Three Paper Charms by Shosuke Kita and Seion Yamaguchi translated by M. Owaki and S. Ballard (Shinseken)

Shosuke Kita was born in Aomori Prefecture, the northernmost prefecture of Honshu, the largest of Japan’s four main islands. He is a professor at a local university and researches folk tales of the Tohoku Region. Seion Yamaguchi is also an Aomori native whose occupation is an illustrator. Yamaguchi provides beautiful pictures to accompany the text.

Three Paper Charms is the English translation of Sanmai no Fuda. The tale is believed to have originated in either Aomori Prefecture or Saitama Prefecture in the Kanto area. Other scholars argue that the original telling of the story can be traced back to Niigata Prefecture. Although there are many variations, the core of the story remains the same. 

In the Tohoku region, the title is Kozokko ga Madadaga and was published in English in 2001. The story is about a mischievous little boy who is also an apprentice monk. As he is always causing trouble, the head monk decides to send the boy on a journey to learn self-discipline. 

The monk gives the boy three paper charms and says to use them only when he finds himself in trouble. As the boy walks and walks and walks, it becomes dark and he needs to find a place to stay for the night. 

He is fortunate enough to spot a light in the house and goes there to ask if he could have a bed for the night. A young and beautiful girl greets him at the door and says he was more than welcome to stay. She feeds him and he falls asleep shortly thereafter. 

The boy wakes up in the middle of the night after hearing a strange sound coming from another room. As he takes a peek, what he sees isn’t the beautiful girl who greeted him at the door. He sees an old hag sharpening a knife and hears her say, “How delicious the boy must be! He is young, plump and healthy! Let’s sharpen the knife, make it as sharp as possible, and then I can chop him up!”

The boy then tries to run away but the hag hears him and even though he says that he is just going to the bathroom, the hag ties a rope around him so he won’t be able to escape. This is when he remembers the three paper charms the head monk had given him. 

His first wish is for when the hag asks him if he’s done, to have it answer “Not yet”. He ties the rope to a pillar in the bathroom and then runs away from the house. After a while, the hag realizes she’s been fooled and chases after him. As she almost catches up to the boy, he uses the second paper charm and asks it, “Please turn into a big sand mountain”

The sand mountain has slowed down the hag but she eventually makes it over and soon catches up with the boy again. The boy then uses his last wish and asks it to turn into a big river. Once again the hag slows down and the boy runs as fast as he can back to the temple. The hag enters the temple as well and tells the monk to give her the boy. 

The head monk is a wise man and praises the hag for her magic. He says he will hand over the boy if she could prove how great her magic is. First, the monk asks her to become as tall as the ceiling. She does this and once again demands that priest hand over the boy. 

The priest is undeterred and asks if the hag can become as small as a pea and stand on the palm of his hand. She proved that she could do this too and shouts, “Now, admit your defeat, priest! Give me the boy!”

But as she is just a little pea-sized hag, the priest picks her up with his fingers and throws her into a burning candle. Even the hag can’t stop the heat of the candle and that puts an end to her life. 

Old folktales are timeless. It doesn’t matter if you're a child or an adult, they never go out of style. You can also enjoy them in all their variations. Reading old folktales and picture books can remind you of the child that still lives within you. ~Ernie Hoyt