The Stonecutter, Japanese Folktale

In the far away land, surrounded by deep waters, stretches the Island of Japan. At its heart lays a small Island of Honshu on which majestically stands Mount Fuji. Its white peak seen from afar is an enchanting background for the vast lands surrounding it. Once, the foot of the mountain was a home to a stonecutter, which takes us to the story.

A long time ago, at the foot of Mount Fuji a lonely stonecutter by the name of Tasaku hammered and chiseled his way through the mountain. The pieces of stone created splendid temples and vast palaces. And this pleased the spirit of the mountain to see its precious stone being used to build places of great meaning.

One day, a prince with his servants had passed by the mountain. He was carried aloft, clothed in bright silk robes. Tasaku thought to himself, “It would be nice to be a prince, free of hard work.” The spirit of the mountain heard the stonecutter and transformed him into a prince during the night.

Tasaku was thrilled with his happiness. He no longer cut the stone. Now, he lived in a stone palace made for him. He wore the finest silk robes. Musicians played the finest tunes for him. And the servants bowed low to him. But all this made him happy just for some time until a scorching summer day, when he saw the strength of the sun burning the petals of the flowers in his fine garden. Then he thought to himself, “I wished to be a powerful sun.” The spirit heard him and transformed him into a sun.

Tasaku with his radiating powers burned the fields, dried the rivers, and depleted people of their food. The people begged for water. A cloud heard the people’s cries and covered the sun. Then Tasaku thought to himself, “It looks like the cloud is even more powerful than the sun.”  So he asked the spirit to transform him into a cloud.

Now as a cloud, he sent thunders across the sky and made violent storms, overrunning the banks of the rivers and flooding the fields. All the food and huts were washed away except the mountain. Tasaku got angry and demanded, “Make me into the mountain!” The spirit made the wish, and then departed, for there was nothing more he could do.

Tasaku became the mountain. He was more powerful than the prince, stronger than the sun, mightier than the cloud. But at its foot he felt a sharp sting of a chisel. It was a stonecutter, chipping away at his feet. Now, he trembled inside.

Source: The Stone-cutter by Gerald McDermott