In a small village nestled among the bamboo groves of old Japan, there lived an elderly couple. The husband, a kind-hearted woodcutter, had a gentle nature, while his wife was known for her sharp tongue and irritable temper. One day, the woodcutter rescued a small sparrow with a broken wing and brought it home. His wife scoffed at the idea of keeping a wild bird, but the man insisted, and soon the sparrow became a beloved companion. It would perch on his shoulder as he worked, chirping softly. The old man named it Shita-kiri Suzume, though the name would later take on a darker meaning. The sparrow seemed to understand human speech, and its presence brought warmth to the humble home.
The wife, however, grew increasingly jealous of the attention her husband gave the bird. One morning, while the woodcutter was away, she prepared some starch to stiffen her clothes. The sparrow, curious, pecked at the paste. Enraged, the woman seized the bird and, with a pair of scissors, cut its tongue. 'Now you cannot sing and steal my husband's affection!' she cried. The sparrow, bleeding and terrified, flew away into the forest. When the woodcutter returned and found the bird gone, his wife told him it had escaped. But he noticed the scissors and the smear of blood, and his heart filled with sorrow and anger. He searched the woods for days, calling the sparrow's name, but only the wind answered.
One evening, an old woman appeared at his door, claiming to be the sparrow's mother. She led him deep into the forest to a hidden bamboo grove, where a magnificent house stood. Inside, the sparrow—now healed—greeted him joyfully. The sparrow's family thanked the woodcutter for his kindness and offered him a choice of two baskets: one large and ornate, the other small and plain. The woodcutter, humble and grateful, chose the smaller basket. When he returned home and opened it, he found it filled with gold coins, silk robes, and precious gems. His wealth transformed their lives, but his wife's greed was awakened.
But he noticed the scissors and the smear of blood, and his heart filled with sorrow and anger.
The wife demanded to know where the treasure came from. Reluctantly, the woodcutter told her the story. She immediately set off to find the sparrow's house, pretending to be remorseful. The sparrow's family, seeing through her deceit, still offered her the same choice. The greedy woman seized the large, beautiful basket, imagining it overflowing with riches. She hurried home, but when she opened it, a swarm of venomous snakes, spiders, and scorpions burst out. They stung and bit her until she fell ill. The woodcutter nursed her, but she never fully recovered, and her bitterness only grew.
The tale of the tongue-cut sparrow carries rich symbolism. The sparrow itself represents innocence and the natural world, while the cutting of its tongue symbolises the silencing of joy and the destruction of harmony. The two baskets embody the moral duality of the story: the small basket rewards humility and gratitude, while the large basket punishes greed and deceit. The woodcutter's kindness opens the door to fortune, but his wife's cruelty leads to ruin. The bamboo grove, a common setting in Japanese folklore, symbolises resilience and the boundary between the human world and the spirit realm.
Ambiguity pervades the narrative. Is the sparrow a magical being or simply a bird? The story never clarifies, leaving readers to interpret its nature. The wife's punishment—illness rather than death—raises questions about justice and mercy. Does the woodcutter's wealth come from genuine gratitude or from a test of character? The tale offers no easy answers. These ambiguities invite readers to reflect on the complexities of human behaviour and the consequences of our actions. The story's technique relies on contrast: the small versus the large, the kind versus the cruel, the silent versus the sung.
Yei Theodora Ozaki's translation of this tale in Japanese Fairy Tales preserves the folkloric structure while highlighting its moral lessons. The story functions as a cautionary tale about the dangers of jealousy and greed, but it also celebrates the virtues of kindness and humility. The sparrow's muteness after its tongue is cut mirrors the silencing of dissent in society, a theme that resonates across cultures. By retelling this legend, we engage with a tradition that uses simple narratives to explore profound truths. The tongue-cut sparrow reminds us that words, once spoken—or silenced—carry weight beyond measure.