The Story of the Blue Honeybee, Buzz-Buzz - 悠久城風の間　blog語り部のささやき

f:id:yuukyuujyou:20220213184708j:plain

A Pastiche of Niigata’s Folk Tales

The Story of the Blue Honeybee, Buzz-Buzz

What kind of dream did you have last night? In my dream, I was a butterfly in a flower garden. But I couldn’t be a butterfly any longer when my alarm clock woke me up at 6 o’clock. I wish I could have stayed a butterfly much longer. I wish I could have kept flitting from flower to flower. I wish I could visit your flower garden in your dreams, too, and play there.

The people who read the story entitled “A Millionaire Who Bought a Dream” from Niigata’s Folk Tales Vol. 2 all expressed their thoughts about the folk tale.

One of them said, “The younger man, who bought a dream from the older man, was really able to dig up a pot of gold coins, wasn’t he?”

Another commented, “He was lucky to have bought a good dream. But most dreams usually end up simply as dreams.”

One more stated, “That’s right. How did he know that the dream would come true?”

That’s when I decided to search for the little insect that shows us happiness. Here’s a record of my interview with the Blue Honeybee, Buzz-Buzz.

f:id:yuukyuujyou:20220214152852j:plain

I’m Blue Honeybee Buzz-Buzz. I’m very tiny. Can you find me? Some people call me “Happy Blue Honeybee.” I deliver the Dragon King’s messages.

I was flying over a village in the mountains in Echigo and came to a pine grove along a beach. I found two young medicine vendors, one slightly older than the other, taking a break there. They were both leaning against a tree. The older man, named Jiro, started to doze. His nostrils were flaring with each breath. Well, his nostrils were so big and looked good. All right. I’ll take a break, too. Right in his nostril! It looked so comfortable.

I flew into Jiro’s nostril and rested in it. Jiro continued dozing, fwooh, fwooh. I became drowsy, fwooh, fwooh. I fell asleep with Jiro, fwooh, fwooh. After a squishy-sounding sniffle, Jiro sneezed. “Ah… ah… achoo!”

The older man Jiro’s sneeze was humongous!

“Whoa, whoa, whoa…” The strength of his sneeze blasted me out of his nostril. Hmph! I was dozing so comfortably, but I was blown out of his nose.

Buzz, buzz. I flew over Jiro’s head a few times and completely woke up.

Oh, that’s right! I have a message from the Dragon King. The Dragon King said it’s now time to dig up the pot of gold coins that he buried on the island of Sado. He said that he buried the pot of gold coins under a tree with white blossoms in the mountains behind the house of the millionaire of Sado. I was on my way to take a look at the white blossoms. I’m glad I remembered.

After taking a short break, I regained my strength. I started out again, flying over the pine grove and the ocean. I flew straight over to Sado, buzz, buzz. Wow, Sado is a big island. I flew all around, buzz, buzz. Where is the tree with white blossoms? Where is it? Where is it? Buzz, buzz.

As I searched, I sent out my thoughts, where is it? where is it?”

The Dragon King’s thoughts beamed back to me, “It is here. It is here.”

I found the tree with white blossoms. The pot of gold coins must be under that tree. I’m sure that the pot of gold coins is buried under that tree.

Yes, it should be here, right? Yes, Dragon King, now I know. I should just dig under this tree, right? Well, now I have to tell a villager about this tree with white blossoms. Who should it be? Who can dig up the pot of gold coins? It should be a hard-working man.

Oh, yes. That medicine vendor I met earlier is just the right person, because his nostril was comfortable. I was able to fall fast asleep. Such a huge and good nose is quite rare. I’ll go back to his nose. My lodging tonight should be his nostril. Yes, it should be the nostril of Jiro, the older man. I’ll tell him about the pot of gold coins. He should be just the right man.

I started flying out of the mountains behind the house of the millionaire. Buzz, buzz. Again, I flew over the ocean from Sado. Buzz, buzz. I returned to the pine grove in Echigo.

“Hey, Jiro!”

Oh, my goodness. He is still sleeping. This man sleeps so soundly. OK, OK. Keep sleeping quietly.

I slid into his nostril. I took a break in his nostril. Jiro kept sleeping, fwooh fwooh. I became drowsy, fwooh, fwooh. Together with Jiro, fwooh, fwooh.

“Hey, Jiro. You are a hard-working man, aren’t you? Dig up the pot of gold coins, take it to the village and share the coins with the villagers. This is what the Dragon King decreed: ‘There is a tree with white blossoms in the mountains behind the house of a millionaire in Sado. A pot of gold coins is buried under the tree.’ This is what the Dragon King said. You need to dig it up, Jiro. Do you understand? You got it?”

“Wha… Huh?” Jiro woke up. He told Saburo, the younger man, about his dream.

Saburo listened seriously to Jiro talking about his dream. Saburo had seen Jiro while he was sleeping. Saburo also saw me flying in and out of Jiro’s nostril. Saburo said, “It was that blue honeybee! It’s a fortune-telling honeybee!”

Saburo, who heard about Jiro’s dream muttered, “That’s right. I heard that a blue honeybee usually comes to bring happiness. So, Jiro’s dream is a fortune-telling dream.” Then, he seriously added, “Jiro, your story about the dream you had is a true story.”

“Oh, no. It’s just a dream.” Jiro still looked drowsy and didn’t seriously believe Saburo’s story.

Oh, what a pity! I kindly shared the precious message about the pot of gold coins buried under the tree with white blossoms. I flew out of Jiro’s comfortable nostril. Resting on Saburo’s shoulder, I listened to the two men. Since I’m very tiny, Jiro didn’t realize that I had been flying in and out of his nostril.

But Saburo had very good eyesight. He could see me flying. Yes, that’s right. I’m the fortune-telling blue honeybee, Buzz-Buzz. If you find me, you’ll become happy. I’m sure Saburo will find happiness.

I went to Sado and saw the tree with white blossoms. A pot of gold coins is buried under the tree. I told this story to Jiro, but he thinks that this is just a dream even though I told him about the pot of gold coins. I wanted him to dig up the pot of gold coins, but he didn’t believe me. Buzz, buzz.

But I’m sure Saburo saw me flying over the ocean and heading for Sado. I know he saw me, the blue honeybee. Saburo had also seen me returning to Jiro’s nostril. And he knew that I was the blue honeybee, Buzz-Buzz.

“Now, Saburo. You should go to Sado and dig up the pot of gold coins. Buzz, buzz.” I said this into his ear.

Then Saburo said to Jiro, “Hey, sell me that dream.”

Saburo then bought Jiro’s dream and headed for Sado. Because I’m the blue honeybee, Buzz-Buzz, I can reach Sado simply by flying there. I can get to the tree with white blossoms in no time. But, even though Saburo is young, he cannot fly because he is not a honeybee. He will have to walk to the coast and cross the ocean in a boat. And he will have to continue to walk, plodding along.

The white blossoms have already fallen. Will you know where the tree with white blossoms is? When will the tree blossom again? It will surely blossom someday. You’ll be able to find the tree with white blossoms.

Saburo, the pot of gold coins will still be in the ground. It won’t run away. Saburo, please make sure to dig it up. I’ll be waiting for you to come.

I’m the fortune-telling blue honeybee, Buzz-Buzz. Saburo will become happy because he happened to find me. Saburo, please dig up the pot of gold coins and deliver it to the village. Please bring happiness to all the villagers.

The End

Written by Yoko Tate

April 2021

On a Day with a Spring Breeze

Translated and Recited by Masako Hayakawa

Illustrated by Rino Saito

January 27, 2022 recording

日本語版朗読　楯よう子

パスティーシュ第14弾「青いみつばちブンブンの語り」

朗読動画収録　2021年5月8日

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6DUkO9KTAI

ブログ　「青いみつばちブンブンの語り」