By: thesongist
Folktale Origins: Japan
The Japanese folktale, The One-Inch Boy, is one of the many Otogi-zōshi stories. Otogi-zōshi refers to literature written between the Muromachi period and the Edo period. The legend lives on in modern Osaka, where the Sumiyoshi Taisha hosts a festival every year. The Sumiyoshi Taisha is supposedly the shrine where the old couple prayed for a child.
The story starts with an old couple with no children to call their own. At their local shrine, they earnestly prayed to their gods for a child, regardless of size, weight, or any other factors.
Lo and behold, a child was born! The baby was an extremely small child, only growing to about the height of his father's thumb. Although the One-Inch Boy was tiny, the old couple cared deeply for him and raised him like any other child.
Years passed by, and the One-Inch Boy reached the age where he wanted to set out on an epic adventure! Instead of impeding his dreams, the old couple diligently made preparations for the One-Inch Boy to go to the Capital.
The One-Inch Boy's parents each gifted him several items: His father bestowed upon him a needle to use as a samurai sword, while his mother crafted a soup bowl as a boat. Grateful for their gifts, the One-Inch Boy set out at once!
Using a chopstick as a paddle, the One-Inch Boy crossed the waters to the Capital. Once he reached the Capital, he stumbled upon the most luxurious house in all of the city. The One-Inch Boy knocked several times on the door, and the lord of the house opened the gate.
Unable to see the visitor at eye level, the lord of the house looked confused. The One-Inch Boy had to speak in a loud voice to draw the lord's attention to the ground. With genuine interest, the One-Inch Boy humbly asked to work for the lord in his mansion.
Approving of the One-Inch Boy's energetic spirit, the lord of the house assigned to him the role of "retainer" to the Princess. One day, while the One-Inch Boy was guarding the Princess on the way to the temple, a nasty ogre appeared.
The One-Inch Boy confronted the ogre. However, the ogre, in one fell swoop, gobbled the One-Inch Boy up! After only a few seconds, the ogre writhed in pain. The One-Inch Boy, inside of his stomach, was stabbing the ogre's innards with his tiny needle sword.
Eventually, the ogre was forced to concede. After the fight, the Princess discovered a magical item that the ogre had left: The Magic Mallet (Uchide no Kozuchi). She explained to the One-Inch Boy that the user can make any wish that he or she desires.
The One-Inch Boy immediately used it to make him grow up. The Magic Mallet worked, and the One-Inch Boy grew to the size of an adult man. Afterward, the One-Inch Boy and the Princess wed, and he became a strong samurai like he always dreamed of.