Reading Notes: Ozaki, Part B
The Story of Princess Hase
This story is just like Cinderella, except in this case, the main character, Hase, is born a princess.
Princess Hase was born to her parents after years of praying for a child, and when she was 5, her mother passed away. Before her mother passed away, she told Hase to always be a good little princess, respectful of her elders and kinds to everyone. After she passed, Hase's father remarried a princess, Princess Terute, who was always cruel to Hase. But despite her cruelty, Hase remembered her mother's words, and was always obedient and kind to her stepmother.
Hase was also very musically gifted. The Emperor even asked her and Terute to perform for him, to which Hase played very well, and Terute did not. The Emperor sent Hase lots of beautiful gifts for performing so well, and this made Terute feel both disgraced for herself and incredibly jealous of Hase.
Then, after giving birth to a son, Princess Terute wanted to kill Hase. She tried to poison her, but mistakenly gives poisons her son instead, to which he unfortunately dies. And instead of blaming herself, she blames Hase and hates her even more.
When Hase's father was away, Terute made up a story about Hase and ordered one of her servants to take Hase to the mountains kill her. The servant, of course, knew that Terute was lying, so when he left with Hase, he built a little cottage in the wilderness for he and his wife to protect her there. And when Hase's father returns, he finds her and the servant tells him the truth. Terute, after hearing what happened, fled and was never heard of again.
This story is just like Cinderella, except in this case, the main character, Hase, is born a princess.
Princess Hase was born to her parents after years of praying for a child, and when she was 5, her mother passed away. Before her mother passed away, she told Hase to always be a good little princess, respectful of her elders and kinds to everyone. After she passed, Hase's father remarried a princess, Princess Terute, who was always cruel to Hase. But despite her cruelty, Hase remembered her mother's words, and was always obedient and kind to her stepmother.
Hase was also very musically gifted. The Emperor even asked her and Terute to perform for him, to which Hase played very well, and Terute did not. The Emperor sent Hase lots of beautiful gifts for performing so well, and this made Terute feel both disgraced for herself and incredibly jealous of Hase.
Then, after giving birth to a son, Princess Terute wanted to kill Hase. She tried to poison her, but mistakenly gives poisons her son instead, to which he unfortunately dies. And instead of blaming herself, she blames Hase and hates her even more.
When Hase's father was away, Terute made up a story about Hase and ordered one of her servants to take Hase to the mountains kill her. The servant, of course, knew that Terute was lying, so when he left with Hase, he built a little cottage in the wilderness for he and his wife to protect her there. And when Hase's father returns, he finds her and the servant tells him the truth. Terute, after hearing what happened, fled and was never heard of again.
Bibliography: The Story of Princess Haze by Yei Theodora Ozaki
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