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Bibliography

Shitakiri suzume [The Tongue-cut Sparrow].
Mame-hon edition.
Text by Ippitsuan Kako. Illustrated by Keisai Eisen. (Kako and Eisen the same artist).
Published by Yamamoto,
ca 1844-47.
120×87mm.
Collection of National Diet Library.
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Introduction


The story line of this book, showing how a kind and honest person is rewarded while a greedy or dishonest person gets what he or she deserves is familiar. Other well-known folk tales on this theme include “Kobu tori jiisan” (The Old Man Who Lost His Wen) and “Hanasaka jijii” (The Old Man Who Made the Trees Bloom). Even without the admonitions given in the book’s “preface,” children would quite naturally absorb the moral lessons to be learned from the story. With vivid depictions of characters’ expressions and backdrop scenery, including careful attention even to the details of furniture, the book displays fine workmanship.
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The Tongue-cut Sparrow
Front cover of The Tongue-cut Sparrow
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The Tongue-cut Sparrow
Title page of The Tongue-cut Sparrow
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(♪) The story of the tongue-cut sparrow was a nursery tale told again and again in the Edo period (1603-1867). Perhaps you wonder why, then, no sparrow is clearly drawn on the cover, and no old man, who is the other hero of this story. But if you look in the background, you can see some men with woven hats doing the sparrow dance, which was popular in the Edo period. The girl drawn in front is the daughter of the old man. Inside you will hear more about both, so turn the page and let’s see what happens.(♪)
Preface
page 1 of The Tongue-cut Sparrow
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(♪) This picture book begins with something like a preface. It says that, through a tale favored by children who delight in the refrain, “Tongue-cut sparrow, where is your nest? Chirp, chirp, chirp!” this picture book cautions of the dangers of greed and rudeness. Its beginning is therefore quite different from that of other picture books.
A good man and his daughter save a wounded sparrow
page 2 & 3 of The Tongue-cut Sparrow
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(♪) Long, long ago, there was an honest man who lived with his kind and generous daughter. They kept a lovely sparrow that they had saved after he was chased and hurt by a crow. They took care of him and fed him every morning and every evening. The sparrow soon felt at home with the man and his daughter and came and went freely.
The greedy old woman cuts the sparrow’s tongue
page 4 & 5 of The Tongue-cut Sparrow
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(♪) Next door there lived a cross and greedy old woman. One day she made some starch out of rice to use on her freshly washed kimono, and the sparrow flew by and licked up all the starch from the bowl. The old woman was extremely angry.
Old Woman: “You bad, bad bird! You have eaten all my precious starch! Just wait and see what I’m going to do.” The old woman caught the sparrow and chopped its tongue off. Frightened, the sparrow flew off into the distant sky.
The old man and his daughter set out to look for the sparrow
page 6 & 7 of The Tongue-cut Sparrow
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(♪) When the sparrow did not come home after its tongue was chopped off, the old man and his daughter, who had heard what happened, went out to look for him. Old Man: “Tongue-cut Sparrow, where is your nest? Chirp, chirp, chirp.” Then, on a mountain road they came across another sparrow.
The Other Sparrow: “Hello. Where are you two going?” So they told him the story of what brought them on their journey. The Other Sparrow: “Oh, it’s my brother you are searching for. I have been out getting some medicine for him because his tongue was cut.” And he led the old man and his daughter to where their sparrow was.
The sparrows entertain the old man and his daughter
page 8 & 9 of The Tongue-cut Sparrow
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(♪) They soon arrived at a hidden village where the sparrows lived. All the sparrows welcomed the old man and his daughter and invited them into the house. Inside, the tongue-cut sparrow took some medicine and recovered completely. He treated his guests to one delicious dish after another. Old Man: “Why, everything is truly splendid!”
The old man and his daughter take the light basket
page 10 & 11 of The Tongue-cut Sparrow
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(♪) When the banquet was well under way, the sparrows did a dance that was very popular in Edo, called the Sparrow Dance, to a traditional tune. Dancers: “Aryasa, koryasa, watashide, se, yoiyoi!” “Oirade, se, yoiyoi! Aryasa, yoiyoi!” It was a merry banquet and the old man and his daughter were happy and relaxed.
When it came time to leave, two wicker baskets, a heavy one and a light one, were ready at the door for the old man and his daughter to take home with them. The old man thanked them and said he would take the light one because he was too old to carry anything heavy.
Treasures pour out of the basket
page 12 & 13 of The Tongue-cut Sparrow
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(♪) When they came home and opened the basket, they were astonished. Out poured all sorts of treasures. There was a mountain of them, big coins and small coins, invisible straw coat and cap, precious stones, coral, scrolls, and many kinds of jewels.
All the while the greedy woman from next door was peeping in and she grew envious. She calculated that if she apologized, surely she, too, would get a wicker basket from the sparrows. Soon she left to look for the hidden village of the sparrows.
The greedy old woman takes the heavy basket
page 14 & 15 of The Tongue-cut Sparrow
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(♪) At last the old woman found the hidden village. They invited her in. At first she pretended to be truly sorry for what she did to the sparrow. But after much food and a lot of drink, her real nature began to show.
Old Woman: “Ugh! How could anyone eat this awful food! Let’s get on with it! Bring on the heavy wicker basket with all its treasures. Come on, where is it?” The sparrows were shocked at her rudeness and were so angry that they gave her the heavy basket and quickly sent her on her way.
Bogies come out of the basket
page 16 & 17 of The Tongue-cut Sparrow
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(♪) As the old woman lugged the heavy basket home, one of the ropes around it broke. The basket flew open and horrid, frightening bogies jumped out of it. A nasty one-eyed goblin and see-through monsters swarmed around all screaming and jumping over the old woman. Old Woman: “Help me! Help! Oh, I’m sorry, forgive me!”
Greedy old woman apologizes
page 18 & 19 of The Tongue-cut Sparrow
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(♪) The scared, greedy old woman ran as fast as she could and she came to the house of the honest old man. Abjectly she apologized for what she had done. Old Woman: “I will change and become better. Please do not abandon me. All those devils were terrifying.” Old Man: “You could have tried to be a better person long ago. Anyway, it is good to know that you have changed now.”
Postscript
page 20 of The Tongue-cut Sparrow
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(♪) With the treasures given to him by the tongue-cut sparrow, the honest man lived a good and happy life. His daughter married a man who came to live in their family and they all lived happily ever after.

No narration on page 16

inside back cover of The Tongue-cut Sparrow
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No narration on page 17

Back cover of The Tongue-cut Sparrow
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Contents

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