It was New Year’s Eve. In a humble cottage lived a poor elderly man and his wife. The next day would be New Year’s yet they had no rice for the rice cake.

-Without rice we won’t be greeting the New Year properly. We can sell these.

-We’ve got no choice.

It was decided the old man would take the old clothes to town to sell them.

-Alright I’m off!

-Now, now, You take care now. Fare thee well!00:

And the old man headed off in the direction of town. When the old man reached the outskirts of his village he came face-to-face with seven child gods that guarded the village.

-Out here in the snow? The poor things. You must be cold. But I have nothing to offer you except my humble apologies.

The old man bowed, then proceeded in the snow. At last he had reached the town.

-Hey, some clothes for sale. How about it? Come, feel this fabric! That’s quality! Quality! How about it., how about it? Come, feel this fabric!

However, everyone was busy on New Year’s eve and no one paid any attention to the old man’s cries. All too soon came the dawn and still the old man had not sold a single pieces of clothing.

-I haven’t been able to buy any rice. The wife will be so disappointed.

-Hey, you there!

Standing before him was a man selling hats.

-Very nice used clothes there. You don’t have any buyers?

No, I haven’t, not a single one.

I guess I do see. In that case would you consider exchanging those old clothes for my hats? I’m afraid I made too many of them.

-Hats…

The old man wondered what to do, He’d rather have rice than hats, but…the man trying to sell the hats looked so pitiful that the old man changed his mind.

-All right. Let’s exchange. My used clothes for your hats.

-Really? Thank you. You are too kind.

-There we go.

-Well, then, Happy New Year! You have a safe trip home.

Carrying the hats on his back, the old man retraced his steps. After he had been walking for a while through the falling snow he found himself back in front of the seven child gods.

-Oh, my, all covered with snow. You must be freezing! You dear poor things! Oh, that’s right! They’ll protect you from the snow.

-Then the old man went about placing the hats on the heads of each of the other child gods.

-That’s the last one. Glad I had enough hats. Oh dear there’s a problem. I’m one short. Of course! I’m sorry, but please make do with my hat. Well, then.

-Dear! What happened to your hat? You must be very cold.

-Yeah, and exhausted too.

The old man told his wife everything that had happened.

-That’s all right. If the child gods are warm and comfortable, wouldn’t that be enough for them. Don’t you think?

-You’re so sweet.

The hours passed and the bells signaling the New Year began to toll. The old man and the old woman went to bed.

(Thunder)

What could that be?

-I wonder.

-Where is the old man’s house? -Where is the old man’s house? Here is the old man’s house!

-What on earth happened? What could this be… I wonder, what could it be…? Oh, so that’s it ! A “thank-you” present from the child gods.

And so the old man and the old woman made the rice cake from the rice they had been given.

-Oh thank you, thanks to you we had a wonderful New Year. We thank you most humbly. Afterwards, the old man and the old woman took great care of the child gods. And thanks to the child gods, they themselves lived healthily and happily ever after.