Chapter 1: The Poor but Faithful Young Man
Long, long ago, in a quiet little village in Japan, there lived a young man named Taro. Taro was very poor. His house was small and often empty, and there was rarely enough food on his table. But even though his life was hard, Taro never lost his faith.
Every single day, Taro walked to the old shrine at the edge of the village to pray. He would close his eyes, bow his head, and whisper the same wish again and again.
Taro: "Please, dear gods, let my life change for the better. I promise I will work hard and always be kind."
One evening, after praying longer than usual, Taro felt his eyes grow heavy. Wrapped in the quiet peace of the shrine, he curled up on the wooden floor and fell fast asleep.
Chapter 2: The Mysterious Dream
As Taro slept, something strange happened. A soft, glowing light seemed to fill his dream, and from within it came a warm, gentle voice.
Mysterious Voice: "Taro... Taro, can you hear me?"
Taro looked around, but there was no one to be seen. Only the voice remained, echoing kindly around him.
Taro: "W-who are you? Where are you?"Mysterious Voice: "Do not be afraid, young man. I have watched your prayers, and I have seen your kind and patient heart. Listen carefully: when you wake up, walk out of this shrine. Whatever you find first, hold onto it tightly. That very thing will be the beginning of great fortune in your life."Taro: "The first thing I find...? But what if it's something small, or worthless?"Mysterious Voice: "Trust it. Great things can grow from the smallest beginnings."
And with that, the voice faded away like mist in the morning sun.
Chapter 3: The Straw and the Fly
When morning came, Taro opened his eyes and sat up slowly, blinking in the sunlight that poured through the shrine's window.
Taro: "What a strange dream... but it felt so real. Could it truly be a message from the gods?"
Still unsure, but too curious to ignore it, Taro rose to his feet and stepped outside the shrine. He looked down at the ground, left and right, searching for whatever fate had placed before him.
There, lying quietly in the dirt, was nothing more than a single stalk of straw.
Taro: "...A stalk of straw? That's all? Hmm. Well, a promise is a promise. I did say I would trust it."
He picked it up gently and continued on his way home, turning the little straw over in his fingers.
Before long, an annoying fly began buzzing around his head, again and again, refusing to leave him alone.
Taro: "Shoo! Go away, pesky fly!"
But the fly would not go. So, with a quick swipe of his hand, Taro caught it — and, having nothing better to do, he tied the fly to the end of his straw with a small loop. The little fly buzzed and spun round and round in circles, unable to fly away, tugging helplessly at its straw leash.
Taro chuckled at the funny sight and kept walking, his new "toy" buzzing along beside him.
Chapter 4: Three Sweet Oranges
As Taro walked through the village carrying his straw-and-fly toy, a small child spotted it and came running, eyes wide with delight.
Child: "Mother, look! Look at that funny buzzing toy! I want it, I want it!"
The child's mother turned to see what had caught her son's attention. She smiled when she saw the little fly spinning round and round on its straw string.
Mother: "My, what a clever little toy! Young man, would you be willing to trade it? My son would be overjoyed."Taro: "Of course! It's only a straw and a fly — please, take it and make the child happy."
Delighted, the mother reached into her basket and pulled out three plump, sweet oranges, offering them to Taro with a grateful smile.
Mother: "Here, please accept these oranges as thanks for your kindness."Taro: "Thank you very much, kind lady! I only found a piece of straw this morning, and now I have three oranges. What a fine trade!"
Taro tucked the oranges into his sleeve and continued down the road, feeling a little lighter in his heart.
Chapter 5: The Old Woman's Gift
Further down the road, under the shade of a tall tree, Taro came across an old woman sitting wearily by the roadside. Her face was pale, and her lips looked dry and cracked.
Old Woman: "Oh... young man, please, could you help me? I am so terribly thirsty. Do you know where I might find a spring nearby?"
Taro looked around and shook his head sadly.
Taro: "I'm afraid the nearest spring is quite far from here, granny. But please, take these — I have three fresh oranges. They may not be water, but they will surely quench your thirst."
He held out the three sweet oranges, and the old woman's tired eyes lit up with gratitude.
Old Woman: "Bless you, child! Your kindness has saved this old woman today."
She ate the oranges gratefully, and once she had rested, she reached into her bag and pulled out three beautiful rolls of woven cloth, each one dyed in lovely colors.
Old Woman: "Please, take these in return. It is the least I can do for such a generous young man."Taro: "Oh, I couldn't possibly—but... thank you, granny! I will treasure them."
And so Taro walked on, now carrying three rolls of fine woven fabric under his arm.
Chapter 6: The Tired Horse
Not long after, Taro heard shouting up ahead. He hurried forward and found a samurai and his attendant standing beside a horse that lay collapsed on the ground, too exhausted to move.
Samurai: "Get up, horse! We have no time to lose — we must reach the capital before nightfall!"Attendant: "It's no use, my lord. The horse is far too weak. We shall have to leave it behind and continue on foot."
The samurai sighed heavily, clearly troubled at the thought of abandoning his horse.
Taro: "Excuse me, sir. If you truly must leave your horse behind, would you allow me to take care of it? I would be happy to trade these three rolls of woven cloth for it."
The samurai looked at Taro, then at the fine cloth, and nodded.
Samurai: "If you are willing to take on such a burden, then the horse is yours. Take good care of him."
Taro gently laid down the cloth and knelt beside the tired horse, stroking its neck softly.
Taro: "Don't worry, friend. I'll take good care of you until you're strong again."
Day after day, Taro fed the horse, gave it clean water, and let it rest. Slowly but surely, the horse's strength returned, until one morning it stood tall and healthy, ready to run once more.
Chapter 7: A Field of His Own
Overjoyed, Taro took his newly healed horse for a walk through the village to show off how well it had recovered. Along the way, he passed a merchant busily loading cart after cart with furniture and belongings.
Taro: "Good sir, are you moving to a new home?"Merchant: "Indeed I am, young man — but oh, what trouble it is! I have so many things to carry, and no strong animal to help me pull my cart."
Taro glanced at his healthy horse, then at the merchant's heavy load, and an idea came to him.
Taro: "My horse is strong and well again. If it would help you, I would gladly trade him for something of yours in return."Merchant: "You would trade this fine horse? I have little of value left... except my rice field on the edge of the village. Would that be a fair trade for such a strong, healthy animal?"Taro: "A field of my very own? Yes — I accept, gladly!"
And so, with a handshake and a smile, Taro traded his horse for the merchant's rice field.
Chapter 8: A Happy Ending
From that day on, Taro worked the field with all his heart. He plowed the soil each morning, planted the rice with care, and tended it faithfully through every season. Before long, the field bore rich, golden grain, more abundant than Taro had ever imagined.
Taro's hard work and kindness did not go unnoticed. He soon married a gentle and beautiful young woman from the village, and together they lived happily, their home filled with warmth, laughter, and plenty of rice to share with others in need.
Taro: "To think it all began with a single stalk of straw..."
And so, from one small piece of straw, came a fly, then three oranges, then woven cloth, then a horse, and finally, a field that brought Taro all the fortune he had ever prayed for.
The Moral of the Story
This tale teaches us that hard work, patience, and a sincere, generous heart can lead to wonderful things — even if we start with almost nothing at all. Taro never hesitated to help others along his journey, and in return, kindness came back to him many times over.
This has been "The Straw Millionaire," a folktale from Japan. We hope you enjoyed it!
Play Taro's story interactively! Tap, hold, and drag to help Taro turn his fortune around — from a single straw all the way to wide rice fields. Includes voice narration and an Indonesian/English language toggle.
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