Magical Youth Water

Once upon a time, in a small village, there was a pair of old people who had reached old age but never had any children. The old man went to the mountains every day to cut firewood, and the old woman was at home to take care of the household.

　　One day, the old man went to fetch firewood again and did not return home until very late. The old woman waited at home all night, her heart was very anxious. The next morning, a young man carrying a bundle of firewood came to the old woman's home, the old woman took a closer look: ah! Isn't this the old man? Why did he suddenly become the same as when he was twenty years old?

　　The old woman was so surprised that she couldn't believe her eyes, so she rubbed her eyes and stared at the youth. "What is this about you?" The old woman asked after a long time. The old man told the old woman the following bizarre story: "Yesterday, I was fetching firewood on the mountain when suddenly a strong wind blew and a beautiful little bird that I had never seen before flew over, it circled my head a few times and flew away. I walked in the direction the bird had flown.

　　"Go, go ...... The little bird took me to a strange valley where flowers were blooming, fragrant everywhere, and the scenery was beautiful! Not far from there was a small river. At that time I was thirsty, and then I went to scoop the water in the river to drink. As soon as I drank the water, my whole body felt fresh and full of strength."

　　"When I had drunk enough, I slept soundly beside the mountain spring as if I were drunk. In the middle of the night, I woke up and saw that the moon was hanging diagonally in the sky so brightly, and the birds were still singing incessantly, so I felt a little scared alone, so I got up and ran out in a hurry. That's why I arrived home this morning."

　　When the old woman heard her husband's amazing story, she was very happy and envious of her husband's youthfulness, so she said to him, "I want to drink from that spring too, and I want to become as young as you! Quickly tell me where that spring is?"

　　"All right! You go and find it!" The husband happily showed her the way.

　　The old woman found the beautiful bird according to the way her husband pointed out, and also followed the bird to that strange place and found the little river. The old woman was very happy when she found it, and to make herself younger, she drank a lot of spring water at once until her stomach could not be filled, so she also fell asleep at the mountain spring as if she were drunk.

　　The old man waited at home for several days, but always did not see the old woman back, very anxious. After a few more days, the old woman did not return. The husband then had to go looking for the old woman.

　　The old man came to a forest clearing and saw that the surrounding area was empty, not even a shadow of a person, and the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he was, thinking, "Could the wife have been eaten by some beast?"

　　He took another trip to the spring but still could not find any trace of the old woman. He became discouraged and was just about to go back when he suddenly heard the sound of a child crying.

　　"Who would bring a child to this desolate place?" The old man thought and walked in the direction from which the cries came.

　　He searched around for a long time, and finally found a white mass in dense grass, picked it up, and took a look: it turned out to be a piece of his wife's clothes, with a crying child wrapped inside.

　　"Damn! How my old companion has turned into a little doll!" The husband was so anxious that he didn't know what to do.

　　The doll nodded toward the old man and cried more fiercely.

　　"Poor, poor, this is you, my old companion!" The old man said to her, "You were too greedy and drank too much of the spring of youth. Now you have become a doll, but what can I do?"

　　Finally, the old man had no choice but to take his doll old companion in his hands and go home.

　　Since then, the old man every day to hold his doll companion, from door to door, begging people to give her milk.

　　Why would the old woman become a small doll? Because she is too greedy and drinks too much water from her youth.