In Obie Village, a strict rule was observed: "Never approach the tall mountain nearby." This was because a giant, eerie, one-eyed monster covered in fur, known as "Kirakira," lurked on that mountain. It was said that the terror of the creature was such that anyone who laid eyes on it would be left speechless, so not a single person dared to go near the mountain.
"What's so great about Kirakira? One day I'll beat it to death with this staff!"
So boasted Kiri, a boy living in Obie. He was skilled with a staff, but he was also reckless and hot-headed. One night, Kiri suddenly disappeared from the village. Convinced that he had headed for Kirakira's mountain, Kiri's older brother, Kiru, set out alone toward the forbidden mountain with his trusty bow in hand to rescue his missing brother.
After walking through the dark forest for days and conquering a dizzying, sheer cliff, Kiru finally reached the summit. What caught his eye upon arrival was the terrifying monster, Kirakira, about to attack Kiri, who was lying unconscious. Instantly grasping his brother's peril, Kiru panicked for a moment, but soon calmed his heart. Praying to God that the arrow wouldn't strike his brother, he quietly drew his bow.
Kiru's arrow, imbued with his prayer, struck Kirakira squarely in the chest. Soon, the monster's dreadful screams echoed across the mountains.
At that moment, the fallen Kiri suddenly sat up and lunged at Kiru.
"You idiot, Brother! Why did you kill Kirakira?!"
Kiru was bewildered by Kiri's sudden rage and words. Kiru learned that while on his way to challenge the monster, Kiri had been bitten by a poisonous snake and was hovering near death, but Kirakira had saved him. Despite its terrifying appearance to humans, Kirakira was actually an alien with a heart capable of showing unconditional love and compassion, even to beings from different worlds and with different forms.
"Please forgive me. To me, you looked like a monster, so I didn't know…"
Having learned the truth, Kiru could only throw away his bow and arrows and apologize to Kirakira through his tears.
With his chest pierced by the arrow, Kirakira replied with his dying breath:
"On the planet where I was born, everyone looks just like me."
"To me, you people looked like monsters. I was terrified, and I hid in this mountain all this time."
"If we had gotten to know each other sooner, I'm sure we could have been friends. We could have played together…"
Before finishing his sentence, Kirakira never opened his eyes again.
After burying Kirakira and building a grave, the brothers left the mountain. On their way back to Obie, the two of them happened to look back. To Kiru and Kiri, the mountain that had seemed terrifying just yesterday now looked gentle and somehow nostalgic.
It's a common kind of children's story where "the seemingly bad guy turns out to be a good guy," but combined with the ironic ending where "they both saw each other as monsters" and Yanase's uniquely melancholic style, it's a story that has stuck with me ever since I read it in my early childhood.