I very dimly recall the Thumbelina movie. Mostly I just remember the “Dearie, Marry the Mole!” song (Aha! Now it’s stuck in your head too!). I’m familiar with the story of Thumbelina, though - a girl the size of a thumb, and her adventures in the world.
Issunboshi is like a fierce male warrior version of Thumbelina, despite being even smaller than she is.
“Issunboshi” means “Little One-Inch”, and this Japanese folk hero was aptly named. His parents had struggled to conceive a child for years. They eventually went to a temple and prayed for a son, promising to love him even if he was only the size of an inch.
The wife soon bore an inch tall son she named Issunboshi (I imagine it was a very easy labor.). The boy was brave and clever despite his size, and worked hard as he grew up. When he turned fifteen Issunboshi wanted to travel to Kyoto. (Up until the past couple of centuries, Kyoto was the capitol of Japan. It was also a holy city that people would travel to on pilgrimages.)
Issunboshi’s parents sent him off on his journey with a bowl, a pair of chopsticks, and a needle stuck in a piece of bamboo. He used these items differently than most travelers would, utilizing the bowl as a boat and the chopsticks as paddles. This allowed him to reach Kyoto quite quickly, since the river that ran by his house led directly to the city.
Upon his arrival in Kyoto, Issunboshi found work with a wealthy family. They swiftly grew to like him, for he was kind and a hard worker.
One day Issunboshi was escorting the family’s daughter to the temple when they were attacked by two Oni - Japanese devils with horns and sharp claws. Issunboshi distracted the Oni while the girl ran for cover, but one of the demons picked up Little One-Inch and swallowed him!
Luckily, Issunboshi was brave and clever. The needle he carried was, to him, the size of a sword. Issunboshi began stabbing the Oni’s insides while he crawled his way up its throat and out of its mouth.
The Oni was agonized (I can’t imagine why) and spit Issunboshi out as soon as possible. Its companion lunged for the little warrior, only to find him sitting on its nose! Issunboshi began to stab at the Oni’s eyes, and he quickly chased the evil duo off.
In Japanese mythology mallets are considered to be items of good luck. When one is struck upon the ground its wielder may make a wish. Issunboshi found such a mallet lying on the ground after the Oni had fled. When the girl he had been guarding returned, Little One-Inch asked for her help in picking it up and making a wish. The girl aided him, and the wish was instantly granted - Issunboshi grew to the size of a normal man.
The duo returned home to the girl’s family, and Issunboshi expressed his desire to marry the girl. Her father agreed, and the two were wed.
I love the story of Little One-Inch - particularly how he uses everyday items in a unique way. A needle sword might sound amusing, but I’d imagine the Oni weren't laughing when he used it. I also love the fact that he didn’t let his size stop him from doing anything he wanted to do.
Have a similar story to share? Thoughts or comments? Please post below or email me. I’d love to hear from you!
I’ll be back next post with the story of Yamato-Takeru, wielder of Kusanagi!
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