The yearning for a child exists in folktales as in life. In this old Japanese tale a poor rice farmer and his wife pray to the water god for a child. Even a frog or a mud snail son will do as long as it is their very own. And soon after that the wife gave birth to a mud snail. They lovingly placed it in a bowl of water on the narrow shelf of their family shrine and gave it fresh rice every day.
For twenty years their son did not grow or speak. But when his father was too old to load his horse with the bags of rice he had to give the rich landowner tax, the mud snail suddenly said: "Father I will help you load the rice. Just put me on the horse between the bags." The rich man was so amazed to see a magical mud snail delivering the rice, he invited him in for a special feast and offered him one of his daughters in marriage. Here the tale becomes like Beauty and the Beast. The selfless younger daughter agrees to marry the mud snail. And because of her love, the mud snail is able to turn into a handsome young man. This tale is also illustrated by Fuku Akino.
“I had hoped my son would be able to help me and my wife in our old age,” he sighed aloud. “But the god of water sent us only a helpless mud snail for a child. I will have to work like this myself until the end of my days.”
And just then a voice said, “Father, I will help you load the rice.”
The old man was quite startled and turned around quickly. But he did not see anyone.
“Who is there?” he called nervously.
“It is I, your mud snail son,” said the voice from the bowl on the shelf just inside the house. “You and Mother have been very kind to me until now, but it is time for me to take my place in the world. I will deliver the rice to the rich man for you today.”