Issun-bōshi - Japanese

Once upon a time, there was a very tiny boy who lived with his kind mother and father. He was no bigger than a grown-up's thumb, so everyone called him Issun-bōshi, the One-Inch Boy. This is the story of Issun-bōshi.

Issun-bōshi was a tiny boy with big, big dreams. He wanted to see the big city and be a brave samurai. So he said goodbye and went on an adventure. His boat was a little rice bowl. His oar was a tiny chopstick. He sailed his little boat down the river. Splash, splash, splash. He held his sword, which was a shiny, sharp needle. A tiny boy on a big adventure.

He floated all the way to a big, busy city. There, he met a kind princess who lived in a grand house. Issun-bōshi promised he would always keep her safe. One day, a big, grumpy monster called an Oni jumped out. The Oni had a loud roar and big feet. But Issun-bōshi was not scared. He was a brave boy. He jumped and tickled the Oni's nose with his needle-sword. The Oni sneezed a giant sneeze and swallowed him whole. Inside the Oni's big tummy, Issun-bōshi poked and poked with his needle. 'Ouch!' yelled the Oni, and he spit the tiny boy right out. The big monster was so surprised that he ran away and never came back.

The scared Oni dropped something shiny when he ran away. It was a magic hammer. The princess picked it up and smiled. 'This hammer can make wishes come true.' she said. She held the hammer and made a wish for Issun-bōshi to grow big and strong. With a flash of sparkly light, poof. Issun-bōshi grew. He grew and grew until he was a tall, strong samurai. He wasn't a tiny boy anymore. The story of Issun-bōshi shows that it doesn't matter how small you are. A big, brave heart is what makes you a hero.