Summary
The Village of Collars
Once upon a time, in a distant mountain, there was a small village called "The Village of Collars." This village was known for a mysterious legend. It said that the moment a villager spoke ill of another, the words of that slander would visibly hang around their collar. The villagers were embarrassed to see the slander hanging around their own collars, fearing it would become a significant problem for the entire village.
To avoid speaking ill of others, the villagers formed a "Circle of Words," where they exchanged kind words among friends. After this "Circle of Words" was established, the village gradually became brighter, and the villagers' hearts lightened as well. However, there was one man named Takumi who had a mischievous nature and simply could not resist speaking ill of others.
One sunny day, Takumi spotted a neighbor passing by in the village square and thought, "That guy is so sloppy," and he let the words slip out. Immediately, those very words began to hang around his collar, and the surrounding villagers were astonished to see it. Overcome with embarrassment, Takumi left the village and fled alone into the mountains.
Takumi lived in the mountains for a while, but gradually he began to feel lonely. While staring at the slander hanging around his collar, he reminisced about the joyful days he had spent with his friends. He resolved to return to the village and vowed to himself, "I will never speak ill of others again!" Upon returning to the village, Takumi started to find and praise the good qualities in others, making the village even brighter, allowing everyone to live with smiles. The slander no longer hung around his collar.
