A talking tea kettle, a monstrous goblin-spider that lives in a haunted temple, miniature soldiers that plague a lazy young bride, and other fanciful creatures abound in this captivating collection of eleven Japanese fairy- tales.
Youngsters are transported to an exotic, faraway worht of samurai warriors, rice fields, humble cottages, and a magical spring in five tales excellently translated and adapted by noted writer and linguist Lafcadio ttearn: "The Fountain of Youth," "Chin-Chin Kobakama," "The Goblin-Spider," "The Old Woman Who Lost Her Dumplings,'"and the title storv. Six additional stories-in versions by Grace James, Basil Hail Chamberlain, and other authorities on Japanese folklore-include "The Tea-Kettle," "The Wooden Bowl," "My Lord Bag-o'-Riee," "The Hare of lnaba," "The Silly Jelly-Fish," and "The Matsuyama Mirror."
Twenty-one original illustrations by Yuko Green enhance these imaginative and whimsical fables sure to delight young readers and listeners with their strange and engaging characters.
