TSURU NO ONGAESHI 鶴の恩返し

The title, which loosely translates "The Grateful Crane". Cranes in Japanese culture symbolises beauty and longevity.

It is a traditional Japanese folk tale which tells of a poor man who nursed an injured crane, which came to rest outside his hut in a heavy thunderstorm, back to health.

The crane, grateful for the man's kind deed, showed her gratitude by turning herself into a maiden and married him.

In order to make money, she said she could weave a piece of cloth (some folks say sail) for him to sell but he must never see how it's made.

The cloth (or sail) was made in due time behind closed doors and sold for a handsome price.

His curiousity was piqued as she appeared enervated after weaving the cloth.

The money from the cloth (or sail) soon finished and he asked her to weave again.

She made him promise not to see her weave before agreeing to weave.

His curiousity got the better of him and he peeped at her while she was weaving.

He was shocked to see that instead of his wife, a crane was weaving a piece of cloth using it's feathers.

The crane, realising that she had been discovered, took flight never to return again.

This folk tale is told today to teach Japanese men not to peep. They've been doing it since way back when which explains the numerous Japanese voyeur websites. And it is also the harbinger for Japanese technology, where feathers can be woven into beautiful pieces of cloth (or sail).

I found an illustrated version of this story. click!

This is also the foundation of The Decemberists' album The Crane Wife. Which I will introduce next time.