Pathway to Japanese Literature

Long ago, in a certain country, there was a beautiful lake filled with water that shone like crystal, and on its shore stood a small village.
The people living there were all kind souls, making it a truly joyful village.

Yet it was said that whenever the lake’s water grew dark and murky, some sorrow would surely befall this village.

In this village, there lived adorable orphaned siblings named Ruru and Mimi.

The siblings’ father was the sole skilled bell-maker in the country, and after their mother passed away, he raised his two children with utmost care.

However, one year, when a crack formed in the temple bell of this village, their father was asked by the villagers to forge a new one, but for some reason, it produced no sound at all.
Their father was ashamed of this and one night threw himself into the lake, leaving behind the two siblings.

At that time, the entire surface of the lake’s water had turned pitch black.
And so, not long after Ruru and Mimi’s father threw himself into the lake, its waters became beautifully clear once more, just as they had been before.

After that, there were no longer any people in this village who made the temple bell.
Years passed without hearing the dawn bell, the dusk bell, or even the holiday prayer bell.

The villagers all lovingly raised Ruru and Mimi.
And so, they always told him:

“You must grow up quickly and make a fine bell to offer to the temple.”
“Make your dead father happy.”

Ruru truly wanted to do that.
Mimi also hoped her brother would soon finish crafting the bell.
She imagined what splendid sound it might produce, her anticipation growing until she could scarcely bear it.

The two were truly dear to each other.
They would often come to the lakeshore and stand gazing endlessly toward the distant temple.

“They’re probably looking at the temple bell tower and remembering their dead father.”
“They’re truly pitiable siblings.”

Thus said the villagers.

"When the water turns murky, bad things happen."

The lake’s crystal-clear water—of which such legends were told—began turning murky again little by little.
The villagers were all too frightened to speak, wondering what might happen.
In the end, they all exchanged glances and took to doing nothing but sighing.
Even so, with each passing dawn, the lake’s water grew a little blacker.

At that time, Ruru entered the workshop his father had left behind and worked hard to make a bell.
And so, when he had finally completed a magnificent bell, he joyfully told the villagers about it.

“The bell has been completed. Please offer it to the temple.”

The villagers came eagerly to see the bell Ruru had made.
They stroked its splendid form, tapped it gently to check, and listened for its beautiful sound—everyone was thoroughly impressed by how well-crafted it was.
And so they set a date to install it at the temple, ring the bell, and hold a village-wide celebration.

“Who cares how murky the lake’s water gets?”
“Ruru, the child of the master bell-maker, made such a splendid bell despite his small frame just to please his late Father—there could be nothing more auspicious than this!”
“If we ring this bell, any misfortune will surely vanish.”
“The lake’s water will surely become clear too.”

And so, the villagers rejoiced and took heart.

That day was one of perfectly fine weather.
The ground was a riot of blooming flowers in every hue, while treetops and skies rang with birdsong of all kinds, and the radiant sun glittered brilliantly from beneath white clouds.
The villagers—from grandfathers and grandmothers to adults and children—all donned beautiful kimonos and gathered toward the temple to see the celebration for the bell Ruru had made.

Sweets shops, toy shops, peep show boxes, balloon sellers, marionette shows, and more were all lined up in front of the temple gate—it was truly, truly lively.

The villagers, who had been talking among themselves about Ruru’s greatness and Mimi’s beauty, fell completely silent at that moment.

The bell Ruru had made was hoisted high, high into the temple bell tower by the monk’s hands.
The silver bell, bathed in the light of the spring sun, swayed gently as it glinted dazzlingly.

The villagers sighed in deep admiration.
There were even those who shed tears, overcome with joy.

At this moment，Ruru stood at the entrance to the bell tower，trembling violently from overwhelming joy as he pressed both hands to his face.
The younger-sister Mimi gently pulled those hands close and kissed them.

The siblings hugged each other and rejoiced.

“Father must be watching from the bottom of the lake.”

But oh, what a sad thing this was.
And then again, what a mysterious thing it was.

When the bell Ruru had made was rung by the temple monk’s hand, it emitted only a faint groan once at first, and after that, no matter how much they struck it, it produced no sound.

Ruru prostrated himself on the ground and burst into tears.
Mimi also collapsed against his back and cried.

“There, there.
“Ruru, don’t cry so.
Because you’re still small, there’s nothing shameful at all about not being able to make the bell well.
Mimi, you must stop crying now.”

Thus, the villagers comforted the siblings in various ways.
And then, they kindly looked after them and saw them home.

Despite being just a child, Ruru had worked tirelessly to create the bell.

This bell would surely produce a fine sound.
For even when tapped gently, it made such an irresistibly beautiful sound.
"It must reach even the ears of Father resting at the lake’s depths."

he had thought.
Because the bell had not rung, Ruru was filled with bewilderment.

"How could I ever make a bell that truly rings?"

He thought about it, but even that Ruru could not comprehend.

Ruru cried and cried until there seemed no end.
Mimi too wept alongside him.
And so the siblings returned home crying, still crying as they clung together and crawled into bed.

That night…

Ruru arose alone and softly kissed the cheek of his sister, who lay exhausted from crying and was now soundly asleep, then left the house.
Alone, he came to the edge of the lake and sank deep into the pitch-black, murky water.

The sad event the villagers had feared finally came.
Mimi became utterly alone.

But how could Mimi possibly part with that kind brother Ruru?

No matter how kindly the villagers comforted her, Mimi did nothing but cry.
And so from morning till night she came to the lake’s edge and sat dazedly on the grass, wondering if her dead brother might float up.

――Poor Mimi.

Several nights after Ruru had sunk into the lake, a perfectly round great moon began rising slowly from beyond the waters.
Mimi sat gazing at the lake’s surface illuminated by that light, forgetting even to return home.

The countless water lilies blooming around the lake floated the shadows of their opened blossoms upon the water that night—unlike their usual slumber—keeping company with Mimi’s solitary form.

The great Moon gradually rose higher.
And together with this, the water lilies all spilled over with tear-like dew.

Mimi, thinking the water lilies were crying for her sake, thanked them while shedding tears together with them.

“Water Lilies.”
“You all know well why I’m crying, don’t you?”

At that moment, just as one of the Water Lilies swayed gently, it whispered to Mimi in a small voice.

“Poor Young Lady.”
“If you wish to meet your Brother, you must create a chain of flowers.”
“And by tomorrow evening, when the great Moon comes to rest directly above the lake, you must make that flower chain long enough to reach the bottom of the lake.”
“Hold onto that chain and go to the Pearl Palace at the bottom of the lake.”
“It was that Queen who summoned Lord Ruru, your Brother, to the bottom of the lake.”

When the Water Lilies had spoken this far, the surroundings suddenly grew dim.
The great Moon was hidden by a black cloud.
And together with that, the Water Lilies began to close their petals one by one.

Mimi hurriedly asked one of the flowers.

“Water Lilies. Please wait a moment before closing your petals. Why did the Queen of the Pearl Palace summon Brother?”

However, the water lilies upon the dark water did not open their blossoms again.

“Why did the Queen of the lake’s depths make me all alone?”

Mimi cried out in a sorrowful voice.
However, the water lilies around the lake had completely closed their flowers and did not give a single reply.
The great Moon also remained hidden within the clouds until daybreak.

“Oh, Mimi.”
“Making a flower chain in a place like this?”
“How lovely!”
“What will you do with one so long?”

And then, a great many friends gathered around Mimi and asked.

Mimi had started making the flower chain before dawn, and when asked this, she smiled sadly.

“I’ll make this chain longer and longer, then hold onto it and go meet Brother.”

“Oh, I see.
“Well then, we’ll help out too, okay?”

Mimi’s friends, the girls, all said this and gathered flowers from all around to give to Mimi.
Mimi twisted grass blades into thread, connected the flowers one by one to it, and kept making a long, long flower chain.
When evening came, all the friends returned home, but Mimi continued diligently picking flowers and attaching them to the grass thread.

As dusk fell during that time and the blooming flowers became invisible, Mimi threw herself down into the grass and waited for the moon to rise while dozing fitfully.

Before long, feeling a chill creeping over her body, Mimi opened her eyes and looked—and what should she see? The Moon had already risen near the center of the sky without her noticing.

By the moon’s light, Mimi looked back at the flower chain.
The grass-blade thread connecting various flowers stretched so long that even after encircling the entire lake once there remained excess length, its end disappearing into the grasses of the vast grassland.

Mimi did not know whether this flower chain reached the bottom of the lake.

However, she resolutely grasped that end tightly and sank into the lake.

The murkiness of the lake’s water was confined to just a small portion near the surface.
The lower regions were still crystal-clear and bright, sparkling brilliantly.

How beautiful was the swaying waterweed forest within it…….
How beautiful was the school of fish that kept glancing back at Mimi as they swam away…!

But Mimi, thinking only of Brother Ruru, continued to sink deeper into the depths.

Then, far below, the underwater palace began to come into view.

The underwater palace was built from every precious and beautiful stone imaginable, with countless pearl roofs lined up like a forest.

When Mimi reached the outermost and largest gate, she let go of the flower chain and stepped inside.
And then, thinking that perhaps Brother might be nearby, she called out softly.

“Brother Ruru…”

But from anywhere in the vast palace came no reply.
Only the silver corridor stretching endlessly into the distance glittered brilliantly.

Mimi became sad.

"I wonder if Brother isn’t here,"
Mimi thought.

It was then.
From somewhere deep within the palace,

“Clang... clang...”

Along with the clanging of a hammer, the voice of dear, dear Ruru singing resonated through the water and reached her ears.

“Mimi… O Mimi… O dear sister… Will the dark lake not become a bell?… Watching alone… O weeping Mimi…”

“Father could not… Ah… become a bell-maker… Brother too could not… Ah… become a bell-maker… Leaving Mimi behind… Ah… in the water’s depths…”

“Mimi… weep, weep… O… if the lake… O… could be cleared by your tears… then the bell… O… might yet ring.”

The Queen of the Lake lay upon a diamond-studded chaise longue, listening to Ruru’s song.
When she realized Ruru was singing sorrowfully of Mimi—whom he had left behind on land—the Queen of the Lake could not help but mutter to herself.

“Ah… I have done such a pitiful thing.
“To summon Ruru to the lake’s depths, I silenced the bell he had crafted.”
“And thus, I made it so that Ruru, grieving over it, would throw himself into the lake.”
“Because of that, poor Mimi has ended up all alone.”

“They must surely resent me… but I had no other choice but to do so—.

The crystal-clear water of this Lake wells up from the great fountain in this palace’s garden.
If that fountain breaks, the lake’s water gradually becomes murky from above.
And when that murkiness deepens and reaches the bottom, all who dwell in this lake must perish.—That crucial fountain had broken once more.
The only one who can fix this is Ruru.
That is why I had no choice but to summon Ruru—.”

―I had summoned Ruru’s father in this same manner before.
Even before that time, and again before that—whenever the fountain broke—I had summoned many blacksmiths and bell-makers.
However, all those people—because they tried to selfishly return to land alone—were devoured by wicked fish along the way—.

—Ruru was now singing a song as he repaired the fountain.
He sang grieving for his sister.
The younger sister left behind on land must have been grieving so terribly.
This time, once his task was complete, I would ensure there were no dangers along the way and send him back to his younger sister.
I would make sure the bell rang as well—.

“Ah… I have done such a pitiable thing.”

At this moment, Mimi had finally reached the front of the Queen’s chamber, guided by the sound of Ruru’s singing voice.
And thus, she had ended up hearing the Queen’s entire soliloquy.
When Mimi realized that the Queen pitied Ruru and her... and was considering sending Ruru back to land, her chest swelled with emotion.

At that moment, the Queen stood up and made to go to her bedchamber.

Mimi instinctively rushed in and ran up to the hem of the Queen’s long, long robe.

The Queen turned around in surprise.
…Though this was no place an ordinary human could reach so easily… she thought,

“Where do you come from, child…”

the Queen inquired.

Mimi bowed gracefully.
And then, with eyes brimming with tears, she made her request.

“My name is Mimi.
“I have come to meet Brother Ruru.”
“Please let me meet him.”

“Oh.
“You are Ruru’s younger sister, are you not?”

With that, the Queen drew Mimi close.
And then, holding her tightly, she spoke in a quiet voice.

“You are Ruru’s younger sister, are you not?”
“You… you… Oh, what a lovely girl you are.”
“It’s no wonder Ruru longs for you.”
“It’s no wonder you grieve.”

“You must have grieved terribly.”
“You must have been lonely.”
“And you must have resented me.”

“Forgive me verily.”
“Forgive me verily.”

The Queen let crystalline teardrops patter down upon Mimi’s hair like falling petals.

Mimi raised her tear-streaked face and entreated:

“Your Majesty.”
“Will Your Majesty truly... send us back to land?”

“Truly upon truth—the words I spake alone bear no falsehood.”

“If that Ruru had not come and repaired that fountain for us, all within this lake would have perished.
That is why I summoned Ruru.
That is why I caused you such sorrow too.
Please, I implore you—grant me forgiveness.
Yet despite this, you have ventured here so bravely!
You have come all this way to reclaim your brother!
Verily, I shall return both of you to land!
I shall ward off those vile fish that took your father… and when you return ashore, I shall make the bell ring clear once more—this I swear!”

“However, you must wait until Ruru finishes mending that fountain.”
“Nor will it take much longer.”
“Mimi, do listen well.”
“How valiant rings the sound of Ruru’s hammer!”

The Queen and Mimi raised their tear-streaked faces and listened to the sound of Ruru’s hammer strikes.

Ruru diligently repaired the fountain of the lake’s palace.
He worked with all his might so that it would never ever break again, and so that the bell-makers and blacksmiths of the land would no longer be summoned by the Queen of the Lake.
Before long, the sound of his swinging hammer resounded higher and higher, permeating even the fish hideouts and crab burrows along the lake’s edge.

“Clang-clang, clang-clong

The sound of this hammer striking in the depths of this lake after parting from Mimi—the sound of this hammer that Ruru strikes.”

Clang-clang, clang-clong

Weeping as it strikes—this hammer’s sound; weeping as it pounds—this lake’s water cleared by this hammer’s toll.

Clang-clang, clang-clong

“I want to meet Mimi—that sister of mine; I want to return—to that hometown; and I want to hear—the sound of that bell.”

Ruru had finally finished splendidly repairing the fountain.
Jewel-like crystal-clear water bubbles sparkled joyfully as they swirled up higher and higher into the sky.
The murky water above was driven away by the newly gushing water, and from there, bright moonlight and pure starlight came streaming in.

It was thought that from then on, even after tens of thousands of years had passed, this fountain would never break again.

The pearl roof of the lake’s palace, bathed in moonlight and starlight, began shining ever more brilliantly before their eyes. Lapis lazuli floors, sapphire walls, jade windows—each began shimmering in its own distinct hue.

The Queen of the Lake’s numerous retainers—crimson, azure, violet, and golden fish—all with eyes wide in astonishment, formed eager ranks as they gathered around the palace. The spectacle resembled nothing so much as a rainbow swimming toward them.

The Queen of the Lake raised her hand to gather those fish and commanded them to prepare a feast as splendid as possible for Ruru and Mimi.

Ruru, who had splendidly repaired the fountain of the lake’s palace, was so exhausted he could no longer walk.
But… now that this fountain would never break again… now that the lives of countless beings within the lake had been saved… now that even after tens of thousands of years hence this water would never turn black… now that no misfortune would befall the village… when he thought of all this, Ruru was so happy he could hardly bear it.
In his joy, he returned before the Queen, dancing his weary body as he came.

At that moment, Ruru noticed the palace’s appearance was more beautiful than ever before.

The grand hall of the palace was dreamily illuminated by the pale purple light of noctiluca.
The white flowers of water plants decorating every corner of the vast, vast room wafted a faint fragrance throughout.

Within it swarmed fish beyond counting—tens of thousands, nay hundreds of millions. Visible in the farthest depths was an amethyst staircase. The figure of Her Majesty the Queen standing atop it.

And now, the figure of a beautiful girl… Mimi….

Ruru instinctively ran up the platform and hugged Mimi.
Mimi also clung tightly to Ruru’s neck.

The countless schools of fish that until now had been arrayed motionless like a rainbow began to sway and ripple at this moment.
Fish of varied colors—blue, red, purple, green, yellow, silver, copper, and gold—formed lines with others of the same hue, taking on shapes like stripes and whirlpools.
Now forming flower shapes, now shaping themselves into birds, until finally they all intermingled at once—each one rippling with a brilliance of its own beauty.
Countless noctiluca lights darted and intermingled through their midst.
It was as if the entire world had turned into golden brocade and begun to dance.

Ruru and Mimi, still embracing each other, gazed in wonderment as if in a dream. Before them lay countless dishes arrayed in splendor. The moonlight grew ever brighter as it streamed into the palace, until at last it majestically illuminated Her Majesty the Queen’s joyful countenance and regal form.

Before long, the moonlight gradually tilted westward.

The time had come for Ruru and Mimi to return to land.

Ruru and Mimi boarded a large, beautiful jellyfish lent by Her Majesty the Queen and prepared to depart from the inner garden of the lake’s palace toward land.

Her Majesty the Queen hugged Ruru and Mimi once more and pressed her cheeks to theirs.
Then she offered this prayer:

“May this beautiful brother and sister never be parted, no matter what may come hereafter.”

Both Ruru and Mimi grew wistful for Her Majesty.
Somehow wishing they could remain forever in the Queen’s embrace, being cherished by her, they let their tears fall freely.

But Her Majesty the Queen gently picked up the two of them and had them board the jellyfish.

“O Jellyfish.
“You shall continuously glow as you deliver these siblings to the water’s surface.”
“And prepare your poison needles to keep ill-meaning fish from approaching as you go.”

The jellyfish silently floated upward.

The fully bloomed waterweed flowers swayed back from their feet as they went.
The palace’s roof—now rose-colored, now pearl-colored—shone as it grew smaller and smaller toward the water’s depths.
Beneath the jellyfish’s jewel-studded limbs…

“Hey, Brother Ruru!”

“Whaaat… Mimi”

“The Queen somehow reminds me of Mother, don’t you think?”

“Ah, I thought so too.”

“I felt so sad about saying goodbye.”

“Ah, I too felt like I wanted to stay at the bottom of the lake with just Mimi and me.”

The two of them discussed such things.
And so they hugged each other, peering beneath the jellyfish’s limbs as they bid farewell again and again toward where Her Majesty the Queen remained.

Where Ruru and Mimi surfaced on the lake’s face, a beautiful ship had been prepared.
Ruru and Mimi transferred aboard it.

“O Jellyfish.
Thank you.
Please convey to Her Majesty the Queen that Ruru and Mimi expressed their heartfelt thanks.”

The jellyfish remained silent as ever, swaying gently as it sank down into the water’s depths.
The siblings held onto the gunwale and kept watching until the jellyfish’s pale blue light had vanished deep, deep into the water’s depths.

The moon was now beginning to set in the west.
A faint dawn wind that had begun to blow started to carry their boat toward land.

Over the lake’s surface, a milky morning mist had begun to drift.
From above it, the beloved hometown village—where no one seemed to have awoken yet—came into view.
In the bell tower of the village temple, a bell glimmered faintly, ever so faintly... Ruru stared fixedly at it, but for some reason, tears began to fall drop by drop from his eyes.

“Oh. Brother, what has happened?
Why do you weep…”

Ruru quietly turned back.

“Mimi. When you return to the village… what’s the first thing you want to do…”

“That… More than anything else… I want to hear that bell’s sound first… It will surely ring this time… What a lovely sound it must be…”

With that, Mimi looked up at Ruru’s face and sighed as though she could hear its sound.
Ruru also sighed in unison.

“Mimi.
When that bell rings, the villagers will surely dote on us and never let us go back to the lake’s depths again.”

“Oh. So Brother wishes to return to the lake’s depths…”

Ruru nodded and let out another sigh.
And once more, tears streamed down.

“Ah.
“Mimi,
“I suddenly became afraid of hearing that bell’s sound.
“When I think that if we’re doted on by the villagers, we won’t be able to go back to the lake’s depths again, I became unbearably, unbearably sad.
“I wanted so badly—so badly—to return to the lake palace.
“I wanted to keep watch over that fountain until I died.”

“Then, Brother… do you no longer need to listen to that bell’s sound…? Brother… do you not wish to hear it?”

“Ah.”
“That’s how it is, Mimi… So could you go back to the village alone just once in my place and ask the villagers to ring that bell?”
“Tell them that bell isn’t Ruru’s failed creation.”
“Then come to where Brother is… Brother will be listening to that bell’s sound from the lake’s depths… waiting for you to come…”

In the midst of this, Ruru stood up and tried to jump into the lake.

“Oh. Brother, why must you say such a pitiful thing… If that’s how it is, then take me with you, I beg of you.”

With that, Mimi frantically tried to hold Ruru back.
Then, as if by magic, Ruru’s figure vanished like smoke.
The boat… the moon… the lake… the village’s shadow… even the morning mist—all vanished, leaving behind nothing but an indescribably fragrant scent lingering in their wake.

Mimi thought “Oh?” and looked around.
There lay Mimi—just as before—collapsed on the grassland at the lake’s edge, fast asleep while clutching the flower chain tightly.
Everything until now had been entirely a dream; the moon she had been waiting for had only just begun its languid ascent.
And so, the lake’s water remained black just as it had been before.

Mimi burst into tears and collapsed.
She cried and cried until she had no tears or voice left.
Each time she remembered the Queen’s words, she cried; each time she recalled Ruru’s face, she cried; each time she recollected the joy of embracing Ruru in celebration, she looked around.

However, there was no sign of Ruru anywhere.
Only the spring grass from which Mimi had picked flowers remained, its blades filled to the brim with tear-like dew, reflecting moonlight as it stretched endlessly—lush and boundless.

Seeing this, Mimi continued crying.

Seeing this, Mimi continued to cry again.

In the midst of this, the Moon gradually approached the center of the sky.
Mimi stopped crying and looked up at the Moon.

“Ah, O Moon. Was what I have seen until now a dream? Please tell me, O Moon.”

But O Moon gave no answer.

Mimi wiped tears and stood up.
Treading through dew-soaked grassland, she came toward the temple.
When she reached the bell tower, she looked up at the bell gleaming high under moonlight.

“Let me try ringing that bell.”
If that bell rings, then what the water lilies taught must be true.
There must be a palace at the bottom of the lake.
The Queen’s words must also be true.
Brother must truly be waiting there.
…Let me try ringing that bell…

The sound of the bell Mimi rang resounded crystal-clear—higher and higher into the great sky until it reached the Moon… farther and farther across the wild fields to the world’s very edge… and then deep, deep into the lake’s abyss, all the way to the Queen’s ears.

A beautiful, pure sound resounded so clearly that even the temple monk, the villagers, and even the children were all awakened.

Mimi, rejoicing ecstatically, ran down the temple bell tower.

“Ah… It wasn’t a dream.”
It wasn’t a dream.
Brother is truly waiting at the bottom of the lake.

He is waiting for me to come.

Ah, I’m so happy.
Ah, how happy I am.
I can truly meet Brother now.
And so, we would never be parted again.
Ah, how happy I am...”

In the midst of this, Mimi ran back to where the flower chain lay.
She firmly grasped both ends of the flower chain with her hands and quietly sank to the bottom of the lake—all while gazing up at O Moon hanging in the center of the sky…

Startled by the bell’s toll, all the villagers—from elders to children—gathered at the temple.
Together with the temple monk, they discussed what could have happened over and over, but not a single person knew who had struck the bell or why it had rung.

Before long, Mimi’s small dew-soaked footprints, illuminated by the moonlight, were discovered on the stone steps of the bell tower.
When those footprints reached the edge of the grassland, they changed into a trail of trampled grass that continued all the way to the lake’s edge.

Before long, the villagers found the end of the flower chain remaining at the edge of the lake.
The other end seemed to have sunk deep into the lake’s bottom.

“Oh, these are the flowers we picked for Mimi.”
“Because Mimi said she was going to hold onto the flower chain to go meet her brother, a whole bunch of us pitched in to help her.”

said a few girls.

The villagers all cried.
They began pulling the flower chain through their tears.

The Moon gradually sank westward.
At the same time, the lake’s water appeared to grow clearer little by little.
However, the flower chain was so long that no matter how much they pulled, it seemed endless.

Gradually O Moon sank down, and dazzling O Sun rose glittering from the eastern sky.
By that time, the lake’s water had already returned to its original state, perfectly clear like crystal.
And then, before long…

The figures of Ruru and Mimi, sleeping while holding each other tightly, rose up from the beautiful water’s depths.

Poor Ruru and Mimi...