The White Hare and the Crocodiles

When you're ready to slow down, especially before bed, listen to Saul Good Sounds.

We create calming audio, ambient soundscapes, and peaceful listening experiences designed

to help you relax, unwind, and fall asleep.

Search Saul Good Sounds wherever you listen to podcasts, that's S-O-L-G-O-O-D sounds.

Saul Good Sounds rest well.

The white hair, and the crocodiles, by Ye, Theodora, Osaki.

Long, long ago, when all the animals could talk, they lived in the province of Inaba in

Japan, a little white hair.

His home was on the island of Okie, and just across the sea was the mainland of Inaba.

Now the hair wanted very much to cross over to Inaba.

Day after day, he would go out and sit on the shore and look longingly over the water

in the direction of Inaba, and day after day he hoped to find some way of getting across.

One day, as usual, the hair was standing on the beach, looking towards the mainland

across the water, when he saw a great crocodile swimming near the island.

This is very lucky, thought the hair, now I shall be able to get my wish.

I will ask the crocodile to carry me across the sea, but he was doubtful whether the crocodile

would consent to do what wanted.

So he thought instead of asking a favor, he would try to get what he wanted by a trick.

So with a loud voice, he called to the crocodile and said, Oh, Mr. Crocodile, isn't it a

lovely day?

The crocodile, who had come out all by itself, that day, to enjoy the bright sunshine, was

just beginning to feel a bit lonely when the hair's cheerful greeting broke the silence.

The crocodile swam nearer the shore, very pleased to hear someone speak.

I wonder who it was that spoke to me just now, was to you Mr. Hair, you must be very lonely

all by yourself.

Oh, no, I am not at all lonely, said the hair, but as it was such a fine day, I came out

here to enjoy myself.

Won't you stop and play with me a little while?

The crocodile came out of the sea and sat on the shore, and the two played together for

some time.

Then the hair said, Mr. Crocodile, you live in the sea, and I live on this island, and we

do not often meet, so I know very little about you.

Tell me, do you think the number of your company is greater than mine?

Of course, there are more crocodiles than hairs, answered the crocodile.

Can you not see that for yourself?

You live on this small island, while I live in the sea, which spreads through all parts

of the world, so if I call together all the crocodiles who dwell in the sea, you hairs

will be as nothing compared to us.

The crocodile was very conceited.

The hair, whom meant to play a trick on the crocodile, said,

Do you think it possible for you to call up enough crocodiles to form a line from this

island across the sea to Enaba?

The crocodile thought for a moment, and then answered, of course it is possible.

And do try, said the artful hair, and I will count the number from here.

The crocodile, who was very simple-minded, and who had the least idea that the hair intended

to play a trick on him, agreed to do what the hair asked, and said, Wait a little while

I go back into the sea and call my company together.

The crocodile plunged into the sea, and was gone for some time.

The hair, meanwhile, waited patiently on the shore.

At last the crocodile appeared, bringing with him a large number of other crocodiles.

Look, Mr. Hares, said the crocodile.

It is nothing for my friends to form a line between here and Enaba.

There are enough crocodiles to stretch from here, even as far as China or India.

Did you ever see so many crocodiles?

Then the whole company of crocodiles arranged themselves in the water, so as to form a bridge

between the island of Oki and the mainland of Enaba.

When the hair saw the bridge of crocodiles, he said, How splendid!

I did not believe this was possible.

Now let me count you all.

To do this, however, with your permission, I must walk over on your backs to the other

side.

Please be so good as not to move, or else I shall fall into the sea and be drowned.

So the hair hopped off the island onto the strange bridge of crocodiles, counting as

he jumped from one crocodile's back to the other.

Please keep quite still, or I shall not be able to count.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.

Once the cunning hair walked right across to the mainland of Enaba, not content with getting

his wish, he began to cheer at the crocodiles instead of thanking them, and said, As he

leapt off the last one's back, Oh, you stupid crocodiles, now I have done with you.

And he was just about to run away as fast as he could, but he did not escape so easily,

for so soon as the crocodiles understood that this was a trick played upon them by the

hair, so as to enable him to cross the sea, and that the hair was now laughing at them

for their stupidity.

They became furiously angry and made up their minds to take revenge.

So some of them ran after the hair and caught him.

Then they all surrounded the poor little animal and pulled out all his fur.

He cried out loudly and entreated them to spare him, but with each toughed of fur they

pulled out.

They said, Serve you right.

When the crocodiles had pulled out the last bit of fur, they threw the poor hair on the

beach, and all swam away laughing at what they had done.

The hair was now in a pitiful plight, all his beautiful white fur had been pulled out,

and his bare little body was quivering with pain and bleeding all over.

He could hardly move, and all he could do was to lie on the beach quite helpless and

weep over the misfortune that had befallen him.

Notwithstanding that it was his own fault that had brought all this misery and suffering

upon the white hair of Inaba, anyone seeing that poor little creature could not help

feeling sorry for him in his sad condition, for the crocodiles had been very cruel in their

revenge.

Just at this time a number of men who looked like King's sons happened to pass by, and

seeing the hair lying on the beach crying, stopped and asked, what was the matter?

The hair lifted up his head from between his paws and answered them, saying, I had a fight

with some crocodiles, but I was beaten, and they pulled out all of my fur and left me

to suffer here, that is why I am crying.

Now one of these young men had a bad and spiteful disposition, but he fanned kindness and said

to the hair.

I feel very sorry for you.

If you will only try it, I know of a remedy which will cure your sore body.

Go and bathe yourself in the sea, and then come and sit in the wind.

This will make your fur grow again, and you will be just as you were before.

Then all the young men passed on.

The hair was very pleased, thinking that he had found a cure.

He went and bathed in the sea, and then came out, and sat where the wind can blow upon

him.

But as the wind blew and dried him, his skin became drawn and hardened, and the salt

increased the pain so much that he rolled on the sand in his agony and cried aloud.

Just then another King's son passed by, carrying a great bag on his back.

He saw the hair, and stopped and asked why he was crying so loudly.

With the poor hair, remembering that he had been deceived by one very like the man, who

now spoke to him, did not answer, but continued to cry.

But this man had a kind heart, and looked at the hair very pittingly, and said,

�You poor thing, I see that your fur is all pulled out, and that your skin is quite

bare, who can have treated you so cruelly.�

When the hair heard these kind words, he felt very grateful to the man, and encouraged

by his gentle manner, the hair told him all that had befallen him.

The little animal hid nothing from his friend, but told him frankly how he had played a

trick on the crocodiles, and how he had come across the bridge they had made, thinking

that he wished to count their number, how he had dared at them for their stupidity,

and then how the crocodiles had revenge themselves on him.

When he went on to say how he had been deceived by a party of men, who looked very like his

kind friend, and the hair ended his long tail of woe by begging the man to give him some

medicine that would cure him and make his fur grow again.

When the hair had finished his story, the man was full of pity towards him, and said,

�I am very sorry for all you have suffered, but remember it was only the consequence of

the deceit you practiced on the crocodiles.�

�I know, answered the sorrowful hair, but I have repented, and made up my mind never

to use deceit again, so I beg you to show me how I make cure my sore body and make the

fur grow again.

�Then I will tell you of a good remedy,� said the man.

�First go and bathe well in that pond over there, and try to wash all the salt from

your body.

Then pick some of those cobblestones that are growing near the edge of the water, spread

them on the ground, and roll yourself on them.

If you do this, the pollen will cause your fur to grow again, and you will be quite well

in a little while.

The hair was very glad to be hung.

The hair was very glad to be told what to do, so kindly.

He crawled to the pond, pointed out to him, bathed well in it, then picked the cobblestones

growing near the water, and rolled himself on them.

To his amazement, even while he was doing this, he saw his nice white fur growing again,

the pain ceased, and he felt just as he had done, before all his misfortunes.

The hair was overjoyed at his quick recovery, and went hopping joyfully towards the young

man who had so helped him, and kneeling down at his feet said, I cannot express my thanks.

For all you have done for me, it is my earnest wish to do something for you in return.

Please tell me who you are.

I am no king's son, as you think me.

I am a fairy, and my name is Okone Noxino Mikoto, and those beings who passed here before

me are my brothers.

They have heard of a beautiful princess called Yakami, who lives in this province of Inaba,

and they are on their way to find her and to ask her to marry one of them.

But on this expedition I am only an attendant, so I am walking behind them with this great

big bag on my back.

The hair humbled himself, before this great fairy, Akuni Nushi No Mikoto, whom many in that

part of the land worshipped as a god.

Oh, I did not know that you were Akuni, Nushi No Mikoto.

How kind you have been to me.

It is impossible to believe that that unkind fellow who sent me to bathe in the sea is

one of your brothers.

I am quite sure that the princess whom your brothers have gone to seek will refuse to

be the bride of any of them, and will prefer you for your goodness of heart.

I am quite sure that you will win her heart without intending to do so, and she will

ask to be your bride.

Akuni Nushi No Mikoto took no notice of what the hair said, but bidding the little animal

goodbye went on his way quickly and soon overtook his brothers.

He found them just entering the princess's gate.

Just as the hair had said, the princess could not be persuaded to become the bride of any

of the brothers, but when she looked at the kind brother's face, she went straight

up to him and said, to you I give myself.

And so they were married.

This is the end of the story.

Akuni Nushi No Mikoto is worshipped by the people in some parts of Japan as a god, and

the hair has become famous as the white hair of Inaba, but what became of the crocodiles

nobody knows.

End of the white hair and the crocodiles.