Reading Notes: Japanese Fairy Tales (Lang) Part A

Reading Notes: Japanese Fairy Tales (Lang) Part A by Andrew Lang

(Sparrow: image by Laitche)

These stories were very fun for me to read since I have read many similar Japanese stories in the past. The Stonecutter was one of my favorites to read. I liked that the story focused on teaching a lesson by showing the stonecutter and all that he went through. He wished for different things many times, but in the end realized he was most content just being himself rather than something else. I also enjoyed The Envious Neighbor quite a bit. This one in particular reminded me very much of other Japanese stories I have read, since it focuses on the badness of greed. The abruptness of the dog's death caught me somewhat off guard, but I was also just generally upset that he was killed. I liked how the man and women's love for the dog was portrayed. I was also glad when the envious neighbor was finally punished for all that he had done. Similarly, The Sparrow with the Split Tongue also addressed the idea of greediness. I enjoyed this story for similar reasons to the previous one. The man was kind to the sparrow and ended up being rewarded, but the woman was nasty and mean. The woman was punished in the end for her deeds. I am curious about if the large chest the woman chose would have still contained the serpents if the man had chosen it the first time instead of the small chest.