9 THE STONE-CUTTER

A stone-cutter named Tawara once lived in Japan. Every day he went to the mountain with his mallet and chisel. There he cut blocks of stone and polished them for the builders.

One day he carried a block of stone to a rich man's house, where he saw all sorts of beautiful furnishings. “Oh! I wish I were rich! ”said Tawara, “Then I, too, could sleep in a soft bed.”

Now the Fairy of the Mountains heard this wish and granted it. When Tawara reached his home, he stared in wonder! A beautiful house stood where his poor little hut had been! That night he slept on a bed as soft as down.

“I will work no more.”said Tawara to himself. So for a time he lived happily in the great house with gold furnishings all about him, and with plenty of rich food to eat.

But one day he saw a carriage go by, drawn by two snowwhite horses. In it sat a prince, with a great umbrella held over his head by a servant.

Tawara forgot his good fortune. “Oh, I wish I were a prince! ”he said, “I want to ride in a carriage, with a great umbrella over my head.”

No sooner had he made his wish than he found that he was a prince. He rode in his carriage through the streets, with a great umbrella held over his head.

“Now I am happy.”said Tawara to himself.

For a time he was happy. But one hot summer day, when he went into his garden, he found that all of his roses were drooping. “Why do these flowers droop their heads? ”he asked.

His servants bowed before him. “It is the sun, O Prince, ”they said, “We have watered the garden, just as you told us to do, but the heat of the sun is too great.”

“Is the sun greater than I am? ”cried Tawara, “I wish I were the sun! ”

No sooner had he made his wish than he found that he was the sun. He burned the rice fields and made the flowers droop their heads with his fierce heat.

“Now at last I am great! ”he said to himself, proudly. “No one is so mighty as I.”

But one day a thick black cloud covered his face. When he found that he could not pierce it with his strongest rays, he became unhappy again. “The cloud is mightier than I, ”he said, “I wish I were the cloud! ”

No sooner had he made his wish than he found that he was the cloud. He hid the sun, and sent rain to the earth. The rice fields became green again, and the flowers bloomed.

Day after day the cloud poured down rain. The rivers overflowed their banks; villages and towns were washed away. But one thing he could not move. The great stone of the mountain-side stood firm.

He was very angry. “Is the stone of the mountainside stronger than I am? ”he cried, “I wish I were that stone! ”

No sooner had he made his wish than he found that he was the stone. “Now at last I am happy, ”he said, “I am greater than sun and cloud. I cannot be burned and I cannot be washed away.”

Then one day he heard a noise-tap, tap, tap. A stone-cutter stood there, working with mallet and chisel. He drove the sharp tool into the stone as he cut out blocks for the builders.

The great stone shivered as he felt the blows. “Here is someone who is stronger than I, ”he cried, “I wish I were that man! ”

No sooner had he made his wish than he found that he was the man. He was Tawara, the stone-cutter, again. He lived in a little hut. He ate simple food and worked from morning till night; but he was happy. All day long he sang as he worked, and he did not wish again to be mightier than others.

“A little home, sweet sleep, and useful work—what is better than these? ”said Tawara, the stonecutter.

(Japanese Tale)

Word list

mallet: a long-handed tool that looks like a hammer

chisel: a metal tool with a sharp edge for chipping

fierce: very strong and aggressive

pierce: to go through something

You Practice

A) Answer the following questions.

1) Why did the stonecutter become unhappy?

2) What was the stonecutter's wish?

3) Who heard the stonecutter's wish and granted it?

4) What other wishes did the stonecutter make?

5) Why was the stonecutter unhappy every time a wish was granted?

B) Word groups—Complete the following word groups with words from the story.

1) house, cottage, h _ _

2) hammer, ax, m _ _ _ _ _

3) king, queen, p _ _ _ _ _

4) cities, towns, v _ _ _ _ _ _ _

5) glad, pleased, h _ _ _ _

C) Order of events—Put numbers beside these events according to the order in which they happened (1—7).

_____ He found he was a prince.

_____ “I am greater than the sun and cloud. I cannot be burned and I cannot be washed away.”

_____ The stone-cutter wished to become the sun.

_____ The fairy turned his hut into beautiful house.

_____ Finally, he found that he was happy as a stone cutter.

_____ The fairy heard the stone-cutter's wishes and began to grant them.

_____ Once he turned into a cloud, Tawara began to pour down rain.