A Rain of Mud and Other Stories

A dying old man, a haunted quilt, and four hungry ogres inhabit these three sharply contrasting stories by Shimomura Chiaki. In “A Rain of Mud,” jealousy and cruelty turn a rural household into a place of dread. As a thunderstorm closes in, a man who has wished for another’s death discovers that neither the corpse nor his own fear can easily be buried.

“God’s Quilt” begins with an innkeeper’s puzzling guests and the voices of two children. The mystery leads back to a poor family, a bitter winter, and a tenderness that survives neglect. “Slaying the Ogres” follows an undersized young man whose cleverness counts for little in a village ruled by muscle—until the strongest villagers fail at the haunted mountain temple.

First published in 1923 and 1925, these stories reveal an author equally attentive to suffering and to the pleasures of a well-turned folk tale. This complete English translation preserves their stark contrasts, repeated dialogue, and lively storytelling, with concise notes on Japanese objects, names, and wordplay.