I just heard this story one day & I loved it :)
"Many years ago, the Old Man of the Moon decided to visit the Earth. He disguised himself as a beggar and asked Fox (Kitsune), Monkey (Saru), and Rabbit (Usagi) for some food.
Monkey climbed a tree and brought him some fruit. Fox went to a stream, caught a fish, and brought it back to him. But Rabbit had nothing to offer him but some grass. So he asked the beggar to build a fire. After the beggar started the fire, Rabbit jumped into it and offered himself as a meal for the beggar to eat.
Quickly the beggar changed back into the Old Man of the Moon and pulled Rabbit from the fire. He said "You are most kind, Rabbit, but don't do anything to harm yourself. Since you were the kindest of all to me, I'll take you back to the moon to live with me."
The Old Man carried Rabbit in his arms back to the moon and he is still there to this very day exactly where the Old Man left him. Just look at the moon in the night sky and the rabbit is there!"
Monkey climbed a tree and brought him some fruit. Fox went to a stream, caught a fish, and brought it back to him. But Rabbit had nothing to offer him but some grass. So he asked the beggar to build a fire. After the beggar started the fire, Rabbit jumped into it and offered himself as a meal for the beggar to eat.
Quickly the beggar changed back into the Old Man of the Moon and pulled Rabbit from the fire. He said "You are most kind, Rabbit, but don't do anything to harm yourself. Since you were the kindest of all to me, I'll take you back to the moon to live with me."
The Old Man carried Rabbit in his arms back to the moon and he is still there to this very day exactly where the Old Man left him. Just look at the moon in the night sky and the rabbit is there!"
This story is said to originate from the Buddhist Śaśajâtaka, where Śakra is the Old Man of the Moon and the monkey, otter, and jackal are the rabbit's companions.
Also in Japan is the mid-autumn, or Jugo-ya, festival. As in China and Korea, people gather to watch the full moon and children sing a song about the moon rabbit called "Usagi", or "Rabbit".
Also in Japan is the mid-autumn, or Jugo-ya, festival. As in China and Korea, people gather to watch the full moon and children sing a song about the moon rabbit called "Usagi", or "Rabbit".
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J'ai entendu ce conte un jour et j'ai de suite aimé.
« Un jour, un dieu descendit sur terre et prit la forme d'un homme affamé. Il se rendit dans une forêt, et voulait tester la capacité des animaux à vivre dans les bois. Tous les animaux présents lui ramenèrent de la nourriture. Le singe grimpa dans les arbres et lui ramena des fruits. L'ours alla pêcher des poissons dans la rivière. Les oiseaux chassèrent des insectes et des vers qu'ils offrirent au mendiant. Tous avaient un présent pour le vieil homme. Tous, sauf le lapin, qui n'avait pas les ressources nécessaires. Il avait beau renouveler ses tentatives, il ne réussissait pas à trouver de la nourriture pour l'homme criant famine. Les autres animaux commencèrent à se moquer de lui. Le lapin voulait pourtant lui aussi vraiment venir en aide au vieil homme, et demanda alors à ce qu'on allume un feu. Il décida alors d'offrir au mendiant sa propre vie, sa propre chair, et se sacrifia en se jetant dans le feu pour que l'homme le mange.
Le dieu fut très ému de cet acte, et dans sa grande gratitude, sauva sa vie, et le récompensa en l'envoyant habiter sur la lune. »