The Stonecutter - Japanese

In a sunny land with tall mountains, a man named Saburo chipped away at big gray rocks all day. Saburo was a stonecutter. Chip, chip, chip went his hammer. The sun was warm, and his work was hard, but Saburo was very strong. One day, he saw a rich prince in a beautiful chair and thought, 'Oh, I wish I were as powerful as him.'. This is the story of The Stonecutter.

Suddenly, a magical spirit from the mountain heard his wish. Poof. Saburo became a prince with soft, silky clothes. But the sun was too hot for a prince. 'I wish I were the sun,' he said. Poof. He was the big, bright sun, shining on everyone. But then a big, fluffy cloud blocked his light. 'I wish I were that cloud,' he thought. Poof. He was a fluffy cloud, floating in the sky. But the wind pushed him around. Whoosh. 'I wish I were the wind,' he shouted. Poof. He was the mighty wind, blowing everywhere. He blew and blew against the giant mountain, but the mountain would not move. The mountain was stronger than the wind.

So, Saburo wished to be the mountain. Poof. He was a huge, strong mountain, so powerful and still. But then, he felt a tiny tapping at his feet. Tap, tap, tap. He looked down and saw a little stonecutter, chipping away at his rock. He realized that the stonecutter was stronger than the mountain. Saburo wished to be himself again. Poof. He was Saburo the stonecutter once more, happy with his hammer and his work. He learned that being yourself is the best and strongest thing you can be.