SCRIPT MOMOTARO, THE SON OF A PEACH NARRATOR: Long, long ago there lived four sisters named YUKI,

YOKO, YUKA, and YUDA. They were peasants and had to work hard to earn their daily rice. YUKI and YOKO used to go and cut grass for the farmers around, and while they were gone the other sisters, YUKA and YUDA did the work of the house and worked in their own little rice field. (The sisters enter the stage, and goes to the front and bow to the audience. They enter the house and do their things.) One day, while YUKI and YOKO went to the hills as usual to cut grass, YUKA and YUDA took some clothes to the river to wash. (They bow before split up) YUKA: This is a nice spot. YUDA: Lets do our work here, Yuka nee-chan. NARRATOR: Then they set to work to wash the clothes; they took them one by one out of the basket and washed them in the river and rubbed them on the stones. As they were busy washing their clothes a great peach came bumping down the stream. YUKA looked up from her work and saw this large peach. YUKA: What are big peach it is! Yuda! Yuda! Come here. YUDA: How delicious that peach must be! Yummy. YUKA: We must get it and take it home to our sisters. NARRATOR: They stretched out their arms to try and get it, but it was quite out of their reach. YUDA: Ughhhhh! I cant reach it. YUKA: Grab it, Yuda! Grab it! Hurry! Gambare! YUDA: I cant! I have stretched my arms long enough. Yuka nee-chan, can you just try to find a stick or something? YUKA: Oh! Good idea. Why dont I think about it earlier? NARRATOR: They looked about for a stick, but there was no one to be seen YUKA: Yuda-chan, I cannot find one. How?

YUDA: How come there is not a single stick in this area? What should we do? We might lose the peach. YUKA: Okay. Okay, lets us calm down a little think. (YUDA and YUKA started to think, stopping a moment to think what they should do. When, suddenly. YUKA: Wakatta! Yuda-chan, I got it! YUDA: What?! What?! YUKA began to clap her hands to keep time to the rolling of the peach downstream, and while she clapped she sang this song: YUKA: Distant water is bitter, The near water is sweet; Pass by the distant water And come into the sweet. YUDA: Ooohhh haip! I know this song. YUDA join YUKA to sing the song. Strange to say, as soon as they began to repeat this little song the peach began to come nearer and nearer the bank where they were standing, YUDA: Its working. YUKA: Hayaku! Grab the peach! (The sisters were very happy. They jumped up and down, holding hands) YUDA: Yay! We already have our dinner for months. Lets wait for YUKI and YOKO to come back. NARRATOR: They wait...for such a long time. YUKA: Nee-channnn, where have you been? YUKI: Whats the matter? Why are you so impatient?

YOKO: Has anything happened while weve been away? YUDA: Oh, no! Nothing has happened, only I have found a nice present for you! YOKO: That is good. What is it? YUKA now ran into the little room and brought out from the cupboard the big peach. It felt even heavier than before. She held it up to them. YUKA: Just look at this! Did you ever see such a large peach in all your life? YUKI: This is indeed the largest peach I have ever seen! Where did you buy it? YUDA: We didnt buy it. We found it in the river where we were washing. YOKO: I am very glad that you have found it. Let us eat it now, I am hungry. (YOKO brought out the kitchen knife, and, placing the peach on a board, was about to cut it when, wonderful to tell, the peach split in two of itself) MOMOTARO: Hey! Wait a bit, onee-chan! THE FOUR SISTERS: Who are you? What are you? You can talk? Oh god! MOMOTARO: Dont be afraid. I am no demon or fairy. I will tell you the truth. Heaven has compassion on you. Every day and every night you have prayed that you had no brother. Your cry has been heard and I am sent to be the brother of you! THE FOUR SISTERS: Really, seriously, is this for real? Hontouni? YUKI: Then, I will name you MOMOTARO, OR SON OF A PEACH, because you had come out of a peach. NARRATOR: The years passed quickly by and the child grew to be fifteen years of age. He was taller and far stronger than any other boys of his own age, he had a handsome face and a heart full of courage, and he was very wise for his years. The old four sisters pleasure was very great when they looked at him, for he was just what they thought a hero ought to be like.

NARRATOR: One day Momotaro came to his sister and said solemnly. MOMOTARO: Nee-chan, for fifteen years we have become siblings. Your goodness to me has been higher than the mountain grasses which it was your daily work to cut, and deeper than the river where you wash the clothes. I do not know how to thank you enough. Arigatou gozaimas! YOKO: Nande? Why suddenly? It is a must that older sisters should bring up their younger brother. YUKI: Thats right. When you are older it will be your turn to take care of us, so it will be equal. YUDA: I am rather surprised that you should thank me in this way! Why Momotaro? MOMOTARO: Gomennasai, I hope you will be patient with me. I have a request to make which I hope you will grant me above everything else. YUKA: Oh Momotaro, I will let you do whatever you wish. You are different from all other boys! You are always a warrior for us. MOMOTARO: Then let me go away at once! Let me become the warrior of this country. YUKI: What do you say? Do you wish to leave your poor sisters and go away from your own home? MOMOTARO: Dame! I will surely come back again, if you let me go now! YOKO: Where are you going, Momo-chan? MOMOTARO: Far away from here, there is a devils island in the sea. They are very wicked and hateful. I must destroy them from our land. That is my only reason to go there. YUDA: What? You cant! You are only fifteen! YUKA: Yuda nee-chan. Momotaro is not an ordinary boy. We should let him go. Our brother is strong and fearless. Hes going to be a warrior for this country. YUKI: He had been sent to us as a gift from Heaven. I felt quite sure that the devils would be powerless to harm him. YUDA: But, but he is just a little kid for me. Oh, my brother

YOKO: All you say is very interesting, Momotaro. We wont hinder your determination. You may go if you wish. Go to the island as soon as ever you like and destroy the demons and bring peace to the land my warrior. MOMOTARO: Arigatou gozaimas, for all your kindness. YUDA: Here, take this cheese cake with you. I dont care if you get hungry on your journey MOMOTARO: Thank you, Yuda nee-chan..Yuki nee-chan..Yoko nee-chan..Yuka nee-chan..I will come back for you, as a warrior. YUKA: Go with all care and speed. We expect you back as a warrior. Gambare! MOMOTARO: Ittekimasu! I am going now. Take good care of yourselves while I am away. Good-bye! THE FOUR SISTERS:Itterasshai! Have a safe journey. NARRATOR: Momotaro now hurried on his way till it was midday. He began to feel hungry, so he opened his bag and took out one of the cheese cakes and sat down under a tree by the side of the road to eat it. While he was having his lunch a CHEETAH came jumping out from the high grass. CHEETAH: Hey young man, you are rude to pass my field without asking permission. If you leave me all the cheese cakes you have in your bag you may go or otherwise I will crash you till I kill you! MOMOTARO: What? Come again? Do you know who I am? I am Momotaro, and I am on my way to kill the devils in their island. If you try to stop me on my way there I will cut you in two from the head downwards! CHEETAH: What do I hear? The name of Momotaro? Are you indeed Momotaro, the son of a Peach? I have often heard of your great strength. Will you please forgive my rudeness? Are you on your way to kill the Devils? If you will take such a rude fellow with you as one of your followers, I shall be very grateful to you. MOMOTARO: I think I can take you with me if you wish to go. CHEETAH: Arigatou gozaimas! By the way, I am very hungry. Will you give me one of the cakes you are carrying?

MOMOTARO: This is the best kind of cake there is in Japan. I cannot spare you a whole one; I will give you half of one. CHEETAH: Oishii, this is so good! NARRATOR:Then Momotaro got up and the cheetah followed. For a long time they walked over the hills and through the valleys. As they were going along an animal came down from a tree, a little ahead of them. The creature soon came up to Momotaro and said: RABBIT: Konichiwa, Momotaro! You are welcome in this part of the country. Will you allow me to go with you? CHEETAH: Dame! Momotaro already has a cheetah to accompany him. Of what use is a rabbit like you in battle? We are on our way to fight the devils! Get away! MOMOTARO: Now, dont quarrel! Wait a moment, cheetah! CHEETAH: It is not at all dignified for you to have such creature to follow you. RABBIT: Mine your words Mr. Cheetah. I am a rabbit living in these hills. I have heard of Momotaros journey to the Island of Devils, and I have come to go with you. Nothing will please me more than to follow you! MOMOTARO: Do you really wish to go to the Island of Devils and fight with me? RABBIT: Hai. Yes, sir. Im always ready. MOMOTARO: I admire your courage. Here is a piece of one of my fine cheese cakes. Come along! NARRATOR: So the RABBIT joined Momotaro. The CHEETAH and the RABBIT did not get on well together. They were always snapping at each other as they went along, and always wanting to have a fight. This made Momotaro very cross, and at last he sent the CHEETAH on ahead with a flag and put the RABBIT behind with a sword, and he placed himself between them with his favourite fan. By and by they came to a large field. Here a BIRD flew down and alighted on the ground just in front of the little party. It was the most beautiful bird Momotaro had ever seen. The BIRD struck out its spurs and flew at the CHEETAHs tail, and the fight went hard with both.

Momotaro, as he looked on, could not help admiring the BIRD as it showed so much spirit in the fight. It would certainly make a good fighter. Momotaro went up to the two combatants, and holding the CHEETAH back, said to the BIRD: MOMOTARO: You rascal! You are delaying my journey. Surrender at once and I will take you with me. If you dont I will set this cheetah to bite your head off! BIRD: Hai. Yes sir, I surrender. Please dont kill me. I didnt see you. I am such a miserable bird. It is very generous of you to pardon my rudeness and to take me with you. Please allow me to follow you behind the CHEETAH and the RABBIT! MOMOTARO: I congratulate you on surrendering so soon. Come and join us in our journey to fight with the devils. CHEETAH: Are you going to take this bird with you also? MOMOTARO: Why do you ask such pointless question? Didnt you hear what I said? I take the bird with me because I wish to! CHEETAH: Humph! MOMOTARO: Now all of you must listen to me. The first thing necessary in an army is harmony. When we are not at peace amongst ourselves, it is no easy thing to fight our enemy. From now, you three, the CHEETAH, the RABBIT and the BIRD, must be friends with one mind. The one who first begins a quarrel will be discharged on the spot! WOLF, RABBIT, BIRD: Alright, yaksuku. NARRATOR: Momotaros influence was so great that the three became good friends, and hurried onwards with him as their leader. After several days of walking patiently, finally, they came out upon the shore of the island. They sneaked around the island and Momotaro had planned several strategies to attack the devils. MOMOTARO: It is a great advantage for us to have you with us. Birdie, you have good wings. Fly at once to the castle and engage the devils to fight. We will follow you when you said its clear there. BIRD: Hai. Yes sir. Roger that! Wait for my signal. Im going now.

NARRATOR: He flew off from the ship beating the air gladly with his wings. The bird soon reached the island and took up his position on the roof in the middle of the castle, calling out loudly: BIRD: All you devils listen to me! The great Japanese general Momotaro has come to fight you. If you wish to save your lives surrender at once. If you do not surrender at once, but make up your mind to fight, we, the bird, the cheetah and the rabbit, will make you disappear from this land. KING DEMON: HAHAHA. A wild bird, indeed! It is ridiculous to hear such words from a weak creature like you. Wait till you get a blow from me. NARRATOR: Suddenly, Momotaro appeared in front of the demon. He was ready to fight. MOMOTARO: Hey ugly creature! I am the one who will fight you! KING DEMON: Catch me if you can oh son of a peach. MUAHAHAHA Momotaro fought with the demon. KING DEMON: I am afraid of you. I cannot stand against you. I will give you all the treasure hidden in this castle if you will spare my life! MOMOTARO: So now you beg for mercy, is it? I cannot spare your wicked life however much you beg because you have killed and tortured many people and robbed our country for many years. You deserve this. NARRATOR: Then Momotaro tied the demon up and gave him into the cheetahs charge. Having done this, he went into all the rooms of the castle and set the prisoners free and gathered together all the treasure he found. The cheetah, the rabbit and the bird waved goodbye to Momotaro and thanked him for the wonderful journey, and thus Momotaro returned triumphantly to his home. CHEETAH: Arigatou gozaimasu, master Momotaro. RABBIT: We are very proud to be part of this mission. BIRD: Sayonara, until we meet again.

NARRATOR: The whole country made a hero of Momotaro on his triumphant return, and rejoiced that the country was now freed from the robber devils that had been a terror of the land for a long time. MOMOTARO: Tadaima! Im a warrior now, one-chann! THE FOUR SISTERS: Okaeri! We are so proud with you. NARRATOR: The sisters joys were greater than ever, and the treasure Momotaro had brought home with him enabled them to live in peace and plenty to the end of their days. They lived happily ever after. THE END

GLOSSARY Arigatou gozaimas- Thank you Hayaku- Faster! Hontouni- Really? Nande- Why? Gambatte- Good luck Konnichiwa- Hi Gomennasai- Im sorry Hai- Yes Damae- No Ittekimasu- Im going Itterashai- Take care Oishii- Delicious Sayonara- Good bye Tadaima- Im back Yaksuku- Master Okaeri- Safe return

REFERENCES Ozaki, Y.T. (1908). Japanese Fairy Tales. New York: A.L.Burt Company.

APPENDIX