Japanese Folk Tale

26 The Yanagita Guide to The Japanese Folk Tale
(Momouri tonosama)., The garment was hidden, but the story
changes into "The wife's picture."
Kamihei-gun: Roo 327, "Tohei, the flute player" (Fuefuki Tohei).
The wife wove a mandala. The tasks of the feudal lord were 1000
bundles of ash rope, getting a drum, and the Thunder God. Kikimimi
39, "The wife from the Sky World" (Tennin go). The form is
close to a legend. It was originally a folk tale which has been
made into a story about the foundation of Komyoji. It has been
handed down in the family of the head of Hayachinezan Shrine.
Akita, Hiraga-gun: MK II 10 23, "The story about a man" (Ani no
hanashi). It is close to the humorous tale about the cucumber in
the Sky.
Fukushima: Iwaki 6, 102, "How the woman from the Sky was made the
wife of an honest man" (Tennin ga shojiki otoko no nyobo to natte
ita hanashi).
Niigata, Minamikanbara-gun: MK II 1 34, "The flute player" (Fuefuki
otoko). A bride came from the Sky World to a skillful flute player.
The feudal lord gave him tasks. The wife was carried away by the
feudal lord and brought back, etc.
Sado: Sado shu 52, 65, "The beginning of Tanabata" (Tanabata no
hajime) and "Waiting up for the 22nd Night" (Nijuniya machi no
hanashi). The first story has many embellishments. It is the work
of a professional story teller. The second story is an abbreviation,
but the man was taken as son-in-law in the Sky World. He received
a hen which laid golden eggs as a gift from his father-in-law. The
deity waited for on the 22nd Night is called Ama Otome.
Nagano, Chiisagata-gun: Chiisagata 210, "Domo, Komo."
Kamiina-gun: Ono 210, "Tanabata" (Tanabata ni tsuite no mukashibanashi).
The version with the robe, the prohibited melon, and the
origin of the stars.
Gifu, Yoshiki-gun: Hidabito V 2 33, "The wife from the Sky World"
(Tennin nyobo). The version with the robe. An old man showed her
the robe and she returned to the sky, carrying her child.
Aichi, Hoi-gun: Aichi 224, "The pine tree of the feather robe" (Hagoromo
matsu).
Tottori, Tohaku-gun: Inpaku mukashi 47, "Uchifuki-yama." Her robe was
not stolen, but when she took it off, she forgot about the Sky
World and became a farmer's wife. When she happened to put it on
later, she recalled the Sky World. She returned to the sky with the
help of a calabash flower and a child.
Shimane, OChi-gun: Minkan. II 6 7, "The myth about Sanbai" (Sanbai no
shinwa).
Hiroshima, Futami-gun: Geibi 5, "The wife from the Sky World" No. 1
(Tennin nyobo). The Sky was reached by climbing the Tree of
Happiness. Tasks were set by the girl's mother.
Hiba-gun: Geibi 11, "The wife from the Sky World" No.2 (Tennin
nyobo). The sky was reached by climbing a pine tree. A dog went
along. In this tale, as in the former two, the Milky Way came from
the melon and was the beginning of Tanabata.
Saeki-gun: Aki 53, "The golden bucket" (Kin no tago). He saved a
deer and it helped him go to the sky.
Yamaguchi, Suo Oshima: Suo Oshima 25, 26, "The wife from the Sky