Issun-bōshi - Japanese

Hello there. My name is Issun-bōshi, and even though my dreams are as big as the sky, I am only as tall as my father’s thumb. I live with my kind, loving parents in a tiny house in a quiet village, where the cherry blossom trees sprinkle pink petals on our roof every spring. They had wished for a child for so long, and when I arrived, they loved me with all their hearts, even though I was so very small. I helped them by chasing bugs away from the garden and singing songs to the crickets at night. But I knew I was meant for more than just staying in our little village. I listened to travelers' tales of brave samurai and the bustling capital city, and a big idea grew in my tiny heart. I wanted to see the world and become a hero myself. This is the story of how I, the One-Inch Boy, went on a grand adventure to prove that courage is not measured by size.

When it was time to leave, my parents sadly said goodbye, but they knew I had to follow my dream. They gave me a sewing needle for a sword, a little soup bowl for a boat, and a single chopstick to use as an oar. I promised to be brave and sailed down the sparkling river in my little bowl-boat, paddling toward the capital city where the great lord lived. The journey was long, and sometimes scary fish would swim up to my boat, but I would wave my needle-sword and they would swim away. In the bustling city, I found my way to the great lord’s house and asked for a job. He was so amused by my tiny size and big spirit that he gave me a special task: to be the guard for his beautiful daughter, the princess. I became her tiny protector, always keeping a watchful eye from her pocket or her shoulder. One day, as we were traveling to a temple, a huge, fearsome ogre, an Oni with sharp horns and a voice like thunder, jumped out from behind the trees. 'Give me the princess.' he boomed. The princess screamed, but I leaped in front of him, waving my needle-sword. The Oni just laughed, a big booming laugh that shook the leaves on the trees. 'A bug can't stop me.' he roared, and then he swallowed me in one big gulp. It was dark and slimy inside his tummy, but I wasn't scared. 'I will show you.' I whispered, and I started poking and prodding with my sharp sword until the Oni roared in pain. He coughed and sputtered and spat me out onto the grass. He was so surprised that a tiny boy could cause so much trouble that he dropped his magic hammer and ran away into the forest, never to be seen again.

The princess was safe. She ran over and carefully picked me up, placing me in the palm of her hand. 'You saved me.' she whispered, her eyes wide with surprise and gratitude. On the ground where the Oni had stood lay a special golden hammer, called the Uchide no kozuchi. The princess knew it was magical. She picked it up and smiled at me. 'Thank you, brave Issun-bōshi.' she said. 'You have the biggest heart I have ever known. I wish for you to become big and strong, just like the hero you are.' She tapped the hammer on the ground, and with a flash of brilliant light, I began to grow. I grew and grew until I was a tall, handsome samurai, no longer the size of a thumb. My wish had come true. I married the lovely princess, and we returned to my village to share our good fortune with my wonderful parents. They cried with joy to see me. My story, the tale of Issun-bōshi, has been told for hundreds of years in Japan to remind everyone that it doesn’t matter what size you are on the outside. True strength and courage come from a big heart and a brave spirit, and that is a magic anyone can have.