The Story of Kikki, An Orphaned Mountain Monkey - 悠久城風の間　blog語り部のささやき

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If you had no one in the world to help you, what would you do? Would you try to find someone who could help you? Well, that would be something worth trying. But what would you do if you could not find anyone despite your efforts? Well, I would rather sleep and wait. It would be much better than running around and getting tired.

Many people who read the story entitled “A Monkey Groom” from Niigata’s Folk Tales Vol. 2 expressed their thoughts about this folk tale.

One of them said, “Actually, it was the old man’s idea, wasn’t it? He said that someone who could water his dried-out rice paddies would be able to marry his daughter.”

Another commented, “That’s right.”

One more stated, “However, his youngest daughter cunningly led the monkey that saved the rice paddies from drought to a river and pushed him into the river. I feel sorry that this monkey drowned. Don’t you think so? I was wondering what the monkey was thinking about. Doesn’t anyone care about his life?”

Then, I interviewed the monkey that was pushed into the river.

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I’m Kikki, the mountain monkey. I don’t know anything about how I was born. I don’t even know anything about my mom, who gave birth to me. I found myself on a tree branch, floating down a river. Bobbing along, Kikki. Bobbing along, Kikki.

Then the Mountain Goddess spotted me.

“Oh, my! An orphaned mountain monkey.”

“Kikki, Kikki.” I cried.

That’s why I’m called Kikki the orphan.

The Mountain Goddess picked me up from the river and gave me some rice milk. I grew up in good health and served under the Mountain Goddess.

The Mountain Goddess governs the mountains and village communities. I always followed after the Mountain Goddess, wherever she went.

This summer is suffering from drought. The water in the rice paddies dried out, and the villagers lamented, “We won’t be able to harvest even a single grain of rice this year.”

The villagers prayed for rain. However, they had no luck. Then, I heard the villagers saying that they might dedicate a girl as an offering.

The Mountain Goddess said to me, “Now, Kikki. Water the rice paddies.”

“Kikki, Kikki. Sure, leave it to me.”

I led water from the mountains down to the rice paddies. The water flowed into the rice paddies. A lot more water flowed into the rice paddies on the following day.

The villagers were extremely delighted. However, one old man turned deathly pale because he had three daughters and his youngest was the prettiest in the village. The aged father trembled and said, “The Mountain Goddess will send someone to come get my daughter.”

The Mountain Goddess smiled complacently and commanded, “Kikki, bring a young girl, the prettiest girl in the village”

“Kikki, Kikki. OK, leave it to me.”

I went to the aged father’s house. He was crying with his older daughters. The youngest daughter said, “I’m leaving now.”

I held her hand, which I had never done before in my life. Kikki, Kikki. What fun!

As we reached a mountain path, I put her up on my back.

“Say, young lady, why were your aged father and sisters crying?”

“Because, Kikki, you came to get me.”

“Was I that scary?”

“No. We are not afraid of you. My father is afraid of the Mountain Goddess. The Mountain Goddess said that she is going to eat me. That’s what my sisters also said. The Mountain Goddess hates all good-looking women because she herself is plain-looking. I heard that she looks for pretty girls and abducts them, takes them to the mountains, and eats them.”

“Really? Does the Mountain Goddess have such a scary face? She doesn’t eat any girls. She raised me with rice milk. She was just like a mother to me. The Mountain Goddess doesn’t eat girls.”

“Oh, really? Is that so? I was afraid that I would be taken to the mountains and eaten by the Mountain Goddess.”

“No, that’s not true. You will serve under the Mountain Goddess. For instance, by getting water for the mountain shrine. As she is getting old, she would like to have a young girl by her side. She needs someone to help her.”

“Oh, is that so? I’m going to carry water for her? But Kikki, I would rather have fun with you than serving under the Mountain Goddess.”

I let the girl off my back and took a short break. I also wanted to have a good time with the girl. But I had orders from the Mountain Goddess. Kikki, Kikki. What should I do?

I thought I took just a short break, but actually, three days and three nights passed.

Kikki, Kikki. I’m in trouble! The Mountain Goddess must be angry!

The girl said, “Kikki, Kikki. I really enjoyed having a good time with you. Since I had a lot of fun with you, it’s now time for me to go home.”

“Is that so? You are not going to the mountains but instead going home? That would be better. Your aged father must be worried about you. Oh, why don’t we pound some rice cake as a souvenir for him?”

The girl and I pounded some rice cake. Thwack, Kikki. Thwack, Kikki.

We finished pounding the rice cake. I carried the mortar with the rice cake in it.

“Kikki, it must be heavy for you to carry that mortar with the rice cake in it. Why don’t you just leave the mortar and put the rice cake in a tiered food box?”

“No. It would be better to keep the rice cake in the mortar. It can preserve the rice cake longer.”

“Oh, is that so? Kikki, you are so strong.”

I tied the mortar to my back and held the girl’s hand as we made our way down the mountain trail. It was such a fine nice day. We saw trees beautifully blossoming on the cliffs along a river.

“Wow, what beautiful blossoms! They are so beautiful!” The girl spoke as if she were singing.

“Kikki, Kikki. They are really beautiful,” I agreed. “I’ll go get some for you.”

I took the rice cake out of the mortar, handed it to her, and climbed a tree.

“Oh, just a little farther.”

“Kikki, Kikki. I can almost reach them.” I stretched out my arm a little farther. Then the branch I was on started to bend. If I could reach just a little farther, I would be able to touch the blossoms. I stretched a little farther, a little farther. Yes, I got it! Snap. I broke off a branch of flowers.

Just then, Crack! The branch I was on also broke. I fell down into the river with the mortar. Ka-sploosh! “Kikki, Kikki! Ow, ow, ow!”

I floated down the river, riding atop the mortar. Bobbing along, bobbing along.

“Hey, Kikki. Where are you going?” The girl was shouting from the cliff.

I threw the twig with blossoms to her. “Hey, little girl, go home to your aged father with the rice cake,” I shouted to her from atop the mortar. “Take care of yourself. Tell your father that he should offer some newly harvested rice to the Mountain Goddess and worship her.”

“Kikki, Kikki. Wait for me.” The girl was running along the cliff, following me. Eventually, she disappeared from sight.

Bobbing along, bobbing along, I continued to float down the river. Bobbing along, bobbing along. I was sure that she would be able to get back to her aged father all by herself.

Since I disobeyed the Mountain Goddess’ orders, I didn’t go back to her. I decided to float down the river and find a new master. Bobbing along, bobbing along.

The river became wider. This must be the Shinano River. The grass along the banks was rustling in the wind.

It was as if the grass were calling out to me.

“If you come up out of the river, you might be able to find your real mother.”

Well, maybe I should get out of the river here.

Kikki, Kikki. It’s such a fine day today.

The End

Written by Yoko Tate

On a Day with a Spring Breeze

March 2021

Translated and Recited by Masako Hayakawa

Illustrated by Rino Saito

日本語版朗読　楯よう子