

That evening, the old man took out his knife to cut the peach. But before he could touch it, the peach split open all by itself. And inside was a tiny baby boy, laughing and waving his arms! "Don't be afraid," said the baby. "I have come to be your son." The old couple were so happy they cried. They named him Momotaro, which means Peach Boy, and they loved him with all their hearts.

Momotaro grew up strong and kind. He helped his father carry wood and his mother carry water. One day, he heard sad news. On a far island lived some big oni, rough, grumpy giants with horns. They had been coming to the villages and taking people's rice and treasures. "I will go to the island," said Momotaro, "and ask them to give it all back." His mother made him a bag of sweet millet dumplings for the journey.

On the road, a dog came trotting up. "Momotaro, where are you going?" "To the oni's island, to bring back what they took." "Will you give me a dumpling? Then I'll come with you!" So Momotaro shared a dumpling, and the dog joined him. Then a monkey swung down from a tree and asked the same thing. And then a pheasant, with bright green and red feathers, flew down too. Momotaro shared his dumplings with all of them, and now there were four friends.

Together, they built a little boat and sailed across the sea. The waves went up and down. The pheasant flew ahead to show the way. At last they saw the island, with tall dark rocks and a great big gate. "Knock, knock!" called Momotaro bravely. The gate creaked open, and out came the oni. They were very big, with curly hair and little horns, and they looked very surprised.

"Who are you, little one?" boomed the biggest oni. "I am Momotaro," said the boy. "You have taken rice and treasure from people who need them. Please give it all back." The oni laughed, "Ho ho ho!" But the dog barked, the monkey chattered, the pheasant flapped, and Momotaro stood tall and did not move. Then the oni stopped laughing. "Nobody has ever spoken to us so bravely," said the biggest one. "And... and nobody has ever asked us so nicely, either."

"Why do you take things?" asked Momotaro. The oni looked at their big feet. "Our island is rocky. Nothing grows here. We were hungry, and nobody ever visits us." Momotaro opened his bag. "Here, try these." The oni each took a millet dumpling. "Mmm!" they said. "Delicious!" "If you give back the treasure," said Momotaro, "I'll teach you to grow millet, and you can come and trade with us, like good neighbours."

The oni agreed. They loaded the boat with all the rice and treasure, and they waved goodbye. Momotaro and his friends sailed home, and everyone in the villages got back what was theirs. The old man and the old woman hugged him tight. And from then on, the oni grew millet on their island and came to market every spring, bringing big smiles and little gifts. Momotaro, his parents, and his three friends lived happily ever after. Good night.