Long ago, in Japan, an elderly woodcutter lived with his wife in a modest home. The old man was gentle, hardworking, and content with the simple pleasures of life. His wife, however, was perpetually dissatisfied. She complained about almost everything, and her sharp temper often made their home an unhappy place.
The couple had no children, so the old man found companionship in a little sparrow he kept as a pet. He treated the bird as though she were his own daughter. Each evening, after returning from work, he would release her from her cage, play with her, teach her little tricks, and share some of his food with her. The sparrow, in return, greeted him with cheerful chirps and affectionate gestures.
His wife never shared his fondness for the bird. She considered it a nuisance and frequently complained that keeping it only created more work for her.
Explore more stories from our Yei Theodora Ozaki’s Japanese Fairy Tales collection.
One day, the old man went into the forest to cut wood while his wife stayed home to wash clothes. She had prepared some rice paste for starching the garments, but when she went to collect it, she discovered that the bowl was empty.
Furious, she began wondering who could have taken it. Before long, the little sparrow appeared. Bowing her head, as her master had taught her, the bird admitted that she had eaten the paste, believing it was food. She apologist sincerely and asked to be forgiven.
But the old woman had no intention of accepting an apology.
At last, she had found an excuse to punish the creature she disliked. In a terrible fit of anger, she seized the helpless sparrow, took a pair of scissors, and cut out her tongue. Then she drove the wounded bird from the house, ordering her never to return.
The sparrow flew away, leaving the old woman to finish her laundry.
That evening, the old man returned home expecting his beloved pet to come fluttering towards him as usual. But the bird was nowhere to be found. He searched the house and asked his wife where she was.
At first, the woman pretended ignorance. When her husband continued questioning her, she finally confessed what she had done. She even showed him the severed tongue, still insisting that the sparrow deserved punishment for eating her paste.
The old man was heartbroken. He could scarcely understand how anyone could inflict such suffering over an innocent mistake. He worried that his little friend would be unable to chirp again and might die from her injuries.
That night, after his wife had fallen asleep, he wept for the missing bird. Eventually, he resolved to search for her the following morning.
At daybreak, he set out across the hills and through the woods, calling for his lost companion wherever he went. He searched among the bamboo groves, stopping repeatedly to ask whether anyone had seen the tongue-cut sparrow.
He walked for hours without resting until, late in the afternoon, he reached a large bamboo grove.
There, to his overwhelming delight, stood his beloved sparrow.
She greeted him with the familiar bows and tricks he had taught her. Even more astonishingly, she could speak again. When the old man asked how she had recovered, the sparrow opened her beak and showed him that a new tongue had grown in place of the one her mistress had cut away.
She assured him that she was well and begged him not to remain troubled by what had happened. Only then did the old man realise that his little companion was no ordinary bird, but a magical being.
The sparrow invited him to follow her into the bamboo grove. She led him to a beautiful house, where everything seemed far grander than anything he had ever known. The rooms were furnished with fine mats, elegant silk cushions, beautiful vases, and exquisite lacquer boxes.
The sparrow welcomed him with great courtesy and introduced him to her family. Her daughters, dressed in delicate gowns, served him a splendid feast on beautiful trays. During the meal, some of them performed a graceful dance known as the suzume-odori, or Sparrow’s Dance.
The old man was overwhelmed by their hospitality. For hours, he enjoyed their company, their delicious food, and their enchanting entertainment.
Eventually, night fell, and he remembered that he had a long journey home. He thanked the Lady Sparrow for her kindness and explained that he had searched for her only because he feared for her safety. Now that he knew she was happy and well, he could return home in peace.
The Lady Sparrow urged him to stay for several more days, but he politely declined. He needed to return to his work and to the wife who would probably be angry at his late arrival.
Before he left, the sparrow offered him a gift. Her servants brought out two boxes, one large and one small, and invited him to choose whichever he preferred.
The old man selected the smaller box. He explained that, at his age, he would find the larger one too heavy to carry home.
The sparrows helped him secure his gift, escorted him to the gate, and bid him farewell with many respectful bows. The Lady Sparrow bore no ill will towards him, despite the cruelty she had suffered at his wife’s hands.
When the old man finally arrived home, his wife was furious that he had stayed away so long. Hoping to calm her, he showed her the box and recounted his remarkable adventure.
Together, they opened it.
Inside lay a dazzling collection of gold, silver coins, and precious treasures. The couple could hardly believe their eyes. The old man rejoiced, thanking the kind sparrow for her generosity. With such wealth, he could finally leave his exhausting labour behind and enjoy a comfortable old age.
But his wife’s happiness soon turned into resentment.
When she learned that the sparrow had offered her husband a larger box, she scolded him for choosing the smaller one. She imagined how much more treasure they might have received and accused him of foolishness for refusing it.
Before long, greed overwhelmed her completely. Early the following morning, she demanded that her husband describe the route to the sparrow’s house. Although he tried to discourage her, she refused to listen. Determined to obtain the larger gift, she set off for the bamboo grove.
After a long journey, she found the house and demanded to see the Lady Sparrow. The sparrow was surprised by the visit, especially after the terrible treatment she had received, but she greeted her former mistress politely.
The old woman wasted no time on pleasantries. She announced that she had come for the large box her husband had foolishly left behind.
The Lady Sparrow agreed to give it to her.
Overjoyed, the woman seized the heavy box, strapped it to her back, and hurried towards home without even thanking her hostess. The weight slowed her down, forcing her to stop repeatedly along the way.
Yet she could hardly bear to wait until she reached home to discover what lay inside. Convinced that the larger box must contain a fortune far greater than her husband’s, she finally set it down beside the road and lifted the lid.
Instead of gold and jewels, she found a terrifying collection of demons and monstrous creatures. A one-eyed demon glared at her, hideous beings opened their enormous mouths, a huge snake coiled and hissed, and a giant frog hopped towards her, croaking menacingly.
The woman screamed and fled, abandoning the box. She ran as fast as her trembling legs could carry her, grateful simply to escape alive.
When she reached home, she collapsed and told her husband what had happened. She began blaming the sparrow, but the old man stopped her.
He reminded her that the fault lay not with the sparrow, but with her own wickedness. Her cruelty had caused the suffering in the first place, and her greed had led her to seek a reward she had not earned.
The old woman fell silent.
For the first time, she began to recognise the consequences of her behaviour. She repented of her cruel and quarrelsome ways, gradually becoming kinder and more considerate. In time, her husband could scarcely recognise the change in her character.
The couple spent their remaining years together in happiness and comfort, carefully enjoying the treasure the grateful sparrow had given the old man.
And so the tale ends with a reminder that kindness may bring unexpected blessings, while cruelty and greed can turn even the promise of great riches into a terrible misfortune.
Explore more stories from our The Arabian Nights collection.
Moral
Treat others with kindness, even when they make innocent mistakes. Appreciate what you have instead of allowing greed to make you overlook your blessings. Cruelty can bring consequences, while genuine compassion may be rewarded in unexpected ways.
Knowledge Check
1. Why did the old woman punish the sparrow?
She believed the sparrow had eaten the rice paste she had prepared for starching her clothes.
2. Why did the old man choose the smaller gift box?
He thought the larger box would be too heavy for him to carry home.
3. What happened when the old woman opened the larger box?
Terrifying demons and monstrous creatures emerged, frightening her into fleeing.
4. What makes the old man’s actions different from his wife’s?
He shows affection without expecting a reward, while his wife acts out of anger and later pursues wealth out of greed.
5. What cultural tradition does the tale belong to?
It is presented as a Japanese fairy tale in Yei Theodora Ozaki’s English-language collection Japanese Fairy Tales. Ozaki explains that the collection draws on a modern Japanese version by Sadanami Sanjin.
Source
Yei Theodora Ozaki, Japanese Fairy Tales. Project Gutenberg 4018, text containing Ozaki’s preface dated Tokio 1908.
