Taking the Child

A man’s mother and wife propose bringing his young daughter into their household. The child has been raised by Toshiko, a former servant with whom he had a relationship before his marriage. At first he hesitates; then he comes to imagine the arrangement as a way to redeem his past and improve everyone’s future.

But the adults’ expectations do not fit the child’s experience. Yoriko distinguishes the mother she has left from the woman who now holds her, and ordinary episodes with sweets, toys and bedtime expose the household’s growing unease. The father’s wish to love her becomes entangled with resentment, fear and the need to justify his own choices.

First published in 1921, Taking the Child examines the cost of affection when adults claim to act for a child’s good. This complete English translation preserves the story’s shifting perspectives and bleak ending. Notes clarify historical language, rare characters, forms of address and apparent printing errors. AI-assisted translation.