Shishi-Ishi
Once upon a time, there was a big rock in Aioki Village. It looked like a lion, so people called it Shishi-Ishi. Children liked to play with this rock. Some climbed it, and some played around it. Their parents also liked this rock. They were all farmers. During their lunch time, people often took a rest around it, and enjoyed talking and eating. They were always happy near this rock. Shishi-Ishi game them the power to work for tomorrow.
Autumn came, and the rice fields turned yellow. The village people looked at the rice and said, "We'll have a good harvest this year!" Their children were glad, too. "I can eat a lot of rice," said one of them. "I can get a new kimono," said another.
The harvest season was coming. But they had no rain for almost a month. So the village people were very glad when it started raining one day. The next day it rained very hard. Then it rained harder and harder day after day. The rain didn't stop at all. People began to worry and shouted, "Stop, rain! Stop!"
On the sixth day, it rained the hardest. Because of the rain, Mt. Kyodo collapsed. A lot of its mud and sand went down the Kyodo River toward the village. At last the riverbank broke. People ran to Shishi-Ishi. The prayed and cried, "Oh, please help us, save our village!"
The muddy water was about to hit the village. Everyone thought the end was near. Suddenly it thundered. The big sound shocked the village people. All of them fell down to the ground. The water almost touched the people. Then Shishi-Ishi roared at the water. Time stopped for a moment. The water went away from the people and the rain stopped. Shishi-Ishi saved the village.