The Story of the Aged Mother

A Japanese Folktale
by Matsuo Basho
Long, long ago there lived at the foot of the mountain a poor farmer and his
aged, widowed mother. They owned a bit of land which supplied them with
food, and their humble were peaceful and happy.
Shinano was governed by a despotic leader who though a warrior, had
a great and cowardly shrinking from anything suggestive of failing health and
strength. This caused him to send out a cruel proclamation. The entire
province was given strict orders to immediately put to death all aged people.
Those were barbarous days, and the custom of abandoning old people to die
was not common. The poor farmer loved his aged mother with tender
reverence, and the order filled his heart with sorrow. But no one ever thought
a second time about obeying the mandate of the governor, so with many
deep hopeless sighs, the youth prepared for what at that time was
considered the kindest mode of death.
Just at sundown, when his days work was ended, he took a quantity of
unwhitened rice which is principal food for poor, cooked and dried it, and
tying it in a square cloth, swung and bundle around his neck along with a
gourd filled with cool, sweet water. Then he lifted his helpless old mother to
his back and stated on his painful journey up the mountain. The road was
long and steep; the narrowed road was crossed and recrossed by many
paths made by the hunters and woodcutters. In some place, they mingled in
a confused puzzled, but he gave no heed. One path or another, it mattered
not. On he went, climbing blindly upward ever upward towards the high
bare summit of what is known as Obatsuyama, the mountain of the
abandoning of aged.
The eyes of the old mother were not so dim but that they noted the
reckless hastening from one path to another, and her loving heart grew
anxious. Her son did not know the mountains many paths and his return
might be one of danger, so she stretched forth her hand and snapping the
twigs from brushes as they passed, she quietly dropped a handful every few
steps of the way so that they climbed, the narrow path behind them was
dotted at frequent intervals with tiny piles of twigs. At last the summit was
reached. Weary and heart sick, the youth gently released his burden and
silently prepared a place of comfort as his last duty to the loved one.
Gathering fallen pine needle, he made a soft cushion and tenderly lifting his

old mother therein, he wrapped her padded coat more closely about the
stooping shoulders and with tearful eyes and an aching heart said farewell.
The trembling mothers voice was full of unselfish love as she gave her
last injunction. Let not thine eyes be blinded, my son. She said. The
mountain road is full of dangers. Look carefully and follow the path which
holds the piles of twigs. They will guide you to the familiar way farther down.
The sons surprised eyes looked back over the path, then at the poor
old, shrivelled hands all scratched and soiled by their work of love. His heart
smote him and bowing to the grounds, he cried aloud: Oh, honorable
mother, thy kindness thrusts my heart! I will not leave thee. Together we will
follow the path of twigs, and together we will die!
Once more he shouldered his burden (how light it seemed no) and
hastened down the path, through the shadows and the moonlight, to the little
hut in the valley. Beneath the kitchen floor was a walled closet for food, which
was covered and hidden from view. There the son hid his mother, supplying
her with everything needful and continually watching and fearing. Time
passed, and he was beginning to feel safe when again the governor sent
forth heralds bearing an unreasonable order, seemingly as a boast of his
power. His demand was that his subject should present him with a rope of
ashes. The entire province trembled with dread. The order must be obeyed
yet who in all Shinano could make a rope of ashes?
One night, in great distress, the son whispered the news to his hidden
mother. Wait! she said. I will think. I will think On the second day she told
him what to do. Make rope twisted straw, she said. Then stretch it upon a
row of flat stones and burn it there on the windless night. He called the
people together and did as she said and when the blaze had died, behold
upon the stones with every twist and fiber showing perfectly. Lay a rope of
whitehead ashes.
The governor was pleased at the wit of the youth and praised greatly,
but he demanded to know where he had obtained his wisdom. Alas! Alas!
cried the farmer, the truth must be told! and with deep bows he related his
story. The governor listened and then meditated in silence. Finally he lifted
his head. Shinano needs more than strength of youth, he said gravely. Ah,
that I should have forgotten the well-known saying, with the crown of snow,
there cometh a wisdom!. That very hour the cruel law was abolished, and
the custom drifted into as far a past that only legends remain.
THE STORY OF THE AGED MOTHER

(A Japanese folktale)
ANALYSIS
SETTING:
Shinano at the foot the mountain
CHARACTERS:
The aged mother- the main character of the story, who has the wisdom that
brings to save and benefited their land
The young farmer- the son of the aged mother
The daimio-the despotic ruler of Shinano but later on he learned to give
importance the old folks.
THEME:
A mothers love is something that no one can explain. It is made of deep
devotion and of sacrifice and pain, it is endless and unselfish.
CONFLICT:
Man vs. Man- the only antagonist in the story was the daimio who proclaimed
a law to immediately kill all the aged people.
A mothers love is something that no one can explain. It is made of
deep devotion and of sacrifice and pain, it is endless and unselfish.
The story of the aged mother is a folktale from Japan. It tells about
how great the love of a mother for her child. It was shown on their situation
when the daimio proclaimed a law ordering that all the aged people should
be put to death. The order filled the heart of the poor farmer a great sorrow
for he loves his mother that much. Instead of putting her mother to death in
the hand of the cruel law he decided to give his mother a kind mode of death.
He took his mother to the bare summit of Obatsuyama- the mountain of the
Abandoning of the Aged and planned to abandon there. On their way to the
said mountain the heart of the loving mother grew anxious for she knew that
her son will on danger on his way back because he was not familiar to the
many mountain paths. What the mother did she snapped the twigs of the
bushes they passed and drop it silently on the path to serves as a guide on
the way back of her poor child.
Let not thine eyes be blind, my son. The mountain road is full of
danger. Look carefully and follow the path which holds the piles of twigs.
They will guide thee to the familiar way farther down.- These lines shows the
unconditional love that the mother has for her son, an unselfish love that
smote the heart of the poor child and made him cried and decided to take his
mother with him backed to their humble hut in the valley.
He hid his mother on a walled closet for food beneath the kitchen.
Time passed and they both feel secure and safe until one day the daimio
sent a messenger and again demanded on the people of the valley present
him a with a rope of ashes. To the despair of the poor farmer he told the
mews to his hidden mother. And her mother luckily come up with the idea
and told him to make a rope of twisted straw and the other thing to do. The

despotic ruler was pleased of what he had witnessed and asks the poor
farmer if where he obtained that kind of wisdom. The poor farmer stated
everything and daimio listened and meditated in silence. Upon hearing the
story he now decided to abolish cruel law, and sees the importance of the
elder to shape the society and said with the crown of snow, there cometh
wisdom.
The story shows us two important virtue- love and wisdom. Mothers
love is nothing can compare nor measured; it is pure and unselfish and made
of reverence. Truly we can say that we can found heaven underneath
mothers feet for she fought cruelty with love and affection and true hero for
bringing out our courage to face the harsh realities of life. Most of all serves
as our courage, weakness and strength that guided us to walk through our
journey called life.
In the saying with the crown of snow, there cometh wisdom- the crown of
snow is pertaining to the elders, emphasizes the importance of them in
shaping our society. The word there cometh wisdom explained that as we
get old our everyday experiences makes us wit, and as we commit mistakes
learning comes. The old folks who undergone on the different challenges in
life and had survive serves as our guiding path because their varied
experiences teach us to become wise; wise enough to know right from
wrong.