Some of the stories have appeared in English before, but most of them are printed for the first time. A few reappear from The Independent and other periodicals.
The illustrations and cover-stamp, though engraved in New York by Mr. Henry W. Troy, were, with one exception, drawn especially for this work, by my artist-friend, Ozawa Nankoku, of Tokio. The picture of Yorimasa, the Archer, was made for me by one of my students in Tokio.
Hoping that these harmless stories that have tickled the imagination of Japanese children during untold generations, may amuse the big and little folks of America, the writer invites his readers, in the language of the native host as he points to the chopsticks and spread table, O agari nasai
W.E.G.
Schenectady, N.Y., Sept. 28th, 1880.
CONTENTS.
| [I.] | The Meeting of the Star Lovers. |
| [II.] | The Travels of Two Frogs. |
| [III.] | The Child of the Thunder. |
| [IV.] | The Tongue-cut Sparrow. |
| [V.] | The Fire-fly's Lovers. |
| [VI.] | The Battle of the Ape and the Crab. |
| [VII.] | The Wonderful Tea-Kettle. |
| [VIII.] | Peach-Prince and the Treasure Island. |
| [IX.] | The Fox and the Badger. |
| [X.] | The Seven Patrons of Happiness. |
| [XI.] | Daikoku and the Oni. |
| [XII.] | Benkei and the Bell. |
| [XIII.] | Little Silver's Dream of the Shoji. |
| [XIV.] | The Tengus, or the Elves with Long Noses. |
| [XV.] | Kintaro, or the Wild Baby. |
| [XVI.] | Jiraiya, or the Magic Frog. |
| [XVII.] | How the Jelly-Fish Lost its Shell. |
| [XVIII.] | Lord Cuttle-Fish Gives a Concert. |
| [XIX.] | Yorimasa, the Brave Archer. |
| [XX.] | Watanabé cuts off the Oni's Arm. |
| [XXI.] | Watanabé Kills the Great Spider. |
| [XXII.] | Raiko and the Shi Ten Doji. |
| [XXIII.] | The Sazayé and the Tai. |
| [XXIV.] | Smells and Jingles. |
| [XXV.] | The Lake of the Lute and the Matchless Mountain. |
| [...] | The Waterfall of Yoro, or the Fountain of Youth. |
| [XXVI.] | The Earthquake Fish. |
| [XXVII.] | The Dream Story of Gojiro. |
| [XXVIII.] | The Procession of Lord Long-Legs. |
| [XXIX.] | Kiyohimé, or the Power of Love. |
| [XXX.] | The Fisherman and the Moon-Maiden. |
| [XXXI.] | The Jewels of the Ebbing and the Flowing Tide. |
| [XXXII.] | Kai Riu O, or the Dragon King of the World Under the Sea. |
| [XXXIII.] | The Creation of Heaven and Earth. |
| [XXXIV.] | How the Sun Goddess was Enticed out of her Cave. |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
| 1. | Kanamé holding down the great Earthquake Fish, | [Stamp on cover.] |
| 2. | How the Sun-goddess was enticed out of her Cave, | [Frontispiece.] |
| 3. | The Star-lovers Meeting on the Bridge of Birds, | Faces [page 6.] |
| 4. | The Egg, Wasp and Mortar attack the Monkey, | [54.] |
| 5. | The Oni submitting to Peach Prince, | [70.] |
| 6. | The Monkeys in Grief, | [150.] |
| 7. | Yorimasa and the Night-beast, | [176.] |
| 8. | The Fish Stall in Tokio, | [204.] |
| 9. | A Jingle for a Sniff, | [206.] |
| 10. | The Ascent of the Dragon's Gate, | [234.] |
| 11. | The Sorceress Melting the Bell, | [262.] |
| 12. | The Dragon King's Gift of the Tide Jewels, | [288.] |