The Story of the Youngest Rabbit Kit - 悠久城風の間　blog語り部のささやき

It would be nice and easy if you could relax and snooze for as long as you want in your own den. Would you want to continue sleeping even though the season of hibernation is over and spring has arrived? Just like the frog, Fukkero, was doing?

In the heat of summer, staying in a cool hole must feel so good. But, wouldn’t it be boring to just keep sleeping there all the time? Wouldn’t you like to go out more often and play around just like a little rabbit kit?

Which would you prefer, being like a frog or a rabbit?

The people who read “A Jumping Contest between a Rabbit and Fukkero, the Frog” from Niigata’s Folk Tales Vol. 2 shared their comments.

One of them stated, “The rabbit wanted to play in the spring, doing something interesting in the fields and mountains, didn’t it? The rabbit tried to lure Fukkero, the frog, with pounded rice cake and botamochi, pounded rice cake coated with sweet red bean paste.”

Another commented, “Well, in the end, the frog won the jumping contest. Even though the rabbit thought that there was no way it could lose to Fukkero the frog, Fukkero ended up eating all of the rabbit’s rice cakes. It’s a pity because the rabbit had come up with such an interesting game.”

One more said, “Fukkero shared the rice cakes with the rabbit. The rabbit felt sorry for being mean to Fukkero and apologized to him. I wonder if the rabbit started the jumping contest just to be mean?”

That’s when I decided to interview the youngest rabbit kit. The following is the kit’s account.

I’m the youngest rabbit kit.

Spring has arrived. It feels so good to be in an open field. My big brother started jumping around, boing boing.

Spring is such a fun time. I also started jumping around. Let’s play together, Big Brother. I jumped up and down. Boingo, boingo.

My big brother jumped. Boing-boing, bo---ing, bo---ing. He can jump so high. He can jump fast.

Hey, wait, wait! Big brother, take me with you.

I jumped, boingo, boingo.

My big brother jumped, bo---ing, bo---ing. He is so fast!

Wait! Wait! Hey, I said to wait for me!

Oh, he left me behind again. My big brother always leaves me behind. Since I’m the youngest rabbit kit, I can’t jump fast like my big brother.

I lost sight of him. Waaah, waaah, waaah.

My tears flowed down and became a spring creek.

Tsk. How boring. It’s boring to be alone.

Looking at the ground, I saw a snake coming out of the grass. The snake slowly slithered along the ground.

“Hey, Mr. Snake, let’s have a jumping contest,” I said.

“What? A jumping contest? I can’t jump, you silly kid.”

Oh, that’s right. Snakes can’t jump.

I followed the snake, copying it as it went. Slither, slither, slither, slither. Hmmm. I can’t slither along the ground as good as the snake.

The snake went on, leaving me behind.

I felt so lonely that I almost cried again.

That’s when I heard the song of a spring creek.

♪ The creek flows smoothly in the spring

Whispering to frogs in their holes and rabbit kits

Enjoy jumping around in the fields

All day long today, too

Oh, wait. I wonder how Fukkero, the frog, is doing these days. Fukkero is good at jumping. Maybe we can play together.

I started digging into the ground.

Oh, here he is, here he is. It’s Fukkero! I was wondering who it could be sleeping here in this hole. Just as I thought, it’s Fukkero. He’s still sleeping.

“Hey, Fukkero,” I called out to him.

“I’m so sleepy, so sleepy. ” His lips moved. Smack, smack.

“Fukkero, it’s spring, spring! Spring is already here!”

“Smack, smack, smack. Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit.”

“Fukkero, are you awake now?”

“Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit. Smack, smack, smack.”

Just when I thought he had finally woken up, he went back to sleep again.

Wow, Fukkero is that sleepy, huh? It must be nice. He looks so comfortable. Well then, I think I’ll get some sleep, too.

I joined him in his hole and closed my eyes.

“Smack, smack, smack.”

What’s this? I can’t sleep.

“Come on, Fukkero, it’s already spring. Wake up! Let’s play in the fields.”

“Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit. I’m too hungry to get up.” Smack, smack, smack.

“You’re too hungry to get up? Come on, cheer up! I know! I’ll pound some rice cakes so that you wake up.”

“What? Did you say rice cakes? I love rice cakes.”

With that, Fukkero got up.

Thwack, thwack. Pounding rice cakes. Thwack, thwack.

Fukkero joined me. Thwack, thwack. Ribbit, ribbit. Thwack, thwack.

The two of us pounded rice cakes together under a cherry blossom tree, listening all the while to the songs of the Japanese bush warblers.

The rice cakes are done.

“We’re done, we’re done! Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit.” Fukkero was also filled with joy. “Now, let’s dig in. Ribbit, ribbit.”

“Hold on a second, Fukkero. How about a jumping contest before we eat? Instead of eating the rice cakes right away, I’m sure they’ll taste so much better after we have a jumping contest in the fields.”

“Ribbit, ribbit. Aren’t we going to eat them right away? I want to eat now! Ribbit, ribbit.”

“The rice cakes will taste all the better after a jumping contest. This is how it’ll go. On the count of ‘One, two, three,’ I’ll roll this mortar from the top of this mountain. We chase the mortar until it stops when it reaches the flat area. Then, we’ll eat together. You got it? If you get there before me, you can start eating the rice cakes before me. Okay, Fukkero, are you ready? Here we go. One, two, three!”

I rolled the mortar and it started rumbling down the slope. This was the start of the jumping contest between me and the frog.

I bounced down the slope, just as a rabbit kit should, boingo, boingo.

Fukkero took great leaps down the slope, just as a frog should, sproing, sproing!

I’m giving it my best!

Live Coverage

Both contestants took off after the rolling mortar at the same time.

The youngest rabbit kit is indeed a rabbit. Boingo, boingo. She is showing off her incredible leg strength.

On the other hand, known for his jumping power, the frog doesn’t seem to have any strength because he is starving. His leaps don’t show any power at all. Sproing, sproing.

The rabbit is jumping along effortlessly!

Chasing the rabbit, the frog seems to be suffering.

The kit’s in the lead, the kit’s in the lead!

Now the gap widens and widens…

Who’s going to win this contest? The rabbit kit? The frog? What will happen?

The youngest rabbit kit is jumping higher and higher, faster and faster. She is fast, really fast. The youngest rabbit kit. It looks like she has this contest in the bag.

I jumped, boingo, boingo.

Fukkero bounded along, sproing, sproing.

I jumped and jumped with all my might. I jumped higher and higher. I jumped faster and faster. I’m jumping just like my big brother. It’s fun!

Boingo, boingo, bo---ing, bo---ing.

My little rabbit kit boingo boingo bouncing turned into the bo---ing bo---ing jumping of my big brother.

Hey, I can jump high! I’m fast, I’m fast! I’m so happy! It’s really fun!

I did my best and jumped with all my might. Under the blue skies and in the bright sunshine, I jumped along.

That’s when I started sweating. I was drenched in sweat. My sweat was pouring off my body, flowing into a spring creek. The water in the spring creek started to flow faster.

Live Coverage

Fukkero jumped as hard as he could, sproing, sproing.

“Ribbit, ribbit… I’m exhausted. Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit…”

Even though he was trying his best, the rabbit kit was already a long way ahead.

Before long, the rabbit kit was no longer in sight.

Tired of jumping, Fukkero heaved a big sigh. “It’s so hot. Ribbit, ribbit… I can’t stand the heat. Ribbit, ribbit.”

That’s when a spring creek came flowing by. Fukkero, thinking that this was just the right thing, jumped into the spring creek. Sploosh!

Oh, it’s so nice and cool. Ribbit, ribbit.

He suddenly felt better and energized. He started swimming smoothly down the creek, swoosh, swoosh.

I can swim comfortably. The flow of this spring creek feels so good. I can swim faster and faster. Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit. I’m riding the current! Swoosh, swoosh. I can swim so comfortably. Ribbit, ribbit, ribbit.

I’m the youngest rabbit kit and now I’m good at jumping. Bo---ing, bo---ing.

Fukkero can swim so smoothly with the flow of the spring creek. Swoosh, swoosh.

Live Coverage

The mortar rolled all the way down the hill, waiting for the two at the flat spot.

It’s the finish. They both reached the finish line. The rabbit and Fukkero both reached the mortar at the same time.

Hurrah! They won the contest together! Congratulations!

“It was fun,” I said.

Fukkero said with a smile, “I had a good time, too. I’m starving. Ribbit, ribbit.”

We both started drooling in anticipation.

Yeah! Both of us stuffed our mouths with rice cakes.

I became good at jumping. I’m now able to jump higher and faster like my big brother.

It’s also good that Fukkero could swim down the spring creek. Fukkero was very fast, too. Swimming in the creek must have felt so nice.

Fukkero and I enjoyed chatting and finished up all the rice cakes in mortar.

It is said that the spring creek collected the saliva of the youngest rabbit kit and Fukkero, flowing down to a village, eventually becoming a big river.This river is said to be the Shinano River, which flows swiftly through the Echigo Plain.

The End

July 2021

It’s not because of their saliva,

but there will be heavy rain in some areas