Once upon a time there was an old couple who lived with their only daughter who has a remarkable charm and beauty. One day her mother told her that she may follow her father in heaven. After that her mother told her that she must hide her beauty, because men could be tempted by her beauty and charm. And in order to hide her beauty her mother told her that she must wear a wooden bowl.
Few days passed the maiden had no choice but to work at the rice field in order for her to survive. As she work people do matter why does she wear a wooden bowl. Some people says that her face must be ugly because of wearing a wooden bowl.
One day a rich farmer had noticed the maiden working on his rice fields. He was amazed by it's diligence and quickness and excellence the way she perform and do her task. And yet, he was pleased with that bent and busy little figure and doesn't matter why does the maiden wears a wooden bowl. Few days later the end of the harvest came as well as the winter season. And because of being amaze by the maiden he offered the maiden an anxious to do a service and the become an inmate of his house. Then the farmer told the maiden that his wife is ill and he wanted to nurse his wife by the maiden. And the maiden accept the offer of the farmer. And yet, the maiden tented the sick wife of the farmer with tender love and care. Because of the farmer and his wife had no daughter they took the maiden as their own child.
One day the only son of the farmer returned to his old home. He was a young guy with pleasing personality and studied much in gay Kyoto, and adapted his merry life . One day the young guy came to his father and said "who is the maiden who wears the ugly black bowl?", then the father told the sad story of the maiden. And as the days come and passed by the guy soon noticed that he had fall for the maiden.The next day, the guy asked the maiden to marry him. But the maiden rejected and refused to the proposal of the guy and told the guy "I can't marry you I am a barely servant in your father's house". Then the maiden cry out loud and fell asleep, and in a dream her mother came to her and said "Let your heart go on and follow what your heart says". Then the maiden woke up with full of joy and a smile her face. Then her lover came to her and asked her "will you marry me?" then she replied a big YES!
When all the plans are settled for the wedding. The maiden decided to remove her wooden bowl, but remain firmly fixed to her head, then the guy told her that "I will love you with or without your wooden bowl". And he ordered the wedding feast to proceed. Then the wine cups were brought into the crowded hall and the bride and groom were expected to drink together the "Three times three " in token of their marriage and as the maiden put the wine cup to her lips the bowl on her head broke with a great noise, and gold, silver and precious stones fell on the floor, and the beggar maiden became rich. Then the guests were amaze upon those shining shimmering jewels. And yet, they was much amaze by it's glazing beauty. And declared as the most beautiful woman in all Japan. So they live happily ever after.
*Characters
- maiden
- the girl who is wearing a wooden bowl to hide her beauty to avoid temptation to the men
- farmer's son
- the one who made proposal to the maiden and he loved the maiden even though he doesn't see the real beauty of the maiden
- mother
- maiden's mother, the one who told the maiden to marry the farmer' s son
- father
- maiden's father who early passed away
- rich farmer
- the one who saw the diligence and excellence the way the maiden perform her task and he ask also the maiden to be inmate of his house.
- people
- they are the one who judge the maiden, that she is covering her ugly face.
*Vocabulary
- anxious - worried; uneasy; eagerly wishing
- glazing - a glaze; the operation of setting glass or applying a glaze
- inmate - a person confined with others in a prison or institution
- shimmering - to glisten softly, to glimmer
*Setting
- In Japan
*Conflict
- Person vs. person
- When the maiden refused to marry the son of the farmer because she is just a servant.
*Point of view
Third person point of view, because the story is told by a narrator who stands outside the story and reveals the events as they unfold and the narrator is not the character in the story. And because the author uses the character's name "he" and "she" to describe the character.
*Theme
Don't judge a person by its physical appearance.
*Climax
When they drink wine, the bowl in the maiden's head broke with a great noise and gold, silver and precious stones fell on the floor. Then the guests were amaze upon those shining shimmering jewels. And yet, they was much amaze by the maiden's glazing beauty. And she is the most beautiful woman in all Japan.
*Analysis
We analyze in the story that we should not judge people or things by what they look like from the outside. People shouldn't be judged by how they look but be judge by their actions. It actually means that people cannot be judged by what they appear like to you at first, it is necessary to know them and read them before you can judge them. It means not to judge people by the way they look or act. Something very powerful can be inside them.
We recommend this story to the people who judge easily without even knowing him/her better. For example "don't go falling in love with that boy/girl so fast, wait until you get to know her/him better." And another example "he dresses plain clothes and drives an old car, who would know that he is the richest man in town?" So we should not judge a book by its cover.
*Moral Lesson
Don't judge a book by it's cover. Like the maiden in the story, some people matter/judge her on wearing a wooden bowl. In our own opinion the maiden can be best describe as a flower who is late on blooming. But as it blooms she could be the best flower who has poise and glaze among them all.
