As I started Part B reading, I began to recognize a few stories.
I have definitely read Schippeitaro before in some other form. I found the translation of the name to be interesting too because there aren't three consonants all put together like that in Japanese. I like the idea of fighting off a beast to rescue someone, but I'd prefer it gender swapped. I would be more than happy to write a version of the story like that.
The Crab and The Monkey wasn't as much my style. I hate stories where someone's kindness is taken advantage of. I hated that the monkey was so rude to her, and that besides the monkey's death, she didn't get anything for her kindness and troubles.
I thought The Magic Kettle was an interesting story, but again, I prefer animal to human transformations rather than kettle to tanuki which was quite interesting. I found it odd how the man who hated the kettle/tanuki enough to see it would be more than happy to take it back when the buyer returned it. I was surprised he didn't just take the money and give him the kettle back.
As I read How the Wicked Tanuki was punished, I was horrified that he killed his own wife. They seemed like such great schemers together. I wanted to write them happily conning people as humans, but that broke my heart. It was even worse hearing how the son waited for his mother. At least she was avenged. I still wouldn't be opposed to writing a trickster couple though because it could be interesting.
Again as I read The Slaying of the Tanuki, I realized another version must have been in a reading I did for my storybook. In this version, I really hated how the tanuki said to the wife "..for rice pounding is very tiring work, and not at all fit for weak women." As a strong feminist, this made me want to rewrite it to where it is all the same up until the tanuki calls her weak, and then she turns around and brutally slays the tanuki. I hated how she was portrayed in this retelling.
In Uraschimataro and the Turtle, I liked how kind Uraschimataro was. The adventure the turtle brought him on was quite fun. But I could not believe he would be stupid enough to open the box. I was so disappointed in him when I read that part.
While I haven't decided yet, I think I will rewrite Schippeitaro gender swapped or the story I liked most from the A reading.
Bibliography: "Japanese Fairy Tales" by Andrew Lang.
Image Information: Personal photo of turtles from the St. Louis Zoo.
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