MOMOTARO, OR THE STORY OF THE SON OF A
PEACH.Long, long ago there lived, an old man and an old woman; they
were peasants, and had to work hard to earn their daily rice. The
old man used to go and cut grass for the farmers around, and while
he was gone the old woman, his wife, did the work of the house and
worked in their own little rice field.
One day the old man went to the hills as usual to cut grass and
the old woman took some clothes to the river to wash.
It was nearly summer, and the country was very beautiful to see
in its fresh greenness as the two old people went on their way to
work. The grass on the banks of the river looked like emerald
velvet, and the p***y willows along the edge of the water were
shaking out their soft tassels.
The breezes blew and ruffled the smo
