1880-1889

“Prince Hyacinth and the Dear Little Princess.” The Blue Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London and New York: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1889, pp. 12-18.

Anonymous — Sun, 28 May 2023 22:02:27 +0000

“Prince Hyacinth and the Dear Little Princess.” The Blue Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London and New York: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1889, pp. 12-18. Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 05/28/2023 - 16:02

Tale Summary

There was once a king who was deeply in love with a princess, who was under a spell that prevented her from marrying anyone. A fairy told him that whoever was able to step on her cat’s tail would be the one to marry her, so he spent days trying to do this, until he was finally able to succeed when the cat was asleep. It jumped up and transformed into a tall man, who told the King that he would have a son who would never be happy until he realized that his nose was too long, and that the king must not tell anyone about the curse. He married the princess and died shortly thereafter, leaving the Queen with a son with an enormous nose, named Hyacinth. To save him embarrassment, only others with large noses could be near him, and they all told him about how ugly small noses were, and so he fancied himself quite handsome because of his large nose, which to him seemed ordinary. When he reached twenty, his mother wished for him to be married and brought him portraits of eligible princesses. He fell in love with a Dear Little Princess, who had a very tiny nose that his courtiers laughed at to appease him. He banished them, and other members of the court assured him that small noses were suitable for women. He set out to meet her but before he could kiss her hand she was grabbed by the enchanter and vanished, and the prince searched the land for her until he found the home of a very old fairy. Hyacinth and his horse were very hungry and stayed with her for food, although the prince became very annoyed with her constant comments about his large nose. The fairy talked about how she knew his father and other things, being quite a chatterer, and the prince wondered to himself how someone could overlook their own flaws, thinking to himself that he was quite aware of himself. He left in a huff, and everyone he encountered on his journey also made a fuss about his large nose, but he would not admit that it was large. Finally, he reached a palace of crystal where the princess was trapped by the fairy, who wished to help Hyacinth realize his faults. The princess stretched out her hand for him to kiss, but his large nose kept him from doing so, and he finally admitted that it was too large. The prison shattered and the fairy appeared to lead the princess to Hyacinth, telling him that self-love keeps people from knowing their own defects, and it is only when the faults hinder them do they realize. Prince Hyacinth’s nose shrunk to a normal size and he married the Dear Little Princess and lived happily ever after.

Fairy Tale Title

Prince Hyacinth and the Dear Little Princess

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

George Percy Jacomb Hood
Henry Justice Ford

Common Tale Type

Tale Classification

Page Range of Tale

pp. 12-18

Full Citation of Tale

“Prince Hyacinth and the Dear Little Princess.” The Blue Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London and New York: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1889, pp. 12-18.

Original Source of the Tale

Tale Notes

AV��ʪ and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2023

Book Title

The Blue Fairy Book

Book Author/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Illustrator(s)

George Percy Jacomb Hood
Henry Justice Ford

Publisher

Longmans, Green, and Co.

Date Published

1889

Decade Published

1880-1889

Publisher City

London

Publisher Country

United Kingdom

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

None

Traditional

White

Yamata No Orochi. Takejiro, Hasegawa. Translated by Basil Hall Chamberlain, Kobunsha, 1886.

Anonymous — Sun, 18 Dec 2022 18:57:14 +0000

Yamata No Orochi. Takejiro, Hasegawa. Translated by Basil Hall Chamberlain, Kobunsha, 1886. Anonymous (not verified) Sun, 12/18/2022 - 11:57

Hasegawa Takejiro

Tale Summary

The world was ruled by a fairy who had three children named Susano, Ama, and Moon-boy. Susano was given the sea, Ama was given the sun, and Moon-boy had the moon. However, Susano got tired of living in the cold sea and burst into the sun to see his sister, Ama. Susano in anger ruined and stomped over Ama and her maiden’s weaving projects of silver and gold dresses, which caused Ama’s maidens to die of fright. Ama ran away into a cave which put the world into darkness. The other fairies tried many plans to draw her out but the one that worked was when the other fairies started dancing. The fairies told the peeking Ama that there was another fairy more beautiful than her. Ama came out to see this fairy which was a mirror that showed Ama her reflection and while she was out, the cave was quickly blocked with rocks. As punishment for driving Ama away, Susano was beaten and expelled by the others. While traveling in exile, Susano came across a crying couple embracing their daughter. They explained that once a year an eight-headed serpent ate one of their daughters and now has a single daughter left. Susano decided to help the couple by brewing beer and making a fence with eight stands. The beer was placed upon each stand and when the serpent came down, each head smelled and drank every drop of the eight beers. Each head fell asleep and while asleep Susano cut up each head along with the body. However, his blade snapped upon the tail and out of the remains of the tail, he pulled out a beautiful sword. He married the couple’s daughter and built a palace for them all to live in. As time passed the sword was passed down and now belongs to the emperor of Japan.

Fairy Tale Title

The Serpent with Eight Heads

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Hasegawa Takejiro

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Eitaku Sensei

Common Tale Type

Dragon slayers

Tale Classification

ATU 300

Page Range of Tale

Whole book

Full Citation of Tale

Yamata No Orochi. Takejiro, Hasegawa. Translated by Basil Hall Chamberlain, Kobunsha, 1886.

Original Source of the Tale

This tale is derived from Japanese mythology.

Tale Notes

The tale is based on Japanese mythology. The gods are replaced by fairies and heaven is referred to as Fairyland. Susanoo is a storm god and is Susano in the tale. Amaterasu is a sun goddess and is Ama in the tale. In one version of the myth, Amaterasu was lured out by an immodest dance and the other gods laughing. The sword is known as Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and is one of the three imperial regalias of Japan. The sword was given to Amaterasu as a gift from Susanoo (so she would forgive him).

AV��ʪ and Curation

Nathaniel Montano, 2022

Book Title

Yamata No Orochi

Book Author/Editor(s)

Hasegawa Takejiro

Illustrator(s)

Eitaku Sensei

Publisher

Kobunsha

Date Published

1886

Decade Published

1880-1889

Publisher City

Tokyo

Publisher Country

Japan

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

Plain paper folded in sheets, No spine covers, 26 pages, colored title page, muted colored illustrations

Traditional

White

“Rumpelstiltzkin.” The Blue Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London and New York: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1889, pp. 96-99.

Anonymous — Sat, 05 Nov 2022 00:45:39 +0000

“Rumpelstiltzkin.” The Blue Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London and New York: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1889, pp. 96-99. Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 11/04/2022 - 18:45

Andrew Lang

Tale Summary

Once upon a time, a poor Miller had an audience with the King, and, trying to make himself seem important, said that his beautiful daughter could spin straw into gold. The King demanded her presence, and locked her away in a room full of straw, commanding her to spin it all into gold by morning or she would die. While she weeps about her situation, a little man appears and asks what she will give him if he does the work for her. She gives him her necklace, and by morning all of the bobbins are full of gold. The king places her in another bigger room out of greed, and again commands she spin all of the straw into gold by the morning or she will die. And again, the little man appears, and she gives him the ring off her finger in return for his help. The next day, the king promises that if she completes this task once more, she will be his Queen, and if not, she will die. The little man appears to the miller’s daughter, who has nothing left to give him. He proposes that she give him her firstborn child if she is ever to become Queen, and she agrees. The gold is spun, and straightaway the girl is wed to the King. A year later, forgetful of the little man, the Queen has a child. When the little man appears again to claim him, the Queen weeps so bitterly that he has pity on her. He tells her that if she is able to guess his name within three days’ time, she will be able to keep her child. On the first day, she lists off every name she can think of. On the second day, she scours the neighborhood for strange and unusual names. On the third day, a messenger arrives whom she had sent away to search for names. He tells her about how near the woods, there was a little man he saw hopping around a fire on one leg crying that his name was Rumpelstiltzkin. The Queen guesses this name, and he becomes so enraged that he strikes the ground with his right foot, becomes lodged in the earth, and pulls upon his left leg so that he tears himself in two.

Fairy Tale Title

Rumpelstiltzkin

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

George Percy Jacomb Hood
Henry Justice Ford

Common Tale Type

The Name of the Supernatural Helper

Tale Classification

ATU 500

Page Range of Tale

pp. 96-99

Full Citation of Tale

“Rumpelstiltzkin.” The Blue Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London and New York: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1889, pp. 96-99.

Original Source of the Tale

Tale Notes

In this version of the tale, Rumpelstiltzkin fully tears himself in half at the end, rather than in other versions, where he only pulls off his right leg.

AV��ʪ and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2022

Book Title

The Blue Fairy Book

Book Author/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Illustrator(s)

George Percy Jacomb Hood
Henry Justice Ford

Publisher

Longmans, Green, and Co.

Date Published

1889

Decade Published

1880-1889

Publisher City

London

Publisher Country

United Kingdom

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

None

Traditional

White

“Little Red Riding-Hood.” The Blue Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London and New York: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1889, pp. 51-53.

Anonymous — Sat, 05 Nov 2022 00:19:08 +0000

“Little Red Riding-Hood.” The Blue Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London and New York: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1889, pp. 51-53. Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 11/04/2022 - 18:19

Andrew Lang

Tale Summary

There was once a young girl who was doted on by her mother and grandmother, who had made for her a red hood, which is how she gets her nickname ‘Little Red Riding-Hood’. Hearing that Little Red's grandmother has been ill, her mother makes some custard and instructs the girl to bring it to the old woman, who lives in a different village. In the woods, she meets Gaffer Wolf, who decides not to eat her right away because there are lumberjacks nearby, and inquires about her journey. He tells Little Red that he will race her to the house. He makes it there first, devours the girl’s grandmother, and then waits in bed wearing her clothes. When Little Red comes through the door, the wolf instructs her to get into bed and then eats her when she does.

Fairy Tale Title

Little Red Riding-Hood

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

George Percy Jacomb Hood
Henry Justice Ford

Common Tale Type

Little Red Riding Hood

Tale Classification

ATU 333

Page Range of Tale

pp. 51-53

Full Citation of Tale

“Little Red Riding-Hood.” The Blue Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London and New York: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1889, pp. 51-53.

Original Source of the Tale

Tale Notes

This story is almost word-for-word the exact same as this version in Tales of Past Times Written for Children

AV��ʪ and Curation

Kaeli Waggener, 2022

Book Title

The Blue Fairy Book

Book Author/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Illustrator(s)

George Percy Jacomb Hood
Henry Justice Ford

Publisher

Longmans, Green, and Co.

Date Published

1889

Decade Published

1880-1889

Publisher City

London

Publisher Country

United Kingdom

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

None

Traditional

White

“Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper.” The Blue Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1889, pp. 64-71.

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 19:09:15 +0000

“Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper.” The Blue Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1889, pp. 64-71. Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 10/26/2022 - 13:09

Andrew Lang

Tale Summary

After her father’s remarriage, Cinderella endures the oppression of her stepmother and stepsisters and became their servant. Her Godmother helps her out of her misery by telling her to gather some lizards and mice for a carriage and dressed her in the finest clothes. As she leaves the ball Cinderella, leaves behind her slipper. When the prince has all the women in the kingdom try on the slipper, Cinderella becomes his bride.

Fairy Tale Title

Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang, Charles Perrault

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

George Percy Jacomb Hood, Henry Justice Ford

Common Tale Type

Cinderella

Tale Classification

ATU 510A

Page Range of Tale

pp. 64-71

Full Citation of Tale

“Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper.” The Blue Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1889, pp. 64-71.”

Original Source of the Tale

Charles Perrault

Tale Notes

The illustrations are in black and white, which made them very realistic and transparent without many words. The illustrator for this version shows instances of the different stages of Cinderella’s story: being oppressed by her step-stepsisters and stepmother, meeting her godmother, and escaping the ball. Cinderella embraced her stepsisters after they asked to be forgiven and were made noble by marrying lords

AV��ʪ and Curation

Anonymous, 2020

Book Title

The Blue Fairy Book

Book Author/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Illustrator(s)

George Percy Jacomb Hood, Henry Justice Ford

Publisher

Longman, Green, and Co.

Date Published

1899

Decade Published

1890-1899

Publisher City

London

Publisher Country

United Kingdom

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

Traditional

White

“Beauty and the Beast.” The Blue Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London and New York: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1889, pp. 100-119.

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 16:51:59 +0000

“Beauty and the Beast.” The Blue Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London and New York: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1889, pp. 100-119. Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 12/20/2021 - 09:51

Andrew Lang

Tale Summary

A merchant and father of 12, the youngest girl of which is Beauty, falls into ruin. The merchant hears that one of his vessels has returned and says he will bring back presents for his family, but Beauty only requests a rose. He finds the vessel ransacked and returns back home in the snow. Along the way he finds a splendid castle where he is treated well, and the only thing he grabs is the rose for Beauty. The Beast, who lives at the castle, is enraged at this and the merchant explains his predicament. The father promises that if he can't have a daughter sent then he will return himself and stay with the Beast. Beauty agrees to go to the castle with her father, he accompanies her and leaves with riches beyond measure. Beauty falls in love with the magical castle and the Beast is kind to her from the start. Each night Beauty dreams of the prince who is shown to her by a fairy and each night the Beast asks her to marry him. Beauty becomes homesick, Beast allows her to go if she promises to come back. Beauty finds that the family has become wealthy again and that she really doesn't have a place there. After a vision of the Beast dying, Beauty uses the ring that he gave her to return to him. Beast becomes healthy and asks if she would marry him, Beauty says yes. Beast becomes the prince and the queen appears. They invite Beauty's family to the wedding and they live happily ever after.

Fairy Tale Title

Beauty and the Beast

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

George Percy Jacomb Hood
Henry Justice Ford

Common Tale Type

Beauty and the Beast

Tale Classification

ATU 425C

Page Range of Tale

pp. 100-119

Full Citation of Tale

“Beauty and the Beast.” The Blue Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London and New York: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1889, pp. 100-119.

Original Source of the Tale

Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve

Tale Notes

Edited specifically for children with five black and white illustrations that depict the following scenes: Beauty’s father departing, her father picking the rose when the Beast appears, Beauty’s dream of the handsome prince, Beauty in the room with exotic birds, and Beauty finding the Beast on the ground in the garden.

AV��ʪ and Curation

Anonymous ITAL 4600 student, 2020

Book Title

The Blue Fairy Book

Book Author/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Illustrator(s)

George Percy Jacomb Hood
Henry Justice Ford

Publisher

Longmans, Green, and Co.

Date Published

1889

Decade Published

1880-1889

Publisher City

London

Publisher Country

United Kingdom

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

None

Traditional

White

"Cinderella." Mother Goose's Fairy Tales, London: G. Routledge, 1880, pp. 72-83.

Anonymous — Mon, 06 Dec 2021 17:39:03 +0000

"Cinderella." Mother Goose's Fairy Tales, London: G. Routledge, 1880, pp. 72-83. Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 12/06/2021 - 10:39

Tale Summary

This simplified version of Charles Perrault’s Cinderella includes a fairy godmother who transforms a pumpkin into a coach, mice into horses, and rats into coachmen. Cinderella receives the beautiful gown and glass slippers and attends two nights of the ball, losing her shoe on the second night. When the prince discovers that her foot fits in the glass slipper and decides to marry Cinderella, her stepsisters “crave” her forgiveness, but we do not learn what becomes of them. Cinderella marries the prince a short time later.

Fairy Tale Title

Cinderella

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

None listed

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Edward Henry Corbould, Alfred Henry Forrester, William McConnell

Common Tale Type

Cinderella

Tale Classification

ATU 510A

Page Range of Tale

pp. 72-83

Full Citation of Tale

"Cinderella." Mother Goose's Fairy Tales, London: G. Routledge, 1880, pp. 72-83.

Original Source of the Tale

Charles Perrault

Tale Notes

This is a simplified version of Charles Perrault’s tale intended for young readers.

AV��ʪ and Curation

Anonymous ITAL 4600 student, 2020

Book Title

Mother Goose's Fairy Tales

Book Author/Editor(s)

None listed

Illustrator(s)

Edward Henry Corbould, Alfred Henry Forrester, William McConnell

Publisher

G. Routledge

Date Published

1880

Decade Published

1880-1889

Publisher City

London

Publisher Country

United Kingdom

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the CU Digital Library

Book Notes

For every full page of text, there is a full-page, black-and-white illustration. On the cover of the book, we see Cinderella and her fairy godmother, with a mouse trap and rat trap depicted on the right side of the image. This book is part of a Mother Goose series published by Routledge that included Mother Goose’s Nursery Rhymes, Mother Goose’s Melodies, Mother Goose’s Jingles, Mother Goose at Home, and Mother Goose’s Nursery Rhymes and Fairy Tales.

Traditional

White

“The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood.” The Blue Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1889, pp. 54-63.

Anonymous — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 17:53:01 +0000

“The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood.” The Blue Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1889, pp. 54-63. Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 11/29/2021 - 10:53

Andrew Lang

Tale Summary

A king and queen have a daughter and invite all the fairies to come and bestow a gift on the princess. There is one old fairy who has not been invited and shows up to the gathering unannounced saying that the princess will die when she pricks her finger on a spindle. One good fairy hid so that she may give her gift last and gifts the princess a rest for one hundred years which will also affect some of the workers in the castle. A prince, from a different family, comes upon the castle and wakes her from her sleep; they marry that evening. The prince does not tell his parents, the King, and the queen, of his marriage or children because the queen is an Ogress and has trouble suppressing the Ogreish tendency to eat people. After the King (his father) dies, the prince becomes king and engages in a battle that takes him away from home. While away his mother asks her cook to prepare each child and the princess so that she may eat them, but the cook instead serves her goats and a hind. When the Queen finds out she has been tricked, she arranges a tub full of various snakes and toads to be brought before her and decides to throw the princess, her grandchildren, the cook, and his family into the tub to be devoured. At the last minute, the King returns, and his mother throws herself into the tube of snakes and dies. The King is sad but feels comforted by his wife and children.

Fairy Tale Title

The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

George Percy Jacomb Hood
Henry Justice Ford

Common Tale Type

Sleeping Beauty

Tale Classification

ATU 410

Page Range of Tale

pp. 54-63

Full Citation of Tale

“The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood.” The Blue Fairy Book, edited by Andrew Lang, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1889, pp. 54-63.

Original Source of the Tale

Charles Perrault

Tale Notes

In this Sleeping Beauty tale, based on Charles Perrault’s version, the princess is awakened by just the presence of the prince. Also, in this tale the prince's mother, the queen, is "of the race of Ogres", which like to eat little children. The prince hides his marriage and children from his mother because he is scared she will eat them. The queen tries to eat the children and the princess but the cook feeds her goats instead. In the end, the queen ends up taking her own life by jumping into a pit of toads, vipers and snakes of all sorts that devour her. There are three black and white illustrations depicting: the newborn princess in her cradle as the old woman curses her; the prince making his way though the hedge; and Little Day, Sleeping Beauty’s son, fencing with a monkey.

AV��ʪ and Curation

Anonymous ITAL 4600 student, 2020

Book Title

The Blue Fairy Book

Book Author/Editor(s)

Andrew Lang

Illustrator(s)

George Percy Jacomb Hood
Henry Justice Ford

Publisher

Longmans, Green, and Co.

Date Published

1889

Decade Published

1880-1889

Publisher City

London

Publisher Country

United Kingdom

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

None

Traditional

White

Griffis, William Elliot. "Peach-Prince and the Treasure Island." Japanese Fairy World: Stories from the Wonder-lore of Japan, illustrated by Ozawa Nankoku, Schenectady, NY: James H. Barhyte, 1880, pp. 62-71.

Anonymous — Fri, 07 May 2021 22:41:36 +0000

Griffis, William Elliot. "Peach-Prince and the Treasure Island." Japanese Fairy World: Stories from the Wonder-lore of Japan, illustrated by Ozawa Nankoku, Schenectady, NY: James H. Barhyte, 1880, pp. 62-71. Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 05/07/2021 - 16:41

William Elliot Griffis Ōsawa Nankoku Henry Troy

Tale Summary

A childless, elderly couple living in the mountains is blessed with a miraculous child. He appears in the form of a peach floating in a stream where the old woman goes to bathe, and turns into a boy just as she brings it home to her husband to cut and share. The child, Momotarō, is incredibly strong, as well as kind and brave. Meanwhile, on an island off the coast of Japan, there live many onis and the giant Oni. The giant Oni lives in a castle with many wonders, including a magic hat and coat that make the user invisible, jewels that shine like fire, and shippō, seven precious treasures. Momotarō decides to go pursue these treasures with his dog and defeat the oni, asking the old woman to prepare him millet for the journey. On his way, he meets and feeds a millet dumpling to a monkey and a pheasant, who join him. Together the four of them defeat the Oni and collect their treasures. They return home and the animals are knighted, while Momotarō marries a princess and lives happily for the rest of his days.

Fairy Tale Title

Peach-Prince and the Treasure Island

Fairy Tale Author(s)/Editor(s)

William Elliot Griffis

Fairy Tale Illustrator(s)

Ozawa Nankoku
Henry W. Troy [engraver]

Common Tale Type

Momotarō (Peach Boy)

Tale Classification

Types of Japanese Folktales 159

Page Range of Tale

pp. 62-71

Full Citation of Tale

Griffis, William Elliot. "Peach-Prince and the Treasure Island." Japanese Fairy World: Stories from the Wonder-lore of Japan, illustrated by Ozawa Nankoku, Schenectady, NY: James H. Barhyte, 1880, pp. 62-71.

Original Source of the Tale

Japan

Tale Notes

Momotarō tales are one of the most popular tales in Japan and continue to be a popular tale told to children. These tales may also convey a sense of nationalism, and have been altered for use in textbooks, posters, songs, cartoons, and movies as propaganda during the Sino-Japanese War and World War II.

AV��ʪ and Curation

Aisha O., 2021

Book Title

Japanese Fairy World: Stories from the Wonder-lore of Japan

Book Author/Editor(s)

William Elliot Griffis

Illustrator(s)

Ozawa Nankoku
Henry W. Troy [engraver]
Unnamed Student

Publisher

James H. Barhyte

Date Published

1880

Decade Published

1880-1889

Publisher City

Schenectady

Publisher Country

United States

Language

English

Rights

Public Domain

Digital Copy

Available at the Internet Archive

Book Notes

This text uses an archaic romanization system (such as Tokio as averse to Tokyo). The illustrations were all created by Ozawa Nankoku (except one, credited to an unnamed student of Griffis) and engraved by Henry W. Troy.

As one of Japan's most well-known tales, Momotarō tales have many variations both in oral storytelling and written literature.

Typically, Momotarō is born from a fruit. However, in some literature starting from the Edo period, the old woman gives birth to Momotarō after the couple eat a peach and became youthful again.

Momotarō may be fed other foods, such as tō dango (literally meaning "ten-count dumplings") instead of kibi dango (millet dumplings).

Momotarō may be found as a peach inside a red or black box floating down the river. He may also have a lazy personality initially but grow into a hardworking and respectable hero. He may be forced to go slaughter the Oni by the townspeople instead of seeking to do so of his own volition. He may have different allies, such as a bee, chestnut, or otherwise.

Traditional

White