He thought that the cloud is even mightier than the sun. Chinese folklorist Ting Nai-tung [zh] (Ding Naitong) who catalogued The Type Index of Chinese Folktales noted that there are Chinese tales of composite nature with components of the ATU 555 type.[14]. [13] Japanese sources the legend is said to be European, and the stonecutter's name is given as Hans. “Nothing is stronger than a cloud! Download the Stone Cutter printable worksheet (pdf file). All day long he worked hard, cutting the hard stones and making the shape which were needed by his customers. He sought power. The spirit in the mountain heard his wish and decided to help him. [12], And even before Brauns's German-translated version appeared, Charles Wycliffe Goodwin noted in 1875 that "The Japanese Stone-cutter" from the Dutch Novel was similar to the Grimms' tale.[b][13]. He understood very well the kinds of stones wanted for the different purposes, and as he was a … He realized that a mere child is mightier than a rock. "The Stone-cutter" was translated into English by Andrew Lang in The Crimson Fairy Book (1903), taken from Japanische Märchen und Sagen collected by David Brauns [de] (Leipzig, 1885). Make Bedtime even more fun for your child with hundreds of children short stories online, short stories for baby and short children bedtime stories. He approached the rock, opened his bag and took out some tools. [7] It was translated into English by Baron Nahuijs in 1868. He laid between the sun and the Earth. This text and audio file are copyrighted. The Proceedings of the Asiatic Society for 18 January 1875 to 30 June 1875, Volume III, Part II, not published until 1885. As always, his wish was heard and he was a man once again. At the end, the stonecutter simply realises that his greedy longings are futile because power is relative (compare: food chain). His wish was overheard by the mountain dwelt and it said, “Your wish is granted!” Hearing the noise, the stonecutter was shocked. Shreya Sharma is the Co-Founder and Creative Head of Bedtimeshortstories.com. Everyone was suffering because of heat. He then envies becoming the sun impervious to heat, then clouds undaunted by the sun, then the mountain which withstands the rain-clouds. The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche would’ve likely approved of this story. He sought power. As his daily routine, he went to the mountain to cut the great rock and started to think about the silky bed and golden tassels. I wish I were the sun” he said to himself. There were many servants around him. "We are all powerful in our own way.... We all have our own place" "The Stonecutter's story reflects the nature of the human mind and of our attachment to it. He wanted something different. [a], According to the Aarne-Thompson classification system of fairy tales, The Stonecutter is of tale type 555, "(The) Fisherman and his Wife ", represented by the corresponding Grimms"' tale. Goodwin also inquired as to the (Japanese) authenticity of the tale, and discovered that while no Japanese tale of the kind was in print, many versions continued to be orally told during his time. "If the stone cutter restart moving backwards, he go from nature in man. Here is a short visual depiction of one of the famous folk tales with morals “The Stonecutter“. [citation needed]. The mountain spirit heard the old man’s voice and turned him into a huge rock. His little hut was converted into a big royal castle for which he wished for. Suddenly, the old man heard a noise. But when a stone-cutter starts chipping away at him, he wants to revert to being a man, and comes to the realization that he is satisfied with his station in life as a humble stone-cutter. His light traveled around the world. He saw a lovey sight from the top.