Pathway to Japanese Literature
Discover Japan's stories—across time, across language.
← Back
A Children's TaleAuthor: Murō Saisei
| Original Title | 童話 |
|---|---|
| Author | 室生 犀星 |
| Genre | Modern Short Fiction |
| Author Type | Male Author |
| Summary | In a riverside town veiled in autumnal melancholy, a sister and her enigmatic younger brother meet at sunlit stone steps where medaka fish dart through clear waters. Their conversations linger on familial changes—parents grown thin, a lantern’s lonely glow—yet unspoken truths hover like winter’s approach. The brother’s pallor and elusive presence unsettle his sister; he appears without warning, speaks of paths unseen, and vanishes as abruptly as he arrives. Their mother, Oshun, watches from afar, haunted by dreams of their spectral bond and Kiyoko’s solitary rituals at the steps. As snow creeps down distant peaks, Oshun grapples with fragmented memories of a lost child and Kiyoko’s whispered mentions of a shadowed companion. Between crumbling cliffs and brittle grasses, a quiet mystery unfolds—one where longing blurs reality, and whispers of the past ripple through frost-laden air. What binds these siblings across realms, and why does the river’s song echo with unspoken farewells? |
← Return to List← Return to TOP