The Old Woman Who Lost Her Dumpling
『団子をなくしたお婆さん』
（Dango wo nakushita baa）
訳者：ラフカディオ・ハーン（Lafcadio Hearn）
家の台所の穴に団子を落とした陽気な婆が団子を追って穴に落ち、別世界へ行きました。地蔵の警告も聞かず団子を探して進んだ婆は鬼に見つかり、その住処<すみか>に連れて行かれ、米が増える不思議な杓文字<しゃもじ>を使って毎日鬼たちの飯作りをさせられていました。家へ帰りたくなった婆は杓文字を持って脱走し、舟で川を渡ります。泳げない鬼たちは川の水を飲み干して婆を捕まえようとしたので、婆は鬼たちに向かっておかしな顔をして見せました。鬼たちが笑って吐き出した水で川の水位が戻り、まんまと逃げ切った婆は、家へ帰り、その杓文字を使って団子を作って売り、金持ちになりました。
A funny old woman who lost a dumpling of rice flour down a hole in the kitchen of her cottage crawled into the hole in pursuit of it and found herself in another country. After continuing to hunt for the dumpling against the warning of Jizo, she was found by "oni" (i.e., devil), which took her to its home. There, she was forced to cook meals for them everyday using a magical wooden rice-paddle that made the rice multiply. Longing to return to her cottage, she escaped with the rice-paddle, and tried to cross the river in a boat. The devils, who couldn't swim, attempted to recapture her by drinking the river dry. Then, the old woman turned toward them and made a funny face. The devils burst out laughing, and the river water returned to its normal level. Having made good her escape, the old woman returned safely home, where she used the magical rice-paddle to make dumplings and became rich by selling them.
