This week, on the Myths and Legends podcast, there are two Japanese fairy tales, and you'll

see how the grass is always greener, on the surface of the sun.

Then, on the creature of the week, you'll see how useful an English degree can be, because

studying poetry might just save your life when facing blue, Scottish merman.

This is the Myths and Legends podcast, episode 26, Wisdom.

This is a podcast where I tell stories from folklore.

Some are incredibly popular stories you think you know, but with surprising origins.

Others are stories you may not have heard, but really should.

Today, we look at a few pages from Japanese folklore.

You should think of these stories to replace a medieval or early-monitored Japan.

Their fairy tales, and as such, these stories don't provide much background about time-period

or mythology, so we're just going to get started.

An old man lived in a tiny wooden hut.

Every night, after darkness fell, he would sit by a small lamp, sharpening his tools for

the next day.

In the morning, the old man would struggle up from his cot, gather his tools, and start

out up the mountain side with a bit of water and bread and hand.

Today, it was no different.

It was a beautiful day, and the old man, though he had lived his entire life on the same mountain,

enjoyed each day a new, sure he was a stone cutter, but he had found a place in this world.

Soon, he found the rocky he was supposed to cut.

It was to be a grave stone for a rich man.

...