Summary
Once upon a time, there was an old man and an old woman who were very kind and were known as “the friendly couple.”
One day, the old man took a big rice ball that the old woman had made and went to the mountain. He sat on a tree stump, saying, “I can’t wait for the rice ball after work.” However, just as he was about to eat the rice ball, it slipped from his hand. The rice ball rolled down the slope, and he desperately chased after it, shouting, “Wait! Rice ball!” but he couldn’t catch up at all. The rice ball fell into a large hole, and the surprised old man peered inside.
Then he heard a joyful singing voice. “The rice ball rolls, rolls….” The old man bent down to listen more closely, and before he realized it, he slid right into the hole. Amidst the echoing voices of “The old man rolls, rolls…,” he arrived at a large hall where many mice were busy working.
A white mouse approached him and said, “Welcome to the land of mice! Thank you for the big rice ball. It must have been made by your wife. Please enjoy our lunch in return.” The old man received delicious food and was impressed, saying, “I’ve never had such tasty rice cakes before!” Afterward, when he returned home with a box, it contained money and jewels.
Meanwhile, a different old man and old woman living next door overheard the story and aimed for the treasure box as well. “Let’s find that hole,” the old man said to the old woman, and they headed to the same mountain. When they dropped a rice ball into the hole, they heard singing, “The rice ball rolls, rolls…” The old man laughed and slid into the hole.
However, the mice were too busy working and did not notice the old man. He began to meow, “Meow, meow,” but a cry of “A cat is coming!” rang out, causing the mice to scatter. The old man found himself left behind in the darkness in confusion. “I can’t die here!” he cried, desperately starting to dig.
Meanwhile, the old woman, worried about her husband, made her way up the mountain with a cane but became too tired to move. “Oh, the ground is moving… this must be a mole!” she began to strike with her cane. Then a voice called out, “Stop it! Ouch!” and to her surprise, the old man emerged.
The old woman was shocked and exclaimed, “Why are you here?!” The two were at a loss for words for a moment as they looked at the muddy old man, and that marked the beginning of their strange adventure.
