There was once a young aqua-haired woman named Michiru who had adopted 7 kids,and they all loved eachother very much. One day Michiru had to go to the market to buy food for them, so she called them all round her and told them where she was going. "While I'm gone,be on your guard against the oni, for if he were once to get inside he would eat you can disguise himself, but he is always known by his growly voice and blue hands." "Don't worry-we'll be on our guard". the kids said. Michiru smiled,and went on her way.

Not long after Michiru left,someone came knocking on the door. "Open the door,children,
your mother has come back wth food." the voice called out. But the kids knew it was the oni by the growly voice. "You're not our mother," the boy named Robert called out."She's got a soft,delicate voice. Yours is growly,which means you are the oni." The oni went off and stole a big lump of chalk,which he ate to make his voice softer. He came back, knocked at the house-door and tried tricking the kids into thinking he was their mother he made the mistake of putting one of his blue hands up on the window.

"You're not our mother," a middle child named Shingo called out. "Our mother has light skin,and you have blue skin.
"You're the oni!"

The oni angrily went away and went to a miller."Miller-put some white flour over my hands." the ugly creature ordered. But the miller refused, thinking the oni must be meaning harm to some one. "If you don't do it I'll eat you up!" the oni ordered angrily. And the miller was afraid and did as he was told.

The oni returned to the house and once again tried tricking the kids into opening the door.

"Show us your hands first!" the youngest child named Rini said. The oni did so,and the kids saw the hands were light colored. Robert opened the door,and the oni burst in with an evil hungry grin on his ugly kids became terrified and tried to hide ran under the table, Shingo got into the bed, while Hotaru tired hiding in the basement. Mika tried hiding in the kitchen,while Kotaro hid in the cupboard. Miharu hid under the sink,and Rini hid behind the clock the oni found 6 of the kids and swallowed them up ,he did not see Rini hide behind the clock case. The ugly creature left,having gotten what he then went into the meadow and fell asleep.

Not long after, Michiru came back from the market, and was horrorfied to find the door standing wide open. Michiru rushed inside to find furniture scattered everywhere,dishes broken,and the curtains yanked down. Her kids were no where to be found,
so she started calling their names out. The only reply came from behind the clock case.

"I'm here,Mama." Rini said,coming out from behind the clock little pink-haired girl told the aqua-haired woman what went cried for the loss of her 6 kids,and finally wandered outdoors,Rini following happened to walk into the meadow where they saw the oni then noticed how something inside his body was moving like it was struggling to get out.

"Dear me! Can it be that my children are still alive?" Michiru asked before turning to Rini."Rini-go into the house and get my scissors,thread and needle." Michiru said. Rini did as she was told,and Michiru started cutting the oni 6 kids came out one by one,and hugged their overjoyed mother.

"Children-go find some good hard stones,and we will fill his body with them while he's sleeping." the young aqua-haired woman said. " The kids did as she asked,and returned with a bunch of stones. THe kids and michiru put the stones inside the ugly creature's body,and Michiru quickly sewed him back up so he would not suspect anything. Michiru then took her kids and hid behind some nearby trees so the oni would not see them after he woke up.
in all haste, and put them inside him, and the mother sewed him up so quickly again that he was none the wiser.

When the oni finally woke up,he got up and the stones inside him made him feel thirsty. He went to the brook to drink and the stones rattling inside of him made him feel uncomfortable.

"How can children feel like stones?" The oni asked himself, stooping over to get a the heavy stones weighed him down, causing him to fall into the water and drown.

Michiru and her children saw what happened and rejoiced,seeing that the ugly creature was now dead and would not be coming around went home and lived happily ever after.

END