May 4th of the Water Lily Month -- The Fairy Tales of Kenji Miyazawa

Author: Kenji Miyazawa
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-05-01
Features: On the day of July 4th (the fourth day of the seventh month in the old lunar calendar), the terrifying snow woman flew down from the distant west, and instantly everything turned white. A child wrapped in a red carpet was blown down by the blizzard and trapped in the snow, unable to get out. At that moment, the snow sprite rushed over and covered the child completely with snow. How beautiful a story it is, filled with the white expanse of snow! The words are snow-white, the scenery is snow-white, and even the entire story is snow-white—this is the feeling that hits you when you first read it. Yes, it shines with beauty from beginning to end, with a slightly dazzling light of ice and snow—pure white, crystal clear, covering the sky and the ground, all mixed together. Even with your eyes closed, you can feel the wind on your cheeks. The swirling snowflakes are still dancing before our eyes, dazzling and bewildering us. Suddenly, a fierce gust of wind takes us to a primordial legend of snow and spirits. Thus, on this wondrous day of July 4th, we hear a story of death and rebirth, a tale of salvation and being saved.