The White Rabbit of Inaba is a famous story from Japanese mythology (Kojiki). Here is a summary of the story, its characters, the setting, and the lessons it teaches.
Summary:
Once upon a time, there was a rabbit living on the island of Oki who wanted to go to the land of Inaba.
The rabbit tricked a crocodile (or shark) into letting him cross the sea on its back.
However, the rabbit became careless and mocked the crocodile at the end, which made the crocodile angry and caused it to rip off the rabbit's fur.
The rabbit was crying in distress when he met Okuninushi-no-Mikoto.
Okuninushi-no-Mikoto taught the rabbit to wash his body with fresh water and apply pollen from cattail reeds.
When the rabbit did as he was told, he was restored to his beautiful self.
In gratitude, the rabbit foretold that Okuninushi-no-Mikoto would be able to marry Princess Yakami.
Characters:
White Rabbit:
A rabbit who lived on the island of Oki.
He tried to trick a crocodile into taking him to the land of Inaba but failed and had his fur ripped off.
He was saved by Okuninushi-no-Mikoto and gave him a prophecy in return.
Okuninushi-no-Mikoto:
A kind-hearted god.
He helped the distressed white rabbit and taught him the correct treatment method.
Later, he married Princess Yakami as the white rabbit had foretold.
Crocodile (or Shark):
A sea creature that was tricked by the rabbit into letting him cross on its back.
It ripped off the rabbit's fur in anger at the end.
Yaso-gami (Many Gods):
Okuninushi-no-Mikoto's brothers.
They all courted Princess Yakami but were rejected.
They gave the white rabbit the wrong treatment method when he was suffering.
Princess Yakami:
A beautiful woman.
She rejected the courtship of Yaso-gami and married Okuninushi-no-Mikoto.
Setting:
Island of Oki:
The island where the white rabbit lived.
Present-day Oki Islands, Shimane Prefecture.
Land of Inaba:
The place where the white rabbit tried to go.
Present-day eastern Tottori Prefecture.
Cape Keta:
The area around the present-day Hakuto Coast in Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture.
Lessons:
Kindness:
Okuninushi-no-Mikoto's kind actions towards the white rabbit teach the importance of helping those in need.
Honesty:
The rabbit's actions were in vain when he mocked the crocodile at the end. This teaches the importance of being honest.
Wisdom:
Okuninushi-no-Mikoto taught the white rabbit the appropriate treatment method. This teaches the importance of having wisdom.
The White Rabbit of Inaba is still loved by many people today as a story that teaches the importance of kindness, honesty, and wisdom.
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