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Book/Printed Material The Tongue-Cut Sparrow.

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About this Item

Title

  • The Tongue-Cut Sparrow.

Summary

  • This is a chirimen-bon (crepe-paper book), which is a compact watojihon (book bound in a traditional Japanese bookbinding style) containing woodblock-printed pictures and text. It was called a chirimen-bon because the paper was crinkled until it assumed a cloth-like texture. Published from the middle of the Meiji period until the beginning of the Showa period, chirimen-bon were illustrated translations of Japanese folk stories that were originally intended to increase the exposure of Japanese people to foreign languages after kaikoku (the reopening of Japan in the mid-19th century). However, they soon became popular as omiyage (small gifts) for foreigners. Kobunsha, the publishing company managed by Takejirō Hasegawa, started to translate and publish Nihon Mukashibanashi (Japanese fairy tale series) in 1885. The Tongue-Cut Sparrow is a story from the series. It tells of a nasty old woman who was doing her washing when a sparrow that was kept in a neighbor's house came and ate her laundry starch. The angry old lady cut off the bird's tongue and chased it away. Saddened by this, the old man and old lady from next door set off to find the sparrow. They eventually found its house where they were warmly received by the sparrows. As an omiyage, the sparrow offered two wicker baskets of different sizes. The unselfish couple accepted the smaller basket and went home, whereupon gold and silver treasure appeared in the basket. The kind old man and old woman became rich and lived happily ever after. Envious of their good fortune, the nasty old lady visited the sparrow's house and went home with the large basket. However, when she took the lid off, a troop of demons appeared from inside and tore her to pieces.

Names

  • Kobayashi, Eitaku, 1843-1890 Illustrator.
  • Thompson, David, 1835-1915 Translator.

Created / Published

  • Tokyo : Kobunsha, 1885.

Headings

  • -  Japan
  • -  1885
  • -  Fairy tales
  • -  Sparrows
  • -  Woodcuts

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: 10 leaves ; 16 centimeters.
  • -  Original resource at: National Diet Library.
  • -  Content in English and Japanese.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021666954

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Kobayashi, Eitaku, Illustrator, and David Thompson. The Tongue-Cut Sparrow. Tokyo: Kobunsha, 1885. Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666954/.

APA citation style:

Kobayashi, E. & Thompson, D. (1885) The Tongue-Cut Sparrow. Tokyo: Kobunsha. [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666954/.

MLA citation style:

Kobayashi, Eitaku, Illustrator, and David Thompson. The Tongue-Cut Sparrow. Tokyo: Kobunsha, 1885. Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021666954/>.