Black Horse

The Tongue-Cut Sparrow

In short: A sparrow eats rice starch. By the end of the tale, the choice is between a small gift box and a large one.

The Tongue-Cut Sparrow · The sparrow’s lost tongue FAIRY TALE ATLAS · № 45 The Tongue-Cut Sparrow A sparrow eats rice starch. Origin Tokyo, Japan Atlas record 1885 First appearance Exact date unknown SIGNATURE MOTIF The sparrow’s lost tongue Reach¹ 3/10 Suggested age² 8+ Member rating No votes yet 3 records · 3 countries or regions blackhorsestories.com

¹ Based on the number of Atlas countries, capped at 10. ² Editorial suggestion for reading this page. Discover Black Horse’s question

Origin and tradition

Tokyo, Japan

In the 1885 Tokyo booklet, the sparrow comes from a neighbour’s house and eats starch prepared for laundry. In Ozaki’s version, the old man and woman share a home and the sparrow is his pet. He searches for the sparrow and chooses the small box when he finds it. The woman later asks for the large one. Reading the two editions together draws attention to everyday details such as who keeps the sparrow and who prepares the starch.

Dated records and sources

  1. 1885 · Tokyo, Japan
    Kobunsha · Japanese Fairy Tale Series · The Tongue-Cut Sparrow · Published collection
  2. 1903 · Westminster, England
    Yei Theodora Ozaki · The Japanese Fairy Book · National Diet Library catalogue · Published collection
  3. 1908 · New York, United States
    Yei Theodora Ozaki · The Tongue-Cut Sparrow · Dutton reprint, p. 12 · Published collection

Country pages

Fairy Tale Glossary

Origin
Black Horse. The Tongue-Cut Sparrow. https://blackhorsestories.com/en/atlas-tale-tongue-sparrow/