Kaguya Hime (The Luminous Princess)

IN JAPAN, you know, we like to tell tales about Ojiisan, the honorable old man, and Obāsan, the honorable old woman. Listen—you will hear another tale about them.

Once, near the capital of Japan where the Emperor lived, there was a beautiful village. It had little rice paddies neatly arranged in rows, green fields, pretty hills and many bamboo groves. And in this village lived a kind Ojiisan and Obāsan.

Ojiisan went out every day to cut down bamboo canes. He made baskets and crates out of them and thus earned a living. People called him Taketori no Okina, which means, “Old Man Bamboo Taker.”

One day he came across a specially big bamboo, and was astonished to see a steady light shimmering through its lower stem. It was a delicate unearthly kind of light. Full of awe he took up his knife and carefully cut it through. Inside he found the tiniest and daintiest maiden. At first he thought it was a doll—but no, this sweet little creature smiled and seemed delighted to be picked up. Ojiisan carried her back carefully on the palm of his hand.

Obāsan was filled with joy. “Oh, the pretty little thing. Let us bring her up ourselves.”

“Of course, my dear, of course we will.”

“Ojiisan, can you make a nice bamboo cradle for her?”

“Certainly, Obāsan; certainly, my dear.”

So Ojiisan made a dainty little cradle for the doll-like maiden. Obāsan put her in it, covered her with a small quilt and sat beside her all day long. It made her so happy.

From that day, whenever Ojiisan went out to work he came across bamboos shimmering with light that were full of gold coins.

“The little maiden of ours has brought us luck,” thought Ojiisan.

He took the coins with him. He bought pretty kimonos, beautiful soft cushions, and dainty plates and cups for her. Finally he built her a beautiful home and had other maidens to look after it.

The little girl grew up and Ojiisan and Obāsan could see that she was beautiful in a very unusual way. This maiden had a look so bright and heavenly that the old couple was sure that she was no earthly being. Looking on her they seemed to forget their worldly troubles—they thought of the lovely moon, and thinking of it they named her Kaguya Hime, which means Luminous Princess.

Very soon people began talking about the princess. Before long it became known all over that Kaguya Hime was the most beautiful lady in Japan. All the young men around came to see her. They would gather around Ojiisan’s beautiful house and peep through the bamboo fence to catch a glimpse of her. But Kaguya Hime shut herself up in her room and would not show herself at all. The poor young men looked at each other in dismay and betook themselves home.

Among them were three who loved Kaguya Hime very much. They could not forget her, nor could they give up hope of her favor. Day after day, rain or shine, they came to her door begging to be admitted. At last, touched by their devotion, one day Ojiisan said to Kaguya Hime:

“Listen, my beautiful princess. Come out of your room and meet these good young men who come every day. You have your choice and very fine young men they seem to me.”

But Kaguya Hime shook her head sadly.

“Dear kind Ojiisan, do not ask that please. Let me stay quietly in this room with you and Obāsan.”

And all three young men had to go home with broken hearts.

At last the news of the beauty of Kaguya Hime reached the ears of the Emperor. He sat on his thick silken cushion very still and thoughtful, and said to his gentleman-in-waiting:

“A radiant maiden indeed! Let her be brought here to the palace. She can serve me well.”

“Hai,” said the gentleman-in-waiting, bowing deeply, and away he hurried in and out of the big palace rooms and corridors. He took half of the court with him and came to the little village where Kaguya Hime lived with Ojiisan and Obāsan. And there they all stood in a row ready to take her back with them—but Kaguya Hime still shook her head sadly and refused to leave her room.

When the Emperor heard of this he called his gentleman-in-waiting again and arranged a big hunting trip. The whole court assembled and there was much hurrying to and fro. The Emperor, splendidly attired in a hunter’s dress with bow and arrows all complete, rode a wonderful black horse. Everybody was dressed in his best silken kimono and satin trousers and they thought—“How beautiful we look! Now Kaguya Hime must come with us.”

So on their way home the whole court assembled at Ojiisan’s house.

The Emperor was received with great respect. He was immediately dazzled by Kaguya Hime’s beauty. But as soon as he stretched out his hand toward her, her figure grew faint, and she slowly faded away like a shadow until it was almost impossible to see her.

The Emperor saw at once that she was no ordinary being and said: “Dear little princess, I will not try to take you away, but please let me see you once more as you were.”

So Kaguya Hime came back to life in a most delightful way. As she smiled her face was radiant with light and everything around her glowed.

The Emperor was so charmed that tears came into his eyes, but remembering his promise he turned away quickly and returned to his palace.

However he could not forget the beautiful princess. He became thoughtful and wrote many Japanese poems to her, and was delighted with her replies.

Years went by. Then one spring, when the cherry blossoms were beginning to fall, Kaguya Hime could no longer remain in her room. On warm fragrant nights she would roll back her paper sliding doors and, seeing the big bright moon, would sink deep into silent thought. As the days wore on, Kaguya Hime was continually sad and shed many tears. Ojiisan and Obāsan were very anxious about her and spent themselves trying to comfort her, but she would only raise her lovely tear-stained face and say: “I am a puzzle to myself. I feel so depressed when I look at the moon that I do not know what to do. I feel that very soon when it is quite round I shall have to bid you farewell—and take leave of all whom I love so dearly in this world.”

“Oh no, no!” said Ojiisan, “No such thing will happen to my beautiful Princess. How can you think of it, for you are safe and far from all evil in this house we have built for you.”

“It is not of any evil that I am thinking, dear Ojiisan. Listen, very soon the spirits of the moon will descend and take me far away from you.”

“Oh no, no! We will guard you well. No harm will come to you here.”

But the Princess stretched out her arms and, embracing Ojiisan and Obāsan, wept sorrowfully.

Ojiisan then told the Emperor, who, unable to bear the thought of losing so beautiful a princess, dispatched a thousand of his men with bows and arrows. The strong husky fellows stood high up on the bamboo walls around the Princess’ home, and each had a ready arrow.

On the 15th of the 8th month of the year, the moon was at its brightest and roundest. Its dazzling loveliness streamed in brightly through the paper doors but could not find its way anywhere near Kaguya Hime. Ojiisan and Obāsan had locked her in the room furthest away from any opening. All the rooms around her were closed tightly.

When midnight came, the heavens suddenly grew so bright that it was like daytime. Everybody could see one another. They could even see the hair that grew on the soldiers’ bare legs as they stood bewildered high up on the bamboo walls. And, as they stood on guard, there came from above rows and rows of beautiful angels dressed in dazzling robes. The soldiers tried to fix their arrows but the blazing light blinded them and they could only stand like hundreds of old scarecrows. The locked doors opened of themselves until the light streamed into Kaguya Hime’s room.

There she stood as lovely as ever, but it seemed that now her heart was aglow with the light and that her mind had already taken its flight to heaven.

“Do not grieve, Ojiisan and Obāsan,” she said gently, pushing them aside.

Some of the angels drew nearer with a black lacquered chariot drawn by a white winged horse. It was very beautiful to behold. Then they brought the Princess her white heavenly robe which she was to wear in order to forget all earthly things, and also the box containing the medicine of everlasting life.

But the princess was not unmindful of the Emperor who had always been so kind to her.

She took up her writing brush and paper and wrote a beautiful poem and laid it on her desk. It was written from top to bottom and from right to left in true Japanese style.

It said—“Even as I am about to be clothed in heavenly robes I am thinking of you.”

This she left for the Emperor, together with the box containing the medicine of everlasting life.

The sky glowed with lovely colors. There could be nothing more beautiful. The princess slipped into her heavenly gown and stepped into the chariot that was waiting for her. And she floated away with a heart filled with joy and peace. All the lovely angels took wing beside her as the brilliance and beauty she had radiated faded away. There remained only her home and belongings and the riches which Ojiisan and Obāsan were to enjoy as long as they lived.

For many years the Emperor remembered Kaguya Hime. The more he looked at her last poem the sweeter it seemed to him, and he often sat still forgetting everything else. He looked long at the box containing the medicine of everlasting life but would not open it.

One day he called his gentleman-in-waiting and said—“Without Kaguya Hime what would everlasting life be to me. Go to the highest mountain in Japan and burn it with the poem.”

So many of his servants rode as fast as they could until they reached the top of Mt. Fuji, and there they burned the poem and the box, which smoked for a long time. Only after this had been done was the Emperor able to shake off his sadness and attend to his duties again.