Confession and Other Stories

A merchant sets out for a summer fair and finds himself condemned for a murder he did not commit. A homeless dog discovers friendship at a butcher’s shop, while another puppy learns how dearly an owner may count the cost of kindness. In Damascus, a lazy man’s desperate improvisations win him a reputation for supernatural wisdom. Finally, a troublesome English climber becomes the unlikely hero of an extraordinary wartime account.

These five stories bring together sharply different forms of storytelling: a tale of forgiveness, animal stories that expose human generosity and meanness, a comic chain of coincidences, and an adventure framed through letters. Their easy narrative voice does not soften the suffering they describe. Hunger, injustice, cruelty, and bereavement stand beside wit, loyalty, and unexpected courage.

Suzuki Miekichi, the novelist and editor associated with Japan’s influential children’s magazine Akai Tori, published these pieces between 1924 and 1928. This complete English collection preserves their numbered sections and distinctive endings, with source information and a translator’s introduction. AI-assisted translation.