The Maiden with a Wooden Bowl

Summary:

Once upon a time, there was a couple who only had one child. In their old age, they can only earn their daily food. 

There child was a beautiful, gentle and good maiden that nobody is more beautiful than her. His father died because he was sick and he was old. When her father died, she and her mother need to work harder to provide their daily needs. Soon, her mother's strength was failing and she leaves her child all alone in this world.

Before her mother died, she called her child to sit at the bedside. Her mother was too worried of her child's future and she was afraid that because of the beauty her child has, it might destroy her future. So, she decided to put a bowl in the maiden's head and told her not to remove the wooden bowl.

While she was working on the rice field, most of the people noticed the bowl on her head and so, she was known all over the place as the "Maid with the Wooden Bowl on the Head.” The people, who saw her, will laugh but one man tried to make fun of her. He tried to peep under the bowl and even trying to remove the bowl on the maiden's head.

One day, as the maiden was working on the rice field of a rich farmer, the owner walk closely towards her. He was struck by the behavior of the maiden and of how diligent she was while working.

Watching the maiden all day long, the owner was pleased and kept looking at the girl until the end of harvest season. 

During the winter season, the maiden was asked to live at the farmer’s house and asked to be with the farmer’s wife who is sick. Since the farmer and his wife had no child, they loved the maiden more than a hired servant.

After some time, the son of the farmer went home to visit his mother and father. Their son was living at Kioto because he studied there. The farmer's son was happy upon arriving home. When he arrived, he was also struck by the maiden with a wooden bowl on the head. He asked the maiden if who she was, what she was and why she was always seen with a headdress.

He was touched by the maiden's story but he could not help laughing at the maiden. As the days passed by, he was not able to laugh at the maiden because of her good manners. One day, having managed to take a peep on the maiden's bowl, he had seen enough beauty of the maiden that made him fall in love. 

From that moment on, he decided to marry the maiden but the girl refuses because she was only a servant but as she was sleeping, she saw her mother on her dream and told her to marry the farmer's son because her life will be so good.

So, she marries the farmer's son. When she was about to drink the wine, the bowl in his head broke and the golds and silvers inside the bowl fell on the floor. 

Everyone was astonished of her beauty that no one had ever seen it. Then they all said that the maiden was the most beautiful woman in Japan.

Climax:

When the maiden was about to drink the wine, the bowl in his head broke and the golds and silvers inside the bowl fell on the floor. 

Theme:

Do not easily judge a person because we all knew that were not perfect.

Characters:

•the maiden- beautiful, gentle and good daughter

•maiden’s mother- the one who gave the maiden a wooden bowl

•maiden’s father- died because he was sick and he was also old.

•owner of the farm- struck by the behavior of the maiden how diligent she was while working.

•farmer and farmer’s wife- treat the maiden as their child.

•farmer’s son- married the maiden

Conflict:

The farmer’s son decided to marry the maiden but the maiden refuses.

Setting:

in Japan

Analysis:

We, the group  2 analyze not to judge somebody if you don’t really know  what kind of person is that. Do not be a judgmental person.

Recommendation:

We recommend this story to the person who is easily judging another person even if they don’t really knew the attitude of that person. We also recommend this story to those person who are losing their love or trust to their mother. Because in the story, before the maiden's mother was died, she think first for her daughters sake. That's why she puts the bowl on her daughter's head. And in that event in the story, you'll realize how a mother is really concerned to her child and they showed it in may ways. A mother's love should be treasured.

Moral Lesson:

Don't judge a person on it's physical appearance because the beauty of a person doesn't depend on the physical appearance, it depends on his/her attitude.