Chapter 6
Forest of Drizzling Rain - Volume One (霧雨が降る森上)
I do not own this story
whew first part here we go! sorry for any mistakes and thank you for reading!
the chapters are h.e.l.la long so I'll be breaking them up into parts
Long long ago a very beautiful woman lived in a village.
However, with her beauty she ensnared the village's men
and started to do bad things.
Because of this, the village gradually declined, and the men's wives and children starved.
Finally, that bad woman was driven out into the mountains by the people of the village.
Even so, the woman did not stop doing bad things, and perhaps because of this her appearance changed until she became an obake (ghost).
The woman who had become an obake abducted the children who went into the forest and dropped them into h.e.l.l, and so became known as the "Kotori Obake" (child stealing ghost) after taking many children.
Then one day, over the village a fine, mist like rain began to fall
And then! With that rain, the Kotori Obake descended to the village
"Where is my child?" "Where is my child?"
"The children who come into the forest are not enough" "Now, hand over the children, hand them over to me!"
At that moment, one brave villager faced the Kotori Obake.
Curiously, the Kotori Obake did not attack this villager.
The villager flung a glowing, blue stone and
Screaming, the Kotori Obake returned back to the forest.
After that, the brave villager prayed that the obake would not take any more children
and the Kotori Obake did not come to the village again.
Since then, that villager became known as "Ogami-san" (one who prays), and continued to protect the village.
Children no longer entered the forest
and the village completely regained its vitality.
Author unknown
(Folktale)
[Possession of Azakawa Village Historical Museum]