（1） It happened a long time ago; long before lousy animals such as humans appeared in this world.
One day, the clouds started gathering and attacked the mountains. One by one, in reverse height order, they were buried from bottom to top.
Gradually the number of peaks decreased. Finally only the heads of Mount Fuji and Yatsugatake were left above the great flood of clouds; everything else had drowned.

（2） Yatsugatake looked back at Mount Fuji and said, “It looks like we’re the only ones left.”
Then arrogant Mount Fuji replied,
"Yeah. But, soon it will only be me."
Yatsugatake could not let that slide,
"What did you say! That should be my line! Prove it!"
"What! You think you’re taller than me?!"
Mount Fuji was on the warpath. One ill word asks another and Yatsugatake was in no mood to lose.
“Wait, you think you’re taller than me?” Yatsugatake responded in kind.
"Who do you think you are?" Mount Fuji said.

“Who do you think you are?” Yatsugatake replied.
“You, rude guy!”
“Don’t make me laugh. Look! Can’t you see I‘m this tall?”
“No, I’m taller.”

（3） Unfortunately, the clouds did not decide the matter for them. So... at last... finally... they decided to compare heights. They would place a long gutter on both of their heads and pour water into it. Whomever the water flowed towards would lose. And the result was that Yatsugatake was the winner.

(4) But Mount Fuji hates losing and this did not sit well with him. After his quick defeat his anger boiled over; he suddenly grabbed the gutter from their heads and swung it at the side of Yatsugatake’s face.
Poor Yatsugatake’s neck broke and his head flew right off into the air.
It was after this that Mount Fuji became known as Japan’s tallest mountain.

3 Comparing Heights

Anthology of 7 Japanese Children's Stories
(Japanese-English Bilingual Picture Book)

『日本（にほん）の童話（どうわ）』 全（ぜん）7話（わ） 第（だい）3話（わ） 背丈（たけ）くらべ (英語（えいご）) 準拠（じゅんきょ）

作（さく） 相馬（そうま） 泰三（たいぞう）
絵（え） 武智（たけち） 祐治（ゆうじ）
翻訳（ほんやく） Matthew TURKEL
朗読（ろうどく） Eda STERNER KANEKO

制作（せいさく） NPO法人（ほうじん） 地球（ちきゅう）ことば村（むら）・世界（せかい）言語（げんご）博物（はくぶつ）館（かん）

2021.2.5