Discover “Omusubi Kororin(The Rolling Rice Ball),” a timeless Japanese folktale that juxtaposes the rewards of humble curiosity against the costs of greed through the surprising adventures of two old women.
Once upon a time, there lived an old man and an old woman.
One day, the old man went into the mountains to cut wood. Around lunchtime, the old woman thought,
“The old man must be hungry by now.”
So, she made a lunch box with rice balls and brought it to him. The old man was busy chopping wood with his axe.
“I’ve brought lunch, please come here and eat,” said the old woman.
But as she opened the lunch box, one of the rice balls rolled down the slope.
“Where are you going, rice ball? Wait!” the old woman cried, running after it.
The rice ball rolled and rolled until it dropped into a hole at the base of a tree.
The old woman peeked into the hole and heard an unfamiliar voice singing, “The rice ball rolled and fell in, the rice ball rolled and fell in”.
She was puzzled, wondering who could be singing.
She then tried dropping a rolled-up handkerchief into the hole.
Now the voice sang, “The handkerchief rolled and fell in, the handkerchief rolled and fell in”.
“What a lovely voice. I wonder who’s in there?” the old woman said, sounding amused.
Next, she took off one of her sandals and dropped it into the hole. “The sandal rolled and fell in,” the voice sang again.
When she dropped the other one, it sang, “Another one rolled and fell in,” sounding quite excited.
Finally, with nothing left to drop in, she looked around, and to her surprise, the voice began singing, “The old woman rolled and fell in, the old woman rolled and fell in”.
Before she could react, the old woman found herself rolling down into the pitch-dark hole.
When she finally landed at the bottom, she was surprised to see a magnificent palace of mice.
They were all dressed up and cheerfully pounding rice cakes.
“What a lively world of mice,” she thought as she watched gold and silver coins popping out every time they pounded.
Fascinated by the spectacle, she couldn’t help but mimic a cat’s meow.
The mice got scared and started running all over the place, leaving the palace deserted.
With the mice gone and no one returning, the old woman decided to take all the treasures back home.
The old man and she were overjoyed, and they decided to share their blessings with their neighbors.
However, their greedy neighbor heard their story and decided to try her luck.
So the next day, she made some rice balls and headed for the mountain. She dropped one of the rice balls down the hole.
But it didn’t roll down.
The neighbor kicked the rice ball to make it roll. When it stopped, she kicked it again, forcing it into the hole at the base of the tree.
The same sweet voice sang, “The rice ball rolled and fell in”.
The greedy neighbor, wanting to get to the mouse palace quickly, skipped dropping the handkerchief and sandals and immediately proclaimed, “The old woman rolled and fell in”. She then plunged headfirst into the dark hole.
When she finally reached the bottom, she found the mice once again celebrating.
However, the neighbor was so desperate for the treasures that she mimicked a cat’s meow.
The mice declared, “We won’t be fooled again today. That’s the fake meow of the greedy old woman.”
Instead of running away, they started biting her clothes and legs. Despite the pain, the greedy old woman tried to grab the treasures, but she became lost in the darkness.
Finally, after being bitten all over and bleeding, the greedy old woman gave up and returned home, weeping bitterly.
Notes of “Omusubi Kororin”
Cultural Background
Theme of this Story
The story imparts lessons about humility, contentment, and the consequences of greed – moral lessons commonly found in Japanese folktales.
Concepts
The narrative contains elements of animism, a belief that all objects, places, and creatures possess a distinct spiritual essence, a belief system deeply embedded in Japanese Shinto tradition.
Food culture
The tale reflects the significance of rice in Japanese culture, with it being not only a staple food but also symbolizing prosperity and life.
Glossary
TERM
Rice Ball (Omusubi/Onigiri)
A Japanese food made from white rice formed into triangular or cylindrical shapes and often wrapped in nori (seaweed).
TERM
Mountains
Often symbolize a place of solitude, wisdom, and spiritual discovery in Japanese literature and folklore.
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Mice
In this story, mice symbolize hidden treasures or unseen opportunities. In Japanese folklore, mice are sometimes seen as creatures bringing good fortune.
TERM
Rice Cake (Mochi)
A Japanese rice cake made of mochigome, a short-grain japonica glutinous rice, pounded into paste and molded into shape. In the context of the story, it also represents wealth and prosperity.
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