Chapter 1
"Brother," whispered a voice. Switzerland turned around in his chair to see Liechtenstein standing there in her nightgown. "I can't sleep."
Switzerland sighed. "What would help you fall asleep?"
"Could you tell me a story? Please."
Switzerland couldn't think of one. What sort of story was he supposed to tell? Maybe someone else would know. Everyone was still awake. He would have to ask them to tell Liechtenstein a tale.
Switzerland called the first people he could think of. Italy, Germany and Japan came quickly. Switzerland didn't really like them being at his house, but he was sure they all had something to contribute.
"So you want us to tell your sister a story?" said Germany. He didn't look too pleased.
"Just to get her to sleep. I don't know any."
"You really care about her," said Japan calmly. Switzerland didn't say a word as he blushed. "I'll tell her a story."
Liechtenstein was sitting up in bed, hugging her pillow. Japan pulled up a chair and sat beside her bed. "This," he began, "is the story of the man who made the trees blossom."
"Once upon a time there was a very kind old man and his wife living in a certain village. Next door to them lived a very mean old man and his wife. The kind old couple had a little dog named Shiro. They loved Shiro very much and always gave him good things to eat. But the mean old man hated dogs, and every time he saw Shiro he threw stones at him.
"One day, Shiro began barking very loudly out in the farmyard. The kind old man went out to see what was the matter. Shiro kept barking and barking and began digging in the ground. 'Oh, you want me to help you dig?' asked the old man. So he brought a spade and began digging. Suddenly, his spade hit something hard. He kept digging and found a large pot full of many pieces of gold money. Then he thanked Shiro very much for leading him to so much gold, and took the money to his house.
"Now the mean old man had been peeping and had seen all this. He wanted some gold too. So the next day he asked the kind old man if he could borrow Shiro for a little while. 'Why of course you may borrow Shiro, if he'll be of any help to you,' said the kind old man.
"The mean old man took Shiro to his house and out into his field. 'Now find me some gold too,' he ordered the dog, 'or I'll beat you.' So Shiro began digging at a certain spot. Then the mean old man tied Shiro up and began digging himself. But all he found in the hole was some terrible smelling garbage-no gold at all. This made him so angry that he hit Shiro over the head with his spade, and killed him.
"The kind old man and woman were very sad about Shiro. They buried him in their field and planted a little pine tree over his grave. And every day they went to Shiro's grave and watered the pine tree very carefully. The tree began to grow very fast, and in only a few years it became very big. The kind old woman said: 'Remember how Shiro used to love to eat rice cakes? Let's cut down that big pine tree and make a mortar. Then with the mortar we'll make some rice cakes in memory of Shiro.'
"So the old man cut down the tree and made a mortar out of its trunk. Then they filled it full of steamed rice and began pounding the rice to make rice cakes. But no sooner did the old man begin pounding than all the rice turned into gold! Now the kind old man and woman were richer than ever.
"The mean old man had been peeping through the window and had seen the rice turn to gold. He still wanted some gold for himself very badly. So the next day he asked if he could borrow the mortar. 'Why, of course you may borrow the mortar,' said the kind old man.
"The mean old man took the mortar home and filled it full of steamed rice. 'Now watch,' he said to his wife. 'When I begin pounding this rice, it'll turn into gold.' But when he began pounding, the rice turned into terrible smelling garbage and there was no gold at all. This made him so angry that he got his ax and cut the mortar up into small pieces and burned it in the stove.
"When the kind old man went to get his mortar back, it was all burned to ashes. He was very sad, because the mortar had reminded him of Shiro. So he asked for some of the ashes and took them home with him.
"It was the middle of winter and all the trees were bare. He thought he'd scatter some ashes around in his garden. When he did, all of the cherry trees in the garden began to bloom right in the middle of winter. Everybody came to see this wonderful sight, and the prince who lived in a nearby castle heard about it.
"Now this prince had a cherry tree in his garden that he loved very much. He could hardly wait for spring to come so he could see the beautiful blossoms on this cherry tree. But when spring came he discovered that the tree was dead and he felt very sad. So he sent for the kind old man and asked him to bring the tree back to life. The old man took some of the ashes and climbed the tree. Then he threw the ashes up into the dead branches, and almost more quickly than you can think, the tree was covered with the most beautiful blossoms it ever had.
The prince had come on horseback to watch and was very pleased. He gave the kind old man a great deal of gold and many presents. And, best of all, he knighted the old man and gave him a new name, 'Sir Old-Man-Who-Makes-Trees-Blossom.'
Sir Old-Man-Who-Makes-Trees-Blossom and his wife were now very rich and they lived very happily for many more years."
Japan took a deep breath. It had been a bit of a long story to recite. Liechtenstein smiled. "That was a good story," she murmured. Japan smiled.
Italy then jumped up and said, "I want to tell a story too! It's a good one too!" He took Japan's chair and cleared his throat dramatically. "This is the story of Don Firriulieddu."
"Once upon a time there was a farmer who had a daughter who used to take his dinner to him in the fields. One day he said to her, 'So that you may find me I will sprinkle bran along the way. You follow the bran, and you will come to me.'
"By chance the old ogre passed that way, and seeing the bran, said, 'This means something.' So he took the bran and scattered it so that it led to his own house.
"When the daughter set out to take her father his dinner, she followed the bran until she came to the ogre's house. When the ogre saw the young girl, he said, 'You must be my wife.'
"Then she began to weep. When the father saw that his daughter did not appear, he went home in the evening, and began to search for her, and not finding her, he asked God to give him a son or a daughter.
"A year after, he had a son whom they called Don Firriulieddu. When the child was three days old it spoke, and said, 'Have you made me a cloak? Now give me a little dog and the cloak, for I must look for my sister.' So he set out and went to seek his sister.
"After a while he came to a plain where he saw a number of men, and asked, 'Whose cattle are these?'
The herdsman replied, 'They belong to the ogre, who fears neither God nor the saints, who fears Don Firriulieddu, who is three days old, and is on the way, and gives his dog bread and says, 'Eat, my dog, and do not bark, for we have fine things to do.''
"Afterwards he saw a flock of sheep, and asked, 'Whose are these sheep?' and received the same answer as from the herdsman.
"Then he arrived at the ogre's house and knocked, and his sister opened the door and saw the child. 'Who are you looking for?' she said.
"'I am looking for you, for I am your brother, and you must return to mamma.'
"When the ogre heard that Don Firriulieddu was there, he went and hid himself upstairs. Don Firriulieddu asked his sister, 'Where is the ogre?'
'Upstairs.'
"Don Firriulieddu said to his dog, 'Go upstairs and bark, and I will follow you.'
"The dog went up and barked, and Firriulieddu followed him, and killed the ogre. Then he took his sister and a quantity of money, and they went home to their mother, and are all contented."
Italy finished the story and smiled proudly. It had been a long time since he'd heard the story because Romano always preferred Cinderella. He was glad he'd remembered it.
Liechtenstein looked at Germany expectantly. "I-I don't know any stories," he muttered. Liechtenstein looked down sadly.
"Oh, Germany knows lots of good ones!" said Italy. "He told me one about a boy who got his thumbs cut off because he kept sucking them." Liechtenstein squeaked.
Germany sighed. "I won't tell her that one," he said. "I'll tell her the story, 'What You Deserve'." He took a seat and tried his best to remember the story.
"Once upon a time there was a widow who had a son named Michel. One day she said to him, 'Michel, I can no longer provide for you. You must go to the village. And when you get there, you must say, 'A hundred every day! A hundred every day!''
"Michel said, 'I will do that.'
"Upon his arrival in the village a funeral coach came his way, and he cried out, 'A hundred every day! A hundred every day!'
"Then the pallbearers came and gave him a beating. Michel returned home and said to his mother, 'Mother, I got beaten up.'
"His mother asked, 'Why?'
"Michel replied, 'When I arrived in the village a funeral coach came my way, and I cried out, 'A hundred every day! A hundred every day! Then the pallbearers came and gave me a beating.'
'You did a bad thing,' responded his mother. 'You should have cried and wrung your hands.'
'I can still do that,' replied Michel.
"When he arrived in the village again, a wedding coach came his way, so Michel sat down and cried and wrung his hands. Then the members of the wedding party came and gave him a beating.
"Michel returned home again and said to his mother, 'I got beaten up again!'
'Why this time?' asked his mother.
'Well,' said Michel, 'when I arrived in the village a wedding coach came my way, so I sat down and cried and wrung my hands. Then the members of the wedding party came and gave me a beating.'
'You did a bad thing,' responded the mother. 'You should have danced and shouted, 'Happiness and joy! Happiness and joy!'
'I can still do that,' replied Michel.
"When he arrived in the village this time, there was a house on fire. He ran up to it, dancing and shouting, 'Happiness and joy! Happiness and joy!' Then the men came and gave him a beating.
"Michel returned home again and said to his mother, 'I got beaten up again!'
'Why this time?' asked his mother.
"Michel said, 'When I arrived in the village, there was a house on fire. I ran up to it dancing and shouting, 'Happiness and joy! Happiness and joy!' Then the men came and gave me a beating.'
'You did a bad thing,' responded the mother. 'You should have thrown a bucket of water on it.'
'I can still do that,' replied Michel.
"When he arrived in the village this time, there was a wagon standing there filled with beehives, so he took a bucket of water and poured in on the bees. Then the beekeeper came and gave him a beating.
"Michel returned home again and said to his mother, 'I got beaten up again!'
'Oh, why this time?' asked his mother.
"Michel answered, 'When I arrived in the village, there was a wagon standing there filled with beehives, so I took a bucket of water and poured in on the bees. Then the beekeeper came and gave me a beating.
'You did a bad thing,' responded the mother. 'You should have said, 'Give me a sweet treat for my mother! Give me a sweet treat for my mother!''
'I can still do that,' replied Michel.
"When he arrived in the village this time, a manure wagon was just being unloaded. Michel went up to it and said, 'Give me a sweet treat for my mother! Give me a sweet treat for my mother!'
'Gladly!' said the workers. 'Just hold out your cap.' Then they filled his cap full to the top.
"Then Michel went home and shouted, 'Mother, mother, see what I've got here! Mother, mother, see what I've got here!'
"Then the mother took hold of him and gave him a beating."
Liechtenstein laughed. Japan chuckled softly and said, "We have a story like that too, except we call it 'Silly Saburo'."
"Did Silly Saburo say the wrong things too?"
"He said things right but he did things wrong. Once he found a dead cat and wrapped it up and took it home. Then his father told him that you dump things like that in the river. So he finds a tree stump the next day and throws it into a river. Then his father told him to chop something like that up and bring it home. So Saburo finds a teapot and smashes it and takes it home."
Liechtenstein smiled again. "Can you sleep now?" asked Switzerland.
"I can't sleep still. Can I hear more stories?"
So Switzerland picked up the phone and called the only other people he could think of.