🤔 [What If Series]! What if Shinnosuke Nohara heard the 'Promise Across the Sea'? ~Me and the Greedy Old Man's Reflection~

Location: Near the kindergarten bus stop. Shinnosuke, waiting to be picked up, finds Grandma Ume resting on a bench.

Shinnosuke "Ho-ho-i! Hey there, you wrinkled beauty with so much character! Why don't you and I talk about the 'bitterness of green peppers' and the 'sweetness of life?'"

Grandma Ume "Oh my, what a precocious five-year-old. You can call me Grandma Ume. The sweetness of life is fine, but today, how about we talk about a slightly salty sea story called the **'Promise Across the Sea'**?"

Shinnosuke "The sea!? I love the sea! Because there are pretty ladies giggling in their swimsuits! So, does a nice-bodied lady appear in this story?"

Grandma Ume "Unfortunately, the ones who appear are a couple of scruffy fishermen named **Yokichi**andKatsujiro** (laughs). Yokichi was a humble man who 'only caught as much fish as he needed,' but Katsujiro was a bold and greedy man who said, 'Catch as much as you can and make a fortune!'"

Shinnosuke "Hmm. Uncle Katsujiro is like Misae at a 'stuff-as-much-as-you-can' sale. It's just like her obsession with stuffing vegetables into a bag until it rips."

Grandma Ume "Haha, your mom is tough too (laughs). One day, Yokichi saved an injured Dragon God and, as a reward, wished for the Dragon God to 'make sure the village doesn't suffer and that the fish never run out.' The Dragon God made him promise **'never to be greedy and catch too much'** before granting the wish."

Shinnosuke "Eh! What a waste! If it were me, I'd ask for a 'lifetime supply of Chocobi' or 'Action Bastard's secret base!' Uncle Yokichi is so selfless it actually makes me worried."

Grandma Ume "That's the victory of selflessness. Thanks to that, the village became prosperous. But, that greedy Katsujiro wouldn't stay quiet. He broke the promise, saying, 'If I use a bigger net to catch them all at once, I'll make a fortune!'"

Shinnosuke "Oh boy. 'The opposite of justice is not evil. It's just another form of justice'...I feel like Dad said something like that, but this is just plain selfishness! He's a model of a bad adult."

Grandma Ume "You're sharp. Then the Dragon God got angry, and not a single fish was left in the sea. The village was in a huge pinch. The Dragon God said, 'If you reflect from the heart and everyone prays together, I will forgive you,' but only Katsujiro stubbornly insisted, 'I don't know anything about that!'"

Shinnosuke "What a stubborn old geezer! It's like when Kazama-kun insists, 'I'm an elite!'"

Grandma Ume "However, Katsujiro's daughter, O-Chiyo, fell seriously ill. The desperate Katsujiro saw Yokichi, who was praying harder than anyone else, saying, 'Please save that child.'"

Shinnosuke "Oh my... Uncle Yokichi is too good of a person. I'm getting a little moved and my nose is running."

Grandma Ume "Realizing it was his own fault, Katsujiro finally knelt down and apologized, saying, 'I'm sorry!' Then, all the villagers prayed together, and finally, the fish returned to the sea."

Shinnosuke "I see~. **'Being able to honestly say I'm sorry is what makes a cool adult,'** right? I also try to apologize to Misae right away when I break her expensive hair dryer! ...Though sometimes I hide it before I get caught."

Grandma Ume "You shouldn't hide it (laughs). But, that's right. The courage to admit your mistakes is the most important thing."

Shinnosuke "Alright! I'm going to properly apologize for eating Shiro's share of the snacks today too! ...Oh, the bus is here! Grandma, see you later! Next time, tell me a story about a lady in a swimsuit!"

Grandma Ume "Yes, yes, get home safely. ...Hehe, I wonder if that child will grow up to be a man as vast as the sea someday."

[Editor's Note] 'Knowing when you have enough' and 'the courage to apologize'

This story contained two hidden lessons.

One is learning to "know contentment" from Katsujiro's example. Endless desire for "more and more" can sometimes cause us to lose what is truly important. Perhaps folk tales simply convey such human karma and a sense of awe toward nature.

The other is the "strength to apologize honestly" that Shinnosuke-kun reacted to. When a situation worsens due to your own mistakes, can you set aside your pride and say, "I'm sorry"? Katsujiro was able to change his ways because he witnessed the selfless prayers (the heart that cares for others) of Yokichi.

A single "I'm sorry" can breathe warm life back into a frozen sea (human relationships). Perhaps as we grow into adults, we forget such simple magic.

The original text of the promise across the sea can be found here.

▼ Click here for the original story I adapted this time. Please enjoy the original moving story before Shin-chan was mixed into it!

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#CrayonShinchan #JapaneseFolktales #ShortShorts #KnowContentment #Honesty