Long ago in Japan, there lived an elderly couple in a small village. The husband was a woodcutter, and his wife would often go down to the river to wash clothes. One day, while the wife was at the river, she noticed a giant peach floating down the stream. Amazed by its size and thinking it would make a delicious meal, she eagerly took the peach home to share with her husband.
As the couple prepared to cut open the peach, a miraculous thing happened. The peach split open on its own, revealing a healthy baby boy inside. The couple was astonished and overjoyed, for they had always longed for a child. They named him Momotaro, meaning “Peach Boy,” because he had come to them from within a peach.
Momotaro grew up to be a strong and kind-hearted boy. When he learned that the nearby island of Oni (ogres) was terrorizing the people and stealing their treasures, he decided to leave home to confront the wicked creatures. His parents, proud of his bravery but worried for his safety, gave him special millet dumplings called “kibi dango” to take on his journey.
As he traveled, Momotaro encountered a talking dog, monkey, and pheasant. Each animal, upon learning of his mission to defeat the ogres, agreed to join him in exchange for a share of the kibi dango. Together, they formed a strong and loyal team.
When they reached the ogres’ island, they launched a bold attack. The dog bit, the monkey scratched, the pheasant pecked, and Momotaro himself fought valiantly. The ogres, taken aback by the sudden assault and the strength of Momotaro and his companions, quickly found themselves overwhelmed. Realizing they were defeated, the ogres surrendered and begged for mercy.
Momotaro, being compassionate, spared their lives but demanded that they return all the treasures and goods they had stolen from the villagers. The ogres agreed and loaded up the stolen items for Momotaro and his friends to take back to the village.
Momotaro and his companions returned home as heroes, laden with treasures and greeted with great celebration. His parents were overjoyed to see him safe and triumphant, and the people of the village praised him for his courage and kindness. From then on, Momotaro was remembered as a legendary hero, the boy who had come from a peach and defeated the fearsome ogres with the help of his loyal animal friends.
