Once upon a time there lived an old man and his wife.
The old couple had never been blessed with children, and prayed every
day to God to present them with one.
“Dear Lord, hear our prayers and let us have a child. Even a small
one would be all right.”
And then, one day, they were blessed with a small baby.
A tiny baby no larger than an inch in length.
The old couple were delighted with the baby and decided to call him
Issun Boshi, which means Inch-High Boy.
They took very good care of Issun Boshi, but no matter how old he became,
he never increased in size.
The old man and his wife were very worried about this, but despite
his size, he grew into a very healthy and smart young man.
