Suzuki Miekichi retells the first collection of world tales for children. At first he planned to publish 50 volumes of world fairy tales, but he only published this volume perhaps due to a disagreement with the publisher. Kosui no Onna received a favorable newspaper review, which led to the publication of
Sekai Dôwa Shû [Collection of World Tales for Children] series
(20 vols.) from 1917 to 1923 by Shun'yô-Dô. Suzuki tried successfully
to write in a simple colloquial language and his refined style was highly
valued.
Four stories are retold in this book: a Welsh legend, two Italian fairy tales, and a Russian fairy tale. Mizushima Niô's innovative western-style illustrations went well with those stories. Suzuki's world tales for children led to the foundation of a notable children's magazine Akai Tori [Red Bird]. He boasted that he created the word dôwa ("children's stories") though he still used the word otogibanashi ("fairy tales") in the introduction. In fact, it was a period of transition from otogibanashi to dôwa when both words were often used synonymously. Kosui no Onna was an epoch-making work for Suzuki as well as for the history of Japanese children's literature.
In 1929 Sekai Dôwa [World Tales for Children] series was published by the same publisher and Kosui no Onna was included as Volume Two in renewed bindings. The title piece was collected in various anthologies many times. In 1977 a reprint of the original was published by Holp Shuppan. |
