Kaguya-hime - Japanese

Hello. My story begins in a place you might not expect: inside a glowing bamboo stalk. I could hear the wind rustling the leaves and feel the warm sun outside. My name is Kaguya-hime, and I am the princess from the Moon. One day, a kind old bamboo cutter was walking through the forest when he saw my stalk shining like a star that had fallen to Earth. When he cut it open, there I was, a tiny baby small enough to fit in his hand. He and his wife had always wished for a child, so they took me home and loved me as their own. This is the beginning of my story, which people in Japan call 'The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter'.

I did not stay tiny for long. I grew into a young woman so quickly, and everyone said my beauty was as bright as the full moon. My adoptive father became rich because every time he cut bamboo, he would find gold inside. Soon, news of the 'Shining Princess' spread across the land. Five noble princes came to our home, each asking to marry me. But my heart felt a strange pull toward the night sky, and I knew I could not marry any of them. So, I gave them each a task that was nearly impossible. I asked one to bring me the stone begging bowl of the Buddha, another a jeweled branch from a legendary island, and another the fire-proof robe of a fire-rat. The fourth had to find a colored jewel from a dragon's neck, and the last, a special shell from a swallow's nest. They were quests of magic and wonder, meant to show them that my destiny was not on Earth.

As time passed, I found myself gazing at the moon with tears in my eyes. I finally confessed my secret to my parents: I was not from this world. I was a princess from the Kingdom of the Moon, and my people were coming to take me back. My parents were heartbroken, and even the Emperor sent his guards to protect me. But when the night of the full moon arrived, a brilliant light shone down from the sky. A beautiful flying chariot appeared, filled with celestial beings. No earthly weapon could stop them. They placed a feathered robe around me, and as they did, all my sadness and my memories of my happy life on Earth faded away. I said a final, loving goodbye to the dear parents who had raised me, and then I rose into the sky, back to my home on the moon.

My story has been told in Japan for over a thousand years. It reminds people that we can find love and family in the most unexpected places. It has inspired beautiful paintings, poems, and even animated movies that children all over the world can watch. So, the next time you look up at the full moon, think of me, Kaguya-hime. My story lives on, a shining reminder of the magic that connects the Earth and the sky, and how love is a treasure that lasts forever, no matter how far apart we are.