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"Clever Father, Ugly Son"

A Japanese folktale re-told by rhzartist

My re-telling of a story I hardly remember; I'm happily embellishing.

In a certain small town lived a family of modest means - a father and son, who made their living as cowherds. They kept to themselves, not least because the son was one of the most hideous men that most townsfolk had ever seen. With his heavy-lidded eyes, broad face, huge nostrils, crooked teeth, and hunched, hirsute figure, he looked as though he had been around the cows for so long that he had become one. Some say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but the young women of the town who saw him agreed that he was objectively unattractive, and gave him a wide berth.

The young man's father was concerned. After all, without a family of his own, his son could never dream of passing on the family business. His son was a good man - honest, kind, and a hard worker. If only his father could find his son a wife who could overlook his physical appearance.

One day, word came that a certain lord was visiting the village. He was a powerful man, his lineage having influenced the whole countryside for over two hundred years. The gossip was that the emperor was considering promoting him to an even higher position - one that came with gifts of land and silk. On top of that, he was blessed with a daughter. She was rich, beautiful, and of marriageable age.

The elder cowherd thought of his son with the lord's daughter, and laughed. What a preposterous arrangement that would be! That would never happen without the interference of the gods.

He stopped laughing and scratched his head. Maybe he could make that happen...

That day, the elder cowherd requested an audience with the lord. The lord, hoping to find a suitable partner for his daughter, agreed. But when the elder cowherd walked in, the lord snorted.

"You? You are the man who contacted my secretary, claiming to have the most handsome son in the country? You smell of cow dung; and if your son takes after you, his looks are unlikely to be anything worth writing home about."

The cowherd wiped a tear from his eye. "In fact, he looks more like his mother did. She gave me a handsome, strong lad, but died of a terrible sickness many years ago..." The lord, ashamed, softened his gaze. "I apologize. I will hear your proposal."

The cowherd nodded and continued. "Your daughter is reputed to be the most beautiful woman in the land. That alone would have many men clambering for an appointment with you, to ask permission to marry her. And with the prestige that Your Lordship carries, you must be a very busy man. But I implore you to listen to this humble cowherd's request."

"My son is a good man - I have raised him to be honest, kind, and hardworking. He is dutiful to me, and he will make a dutiful husband and son-in-law, too. On top of that, he is so handsome that the local women swoon over him, to the point that their fathers don't allow them to approach my son, for fear of finding them fainting in the streets." The elder cowherd crossed his fingers, hoping that the lord would believe the lies.

The lord stroked his chin. "I do find it a relief to think of my daughter with a good man. I would hate for her to end up with the dishonest politicians I work with in the capital. But what I must consider is your son's lack of prestige - surely his humble vocation could not support the riches my daughter has grown up with."

Said the father, "Then I humbly ask you to supply your daughter with a sizeable dowry. My household may only own a few acres of land, but no one knows cowherding like we do. We know what to do to make the finest milk and cheese. From only our modest plot of land, my son supports himself and his aging father. I am certain he could make far more with a larger farm."

"Well," said the lord, "I do have more land and riches than I know what to do with. I would be happy to have a wise administrator. You do make a good case; but let me think this over." The old cowherd thanked the lord profusely and left.

Some time later, the father and son received a message from the lord's household. "It is decided: I would like my daughter to marry your son. I have told her what you have told me, and she eagerly awaits the marriage ceremony next week. As is tradition, the young pair shall spend their first three nights together in her sleeping chamber, in the dark. On the morning after the third night, the doors of the room will be opened, revealing the beautiful couple to the rest of the household."

The old cowherd took his bovine-looking son's face in his hands. "Trust in your old man to help the marriage ceremony run smoothly - just follow the plan." A covered wagon arrived to transport them to the lord's house.

In the evening, the young couple met for the first time. In the darkness, the woman could not make out the young cowherd's features. She modestly greeted him. The young man, just as shy, saluted her as well. After the initial awkwardness, they talked all night, finding more in common with each other than they expected. In the morning, before the sun rose, flooding the house with light, the young man left.

The next night went much the same way. The young couple quickly fell deeply in love. But the son's heart beat with trepidation. He imagined his beautiful wife-to-be screaming in horror when the third day's first light fell on his hideous face.

The final night arrived, and again the happy couple settled in together. They were whispering loving words to each other when suddenly, they heard loud footsteps approaching them from the roof. The footsteps stopped, and a voice boomed from above: "Who dares to sit in the chamber of my wife!"

The woman, in shock, cried, "Who are you? I have never been married!"

The voice continued, "Not to a human, you haven't! I am a demon that has lived in this house for decades, and I decided to take you as my wife. This young man has been betrothed to you... unfortunate for him, because I am a cruel monster with many magical powers. He is supposed to be the most handsome man in the country, but he won't be when I'm through with him!"

At this point, the lord's whole household had woken up from the ruckus. They could hear the voice sneering as it said, "Tell me, young man... which do you value more: your looks, or your life?"

"Um - uh, my looks!" squeaked the young man, in a terrified voice.

"Well then, I'll just have to take away what's most important to you! Let's see how you like it, looking just like the cows you care for." The house shook with a mighty force as the owner of the voice jumped on the roof, shouting spells into the night. The young man screamed in agony, just as his father had told him to. When the noise subsided, the household came pouring into the bedchamber, finding the young man clutching his face in his hands and moaning. Someone lit a torch for light, and with bated breath, everyone watched the young cowherd slowly remove his hands.

They cried and shuddered. "Oh, no! What a terrible curse that demon put on you. Your handsome looks... gone!" Even his wife-to-be gasped at his mangled features. But she was not horrified. With pity, she held him close. "You could be the ugliest man in the world, but I have known you these past couple nights, and you're beautiful to me. Of course I'll still marry you." The lord promised them vast tracts of land to make up for the demon's cruel enchantment.

The demon was never heard from again, and the hoarse-voiced old cowherd attended his son's wedding, beaming the whole time.


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