Yuki and Ten-chan

 

Part One

Up in the mountains of Japan, when kami still walked the earth, there lived an older couple who was tasked with tending the forest, and particularly, a majestic sacred cedar called Tengoku e no kaidan, the Stairway to Heaven.  They were devoted to their duty and after a time, they were rewarded with the birth of a daughter.  They named her Yuki, which means ‘snow’ as she arrived in the December winter.

Yuki was a happy child and as she grew, she fell in love with the forest that she helped care for alongside her parents.  She would spend days beneath the sacred tree which she teasingly named Ten-chan, or Little Heaven.  Sadly, time and work took their toll and her elderly parents passed away, leaving Yuki broken and alone.  So devastated by the loss of her parents, she stopped eating, growing thinner and weaker until she slipped away. 

It is said that her spirit became Sukima-onna, a girl who lives in the gaps of buildings, and indeed, when people would walk by the hut in the woods, you could hear her crying from the cracks of the home as the winds blew through.

 

Part Two

Many years later, a young man, a woodcutter by the name of Haru, was making his way through the forest.  An unexpected storm swept through the mountains, swirling snow all around him.  The silhouette of a small building appeared through the falling flakes, and Haru battled his way to the door, falling inside.  The blizzard was fierce, and Haru shivered in the cold.  He managed to get a small fire going; its pitiful heat provided a little bit of comfort.  What was more unpleasant, however, was the incessant wailing of the wind through the gaps in the walls.  He fell into a troubled sleep, dozing off to visions of a young woman watching him from the space between the wall and dresser.

When the morning broke, Haru braved the storm in search of more wood to feed the hut’s meager fire.  He stumbled upon a clearing whose center was dominated by a magnificent cedar.  “It will supply me with countless hours of firewood!” he thought.  But as he raised his axe, he was overcome with the majesty and beauty of the tree.  He lowered his axe and instead, in the blinding snow, he searched the ground for firewood for the night.

Later, when darkness fell and Haru had fallen asleep, a small glowing form made its way through the blizzard and slipped into the hut bearing a bundle of small sticks.  It was a Kodama, a forest spirit who honored Haru’s sparing of the sacred tree.  The sprite carried its gift; sticks tied with braided strips of red bark from the cedar.  It was kindling for the fire, and more wood followed, carried by a different Kodama.  Soon, there was a small parade of forest sprites who gifted pieces of wood to the thoughtful woodcutter who had saved their home.  They all smiled happily and tittered amongst themselves as the neat pile of wood continued to grow. 

Suddenly, the storm shook the hut, and a sad cry from Sukima-onna floated through the room.  The curious Kodama peered into the gap between the furniture and wall and recognized their former caretaker imprisoned in the gap.  They talked amongst themselves until, after a moment, they one by one inserted themselves into the crack.  The narrow space spread further and further apart until finally, the house freed its prisoner.  There was a raspy scrape as the dresser moved against the floor, and the young woman tumbled from the gap.

Haru woke with a start, and he stared at the confused girl sprawled on the floor.  Long black hair framed her face, her skin was pale, almost white.  She fearfully peered up at Haru, shivering from the cold.  Without hesitation, Haru sprang from his bed and threw a blanket over her.  “You poor girl!  You must be freezing!”  He held her for a few moments to warm her, rubbing her arms, then said, “Allow me to prepare a hot stew for you.”  He turned to stoke the fire, but stopped, startled by the neat stack of wood in the hut.  He hesitated, momentarily puzzled, then hurried to care for the shivering stranger sitting on the floor.

It took only minutes for him to prepare the meal, and he placed it carefully in front of her.  The steaming bowl warmed her hands as she wrapped them around his offering.  But as she leaned over to take a bite, her long hair threatened to spill into her stew.  “Just a moment,” he cautioned and looked around before spying the woven bark tied around the kindling.  He pulled it off and carefully wrapped the red cord around the young woman’s hair to tie it back.  “Now, please enjoy your meal,” he offered.

Her eyes were grateful, and Haru watched as color returned to her cheeks as she ate.  When she finished, she looked at him thankfully and asked, “I have been trapped in the betweenness of worlds.  How is it that I am here?”  There was a soft giggle from the outskirts of the firelight, and there, the shimmering forms of the Kodama stood in the shadows.  Yuki’s eyes grew wide with joy, her hand flying to her mouth, “Ten-chan?”  She spun around to address Haru, “I MUST go to see Ten-chan!”

She threw open the door of the hut, and the swirling snow paused, catching its breath.  Yuki raised her hands, parting the night, and the Kodama flickered brighter, bounding happily out into the drifts.  They lit a path through the woods, showing Yuki and Haru the way to the majestic cedar.  When they arrived in the clearing, the young woman stepped up to the tree, gently placing her hand on the trunk.  She turned to Haru and murmured, “This is Tengoku e no kaidan, the Stairway to Heaven, my childhood friend.”

Yuki untied the red cord from around her hair and fastened it around the trunk.  Leaning her forehead against the tree, she whispered, “A Shimenawa for you, Ten-chan.”  The sacred rope began to glow, and the young woman’s form began to shimmer.  As the Kodama quietly turned into balls of light, she smiled, joining them as they slowly floated upward into the branches.

Haru called out to the departing spirit, “Ten-chan will be protected; we will remember!” 

 

Deep in the forests of Japan, there lives an ancient red cedar, and every December, gifts tied with red cord are left beneath its branches that are decorated with softly glowing lights.