The Adventures of Kintaro, the Golden Boy

The Adventures of Kintaro, The Golden Boy Long ago in feudal Japan, there lived a brave soldier named Kintoki and his beautiful wife. After Kintoki’s passing, his wife fled to the Ashigara Mountains in fear of his enemies. There she gave birth to a child she named Kintaro, or Golden Boy. Kintaro was incredibly strong and deep out in the mountains where only woodcutters ever came, Kintaro was soon able to cut trees down as fast as them. By the age of eight, they called him “The Wonder Child.” They did not know their high rank. Kintaro grew up an only child making friends with the animals in the mountains. He was soon able to understand them and speak to them and by befriending them was able to use them as helpers or messengers. His favorite companions were the bear, the deer, the monkey and the hare. One day, as they were playing in the forest, Kintaro suggested a wrestling match with a prize to the winner of each round. The animals excitedly formed a wrestling platform and the monkey and the hare went first. Both the little wrestlers faced each other while the deer raised a leaf on high as signal. When he dropped the leaf the monkey and the hare rushed upon each other, crying “Yoisho, yoisho!” While the monkey and the hare wrestled, their friends called out encouragingly or shouted warnings when it looked like one was nearing defeat. The two tried their hardest, but at last, the hare gained on the monkey. The monkey tripped, giving the hare the upper hand and with a good push, he sent the monkey flying out of the ring. As the hare was declared the victor, Kintaro opened his lunch box and took out a rice dumpling. “Here is your prize, and you have earned, it well!” he said. The monkey, feeling very cross, explained he felt cheated and unfairly beaten. The two consented to a second match and as the monkey is a cunning animal by nature, he decided he would throw the hare off by getting a hold of his long ears. After managing to do just that, he was able to flip the hare over by grabbing on to one of his legs and won. Kintaro, keeping his promise, also gave the monkey a rice dumpling. The deer and the hare were next and so on and so forth until everyone got a turn. Soon, they tired themselves out and decided to go home. While walking back, they came across a river they had no way of crossing. Quick thinking Kintaro told his friends he would make a bridge for them. Seeing a large tree out by the water’s edge, Kintaro took hold of its gigantic trunk and pulled with all his might. Suddenly, the roots of the tree gave way and as the tree fell over, it created a bridge across the stream. Unbeknownst to him, a woodcutter who happened to be sitting on a rock overlooking the steam witnessed Kintaro’s incredible display of strength. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief and marveled at this boy and his animal companions. He thought to himself, “This is no ordinary child. Whose son can he be? I will find out before this day is done.” And followed Kintaro across the bridge. On reaching the other side of the river he and the animals separated, they to their lairs in the woods and he to his mother, who was waiting for him. As soon as he entered the cottage, which stood like a matchbox in the heart of the pine-woods, he went to greet his mother, saying: “Okkasan (mother), here I am!” “O, Kimbo!” said his mother with a bright smile, glad to see her boy home safe after the long day. “How late you are to-day. I feared that something had happened to you. Where have you been all this time?” “I took my animal friends up into the hills for a wrestling match to see who was the strongest.” “And who was the strongest?” asked his mother, pretending not to know. “Oh, mother,” said Kintaro, “don’t you know that I am the strongest? There was no need for me to wrestle with any of them.” “Next to you then, who is the strongest?” “The bear comes next to me in strength,” answered Kintaro. “And after the bear?” asked his mother again. “Next to the bear, the deer, the monkey, and the hare all seem to be as strong as each other,” laughed Kintaro. Just then, Kintaro and his mother were startled by a voice from outside. “Listen to me, little boy! Next time you go, take this old man with you to the wrestling match. He would like to join the sport too!” It was the old woodcutter that has followed him home. He slipped off his shoes and entered the cottage. Kintaro and his mother were taken by surprise. “Who are you?” they both exclaimed. Then the woodcutter laughed and said: “It does not matter who I am yet, but let us see who has the strongest arm—this boy or myself?” Kintaro, having lived his life in the forest, answered this man without any ceremony and accepted his challenge. They grasped each other’s hands to arm wrestle, each of them unrelenting and equally matched. Finally, the man desisted, declaring a draw. “You are, indeed, a very strong child. There are few who can match my strength!” said the woodcutter. “I saw you first on the banks of the river a few hours ago, when you pulled up that large tree to make a bridge. Hardly able to believe what I saw, I followed you home. When you are fully grown, you will surely be the strongest man in all Japan. It is a pity that you are hidden away in these wild mountains.” Then he turned to Kintaro’s mother: “Your son belongs in the Capital, learning the ways of a Samurai, a Japanese knight. To tell you the truth, I’m not a woodcutter. My name is Sadmitsu. I am one of the great generals of Japan serving under Lord Minamoto-no-Raiko. He ordered me to search for boys of promise to join his army and your son would make a remarkable candidate.” Kintaro’s mother sat and listened to the kind General’s plan. Her heart filled with joy and honor at the thought of seeing her son become a samurai. Kintaro’s fate was settled. He and the general decided to head to the Capital at once to begin his training. His mother was sad to be parting with her one and only child, he was all that was left to her, but she hid her grief with a strong face, as they say in Japan. She knew it was for his own good. His animal friends gathered to say goodbye and followed him to the foot of the mountain to see him off. After arriving in the Capital, the general immediately took Kintaro to meet Lord Minamoto-no-Raiko, telling him all about the child prodigy. Lord Raiko delighted in the story, making him part of the army at once. Lord Raiko’s army was famous for a band of warriors called “The Four Braves” who were distinguished throughout all of Japan. They were each chosen as the bravest and strongest of all of his soldiers. When Kintaro grew up to be a man, he was made Chief of the Four Braves and was by far the strongest of them all. Kintaro went on to famously defeat a legendary monster in Japan, making him the greatest hero of his country. He continued to live in honor and prosperity with his mother in the Capital until the end of their days.