Oni

Stomp, stomp, stomp. My big feet make a happy sound. I live way up on a big, tall mountain. Hello. My name is Oni. My skin is bright red, like a yummy apple. I have two tiny horns on my head. Can you see them? I am here to tell you a very old story. It is the myth of the Oni from a place called Japan. Long, long ago, people imagined big, friendly creatures like me. They thought we lived in the deep, green forests and on the windy, windy mountains. We loved to play hide-and-seek behind the big, puffy clouds.

When it was chilly outside, families would sit together. They would tell fun stories about us. The Oni in the stories were big and strong. Some had skin as red as a fire truck. Some had skin as blue as the big, big sky. People thought we were a little loud, but we were just having fun. The stories said we loved to play our big drums. Boom, boom, boom. When you hear thunder in a storm, that is just us. We are playing a happy song on our giant drums. Once a year, there is a happy party called Setsubun. At the party, children play a game. They toss yummy roasted beans. They shout, “Oni out. Good luck in.” It is a fun game to help welcome the warm spring. It tickles when the beans land on us.

The stories about me helped everyone feel brave. They were just pretend, but they were so much fun to think about. Today, the myth of the Oni is still a happy story. You can see my funny face on masks at parties. You can see me in bright, colorful cartoons. You can even see me in pretty paintings. These old, old stories are like a special key. They open a door to the past. The stories show us that something that seems a little different can be part of a wonderful, happy adventure for everyone to share.