Japanese Fairy Tales

<p><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>The twenty-two stories contained in this volume include one of the best-known Japanese tales The Tongue-Cut Sparrow which tells of a vengeful old woman who cruelly cuts off the tongue of her husband's talking sparrow. </span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>The charming details in this story are indeed very interesting as many of the architectural and cultural features of Japanese houses and traditions are provided in it. </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>The Ogre of Rashomon is another macabre tale while the delightful Adventures of Kintaro the Golden Boy is sure to charm young and old. An interesting feature is that the author often gives the meaning of Japanese words and terms and explains many of the customs for the benefit of non-Japanese readers.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>In the preface she states that her aim is to bring these beautiful tales to those outside her country so that they may love and enjoy them too.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)> Yei Theodora Ozaki was an early 20th century translator of Japanese short stories and fairy tales. Her translations were fairly liberal but have been popular and were reprinted several times after her death.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)> According to A Biographical Sketch by Mrs. Hugh Fraser included in the introductory material to Warriors of old Japan and other stories Ozaki came from an unusual background. She was the daughter of Baron Ozaki one of the first Japanese men to study in the West and Bathia Catherine Morrison daughter of William Morrison one of their teachers.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Her parents separated after five years of marriage and her mother retained custody of their three daughters until they became teenagers. At that time Yei was sent to live in Japan with her father which she enjoyed. </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Later she refused an arranged marriage left her father's house and became a teacher and secretary to earn money. </span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)>Over the years she traveled back and forth between Japan and Europe as her employment and family duties took her and lived in places as diverse as Italy and the drafty upper floor of a Buddhist temple.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(15 17 17 1)> All this time her letters were frequently misdelivered to the unrelated Japanese politician Yukio Ozaki and his to her. In 1904 they finally met and soon married.</span></p>