Japanese story time!

For whatever reason, the Japanese textbook stories all have a common theme…death.  Some of the stories from them are disturbing and awkward.  Here are two of the best/craziest/most depressing.

A Mother’s Lullaby:

A big, old tree stands by a road near the city of Hiroshima.  Through the years, it has seen many things.  One summer night the tree heard a lullaby.  A mother was singing to her little girl under the tree.  They looked happy, and the song sounded sweet.  But the tree remembered something sad. 
“Yes, it was some sixty years ago.  I heard a lullaby that night, too.”

On the morning of that day, a big bomb fell on the city of Hiroshima.  Many people lost their lives, and many others were injured.  They had burns all over their bodies.  I was very sad when I saw those people.

It was a very hot day.  Some of the people fell down near me.  I said to them, “Come and rest in my shade.  You’ll be all right soon.” 

Night came.  Some people were already dead.  I heard a weak voice.  It was a lullaby.  A young girl was singing to a little boy. 

“Mommy!  Mommy!” the boy cried.

“Don’t cry,” the girl said.  “Mommy is here.”  Then she began to sing again.

She was very weak, but she tried to be a mother to there poor little boy.  She held him in her arms like a real mother.

“Mommy,” the boy was still crying.

“Be a good boy,” said the girl.  “You’ll be all right.”  She held the boy more tightly and began to sing again.

After a while the boy stopped crying and quietly died.  But the little mother did not stop singing.  It was a sad lullaby.  The girl’s voice became weaker and weaker.

Morning came, and the sun rose, but the girl never moved again.

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Sad enough yet?  If not, here’s another one for you!

The Fall of Freddie the Leaf:

Spring came.  Freddie, the leaf, was born on a branch of a tall tree.

Hundreds of leaves were born on the tree.  They were all friends.  Together they danced in the breeze and played in the sun.

Daniel was the largest leaf and Freddie’s best friend.  He knew  many things.  He explained that they were part of a tree in a park.  He also explained about the birds, the sun, and the moon.  Freddie loved being a leaf.  Summer was especially nice.  Many people came to the park. 

“Let’s get together and give them some shade,” said Daniel.  “Giving shade is part of our purpose in life.  Making people happy is a good reason for living.”

Old people sat under the tree and talked of old times.  Children ran around and laughed.  It was fun to watch those children. 

Summer passed, and fall came.  Soon the leaves changed their colors.  Some turned red, and others turned yellow.  Freddie turned purple.  They were all very beautiful. 

One day a strange thing happened.  Some of the leaves were blown off by a strong cold wind.  The leaves became frightened.  “What’s happening?” they said.

“It’s the time for leaves to change their home,” Daniel said.  “Some people call it dying.”

“Will we all die?” Freddie asked.

“Yes,” Daniel answered.  “Everything dies.”

“I won’t die!” said Freddie.

But his friends started to fall one after another.  Soon the tree was almost bare.

“I’m afraid of dying,” Freddie told Daniel.

“We’re all afraid of things we don’t know,” Daniel said.  “But you were not afraid when spring became summer, or when summer became fall.  Changes are natural.”

“Will we return in spring?” Freddie asked.

“I don’t know, but Life will.  Life lasts forever, and we’re part of it,” answered Daniel.

“We only fall and die.  Why are we here?”  Freddie asked again.

Daniel said, “For the friends, the sun, and the shade.  Remember the breeze, the people, and the colors in fall.  Isn’t that enough?”

That afternoon, Daniel fell with a smile.  Freddie was the only leaf left on his branch.

The first snow fell the next morning.  The wind came and took Freddie from his branch.  It did not hurt at all.  As he fell, he saw the whole tree for the first time.  He remembered Daniel’s words, “Life lasts forever.”

Freddie landed on the soft snow.  He closed his eyes and went to sleep.  He did not know this.  But, in the tree and the ground, there were already plans for new leaves in spring.

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Yay depressing Japanese stories!  Both of these came out of the third grade (really ninth by our standards).