Japanese Folk Tale

12. Ghost Stories
187. The Tiny Hakama
Long ago an old woman lived alone in a hut in the mountains. As
she was spinning as usual late one night, a little man came out from
somewhere. He was tiny and angular and he wore a little hakama neatly.
He said, "You must be lonely, Granny. I'll do a dance for you." He
danced, keeping time well with the song as he sang, "Tiny, tiny hakama
with a wooden sword at my side. Look, Granny, look!" Then he
disappeared. The old woman felt uneasy. When it was daylight, she
searched all over the house. Under the porch, she found an old wooden
pick which had been used to blacken teeth. She burned it to get rid of
it. After that nothing more appeared. It is said that in olden days the
old picks used to blacken teeth were gathered together and burned to
get rid of them.
Niigata, Sado
Niigata: Sadogashima 132, "The tiny hakama" (Chii-chii hakama).
Example.
Bitchu (Okayama): Minzoku I 681, "The little boy" (Chin-chin
chiyoboshD.
Oita, Kitaamabe-gun: MK I 4 30, "The ghost story" No. 1 (Bakemono