Takatori Monogatari

1. the Birth of Kaguyahime

Long ago there was an old bamboo cutter. He would go over field and mountain gathering bamboo, and used it to make many different things. His name was Sanuki no Miyakkomaro. One day he saw, among the bamboo he was cutting, one with shining roots. Thinking that strange, he approached the bamboo, and saw that the light came from within. When he looked more closely, he found a lovely little person, some three inches tall, seated there. "Every morning and every evening," the old man said, "I come through this bamboo, so I was able to find this child. She must be meant for me." He took her in his hand and carried her home. His old wife took charge of the child. Never was there a more lovely child. Being so small, she was kept in a basket.

The old man continued to go gathering bamboo, but after he found the child, it often happened that when he cut into a bamboo, the space between the joints would be filled with gold. In this way the old man eventually became quite wealthy.

The child grew quickly as a young bamboo. In three months she was ready to be considered an adult, and so they had the ceremony of putting up her hair and dressing her as an adult. She was treated with great care, and no longer ventured outside the curtains. The girl's appearance was clean and beautiful, without equal in this world. Her presence brightened the dark corners of the house. The old man felt wonderful; if there was any cause for unhappiness or anger, a look at the girl would rmove it.

The old man continued to gather bamboo and, finding gold, became a very wealthy man. When the girl was grown he called on Mimurodonoimube Akita to give her a name. Akita called her Naotake no Kaguyahime (because she came from a young bamboo and shown so brighty). the celebration of that occasion lasted three days. There was entertainment of all sorts. Many young men were invited for the festivities.