Stories
Hearn declares in his introduction to the first edition of the book, which he wrote on January 20, 1904, shortly before his death, that most of these stories were translated from old Japanese texts. He also states that one of the stories — Yuki-onna — was told to him by a farmer in Musashi Province, and his was apparently the first record of it, both by his own account and according to the research of modern folklorists. Riki-Baka is based on a personal experience of Hearn's. While he does not declare it in his introduction, Hi-Mawari — among the final narratives in the volume — seems to be a recollection of an experience in his childhood (it is, setting itself apart from almost all the others, written in the first person and set in rural Wales).
- The Story of Mimi-nashi Hōichi
- Oshidori
- The Story of O-Tei
- Ubazakura
- Diplomacy
- Of a Mirror and a Bell
- Jikininki
- Mujina
- Rokurokubi (description of folktale)
- A Dead Secret
- Yuki-Onna
- The Story of Aoyagi
- Jiu-Roku-Zakura
- The Dream of Akinosuke
- Riki-Baka
- Hi-Mawari
- Hōrai
Read more about this topic: Kwaidan: Stories And Studies Of Strange Things
Famous quotes containing the word stories:
“But stories that live longest
Are sung above the glass,
And Parnell loved his country
And Parnell loved his lass.”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
“Kids are fascinated by stories about what they were like when they were babies and what they said and did as they grew. This sense of history and connectedness increases your children’s feelings of security and safety, and helps them build the ability to make healthy connections in the world at large.”
—Stephanie Martson (20th century)
“There have been many stories told about the bottom, or rather no bottom, of this pond, which certainly had no foundation for themselves. It is remarkable how long men will believe in the bottomlessness of a pond without taking the trouble to sound it.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)