The Rabbit and the Moon
A Puppet Show
by Kakita Kaori
In the village square, a young woman sits. She is maybe a year or two past her gempuku, her blue robes set around her, her long black hair draped over her shoulder down to her knees. Above, the sun of later afternoon casts long shadows across the square, but it is still a few hours before the lanterns are lit and night falls.
"Once upon a time," the young woman begins again, her voice warm and welcoming, drawing in all the children from the village square, "the world was in great danger. The mighty Hantei had cut open the belly of Lord Onnetagu, the Moon, and the Kami had come tumbling, tumbling down to the ground, Ningen-do, where we all live. You all know that story?"
The storyteller's eyes twinkle as she continues. "Well, Lord Moon was wounded badly by Lord Hantei's strike. His hand was gone, and he could no longer pull his mighty bow. But he still had a great spear, forged out of starlight and the fires of heaven, that you can see sometimes like a great rod of light across the night sky. Some have seen it. Maybe even your parents or grandparents!"
The storyteller lifted in one hand a puppet, made as a samurai wearing heavy black armor and wielding a spear that glinted with gold leaf. The puppet turned to glare at the crowd of children. "Once Lord Moon had recovered from his wounds enough, he was filled with fury and the desire for revenge. He decided he would cast his spear down upon the Empire and destroy it and all who lived in it in one great blow from the sky!"
The puppet shakes his spear aggressively at the children. ""So, just when night was falling, he lifted his arm to destroy Rokugan. But no one was paying attention to his coming except for just one. And that one's name was Rabbit."
The storyteller lifted another puppet, this a little white furry thing...though clad in what looks like a blue kimono. "Rabbit was just a small, furry little creature, one of the weakest of them, but he was paying attention. And when he saw Lord Moon readying his spear, he shouted up "Wait!""
"Amazed at having so small a creature speak to him so, Onnetagu did pause. "Who is it that dares to speak to me so?" he asked." The Storyteller's voice takes on a deep, powerful tone as she speaks the words of Lord Moon. The Lord Moon puppet turns to face Rabbit.
The storyteller leaned forward, her voice softening to draw the children in. "The rabbit was terrified, of course, but he could see what the Moon was about to do, and he knew he was the only one who could stop it. So he said, "It is I, Rabbit! I am the Guardian of all Ningen-do. My People have sworn to protect it all from any danger.""
The Rabbit puppet bowed to the Lord Moon Puppet as the Storyteller continued. "The idea of such a tiny, furry creature being the Guardian of Ningen-do made Lord Moon laugh with its absurdity. "You?! I could crush you in an instant!""
The Lord Moon puppet turned to glare at all the assembled children, then back at the Rabbit with fierce eyes. But the Rabbit pupped stepped closer. "The Rabbit bowed. "Undoubtedly, My Lord. Faster. But I do not guard alone. You can't defeat twelve of us, can you? ""
""I can defeat many more than that," said Onnetagu."
The Rabbit puppet bowed again. "You are very powerful and great indeed. But I have many brothers and sisters. You certainly could not defeat a hundred of us.""
The black-armored Puppet draws itself up to its full height. ""Of course I could," answered Lord Moon with confidence."
The Rabbit puppet bowed a third time, but when it straightened, you could almost see the defiant glint in the polished pebble eyes of the little blue-kimono'ed bunny. ""You are tremendous and terrifying beyond measure. But I have many children, also. Could you defeat, do you think, all of us at once?""
The Lord Moon puppet towered over the Rabbit puppet, and over all the children in the little audience as the storyteller roared out in a deep bellow, ""I am Lord Moon," answered Lord Moon, chortling at Rabbit's bravado. "Of course, I can defeat you and all your children.""
The Rabbit puppet straightened, and gave Lord Moon a cocky salute. ""Very well. I accept your challenge, Great Lord Moon. Wait here, and I will go in and fetch all my descendants and, when we have all assembled, we will fight you." " A sly smile formed on the storyteller's lips. "And with that, he hopped away as quick as his two bunny legs could take him."
The storyteller sets the Rabbit puppet hopping until he disappears behind her back.
She leans forward. "Every night at moonrise, some number of Rabbit's children emerge to reassure Lord Moon that the rest will be there soon. And every night, Lord Moon awaits the arrival of /all/ of Rabbit's children so that he might finally defeat the Guardians of Ningen-do. But, of course, he will never find them all."
In the village square, a young woman sits. She is maybe a year or two past her gempuku, her blue robes set around her, her long black hair draped over her shoulder down to her knees. Above, the sun of later afternoon casts long shadows across the square, but it is still a few hours before the lanterns are lit and night falls.
"Once upon a time," the young woman begins again, her voice warm and welcoming, drawing in all the children from the village square, "the world was in great danger. The mighty Hantei had cut open the belly of Lord Onnetagu, the Moon, and the Kami had come tumbling, tumbling down to the ground, Ningen-do, where we all live. You all know that story?"
The storyteller's eyes twinkle as she continues. "Well, Lord Moon was wounded badly by Lord Hantei's strike. His hand was gone, and he could no longer pull his mighty bow. But he still had a great spear, forged out of starlight and the fires of heaven, that you can see sometimes like a great rod of light across the night sky. Some have seen it. Maybe even your parents or grandparents!"
The storyteller lifted in one hand a puppet, made as a samurai wearing heavy black armor and wielding a spear that glinted with gold leaf. The puppet turned to glare at the crowd of children. "Once Lord Moon had recovered from his wounds enough, he was filled with fury and the desire for revenge. He decided he would cast his spear down upon the Empire and destroy it and all who lived in it in one great blow from the sky!"
The puppet shakes his spear aggressively at the children. ""So, just when night was falling, he lifted his arm to destroy Rokugan. But no one was paying attention to his coming except for just one. And that one's name was Rabbit."
The storyteller lifted another puppet, this a little white furry thing...though clad in what looks like a blue kimono. "Rabbit was just a small, furry little creature, one of the weakest of them, but he was paying attention. And when he saw Lord Moon readying his spear, he shouted up "Wait!""
"Amazed at having so small a creature speak to him so, Onnetagu did pause. "Who is it that dares to speak to me so?" he asked." The Storyteller's voice takes on a deep, powerful tone as she speaks the words of Lord Moon. The Lord Moon puppet turns to face Rabbit.
The storyteller leaned forward, her voice softening to draw the children in. "The rabbit was terrified, of course, but he could see what the Moon was about to do, and he knew he was the only one who could stop it. So he said, "It is I, Rabbit! I am the Guardian of all Ningen-do. My People have sworn to protect it all from any danger.""
The Rabbit puppet bowed to the Lord Moon Puppet as the Storyteller continued. "The idea of such a tiny, furry creature being the Guardian of Ningen-do made Lord Moon laugh with its absurdity. "You?! I could crush you in an instant!""
The Lord Moon puppet turned to glare at all the assembled children, then back at the Rabbit with fierce eyes. But the Rabbit pupped stepped closer. "The Rabbit bowed. "Undoubtedly, My Lord. Faster. But I do not guard alone. You can't defeat twelve of us, can you? ""
""I can defeat many more than that," said Onnetagu."
The Rabbit puppet bowed again. "You are very powerful and great indeed. But I have many brothers and sisters. You certainly could not defeat a hundred of us.""
The black-armored Puppet draws itself up to its full height. ""Of course I could," answered Lord Moon with confidence."
The Rabbit puppet bowed a third time, but when it straightened, you could almost see the defiant glint in the polished pebble eyes of the little blue-kimono'ed bunny. ""You are tremendous and terrifying beyond measure. But I have many children, also. Could you defeat, do you think, all of us at once?""
The Lord Moon puppet towered over the Rabbit puppet, and over all the children in the little audience as the storyteller roared out in a deep bellow, ""I am Lord Moon," answered Lord Moon, chortling at Rabbit's bravado. "Of course, I can defeat you and all your children.""
The Rabbit puppet straightened, and gave Lord Moon a cocky salute. ""Very well. I accept your challenge, Great Lord Moon. Wait here, and I will go in and fetch all my descendants and, when we have all assembled, we will fight you." " A sly smile formed on the storyteller's lips. "And with that, he hopped away as quick as his two bunny legs could take him."
The storyteller sets the Rabbit puppet hopping until he disappears behind her back.
She leans forward. "Every night at moonrise, some number of Rabbit's children emerge to reassure Lord Moon that the rest will be there soon. And every night, Lord Moon awaits the arrival of /all/ of Rabbit's children so that he might finally defeat the Guardians of Ningen-do. But, of course, he will never find them all."
