And the I'm going to be. Welcome to Snuscast, the podcast designed to help you fall asleep.

On Snuscast, we read excerpts from Public Domain Works and occasionally original stories.

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This episode is supported by Snow Piles in April that just won't quit. Tonight I'll be continuing where we left off from a Japanese

folk story called The Bamboo Cutter and the The author's story was inspired by the Japanese classic Taketari Monogatari.

In the story The Father, the Bamboo cutter, beseeches his beautiful and magical Moon Princess

adopted daughter to pick one of five gallant knights as her husband. She has demanded further trials to vie for her love. Let's get cozy.

Close your eyes.

Relax your body into the softness of your bed.

Now. into the softness of your bed.

Now, take a few deep breaths. The Princess Moonlight said she must make further trial of their love before she would grant their request to interview her. The five warriors were to prove their love by each bringing her from

distant countries something that she desired to possess.

That same evening, the suitors arrived and began to play their flutes in turn, and to sing their

self-composed songs, telling of their great and tireless love.

The bamboo cutter went out to them and offered them his win his foster daughter. Then he gave them her message that she would consent to

marry whosoever was successful in bringing her what she wanted. This was to test them. The five all accepted the

trial and thought it an excellent plan for it would prevent jealousy between them.

Princess Moonlight then sent word to the first night that she requested him to bring her the stone bowl which had

belonged to Buddha in India. The second night was asked to go to the mountain of Harai, said to be situated in the

eastern sea, and to bring her a branch of the wonderful tree that grew on its summit.

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