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"A talking tea kettle, a monstrous goblin-spider that lives in a haunted temple, miniature soldiers that plague a lazy young bride, & other fanciful creatures abound in this captivating collection of 11 Japanese fairy tales. "Youngsters are transported to a faraway world of samuari warriors, rice fields, humble cottages, & a magical spring in 5 tales excellently translated & adapted by noted writer & linguist Lafcadio Hearn: The Fountain of Youth , Chin-Chin Kobakama , The Goblin Spider , The Old Woman Who Lost Her Dumplings , & the title story. 6 additional stories -- in versions by Grace James, Basil Hall Chamberlain, & other authorities on Japanese folklore -- include The Tea Kettle , The Wooden Bowl , My Lord Bag-o'-Rice , The Hare of Inaba , The Silly Jellyfish , & The Matsuyama Mirror . "21 original illustrations by Yuko Green enhance these imaginative & whimsical fables s