Der Bestrafte Tierquäler
by Unknown · from Japanische Märchen
Adapted Version
Mr. Kaito lived in Yedo town. He made umbrellas. But he did not have much money.
Mr. Kaito went to a fair. He saw a big tiger show. Many people went to see it. The man with the tiger made much money. Mr. Kaito had an idea. He wanted a tiger too. He wanted to make money.
Mr. Kaito had no real tiger. He found a tiger skin. He bought a little calf. He put the calf inside the skin. He made sure it was quiet. Now he had a 'tiger'.
Mr. Kaito showed his 'tiger'. Many people came to see it. They thought it was a real tiger. It was very quiet. People gave him much money. Mr. Kaito was happy.
Mr. Kaito wanted more money. He showed the 'tiger' all day. He forgot to give the calf food. He forgot to give it water. The calf became very weak. Then it was gone. This was very sad.
Mr. Kaito bought a new calf. He put it in the skin. He did this many times. He did this with other calves. He only wanted money.
The gods were watching Mr. Kaito. They saw his unkind actions. This was not good. The gods decided he must learn a lesson. They would help the calves.
One day, Mr. Kaito felt sick. He could not speak words anymore. He tried to talk. But he made a different sound. He made a calf sound. It was a sad sound.
Mr. Kaito felt very strange. He took the tiger skin. He wrapped it around himself. He ran into the street. He made the calf sound. He was jumping in a funny way. People watched him.
Children saw Mr. Kaito. They laughed at him. They pointed at him. He stayed like this for three days. He was very tired.
Mr. Kaito could not eat. He could not drink. He was very tired. Then he was gone. He was not kind to calves. Be kind to all animals. If you are not kind, bad things can happen.
Original Story
Der bestrafte Tierquäler.
n Yedo1 lebte vor Jahren ein Schirmmacher, dessen Verdienst sehr gering war, sodaß er mit Not und Sorgen zu kämpfen hatte. Auf einem Jahrmarkt sah er einmal in einer Bude einen Tiger ausgestellt und als er beobachtete, wie sich alles Volk in diese Bude drängte und der Besitzer eine gute Einnahme hatte, kam er auf den Gedanken gleichfalls auf den Märkten einen Tiger auszustellen.
Wo aber einen Tiger hernehmen? In Japan gab es keine, zum Kaufen hatte er kein Geld. Er wußte sich jedoch zu helfen. In einem Laden hatte er ein Tigerfell gesehen, dies erhandelte er; dann nahm er ein Kalb und nähte dieses in das Tigerfell. Damit es aber durch sein Blöken seine wahre Gestalt nicht verrate, band er dem Tiere das Maul zu.
Nun zog er auf die Messen und Märkte und hatte großen Zulauf, denn solch einen zahmen und friedfertigen Tiger hatte noch niemand gesehen.
Da der Verkehr in seiner Bude vom frühen Morgen bis zum späten Abend kein Ende nahm, er aber auch durch eine Pause seine Einnahmen nicht schmälern wollte, so fand er keine Zeit und Gelegenheit das arme Kalb zu füttern oder zu tränken, sodaß dasselbe nach einigen Tagen zu Grunde ging.
Da kaufte er sich ein anderes Kalb und so weiter, bis er wohl an zehn Kälber seiner Geldgier geopfert hatte. Doch die Götter schlafen nicht und rächen jede Unbill, die ihren Geschöpfen zugefügt wird.
Eines Tages wurde der Mann krank, er verlor seine Sprache und nur ein klägliches Blöken ertönte, wenn er sprechen wollte. Dann ergriff ihn der Wahnsinn; er riß seine Kleider vom Leibe, umhüllte sich mit dem Tigerfell und eilte in komischen Sprüngen und unter fortwährendem Blöken auf die Straße. Hier diente er der Jugend zum Spott, die ihn mit Steinen und Unrat bewarf. So trieb er es drei Tage lang, er konnte weder essen noch trinken und starb endlich eines elenden Todes.
Das war die Strafe der Götter für seine Tierquälerei.
1. Das heutige Tokyo.
Story DNA
Moral
Cruelty to animals, especially driven by greed, will inevitably lead to a just and severe punishment.
Plot Summary
A poor umbrella maker, seeking wealth, devises a scheme to exhibit a 'tiger' by sewing calves into a tiger skin and binding their mouths. He earns much money but, driven by greed, repeatedly starves and kills the calves. The gods punish him by making him lose his speech, able only to bleat, and driving him mad. He wraps himself in the tiger skin, runs into the streets, and is mocked and tormented by children until he dies a miserable death, a direct consequence of his animal cruelty.
Themes
Emotional Arc
ambition to madness and death
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The story refers to Yedo, the historical name for Tokyo, indicating a setting prior to 1868. The concept of 'gods' (Götter) punishing misdeeds is a common theme in many cultures, including traditional Japanese beliefs.
Plot Beats (11)
- A poor umbrella maker in Yedo struggles financially.
- He observes a popular tiger exhibition at a fair and decides to create his own to earn money.
- Unable to acquire a real tiger, he buys a tiger skin and sews a live calf inside, binding its mouth to silence it.
- He exhibits his 'tiger' at markets, drawing large crowds who are amazed by its tameness, and he earns significant income.
- Driven by greed, he works continuously, neglecting to feed or water the calf, which soon dies.
- He repeatedly buys new calves, sacrificing about ten to his money-making scheme.
- The gods, observing his cruelty, decide to punish him.
- The man falls ill, loses his ability to speak, and can only emit a pitiful bleating sound.
- He descends into madness, tears off his clothes, wraps himself in the tiger skin, and runs into the street, bleating and making comical jumps.
- Children mock him and pelt him with stones and refuse for three days.
- Unable to eat or drink, he dies a miserable death, receiving divine punishment for his animal cruelty.
Characters
The Umbrella Maker
A man of average height and build, likely lean due to his struggles with poverty. His features would be typical of a Japanese man of the Edo period, with dark hair and eyes.
Attire: Simple, worn cotton kimono in muted tones like indigo or grey, possibly patched. He would wear a simple obi (sash) and straw zori sandals. His clothes would reflect his low income and practical profession.
Wants: To escape poverty and gain wealth. He is driven by the desire for money and success, even at the expense of others.
Flaw: Greed and a lack of empathy. His insatiable desire for money leads him to cruelty and ultimately to his downfall.
He transforms from a struggling craftsman into a cruel, greedy showman. His arc culminates in a tragic, supernatural punishment, where he loses his humanity, succumbs to madness, and dies a miserable death, becoming the very 'beast' he tormented.
Impoverished, cunning, opportunistic, greedy, cruel, desperate.
The Calves
Young, domestic cattle, likely light-colored or brown, small enough to be disguised within a tiger skin. They would appear weak and emaciated due to starvation.
Attire: None, but they are encased in a tiger skin.
Wants: To survive, to be fed and watered.
Flaw: Their complete dependence on humans for care, making them vulnerable to abuse.
Each calf is brought into the scheme, suffers, and dies, serving as a symbol of the umbrella maker's cruelty and the eventual cause of his divine punishment.
Innocent, helpless, suffering.
Locations
Yedo Marketplace Booth
A bustling, temporary structure made of wood and fabric, typical of a Japanese marketplace in Yedo (Tokyo). It's designed to attract crowds, with an opening for viewing the 'tiger'. The interior is likely dimly lit, focusing attention on the exhibit.
Mood: bustling, curious, exploitative, eventually tragic
The umbrella maker exhibits his fake tiger, earning money but neglecting the calf inside, leading to its death and the deaths of subsequent calves.
Yedo Street
A public thoroughfare in Yedo, likely unpaved earth or packed gravel, lined with traditional Japanese wooden buildings with tiled roofs. It's a place for daily life and public spectacle, where children play and adults conduct business. The street becomes the stage for the umbrella maker's final, tragic punishment.
Mood: public, mocking, desolate, tragic
The umbrella maker, driven mad, runs through the street wrapped in the tiger skin, blöking like a calf, mocked and pelted by children, leading to his death.