- Origin
- Japan
- Source
- The Tale of the Shining Princess
- adapted by Sally Fisher
- from a translation of the story by Donald Keene
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art: New York, 1980
- The Story
- This is the story of one of the five suiters who court the Shining
Princess in this classic from 6 A.D. Japan. In order to have the hand of
the Shining Princess (who does not want to marry anyone at all), each
suiter has to obtain an impossible treasure. Otomo no Miyuk, the Grand
Counselor, orders his clever servants to get him the sparkling jewel
imbedded in the head of each dragon. When the servants fail to
accomplish the quest, Otomo no Miyuk embarks on the journey over the sea
to hunt the dragon. But when he is in the middle of the ocean, a
terrible storm with deadly waves break out. This is the work of
dragons. The Grand Counselor promises to never challenge the power of
nature/dragon again -- "Thunders and dragons are in the same family and
not to be tempered with."
- Comments
- The dragons are never seen in this story, but their presence and
affinity to water and weather is evident.
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Introduction/Index