The “Aged Mother” is a heartwarming Japanese folktale that showcases the strong bond between a mother and her son.
The tale takes place in a kingdom ruled by a harsh leader who orders the abandonment and death of all elderly people. Despite the difficult situation, the story highlights the power of love and compassion.
Written by the renowned Japanese poet Matsuo Basho, this folktale is recognized as a classic in American Literature. It tells the story of a mother and son as they face challenges imposed by a ruler who has a disdain for the elderly.
Also known as “The Story of the Aged Mother,” this Japanese folktale is a poignant reminder of the love that exists between a mother and son, even in the face of adversity. Basho’s writing brings this touching story to life.
Summary of the Story
A long time ago, in a small village at the foot of a mountain, there lived a farmer and his widowed mother. They were poor but lived a humble and content life on their small piece of land, which provided them with enough food to survive.
However, their happiness was about to be shattered by the cruel ruler of the kingdom, the governor. The governor was known for his fear of aging and anything that reminded him of his own weakness. He issued a barbaric order that required the people in the province to put all aged individuals to death.
This meant that the farmer’s beloved mother was in danger, and the farmer was filled with sadness and hopelessness. He knew he had to obey the governor’s orders, but it was heart-wrenching to think of putting his own mother to death.
This was a common practice in those dark times, but the farmer’s love and reverence for his mother shone through.
Walking to Obatsuyama
A young farmer had worked all day and now it was time for him to go on a journey. He took some food, rice, and tied it up in a cloth along with a gourd filled with water.
He also put his aged mother on his back and started walking up a big mountain called Obatsuyama, which meant the mountain of leaving behind the elderly.
The path was steep and difficult with many turns and crossings, but he kept going, not worrying about getting lost. He was determined to reach the top of the mountain, no matter what.
The old mother was worried about her son who was rushing recklessly through the mountain paths. She knew the paths well but he didn’t, so she left a trail of twigs for him to follow back.
Reached the Top
When they reached the top, the son made a soft bed for his mother out of pine needles and wrapped her in her coat to keep her warm. With a heavy heart, he said goodbye and it made him sad and tearful.
The mother was shaking and spoke with love as she gave her last instructions to her son. She told him to be careful on the dangerous mountain road and to follow the trail of twigs she had left to guide him back to safety.
“My son, the mountain road is full of dangers. Please be careful and follow the path marked by the piles of twigs. They will lead you to the familiar path down below.”, said the mother.
The son looked back at the path and sees his mother’s hands. “Oh, honorable mother, your kindness breaks my heart! I can’t leave you. We will follow the path of twigs together, even if it means facing death together.” bows to the ground
The son was shocked to see his mother’s hands, which were scratched and dirty from helping him. He felt so sad and overwhelmed with love that he couldn’t bear to leave her.
He cried out and promised to stay by her side and follow the twigs together, even if it meant facing death together.
To the Hut
Once more, the son picked up his mother, who felt lighter now and quickly walked down the path to their hut in the valley.
He hid her in a secret food closet under the kitchen floor. He made sure she had everything she needed and constantly worried she would be found.
Over time, he started to feel more relaxed when the governor made a new, unreasonable demand. The governor wanted his people to bring him a rope made of ashes.
A Rope Made of Ashes
Everyone in the province was very scared because they had to follow an order but nobody knew how to make a rope out of ashes.
The son was worried and told his hidden mother about it. She said, “Don’t worry, let me think about it.”
The next day, she told him what to do. “Make a rope from twisted straw,” she said, “and put it on flat stones, then light it on a calm night.”
The son called everyone together and they followed her instructions. When the fire burned out, they saw that there was a perfect rope made of ashes on the stones.
The Rule Canceled
The governor was happy with the young man’s cleverness and praised him. But he wanted to know where the young man got his smart idea from.
The farmer told him the whole story with a sad voice. The governor listened carefully and then thought quietly for a moment.
Finally, he looked up and spoke. “Shining needs more than just young strength,” he said seriously.
“I should not have forgotten the famous saying, “with the crown of snow, comes wisdom.
” Right then and there, the unfair rule was canceled and it became just a story from the past.
Moral of the Story
This story is about the love between a son and his mother, and also about the wisdom of old people. The story takes place in ancient Japan and follows a farmer who is taking care of his elderly, widowed mother.
They live at the bottom of a mountain and have a small farm to grow food. Despite their poverty, they are happy and live a peaceful life.
The province was ruled by a king who was both a warrior and a dictator. The governor was afraid of anything that showed weakness, like old people, and thought it would slow down the progress of the country.
So, he ordered that all old people should be killed, even though they were not weak. This was a cruel and terrible thing to do.
Back then, people were not very kind and often left old people behind. If someone spoke or acted against the king’s orders, they could get in big trouble.
The poor farmer loved his mother very much and didn’t want to hurt her, but he had to follow the governor’s mean order to kill all the old people.
He tried to find a gentle way to do it and finally decided to leave his mother on a mountain with food and water. He cooked a lot of rice, which was their main food, and tied it up in a cloth with a gourd filled with sweet water.
Once the farmer and his mother reached the top of the mountain, the farmer gently placed his mother down and left her with food and water.
He was very sad because he had to leave his mother behind, but the king had ordered that all old people had to be taken away.
The farmer started his walk back home, but he didn’t remember the way. Suddenly, he saw a line of tiny twigs along the path.
His mother had left them there so he wouldn’t get lost! The twigs led him all the way back home safely.
The farmer realized how smart and loving his mother was, even though she was old. He was grateful for her help and promised to always take care of her, no matter what.
The story shows us the special bond between a mother and a son and how much love and care they have for each other.
The plan made by the farmer’s mother shows three important things:
- Just because someone is old, doesn’t mean they’re not smart!
- The more experience and age someone has, the better they get at solving problems.
- Older people might not move as fast as younger people, but they make choices that are really smart and carefully thought out.
The story shows us that everyone, young and old, has a special job to do. The farmer’s mom was very wise and her ideas helped the old people of the town.
The story also tells us that it’s important to take care of and be kind to older people because they have a lot of knowledge and experience.
