Speaker A
It was New Year's Eve. In a humble cottage lived a poor elderly man and his wife. The next day would be New Year's, yet they had no rice for the rice cake. Without rice, we won't be greeting the New Year properly.
A poor elderly couple's kindness to village child gods brings them unexpected blessings for the New Year.
Ask about this video. Answers come from its transcript only — with the timestamp, so you can check them.
Generated from the transcript and can be wrong — check the timestamp.
Key Takeaways
- Kindness and selflessness can bring unexpected rewards.
- Helping others, even when you have little, is valuable.
- Traditions and respect for spiritual beings are important in Japanese culture.
- Generosity leads to blessings and happiness.
- Faith and hope can sustain people through hardships.
What the video covers
- A poor elderly man and his wife lack rice for New Year's rice cake.
- The old man decides to sell old clothes in town to buy rice.
- He encounters seven child gods guarding the village in the snow.
- Unable to sell clothes, he exchanges them for hats from a hat seller.
- He places hats on the child gods to protect them from the cold.
- The old man gives his own hat to the last child god, showing selflessness.
- The couple goes to sleep on New Year's Eve with hope.
- They wake to find a mysterious gift of rice at their home.
- They make rice cakes and celebrate a wonderful New Year.
- The couple lives happily, cared for by the grateful child gods.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction and the Old Man's Problem
- 00:28Decision to Sell Old Clothes
- 00:49Encounter with the Seven Child Gods
- 02:06Journey to Town and Failed Sales
- 02:29Exchange of Clothes for Hats
- 03:50Returning to the Child Gods with Hats
- 05:57Placing Hats on the Child Gods
- 09:17New Year's Eve and the Gift
- 13:26Making Rice Cakes and Happy Ending
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
We can sell these. We've got no choice. It was decided the old man would take the old clothes to town to sell them. Alright, I'm off! Now, now, you take care now! Fare thee well!
Speaker A
And the old man headed off in the direction of town. When the old man reached the outskirts of his village... he came face-to-face with seven child gods that guarded the village.
Speaker A
Out here in the snow? The poor things. You must be cold. But I have nothing to offer you—except my humble apologies.
Speaker A
The old man bowed, then proceeded in the snow. At last! He had reached the town.
Speaker A
Hey, some clothes for sale. How about it? Come, feel this fabric! That's quality! Quality! How about it, how about it? Come, feel this fabric! However, everyone was busy on New Year's Eve, and no one paid any attention to the old man's cries.
Speaker A
All too soon came the dawn, and still the old man had not sold a single piece of clothing.
Speaker A
I haven't been able to buy any rice. The wife will be so very disappointed.
Speaker A
Hey, you there! Standing before him was a man selling hats. Very nice used clothes there. You don't have any buyers? No, I haven't, not a single one. I guess I do see. In that case, would you consider exchanging those old clothes for my hats?
Speaker A
I'm afraid I made too many of them. Hats... The old man wondered what to do. He'd rather have rice than hats, but... the man trying to sell the hats looked so pitiful that the old man changed his mind.
Speaker A
All right. Let's exchange. My used clothes for your hats. Really? Thank you. You are too kind.
Speaker A
There we go. Well then, Happy New Year! You have a safe trip home. Carrying the hats on his back, the old man retraced his steps.
Speaker A
After he had been walking for a while through the falling snow... he found himself back in front of the seven child gods. Oh my, all covered with snow. You must be freezing! You dear poor things!
Speaker A
Oh, that's right! There. That'll protect you from the snow. Then the old man went about placing the hats on the heads of each of the other child gods.
Speaker A
There. That's the last one. Glad I had enough hats. Oh dear, there's a problem. I'm one short.
Speaker A
Of course! I'm sorry, but please make do with my hat. Well then. Dear! Whatever happened to your hat? You must be very cold. Yeah, and exhausted too. The old man told his wife everything that had happened.
Speaker A
Oh, that's all right. If the child gods are warm and comfortable, wouldn't that be enough for them? Don't you think?
Speaker A
You're so sweet. The hours passed and the bells signaling the New Year began to toll.
Speaker A
The old man and the old woman went to bed and to sleep. What could that be? I wonder. Where is the old man's house? Here is the old man's house! Where is the old man's house?
Speaker A
What on earth happened? What could this be... I wonder, what could it be...? Oh, so that's it! ... A "thank-you" present from the child gods.
Speaker A
And so the old man and the old woman made the rice cake from the rice they had been given.
Speaker A
Oh thank you, thanks to you we had a wonderful New Year. We thank you most humbly.
Speaker A
Afterwards, the old man and the old woman took great care of the child gods. And thanks to the child gods, they themselves lived healthily and happily ever after.
Topics:Japanese folktalechild godsNew Yearkindnessselflessnessrice cakeJapanese culturetraditional storypovertyblessings
